I find this really sad

[Wapptor]

I read this article over on diabloii.net:
http://diabloii.net/columnists/a-where-live.shtml

at first it's very pathetic, and I felt no sympathy for the poor fool. However, after reading it I started to feel bad, it just goes to show the power of games and what they can do. Perhaps some of us have taken it this far (too far!), I wouldn't know, but to me that article seems to really shine light upon the darker side of gaming. I know personally I've felt the pull of this sort of addiction, probably everyone has. But if you ask me, this guy has taken it WAY too far, and will regret this years later when he realizes he has done nothing with his life.

-Wapptor

[Chaerophon]

Gaming makes me happy so why not do it? Live where you want to live, all that really matters is your happiness.

Somebody should shoot this guy already, or better yet, get him a drink. I hope that his child makes him as happy as does the stupid game, but I doubt it.

If someone were to ask me, "If you could change one thing about your life what would it be?" I guess I would have to answer honestly and say, "I wish there were two of me so I could level up twice as fast."

Hmmmm... maybe he should have tried actually having a conversation with someone, playing with his kid, or maybe even going outside before he made such a foolish answer. What an ass.

I feel absolutely no pity for this idiot. He doesn't want it, and from the sounds of it, he really doesn't deserve it, either. Since he clearly knows that he is addicted and thinks that he is better off for it, he's too stupid to bother wasting breath on. Having a problem like that is one thing. Publishing about how great it is is entirely another.

[[wcip]Angel]

I think it might be a cry for help.

Either that, or he's just an 'attention whore.'

[Wapptor]

Shooting might be a bit harsh ;)

I don't personally feel bad for him. But isn't he someday going to look back on his *life* and see that he's wasted so much time, and ammounted to nothing. It's sad in the way that you can see how an addiction to this stuff can take over your life. I agree with you however about the publishing it thing, perhaps he's just interested in his article's shock value? Obviously he makes a *name* for himself by making sure everyone knows he is a completely hopeless addict. Bizarre..

-Wapptor

[unless]

Addiction is addiction, regardless of whether it's to drugs, alcohol, sex, skydiving, video games, whatever. They're all equally real, equally unfortunate, and equally pitiable. There are many non-drug addicts who develop physical withdrawal symptoms when kept from the source of their addiction. Please, try and educate yourself before you pass judgement.

[Wapptor]

unless,
I understand these things. I was noting how "equally pitiable" this guy is. And to say that I am passing judgement on him is not really true. I am questioning whether or not this ruins his life, and how he will think about it later on. If I had no idea what I was talking about, I wouldn't have posted in the first place. I find this article interesting and stimulating at the same time because in some ways I can empathise with the author, that is all.

And unless, I have been here for quite some time now, before you start treating me like an uneducated baboon, please show a little respect, the same as I would to you. No hard feelings of course.

Still, what I guess it boils down to is that this guy has a terrible, TERRIBLE, addiction and could be beyond help. This is what horrifies me, and this is why I pity him.

-Wapptor

[Sir_Die_alot]

And unless, I have been here for quite some time now

Wapptor: Joined: 11-February 03
Unless: Joined: 14-February 03

Just something I noticed.

[Occhidiangela]

Point 1. My son, 11, enjoys immensely your handle. I explained to him that I had met you via Diablo, the game, and that you were a pretty witty guy. He put together, for himself, your relationship to Arthur, King of (the who?) the Britons.

Point 2. Right on, insofar as Who's Old School? :D

Point 3.

Francisco from dii.net has a pretty good sense of humor. I also believe he made the whole damned thing up for a giggle or two. I present the evidence.

Where do you live?
by Francisco
You may be saying, "Well I'm a hardcore gamer too, I'm as pathetic as you are." No, young grasshopper, no.  An important side note, I live in Texas. Summer in Texas can get a hot as a grumpy old man's fart. Hot indeed.

Is this guy funny yet? I like him already! :)

Finally after all that hard work I could play some game called Diablo that all of my friends are talking about. The first time that I walked down into that dungeon and slayed mister undead skeleton dude, I was in awe. I thought to myself, "For all that is good and holy on the earth, (salivating and wide eyed) this is the greatest game EVER!." The next few months of my life was filled with bad grades in school and awesome items in Diablo. My social life collapsed as I pushed away all of my friends. They would ask me to come over and I would reply with, "No....ummm, I've got to organize my sock drawer by color." At that particular time, my day went something like this.
1. Wake up at 5a.m. to play Diablo
2. Wait till the last 5 minutes and then go to school
3. Think about all the cool stuff I'm gonna do in Diablo, when I get home
4. Get home, play Diablo till midnight

Aye, understood, how is this a problem? (Tongue still in cheek, I like this guy so far. Humor is one of those things . . . )

   The time flys when you are having fun, as does money. My parents no longer opted to pay for my Ultima costs, and I was left with no Ultima Online.  But by then was up it was my birthday and I was up to recieve 100 bucks.  With it I planned to buy Diablo II for one reason, it offered secure gameplay on "realms" and insured everyone that this game would not go down as its predecessor had.

