What Do You Say?

That's my total playtime since I began in July 2004. Some people look at that and go "Wow this guy has no life!", but really they are not getting the whole story.

I don't watch TV anymore, I rarely play other Videogames, I don't watch many movies. I do maintain a social rl calendar, just finished missing a straight month and a half of Saturday Limbus runs to prove it. And I maintain a decent job.

People in the world need hobbies and I've decided I like this one enough to make it mine.

When kids watch sports, do they not dream of being a good sports player? When you live in New York or Texas (Sorry for the localization, just for an example) for any reasonable length of time, do you not begin to speak with their accents and mannerisms? When you care about what you're doing, doesn't it become a part of your everyday life?

Depending on your "friends" age, I probably wouldn't have said anything about it either, but I'd still be incredulous that somebody would pick on my hobby when theirs could be just as time consuming or perhaps even life threatening, as has been mentioned above.

Don't you know?

By taking the photo at an above-head angle, your hotness goes up 75%...

And if you're rolling your eyes, or looking the opposite direction, pretending to not see the camera, it goes up an addition 25%.

Word.

XD Yeah, I usually go by the way people type, and also by the general fact that most gamers are guys. I remember reading the FFXIclopedia Fanfest 2008 blog that the (maybe exaggerated) ratio of girls to guys attending the fanfest was 1:99.

One thing I like about this game though--it keeps you from judging people based on their appearances, and--to a certain point--their gender. (You see a mithra, but you're always apprehensive as to point out what's under that loincloth.) The only way you can judge a person by in this game is the way they interact with people.

To be completely honest.. I do wonder I will walk away with by playing FFXI, long term wise. I imagine myself playing for another 5ish years, and after a 10 year long streak of playing FFXI, I will one day retire. Then what will I have to show from all the money and time investments I put into the game? I want to work overtime this weekend, but I decided not to because I wanted to go home and level fishing. I'm sacrificing extra money and possibly a brighter future for my FFXI fix.

Now don't get me wrong, I am by no means in trouble in life because I play FFXI, I simply could get a little something extra in life like a vacation to a tropical resort or a Christmas with parents in another state. $700 tickets for 2 people = Cancel Christmas plans. But do you know what I did? Spent $1,000 for the fan festival a week ago.

Sometimes I really question if FFXI is harming my real life.

You're making a value judgement and nobody can tell you that is right or wrong. You decide that for yourself. And if you're looking for a ROI from your playing time, you're probably not going to come up with much, except for things that you didn't lose. In that time you spent playing, you could have acquired a drug addiction, an STD, developed a belief that Metallica is the best band ever, or maybe met a (wo)man who would have crushed your soul. All these things are life experiences that I could certainly do without. :)

Fish until it stops making you happy but don't let it interfere with things that are more important to you than video games.

Since the first time I saw an NES video game at age 6 or 7, it made me want to play and play. I clearly remember that it made me feel genuinely happy. Surely due to money issues, my parents didn't buy me an NES until the time it came bundled with Super Mario 3, which means I has to wait forever (in a kid's mind, 3 years really IS like forever ^^). Then I discovered Dragon Warrior when I was in grade 4. Now, let me add that I had NO IDEA what the NPCs were saying. The exp leveling up, walking into town, beating monsters by selecting menu commands, nice little music for the time, at that stuff is what interested me.

Being French Canadian, RPGs are pretty much what taught me to read and write English (the poorly translated RPGs available back then, which led me to call people Spoony Bard when I disliked them.. maybe not hehe but still). Read the Zelda 1 intro for a good laugh, if you haven't in a while.

At age 13, during that magical winter of 1994, I discovered Final Fantasy IV and VI. By that time, I could pretty much understand the dialogues and just needed a dictionary now and then. The story of FF6, with its memorable soundtrack and characters that almost felt alive, really shaped a lot of what I am today, what I expect from life, moral values, the kind of people who attract me, all that ***...

From that beautiful winter of 1994, my main interest in life, and the only thing that kept me going through my difficult teenage became Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, etc. (only the best! ^^). So during all high school, I became seen as a geek, pretty much.

I got my first girlfriend at age 20. Here's where I *** up: Because I finally had one and didn't want to lose her too quickly, I thought I should hide to her my passion for video games. And so, I never completed FF9, FFT, Chrono Cross, I missed the release of FF10, FF11... I though maturing involved giving up on my childhood passions and finding new ones that would be more suitable. It was the main way of thinking in my surrounding, and so I conformed myself to it. How damn wrong I was...

