Hello this is my first blog ever so to just give you a quick run down I will tell you a bit about my mmorpg history. I started playing text based muds in 1994 which quickly led into playing everquest, mythic-realms, gamestorm, daoc, on up to almost every f2p and p2p game on the market. I was also a home-schooled child, that didn't have many friends during my youth.
Here is just a quicklist of 5 random things that I have learned from gaming that I use or have used in real life.
#1 TRUST: I learned quickly in online gaming that you should never trust anyone. Playing a game such as darkness falls the crusade, working your character up for two years. Gathering rare loot that no longer even dropped in the game just to have a friend for two years steal it from you.
So I learning rather quickly in life to make better judgement in choosing friends. This is a positive thing I learned from gaming.
#2 STEAL: While I look back at this now, I do regret doing it but I did what had to be done. As a teen coming into the gaming scene in the 90's wasn't cheap. For one I couldn't get a full-time or part-time job, I did manage to mow some neighbors yards for little to nothing, 10$ if I was lucky.
So what else would a home-schooled kid that didn't get out of the house much do? I stole... while it wasnt like I was stealing from some small family business that could barely afford to stay running, I was stealing from the big dog coorperations. But computer games was the only thing I have ever stole in my life, not even a piece of candy from the store. Ive matured alot in life now and regret ever stealing a computer game, but I did and I cannot change that.
#3 NAVIGATION: Remember playing everquest before maps? Ever tried playing a text based mud without maps? I have and I have learned so much, specially with me growing up playing text based mud and remember my way around by picture memory. Such as, run down the road until you see a small hut on left side of the road, turn right, and stay straight until you find a huge tree with no branches then jump down and so forth. I got so used to finding my way around new game that you could take me to a huge city and drop me off and I would remember the way out by remembering things I saw on the way in.
#4 AWARENESS: From watching every single car around me on the road and knowing where they are at all times to catching that baseball after a pitch thrown in the dirt and gunning out a man trying to steal to second base. Online games have helped better myself at being very aware to my surroundings at all times. While im sure its partly natural, I know games have helped.
#5 COMMUNICATION: I will admit my grammar is still pretty rough but I try. Every since my first online game I have been interacting with other people all over the world. Over that time period I have learned to make friends with just about anyone.
If you would take some redneck from the deep south and put him in a bar in new york city, I highly doubt he will make it through the night without getting beat up. But if you put me in a bar in new york city, even though I am a redneck from the deep south. I guarentee I would make some friends. If you take away all my years of gaming I wouldn't stand a chance.
This was just a few things that came off the top of my head, I hope you enjoyed reading about my 1st blog ever! I would also really enjoy reading some of the things you have learned from Online gaming, please lets keep this civil and friendly.