Whatta rube. And still funny.

Diablo II rekindled my love for the Diablo series. 5 classes and tons of skills. A great game in the name of great games.  Freeplay on battle.net also insured that I could play for as long as I want, without worrying about cost to my parents. (snip)

All of my time and energy went into this game.

I actually dropped out of school, but it was not to play the game, it was a personal decision.

Sure it was. :P

  I met myself a girl and had a child.

Uh, either she had a child, or "we" had a child, but you did not have a child, pal. :P If he really had a child with her, let's say he would not have written what he did.

  I was seventeen, a high school dropout with his GED, and I had a kid.  Times were tough, but at least I still had my Diablo II (by then I had also acquired the xpac).

F*** pampers, I need a Guillame's Face! :P I hope the little lady liked to play too, or I smell that most horrible of curses: Marital Discord (Noobromancer skill, level 69)

  Now, in the present not much has changed except my age.

Too damned true for all of us, eh?

  As for my body, well, its not too pretty. 6'0 tall and 190lbs, I'm actually very lean except for my ass. Which I guess is a byproduct of sitting on it for so many years. I still live in the same place, on my computer, and probably will for a very long time. Gaming makes me happy so why not do it? Live where you want to live, all that really matters is your happiness.

Assuming the tongue left the cheek at some point . . .

Actually, mon frere, now that you have a child, what matters is that kid. Your ass you can take care of with the Bun and Thigh Master, or by taking a walk with your wife, for about two miles, every evening after dinner. My dad and mom did that for years, and they still do it. They have been married for 50 years, and they are both fit and healthy and still very much in love. Take a page from their book, dear Francisco, and you too may actually find happiness that has nothing to do with the Rune Word "Passion."

[quote] If someone were to ask me, "If you could change one thing about your life what would it be?" I guess I would have to answer honestly and say, "I wish there were two of me so I could level up twice as fast.

by Francisco

[quote]

Either start taking those walks, or put the kid up for adoption, or start saving money for child support payments, she's gonna walk sooner or later.

A hard core gamer you be, but you are not hopeless . . . yet.

As a troll, though, it was a good story. :)

[Wapptor]

Ok we've been here similar ammounts of time...my bad :P . Just haven't posted in awhile, perhaps I came off noob-ish like. Occhi, as usual your points are quite valid in the discussion. And I agree one could look at him as a troll, however I am not sure that it was really meant as a humorous article. I *was* assuming it wasn't... I have a bad feeling this topic has just died...

-Wapptor

[[wcip]Angel]

Don't feel bad. Occhidiangela's posts always blow me away as well ;)

[Chaerophon]

Addiction is addiction

Ok, fine. Been there myself. Point is, loudmouth braggarts with kids don't have a right to be proud of their addiction. Consider judgment to be passed. I think that if you found an alcoholic making such a prideful post on any forum, your reaction would be much different - you'd be horrified. In other words, you're contradicting yourself.

[Chaerophon]

As a troll, though, it was a good story.

You're right, he's most likely a troll, and a good one at that. However, it's the notion expressed that I should feel bad for a gaming addict whose life revolves around a game rather than his family that I find a bit ridiculous. If his life is really as he says it is, he certainly does need to pull up his socks, or maybe even get help, but I'm not going to feel bad for him - I'll save that for his kid. And...

Gaming makes me happy so why not do it? Live where you want to live, all that really matters is your happiness.

This comment is where the humour began to run thin for me, and the pity? Well, it ran out altogether...

Anyways, thanks for lightening the mood a bit Occhi, but I'll stand by my initial disgust for this guy, troll or no.

[unless]

I was actually responding directly to Chaerophon. Your post seemed reasonable enough.

[unless]

Ok, fine.  Been there myself.  Point is, loudmouth braggarts with kids don't have a right to be proud of their addiction.  Consider judgment to be passed.  I think that if you found an alcoholic making such a prideful post on any forum, your reaction would be much different - you'd be horrified.  In other words, you're contradicting yourself.

