by Eric L. Haschert

Created on: July 20, 2009

Last year I played an MMORPG for about six months. It was a new experience. I am an old time gamer. I was playing arcade games at the corner store in the early 80's because I couldn't afford my own Atari. Video games were right out of Science Fiction as far as my parents were concerned and the games themselves were junk with no intellectual or educational value at all. So you know I am an old dude right?

For a while playing the game was weird. Where I would normally get to keep all the loot I had to share and where I normally got to direct the battle I had to do my part. So it was a mind opening experience where I had to quit acting like an selfish old hermit and help out others. Picture Gargamel Learning to play with the Smurfs and yes I saw them when they were first run on TV.

I think the over all experience I had was good as long as I didn't have to break my anonymity. I didn't want anyone know my age because I was afraid I was the only one. It wasn't until a new game module came out that I met a man older than even I playing the same game. I Had one character and he had about 30 so you know he played a lot. He said his first computer game was called a trip to the moon and you had to figure out how to fly your rocket there with only so much fuel, etc, etc...My parents also thought I was just a little too old to be playing with kids the age of my nieces and Nephews. Also after getting kicked out of one Guild for being too old I never mentioned my age to anyone again.

I was there for the same reason everyone else was to play a game. I am glad no one has ever thought of trying to turn an MMORPG into a dating website. I joined a new guild my Nephew told me about. My Nephew is about 20 years old so I knew I'd be playing with people at least his age. I noticed with this group they were very polite and had excellent game etiquette. Who ever would have thought you'd need etiquette to play a video game? Nonetheless most of the MMORPG games come with an etiquette hand book that'll save your butt and get you invited back to play again later. Also just like real etiquette the rules are just suggestions not orders or laws.

Do I myself have any pet peeves about playing an MMORPG? Other than someone trying to break my anonymity? No I don't! I mean there is Ganking and stuff like that but that's Par for the course so says another game that requires some etiquette. You simply have to pay your dues or have another higher level character waiting

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