Family Gaming (MMO)

Miss Suzy says, "Nite nite my friends, I'll see you in game tomorrow!"...

I decided to log into EQ2 for a bit tonight and work on my Swashbuckler some. I've neglected her a bit lately. I'm also getting an urge to level the fury some. The Druid bug has bitten me I suppose. For now I want to try to just focus on one and get some more levels under my belt with it.

I wandered around a bit and finished some quests while chatting with my (newish) guild. The are a great bunch and I am very happy I found them! It has really been nice to have some peeps to chat with as I play, the world of Norrath feels like a warmer place. We spoke about games and snow days and some other silly stuff while I whittled away at some quests. I had a nice time.

I found out one of our members is in her 60's (Age not level!) and her children also play. How cool is that? I thought that was just so neat. While my mother listens to me mention my games and she likes to check in on my blog often, she has never been into them. I did try to set her up in WoW once but all she did was emote and run around saying hi to people, she liked to use it to talk to my brothers when they lived in other states. When I found her playing Second Life with some friends I was really excited for her, but it didn't last. My father, lets just say he doesn't have anything nice to say about gaming.

I've gotten off topic, which seems to be the direction this topic has taken! So let's just run with it eh? I think it's nice when family's interact with each other in games. If you live far away from each other it gives you time to catch up and still feel connected with them. I like playing games with my son and husband. I think I am the only mom my son knows who plays games. He asks me what is good, what he should play when he gets bored. I suppose some kids would think it is cool, he thinks it's normal, moms liking video games. Some do! Just none of his friend's mothers. His best friends use to tell me how cool it was to talk about WoW when they visited. I thought that was cute.

With kids it opens a door that they feel you are on the level with them in a way. My son likes to tell me what he did in this game or that. I know what he is talking about and he feels like I'm actually listening. I am! I tell him about a horrific group while he laughs and my husband watches PvP videos with him. While we are grownups he feels connected with us in that way. We do other things together but we actually take an interest in the fact that he loves gaming and designing maps. We read the same books, listen to the same music and play the same games. I've caught him running a private server a time or.. and we've had the talks how that's not something he will be doing. I've had to go to the length of revoking his rights on the computer to install anything. He's learned that lessen and has a lot more trust now. We've tried to direct him at designing his own maps instead of servers, playing on test realms and testing things, which he really loves. He will be sad to see WoW's PTR go down Monday!

In WoW my husband and I actually seem to have a lot more fun when we play the tank healer combo. It gives incentive to play together. I actually will PvP with him because.. well just because he rocks and I don't when it comes to PvP! Plus he loves the heals. We work well together. We can do groups together and know that the heavy roles of tanking and healing are covered, with confidence. He works a lot and is tired when he gets home so we get to talk and spend time together in this way also.

I don't always play games with my family. Sometimes I take breaks and don't play anything at all. Some days I just would rather read a book. Or sometimes I play a game alone like EQ2. My husband played at one time but now I play it alone. I am more of the adventurer in gaming like my son. We play everything and anything. My brothers played WoW for a long time, they don't play anymore. I think one day they'll head back to Azeroth though. I use to have some friends that played also but they have drifted off to other things. It's always nice to stay in touch in the game, I miss them. Now that they don't play I rarely hear from them. It's almost like seeing people on a regular basis, seeing them in game.

Do you play with family members or close friends? Or do they smile and nod with a glazed look (Oh noes they are going to talk about that again) when you mention it? Do they sneer with disdain? I've has this one happen before. Then I'm like.. Get out mah face with that attitude! I love games, that is part of who I am. I could spend my recreational time sitting in front of a TV but I don't. Before games it was designing web pages and graphics for the pages I made. I still do the graphic part just not web design, other than little things here and there for a few personal bloggers.

I spend time thinking and interacting. I do still watch TV and read, draw, yap off at the mouth, go to the park.. ya know things normal people do. I'm not sitting in a basement in front of a screen all the timen and while I don't get that reaction (from most of my family), I know others do and it's really the pot calling the kettle black. Ask them if they watch TV at all. Oh sitting in front of a screen are ya?! I know people who surf the net more than I game.

Game on readers! I support your cause, may it be getting that ally faction or that epic item you've drooling for or maybe it's that next level! Safe adventures.
-kaozz