I suspect that, if the article was genuine, the author either truthfully doesn't understand how his addiction is harmful, or he is acting boastful and proud as a sort of ego barrier. Sort of telling himself that his addiction is okay so that he doesn't have to feel bad about it.

Many alcoholics are proud of their addiction. Witness barflies, frat boys, a large proportion of the punk subculture, etc. They often do the same sort of thing - brag about their drinking exploits and abilities, and even their addiction specifically, as a means of ego reinforcement and mutual self-confirmation. I would certainly feel every bit as bad for them - worse, maybe, because they lack a level of self-awareness that is crucial in overcoming addiction.

[Chaerophon]

I suspect that, if the article was genuine, the author either truthfully doesn't understand how his addiction is harmful, or he is acting boastful and proud as a sort of ego barrier. Sort of telling himself that his addiction is okay so that he doesn't have to feel bad about it.

This, I realize, and fair enough if he was alone, but...

Witness barflies, frat boys, a large proportion of the punk subculture, etc.

Just as I refuse to sympathize with alcoholic barflies that leave their wives and kids alone at home in order to enjoy the night life, I'm not about to excuse this ass for his lack of personal responsibility. It's not their lack of self-awareness that bother me - it's their inability to care about anyone BUT themselves, that I find abhorrent. Accountability is a wonderful thing. Many on the board will certainly attest to my "leftist" leanings, but despite all that, when someone chooses a game, alcohol, even drugs over their own children (which was the impression, right or wrong, that I was given by some of his statements, and they're all that I have to go on), the line is drawn, and he is WRONG - not pitiable, and not worthy of my sympathy. If he can right himself, then by all means, I will respect him for overcoming such an addiction. Unfortunately, the people being hurt most by his addiction are his child and wife/girlfriend. Until he realizes that, any compassion that I might have had for his condition flies out the window.

[Occhidiangela]

In any of us here at the Lounge passing judgement on a 'game addict' since most of us are either standing on the edge of that cliff, or are tumbling down it to one degree or another. ;)

For Chaerophon:

The comments that expressed your judgement are pretty common sensical, as I see it. Since when are we not to use and exercise judgemen? I do it all the time, in real life. It keeps me alive, and out of a lot of trouble. It also prevents me from making mistakes, and in helping others now and again. It keeps me from hanging around 'the wrong sorts.' :) Those who would insist that "we" not pass judgement are part of the problem, not part of the solution.

The caution from the old adage, as I recall it, is to not be too quick to judge, not that we abstain from judgement. Make a judgement when well informed, not per the mob scene converging on the infamous Mr Jackson of Santa Barbara at the moment.

In the matter of judgement, I support you 100%. Feel free to judge, and accept that now and again you may be judged. (I expect you take that approach.) Being judged happens to all of us now and again. Rather than decry it, we should take what we can from it and press on.

My two lire before I hit the hay.

[kandrathe]

Everywhere you go there are "idiots" who are willing to throw their lives away on what others determine are meaningless diversions. Generally, too much of any one thing in your life is bad. But, at worst he seems naive, careless, and a slacker. At least he isn't getting drunk and high, and beating on his wife and kid.

Maybe some day (when he reaches the ripe old age of 20) he'll wake up and figure it out.

[Wapptor]

[I find a certain irony] In any of us here at the Lounge passing judgement on a 'game addict' since most of us are either standing on the edge of that cliff, or are tumbling down it to one degree or another.   ;)

That is precisely why I posted the article, I am sure all of us have felt the pull of games from time to time and have had to resist it. Or some times, some of us may have gone a little too far, myself included in that category. My grades were affected, and my social life, it was not an extremely long period (thanks to parental intervention :P ), but I understand the sort of "power" these games have, and the line you have to walk to enjoy them and keep your life together. Fortunately now I find myself losing "hardcore" interest in games, my social life has blossomed (yay for me), and games have become a much less stressful, leisurely pastime.

I just don't see that happening to this guy (assuming once again that he is not a troll...). More likely his life is going to completely deteriorate until there is really nothing he can do with it. He will be too decrepit for any sort of physical labor, too unedicated for a desk job, and probably too lazy, or not humble enough to get more education. In the end, he contributes nothing to his family, and nothing to society, it's really a shame and a waste.

-Wapptor

[NiteFox]

12th of February, surely?

A lot of people joined around that date, given that was when these forums were brough online. Wappy's been around for much longer than the 12th.

[Wapptor]

Heh thankyou, I didn't really even think about it, just noted the similar numbers and moved on.

-Wapptor