Why do we play this game?

Day 2,017, 12:49 • Published in Canada United Kingdom • by Pat Harper

Today I stood in my kitchen making a lasagne.
A thought came to my head, why do I play eRepublik? I have been playing the game since January 2012, and I still have no idea why I stuck with it. I am a lover of RTS games such as the total war series, which I have found that other players also love, but maybe it's just coincidence?



I was first invited to the game by a friend who wanted to get the Society Builder medal, and my initial intention was to get to level 10 and quit. My friend was shortly banned afterwards, but I still continued playing. What I can’t understand is what kept me going? In my early days of eRep I had no real friends, I wasn’t involved in the community at all and had no idea how to play, yet I still clicked away every day.



The economy was much better then, gold was selling for about 3000 CC and as I had no guidance I spent it all on health. Don’t laugh, you all did it once too. Anyway I continued clicking away until about July time when I became Captain of my military unit. I became a little more involved with discussion within the MU but that was it.



The first time I actually got playing properly was August time. I still had a Q1 free training centre, say is why I have such low strength, however since I have got involved in discussion and it safe to say the MAIN reason I am still playing the game is the community, however there must be something else to make me carry on for over half a year without having a clue. Personal merit? Everyone loves showing others what achievements they have been awarded, which is the main reason we get so annoyed when someone takes a battle hero which you were going for. People like evidence of the hard work they put in.



I have been recently elected as PP of my party and am the previous 2nd commander + commander of 2 different MU’s. Is it the fact we have the opportunity to be part of political and military organisations which we will never have the chance to do in real life? It is human nature to want to be the best, and in the confines of society the average person will never be a leader of a party or General of the Army, yet along a country president.



What about the stupid missions? We are constantly being played with by the admins. ‘Lol guys this will really piss off the community but the fools will still buy gold to get it done.’
Yes they are all mocking you. Every single post on their facebook page is spammed with ‘FIX ECONOMY’. Yes, the admins know full well that the economy is screwed, shouting about it isn’t going to fix anything. Through all of this we STILL keep playing this game. Another thing is the servers. I have had this screen for the past 40 minutes:



So, we watch people sensible enough to leave but do nothing ourselves. Why? Why do we continue playing? It isn’t fun, especially being wiped by Spain. We put up daily with internet keyboard warriors, people scaring people out the game with mass PM’s and insults. People complain, people buy votes people still fill up the eLab bank accounts. I have probably spent around £250 on this game, I ask myself why every time. Because it says ‘NEW OFFER ONE TIME ONLY’? Or is it something more?



It’s food for thought at the least. I know for a fact I will continue playing this game even though I criticize it daily.
TLDR: Why do we play this damn game?
- Pat Harper