Do you guys play EQ to escape?

[jolanar]

My escape was Classic WoW. Around 2004/5 my life was crumbling around me, but everything was ok because I was playing WoW 16+ hours a day.

These days I play everything super casually. I never schedule my life around the game, which sadly makes raiding on P99 a never going to happen thing. But it's worth it because that's a slippery slope for me.

[slowpoke68]

I think anybody who is a serious gamer is kidding themselves if they think they aren't an escapist. As a kid I was always a day dreamer. I know I use games as an escape mechanism but I think it is ok.

Hang in there and keep fighting the good fight. Thank you for sharing.

[Xulia]

To answer your question: Yes

Bit of backstory; I'm a dad working full-time. I have no interest in a social life with the people who live around me and most of my long-time friends live elsewhere. P99 helps to provide social interaction without having to expend the effort to drive somewhere and spend money. My wife also plays FFXIV so its nice to be able to spend most of our free-time playing our respective games without any hard feelings; she's in a similar boat and her guild (free company in that game) also serve as her social circle. As parents we don't have the time or energy to go out and have an adult social life, so our games help fill that part of our lives.

As someone who also lives with mental illness, P99 also provides a place of serenity. I can choose what chat channels I read, who I interact with, etc. and having that control brings peace of mind and allows me something to focus on that's a fun fantasy romp, but in a world that's quantifiable and measured. For all of the barbs and flames that some people see on this game, by and large most of the people I've encountered are understanding and even supportive. In one of my worst spells, my guild leadership even reached out to make sure I was doing ok. It's rare to find people that genuinely care about you like that.

I've never struggled with addiction as you have, OP, but some of these responses already show that same support. You're stronger than the booze, and one relapse doesn't undo the progress you've made as long as you keep fighting and never give up.

[Orionsaight]

I hope I didn't sound like I was shaming you. I was trying to make it clear that's what I wasn't doing. /shrugs. I feel sometimes that every statement has a million interpretations and my brain doesn't work well so I cant think of them all. Its annoying.

[Nisrak]

I would agree that EQ is a great escape, and it's always a tricky balance between the escape improving your life or making it harder by encouraging you to disregard RL responsibilities, etc.

I know I started playing EQ back in '99 as an escape (my parents went through a super rough divorce, I sort of hated everyone in highschool, etc.), but I was lucky enough never to have suffered from any mental illness or depression. I was happying playing EQ for every spare minute from 9th grade until 2nd year of undergrad. When I finally found a social group I mostly gave up EQ.

I now have a completely different life living abroad as a postdoc and married, so it's really hard to find any time to play at all. Last year I had the itch and started playing, but the time not spent on RL responsibilities made me quit. It ended up causing more stress than enjoyment because every deadline became tighter and harder to make. I think this ties in with how p99 differs from live back in '99. We were all teenagers and now we're all in our mid 30s, and the stresses of adult life are very different.

OP, good luck with everything and thanks for the post. I think, overall, p99 is a great community and we all have a lot in common.

[Jibartik]

When Elon Musk makes the neural net that lets you chose to live inside the computer forever, I'm going to have a hard time deciding between the infinite hive mind universe or the P99 one.

[Barkingturtle]

"Fantasy is escapist, and that is its glory. If a soldier is imprisioned by the enemy, don’t we consider it his duty to escape?. . .If we value the freedom of mind and soul, if we’re partisans of liberty, then it’s our plain duty to escape, and to take as many people with us as we can!" ~ Brad McQuaid

[Chortles Snort|eS]

bRaD blesS

[Orionsaight]

I think shaming is a bad thing.

I think humans might be intentionally created to be flawed just to make life, life; and to give us personalities.

But I think there is an exception for every exception so im not good at winning debates, so I don't.

No one wants a character that starts with 200 str 200 sta 200 agi 200 dex 200 wis 200 int 200 cha.

Don't get me wrong I think people should do what it takes to better their life. But to put it all into words may not work.

[Jimjam]

It was a beautiful and sympathetic OP, don't be ashamed!

When the tutorial was modernised the story to it is you are stuck as a prisoner slaving away for monsters and their machines. You become powerful and break free; the subtext was very much 'break free of your chains and be a somebody in Everquest'. Indeed that tutorial is even called 'Escape to Norrath'!

It is a fun tutorial, it has a nice progression, some stories and a couple of fun characters. Dbg keep it updated so each time you play through it what it teaches will be up to date!