I was like that with NWN online for a while. My life just dissapeared for days on end..

But I'm all better now...

But I think Ironworks has the same effect on people.. Maybe it should be called the 'Crackworks'.... Or maybe not...

*shrugs* I'm a conservative Christian and have been playing for thirty years or more. I think being a Paladin is the perfect trope for being a Christian warrior. Some people are just ignorant, is all.

I was addicted to AD&D and NWN until almost a year ago when I got Final Fantasy XI. My average playtime of FFXI per day runs from 15 - 21 hours without sleep. The reason for this is because I like to party with the Japanese players at their peak hours, then the Europeans with their peak hours, and then the Americans at their peak hours. Sure it sounds like obsession. But if it's obsession then how did I take Advanced networking, Statistics II, Advanced C++ Programming, Data Communications, Earth and space science, Earth and space science lab, and Advanced Physiology over a 10 week period and make straight As?

I should point out that FFXI is highly inspired by AD&D (The first 20 levels your stats are almost exactly the same depending on what class/race you play and the races, despite having differint names, are blatant ripoffs of D&D races)

The reason dedicating my time to FFXI doesn't bother my religeous beliefs is because the world of Vana'diel is a monotheistic society that worshops God. There are even small groups of players on my server who actually attend an online churches on sundays in the churches of Sand'Oria and Jeuno. They elegedly have an ordained minister who plays the game give a sermon around 7:00 Eastern every sunday. Hehe! They also have virtual weddings, i doubt they'd be valid in any state or country [img]tongue.gif[/img] but the point is those take place in churches too. Players don't just blatantly "fool around" like some players in Everquest do [img]tongue.gif[/img] They develop warm relationships and get to sit on hillsides together and watch the sunset and that sorta thing before aranging a huge celebration with all their friends and fireworks and music and such.

Now I'd love to hang around and further this discussion but Haloween is on in FFXI and I must make money by selling candy to Trick-or-treaters.
Muwhahahah!

When my now exgirlfriend discovered that I played D&D, among several other rpgs (one even MORE occult based...but it sucked) she was kind of freaked out...she told me that it was because it was intimidating, but never would ellaborate...I'm still not sure, but I know that she claimed to be devout in her religion...

I would also never tell my grandparents about playing D&D...but then again, I don't plan on telling them that I'm a deist or that I'm dating a Jewish girl any time soon... ;)

Really, what it boils down to is "how absorbed do people become in the things that they do?" Most of the roleplayers I've met have been casual, and I'm pretty sure that that is the majority of them...unfortunately, those crazies who dress up as vampires and wander around quoting their respective games in the middle of airports DO exist, and give the rest of us kind of a bad rap...

After all, it IS man's typical reaction to generalize groups by the most easily seen examples...and those people certainly are that...

My take on it... like anything else, it can be taken to extreme. Those who take it to extreme cause problems for the rest of us.

Does it address topics that some people would rather not discuss? Absolutely. If you've got good, you've got to have evil as well. Do some people play evil? You betcha. But that doesn't make them evil any more than playing Madden NFL 2004 would make them professional football players.

I think there are a number of conservative religious folks who strongly fear letting their children learn and make their own decisions. What if one of them tried AD&D and became an atheist? The world would shatter, I'm sure. But what if that child grew up and never was able to formulate their own opinion or make their own decisions? Far, far worse, I believe.

As a parent, I know that I'm not always going to like what my kids do as they grow up. My father always said that every generation's job is to come up with music, hair, and clothes that irritate their parents. So far, so good [img]smile.gif[/img]

If I tell them they can't, they'll stick with it even more. If I let them explore, and be willing to share my opinions (and they're no more than that), and let them make up their own minds, even if I think it's wrong, they will grow far more and be far more independent.

You see, I believe that once my kids were born, the clock started ticking on when they leave. My job is to make sure that when they do, they're ready for the outside world. It is *NOT* to keep them sheltered here until I think they're ready... which would probably be around the age of 40 :D

Hmmm... sideways step from D&D, but I think they stem from the same thing -- unwillingness to let your children explore and learn from their explorations. The important thing is to explore with them, so you have a basis for discussion with them.

I would say there's potentialyy alot that goes against Christian belief in DnD, but if it's bad for a Christian to play would probably depend on if you think it's real(Devils' work) or just fantasy.

I played D&D from grammar school through high school with my Pastor's son. No big deal.

If you think it's real and start worshiping the gods/demons in your D&D world, it's not the church you need, it's a shrink.

http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0046/0046_01.asp

[img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/evillaughter2.gif[/img]

ROTFLMFAO!!! Nice link, Arledrian! :D
Oh, and DK, yes, it is an obsession, lol. Because you were able to get through all your classes doesn't mean you're not obsessed. Though I'm guessing you dont play 15-21 hours a day, everyday. But, anyways, there's this scary thing outside, anyways. Stupid sun! [img]graemlins/1pissed.gif[/img] J/k, man! ;) [img]smile.gif[/img]

ROFL, Arledrian!! I can't believe that kid did that just because her character died!! xD

That has to be the funniest propaganda ever. Great find! :D