The
most comprehensive experiences I had in creating a character for a game before
FFXIV were playing D&D and Animal
Crossing. Although other games I played had character creation aspects to
them I never got far enough into the games to become attached to my avatar or
the characters I interacted with in the game. Creating Moji for FFXIV was fun
but with every step I kept wondering if I would wish I had chosen a different
eye color or hair style or face paint later on after starting the game. The
permanence of character creation in an MMO had never really occurred to me
because I really only thought about the phenomenal amount of customization
options that are offered during the creation process. Now twenty or so hours into
the game I know I still do not have the experience necessary to say much on how
rewarding it is to level up and bond with your avatar but I can already feel
myself getting attached and at the end of each day looking at my checklist of
things to do while wishing I had more free time that night to play.
All of the reasons
we discussed in class about why people become attached to gaming really clicked
at 3:00am one night when I finally reached level 20 after setting that as my
first big goal to reach in the game to get the Halloween quests. Going through
a dungeon and finally getting the big text on the screen that the dungeon was
successfully completed gave me a surge of relief, adrenaline, joy, excitement,
and sense of accomplishment that was stronger than I could have ever expected.
Maybe for someone else that would have been a simple way to level up or get
some new gear but for me this was an entirely new experience and after a week
stuffed full of school work and stress it left me feeling rejuvenated and gratified.
Someone
going through a difficult time can look to gaming as a place to let go of their
everyday concerns and enjoy themselves in a virtual world where they can do
anything and be anything that they want. A child
being bullied in school may look to online gaming to build confidence and
improve their communication skills in a safe environment. It provides a safe
space where they can be anyone they want without the fear of social
ramifications they may face in real life. In Ready Player One this an especially important factor in the
connection the main character feels with gaming. “Best of all, in the OASIS, no
one could tell that I was fat, that I had acne, or that I wore the same shabby
clothes every week. Bullies couldn’t pelt me with spitballs, give me atomic
wedgies, or pummel me by the bike rack after school. No one could even touch
me. In here, I was safe,” (Cline 32). None of his insecurities are visible
while playing the game and he can create an avatar that he wants to be within
the game and experience the OASIS through this new identity. Over time these
identities can help gamers gain more confidence in themselves by allowing them
to live out in game experiences as their avatar. They could create a character they
see themselves as, or someone they want to be, someone opposite themselves, whatever
the character ends up being it will help them feel a sense of accomplishment
when their character achieves something in the game and may help the gamer look
at what qualities he or she values in everyday life.
Felicia
Day, known for roles in Supernatural,
The Guild, and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog wrote a book entitled You’re Never Weird on the Internet (Almost):
A Memoir which details her own experiences in MMO gaming. “Let me simplify:
As a kid, this video game SAW INTO MY SOUL. It defined me, then projected me
into a world where I could be a virtual hero version of myself.” MMOs can bring
out new facets of a gamer’s personality by providing a platform through which
they can explore the facets of their out of game identity and experience the
game through their own virtual identity. Spending any time with someone new
will change a person, but spending time as someone new for significant amounts
of time can change the gamer even more dramatically. It can empower their
confidence by proving with effort and dedication they can overcome any quest.
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