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You are reading an article written by a citizen of eRepublik, an immersive multiplayer strategy game based on real life countries. Create your own character and help your country achieve its glory while establishing yourself as a war hero, renowned publisher or finance guru.

How's The Weather Over There?

Day 946, 19:33 • Published in USA USA

• by Calebb

Modus Invictus - Vol. I Ed. 2

There is, of course, the absurd sense of obligation you develop through playing this game, but ultimately it should be fun.- Fingerguns

It's funny when you talk about "sense of obligation" in relation to gaming. I wish had a dollar for every time somebody told me that they really aren't that interested in the game any more and, "the only reason they still play is because of the people."

The internet has definitely made gaming a much more personal endeavor. It's no longer user vs ai(usually shitty one at that) or even some guy represented by a few pixels on a screen. Now it's user vs dynamic other users who have personalities and voices and can organically respond to you and the things you do. Not only that, but they can do unexpected things that elicit an otherwise unexpected response from you. Basically, they make you think. (At least more than an ai will.)

eRep is essentially a glorified chat room against the back drop of a econo-politico-military simulator. The game functions like a "the weather" in that it gives a bunch of complete strangers something to talk about until they are comfortable enough to move beyond idle chatter. As relationships change and become closer to friendships, the game becomes more important and users become beholden not so much to the game, but to the other users in which they have taken a personal stock.

Those other users/friends would otherwise be inaccessible to them if not for the game. Therefore, by extension, the game becomes personally important to them. As with all social groups, everyone falls into a stereotypical category in the group dynamic. For some, that means leading. For some that means going along with the crowd. Others have a compulsion to try to excel not matter what they are doing. Most fall somewhere in the vast gray area between leader and follower.

I hate you Bob.

Once that group identity is established, human nature dictates that we do what's necessary to either maintain that stature if we are comfortable or become upwardly mobile. Now you have become emotionally invested. Disappointment that you didn't get that promotion. Excitement that you just accomplished a personal goal. Rage that Bob called you a "noob."

Yep. Definitely real.

Unfortunately, except in relatively rare circumstances, those other users and those accomplishments never become tangible. They are all leveled against the backdrop of the game: that fantasy world where you go to become something else while you forget about the fact that you are bored in real life, or that your lawn needs mowing or your dog just died. It's an important part of who you are now. After all, you have “friends” there.

I have quit playing many games over the last several years and I have left behind people that at one time I would have considered a friend even though I couldn't identify them by sight or sometimes even by voice. It was still hard. I remember a lot of things about those people that I liked. Funny thing is, when I log onto vent or irc or whatever website-of-those-places-where-I-once-bel onged to see how my old friends are doing, we don't have anything to talk about, except the weather...