Sunday, December 16, 2012

"I quit, and so should you"

I was thinking about quitting realm for some time.

Honestly, I already did quit a few days ago but... then I returned. To the forum only. Just to see last posts or maybe some private messages. Then I started reading. Reading the forum made me want to play and I entered the game - just for a few minutes. Then minutes became hours... As always. That's something sick, an addiction. At least it's better than pills or drugs or alcohol.

I realized that it's eating too much of my time. Too much of my energy that could be directed to my own creative projects. From being just a casual game it become sort of a monster that eats a big part of my life. Because not only I'm playing a few hours a day but also thinking about realm during the day. It's interfering with my real life. Is it worth it?

In realm we are busy with solving artificial problems - defeating enemies that don't really exist, gathering artificial wealth based on artificial scarcity of items. Also, there is nothing new there. I completed hundreds of tombs, trenches and undead lairs. And not so many cemeteries or candy lands but they aren't worth it. How many times can one person do these things again and again and again and again?

The content can be completed in a week and perfected maybe in three months (especially tombs). So this game is not about content. The point of this game is social interaction. But it's still artificial and shallow, it's based on solving all these artificial problems together.

You can develop friendships when times are hard, when people are struggling, overpowered by some crushing forces. That force can be a permadeath - when noobs are struggling and give away noobish items to help their brethren to rebuild.

I no longer have economic problems in the game. I'm wealthy. And even if I lose everything, I can rebuild.

Yes, there is still a room for improvement. I can still get better at running tombs. And maybe beat Krayzie in a speedrun one day? That could be a worthy goal. Speedruns give a lot of replayability to any game. Or maybe farm fame for all-time legend? That's too time consuming and there's no real challenge. And it's only a game. All things achieved here are really worthless.

And there is a problem that many parts of the game that were fun for me are no longer fun. I kill these poor gods one by one or rush a tomb and I think: what am I doing here? With a feeling that it's no longer a right place for me. It's no longer playful.

One of my most enjoyable moments in the realm was joining a midland train as a noob. I leveled to 20 by making one circle around the map and the train was crushing everything in it's path. All those scary monsters, hard to take out alone, were vanishing under the train's firepower! That was fun. Or visiting dungeons for the first time...

My best IRL friend didn't want to play Realm. He started, leveled to 20 following the quest marker and said the game is no challenge to him. And he would be a boss there because he beats me in all games.

I was also thinking about improving the game - it's interface and mechanics. I have lot of ideas. I keep them to myself because the developers don't give a shit about player's ideas. Or worse - they may implement it and charge gold for things I'd like to be free for everyone. I should probably make my own game and channel my energy and time into that.

The conclusion is - if you want to quit, don't visit forums, don't enter IRC or mumble.

Now I'd like to say "thank you" to all people who I know and care about, you know who you are. Or you don't. I'm not really a social person. And my oldest realm friends (if I can call them that) don't play the game anyway. There won't be wine cellars, tombs and drop parties. No mass suicide of all characters. I won't even return to the game to say good bye. I'm not even sure if I will really quit. My quitting will be probably instant.

Now the character's death is a good opportunity to leave because I want to fool the all-seeing Sauron's eye of realmeye into thinking it's still alive. Also, according to my religious beliefs, I will treat this highly improbable death as a "sign" (from universe or gods or whatever spiritual forces) that my previous decision about quitting was right. My cruel gods say: stay true to your word and do as you stated. Or we will do it for you.

See you in another life, brothers.

43 comments:

  1. Im sad to see you go :,(
    will miss you :/
    I hope ill see you again someday

    -Jariel

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  2. You made me think.
    Sad that you're leaving :/

    -Guy from your guild who spents like ~10h per day for realm/forums.

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  3. About your archer death.... Pretty sure that turret exploded on him. Insta kill shotgun no matter the class. Was nice playing with you. Farewell.

    ~Peacecats

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  4. hey i named one of my pets after you :)
    http://www.realmeye.com/player/jariel


    -Jariel

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  5. Thanks for your kind words guys. =)
    Oh I'm honored :D (+lol at pet names).