Well... In October of 2006, when I saw FF12 advertised, and that the series was still alive and going. I decided to give FF12 a try, and loved it (its political setting with somewhat shallow character development but very complex environments does remind a lot about Final Fantasy Tactics). Then I got into FF11 and realized that I really should have started back in 2004... lol This damned game is too big and so insanely difficult... Also, I can never find people to do Rise of the Zilart and CoP with me, I don't care about having a Gungnir I want to see the STORY LINE, so why did they have to make it so damn hard... xD

Two years have passed, I'm still with my first girlfriend, I'll be 27 soon, so 7 years together. Let me tell you, she really had a hard time adapting to this drastic change in my lifestyle. I am back to who I've always wanted to be: I am now spending a lot of time on video games. We did play FF11 a bit together, she got BLM to 26 and WHM to 28, at least she gave it a try. Unfortunately, she doesn't really dig FF11 but I'm glad at least she respects it (I found a girlfriend who moderately likes video games, awesome just awesome!!! oh and she's Asian too ^^ heheheheee).

Because FF11 takes so much time, she hated it for a long while (BIG TIME), she said I was addicted, that she would break up, that I needed to see a psy about it (hence my character name?), and all that jealous BS you can get from a sweet girl who truly loves you I guess... lol

My opinion: Just because your friend is jealous that you spend a lot of time on FF11 doesn't mean she's not gonna be your friend 10 years from now, she could mature and improve over time. But if you care at all for her friendship, do stay firm and expect respect. If you like something, don't give people in your surrounding ANY choice but to adapt to this new fact. They might (or might not) become better friends, parents, neighbors, classmates, etc. someday. But in both of these cases, you get to keep your sanity.

This is/was my story! as would say that weird looking polygon FF10 dude with the horrible voice-acting. Thanks for reading if you did ^^

P.S. I quit playing 11 for nearly two months now, so even though we're both on Ragna you won't see me there... ^^ I will return once I am done with FF2 (PSP) and FF9, shouldn't be that long just a hundred hours or so, right? ;p Or maybe before, so I can chill in Jeuno with the cool remixed holidays music! Well in any case, hope you're feeling better with all the awesome posts (this game has a GREAT community) and see you online then, if we do ever happen to meet ^^

Aw, Psyence, that was a really nice life story ^^ I can totally identify with a lot of what you said, I tried conforming to other people's ideals to be more welcome in social environments, but that steered me in the wrong direction, I realize.


ROFLMAO, hey I'm Asian too ;D


This is some really great advice--I've been able to tolerate her leeching for a whole semester, but we have some other good moments too. She's just one of those opinionated people who don't necessarily make it a habit to think about the other person's feelings. But like you said Psy, who knows? She might mature and improve over time, and that'd be a great thing to see, and maybe even be a part of.

If you ever come back, send me a /tell and/or /befriend anytime! Thanks again for replying^^! And, while finishing up Final Fantasy II-IX, don't forget your family, your friends, your school, or your work. >_>

XDDDD Thanks Celelove! I'm really encouraged by the response as well^^ I honestly never plan on quitting, as long as I keep a healthy balance of RL and FFXI, it should be alright. These days I've only been playing during my breaks, and usually RIGHT after midterms, when things slow down for a week or so. I can't wait for winter break! I might even hit 75 on Paladin!!! And get some woodworking done, while I'm at it \(^^)/

Lol looks like your gonna beat me. Just like Disintegration said I could get with a girl and get my heart broken which happened a lot in school with my friends dating girls I liked D;

OR I can just take it easy, enjoy my hobby, make loads of friends who I have stuff in common with and not have to worry about *** and expensive addictions lol

I really love these forums atm, shows how many decent ppl play the game, when SE releases it's next MMO we should all join the same server!!! I'd love to be in a linkshell with the ppl here lol =D

haha wouldn't that be awesome =D

As others have said, there are worst things you could be doing than playing FFXI. And from the sound of it, you sound like you have your priorities in order. As long as you're doing well in school, there really is no reason to fret over something like that.

I'm considered the nerd in my circle of friends because I play this game. They're cool with it. We joke around about it from time to time. The whole needing to be considered part of the "cool crowd" kinda disappears when you reach your mid-20s. So don't sweat it. It's a phase.

Also, I'm one of those people who met my boyfriend in this game. He lives a state away (an hour and a half's drive), but we see each other frequently. And we've been going strong since April. Nerdy? Sure, I guess. But I wouldn't trade it for anything. :)

Lol yeah.

Honestly it really shouldn't matter what other people say. If you choose to spend your time on your butt playing FFXI while she spends her time on her back, then thats the way it is.

Being cool and all that crap shouldn't matter as much as it does. Maybe she just doesn't have enough time to play FFXI because she spends 3 hours doing her hair every morning. Idk. I see FFXI as something to do when there is nothing else to do, lol. Just remember who your friends are.

XDDDD I feel a group hug coming on :D =^^= You guys DO rock though. I'd invite you to my ls anytime :D Try not to step on any of the tarus, though. =P

Fixed.

Lmao