I wasn't always an MMO junkie. I can recall a time where I would get
up, go to work, come home and relax. I'd watch a little TV, then head
off to bed.

It is an undisputable fact that a lot of MMO players have family, jobs
and responsibilities at home and at work. So what is it about MMO's that
can overrule one's common sense and make them an addict?

It was at work that someone told me about the beta stage of EverQuest.
I had never heard of such a concept, so I figured I'd put in an application
and see if I made it. What could it hurt, right? Boy, was I ever wrong!

After
making it into Beta 4, I was unstoppable. Hours would fly by. My semi-decent
dinners for a single guy at the time turned into microwavable monstrosities
that stacked up haphazardly next to my PC on the desk. They threatened
to topple onto me, and I'd be forever lost under a sea of stale lasagna
and tater tots. I would never know if they sent in a rescue squad, or
even a team of bus boys, to get me out.

I eventually gained a grip on reality and did something that was better
for my health. You're thinking I quit, weren't you? Nope. I simply moved
a trash can closer to my desk so I didn't have to fear the Leaning Tower
of Lasagna. Take that, Stouffers!

After a while, I realized that, while online gaming was awesome, I did
need some real life interaction. I started to go out on dates--real live
women, ones who weren't wielding axes or short swords. Inevitably, I'd
still come flying home when it was over, upset that they didn't understand
the nuances of Snare or Kiting. Also, it was to make sure I didn't miss
a raid.

In time, I joined the Navy. I also finally settled down with a great
gal. It wasn't long, however, before I had her hooked on EQ as well. "Wow",
I thought, "I have the best of both worlds now!!" And so it
was, for a while. Her fun and interest in the game grew, but we were many
levels apart, so most of her time was spent trying to catch up.

My son came down to stay with us for a week, and we were getting ready
to go out to breakfast. My wife was logged in and trying to get "one
more bit of experience." I impatiently waited, and my son started
to get anxious from waiting. It finally resulted in an argument of monumental
proportions.

It
was right then and there that I realized I needed to prioritize my life.
It hit me that I was missing out on my life by my addiction to something
that created so much discord. I had been too close to see how I did it,
but watching my wife showed me how often I had strived to get "just
one more <insert desirable item here>" had ruled me, my relationships
and life in the real world. I quit cold turkey. Now, I'm glad to say that
I spend a ton of time with my family. I've quit EQ1, and even quit EQ2
(heck…it didn't require family to make me quit that!). I began focusing
more on my career and even started cooking real meals again.

Just to trip me up, though, there was that post on some forum about Vanguard:
Saga of Heroes. I thought to myself, "Hmm…I'll check that one
out." So, I read up on it and saw that Brad McQuaid is heading this
one up. I started to feel a vein throbbing in my head. My palms were damp
with sweat when I clicked on the screen shots on the Vanguard site. "This
is too good to be true… Oh, damn you Brad. Damn you!" I was
feeling the familiar tug of nostalgia and excitement again.

So, what will I do when Vanguard comes out? Do I lapse back into a pasty,
white blob who gains sustenance through Hungry Man platters and Mountain
Dew? Do I forsake my family, or even worse, get them hooked as well?

Hopefully
I have learned my lesson. As a former addict, I know the pull on me to
get hooked. And the reward for not giving in is worth it. Only time will
tell. Reinforcing my resolve, however, are the many accounts where players
have given up husbands, wives and families for online gaming. There are
even sites
dedicated to those who've lost loved ones to the immersion aspects of
MMOs. Like the sight of a drunk on a park bench or a junkie shivering
from withdrawal, stories like these, along with my own experience, make
me stronger in the face of temptation. I WANT to play Vanguard-it's the
best-looking game in town. And I will play it, but on MY terms. "Get
thee behind me, Brad!"

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