    (as a recovering realmoholic I shouldn't visit this site too but I checked if there are comments)

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  6. wow, that was surprisingly emotional. Eventhough i dont even really know you all that much, i am very upset to see you leave :(.

    I wish you best of luck and hope that you can stay away from rotmg, something that seems to be impossible for me right now.


    -Hombr

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  7. We've never talked, but I just wanted to say, you have been a huge inspiration for me, as you are one of the minority of people who actually know what they're doing when playing a Mystic. I have always hoped to become at least half as skilled as you are..
    I understand your reasons for quitting very well, however I am still sorry to see you go. I wish you good luck on everything you do.
    Sincerely, Normerra.

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  8. We didn't talk much actually, but that was enough for me to understand that you are a good person.
    I will miss you, anti.

    Regards,
    Mrakorisan

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  9. im soryr to see you leave :/ but its aweosm how you're quitting a game as addicting as rotmg.
    gl!!
    cuttlehorn

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  10. Nightingale will miss you!

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  11. Thanks for comments again. It's nice that someone cared. :)

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  12. But then again, everything in life is artificial. After your death nobody cares if you were a NHL-player, the king of Cuba, or the best mystic in Realm. Therefore one should do what feels good at the moment, as long as it doesn't hurt those you love.

    Ps. I really did not ruin that tomb in EuNorth 20min ago!!

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  13. ^ That's true. There's a time to play and a time to die, and everything is a child's play

    Ps. I don't remember people who ruin tombs anyway. So you're ok, whoever you are. :D

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  14. Well, we never talked or known each other,but I saw you on RotMG.I wish you good luck.
    ~Newestguyo

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  15. Good luck to you. Your words were so inspirational, and they mean so much to me. I, myself, have been playing for over 2 years and 2 months and have been trying to quit. I've made so many friends on the game, so it's been so hard to let go even when I'm forced to rebuild time and time again. I never knew you very well, but I am still sorry to see you go. Maybe it's time for me to leave too, i dont know

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  16. I was just searching this up and maybe I should, too.

    Cheers,

    Slvrdllr

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  17. cough cough *think of being at the top of the world* cough cough

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  18. Sorry to see you go. Slvrdllr dont quit man. (if you are the real one)

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  19. Not sure what to think of this pseudo-philosophical post. If playing this game was so detrimental to the writer that he or she had to think about existentialism, playing to an addictiveness where he or she could "complete [this game] within a week and perfect(ed) in three months," the writer does need to quit. It doesn't mean that everyone in the game play to such intensity. Arguably, most players play casually. Still, I agree that most of the responders in this thread are probably of the same ilk who needs to quit.

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  20. i am quitting too. huge waste of time and its not even fun anymore. goodluck to you :)

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  21. Never really meant you in game,but I'm quitting too. In the beginning it was so cool but after many, many changes, I have decided to quit.

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  22. Can I have your account? :p

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  23. 1st 2016 comment! If you ever read this anti, please comment! used the fame calculator. I've never really talked to you but, alike many others. Quitting realm is a good thing, kudos :) the community will miss you ❤️ Much love

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  24. same as the guy above me ^ :)
    -someone you'll never know(RNGezuz)

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  25. It's been took over by a new, ACTIVE dev team known as Deca! So many players have come back, check the forums.

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  26. I had spend over at least 200 hours playing Rotmg. I want to quit because I just suck. I see everyone better than me in every way with less time spent. I realize that you need to spend money, lots of money to get good. I just don't have that kind of money.
    Farewell Anticosmic. The game was absolutely cool when I was a noob, now I realize what a grind it is.

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  27. Can I have your acc?

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  28. It's been took over by a new, ACTIVE dev team known as Deca! So many players have come back, check the forums.

    www.golden-slot.com
    gclub online

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  29. Sup anti,

    Old rotmg player and old friend here. Still remember you from old times. Deca is the new owner and the game is now hella swell, with new content, good devs, and fun times. Motmg is coming along in a month or so so if you'd return that would be great.

    Cheers!

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  30. And im here waiting for your return, maybe we can be friends and play for sometime and then bring our mind back to the samsara

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