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| Screen Shot of Moji in FFXIV |
MMORPGs like FFXIV
allow the gamer to create a character that belongs wholly to them through which
to play the game. Rather than the pre-generated characters of may other forms
of online gaming an MMO begins not with a backstory to the character but with
an extensive array of options to select from in order to form the physical
appearance of the character along with leaving the story of the character open
to allow the gamer to decide what attributes they would like the character to
have. “The average online gamer spends more than twenty hours a week playing
online games. That’s the equivalent of half a workweek spent in a virtual
world. In one study, 9 percent of online gamers reported that they averaged
forty hours or more each week. And 60 percent of players in that same study had
at least on one occasion spent ten hours continuously in an online game,” (Yee
26). The amount of time spent in a virtual world like Eorzea by gamers is
comparable to the hours spent in a job, school, or other serious commitment.
Through the duration of this time in game the player interacts with many NPCs
and fellow gamers but the most time is spent with the avatar they have created.
This adds a level of commitment not only to the monetary and time commitment costs
of the game but to the emotional investment in the avatar the player
experiences the game with.
The character is an extension of
the gamer within this world and thus is a bridge between the gamer and the
virtual world. In my own time playing FFXIV my attachment to my avatar, Moji,
grew rapidly as I played through quests and dungeons and watched her levels
rise. Initially it was difficult to decide what race to make her or how she
should look because I thought I would get bored with her appearance quickly,
but it became the opposite issue, with me preserving her armor as long as
possible between levelling up because it feels strange seeing her in different
armor after I become accustomed to each set and customize it to suit her. “Both
because of the nature of the game (in which a character is created) and the engagement
with avatars, users can construct identities that may or may not correlate to
their offline persona,” (Taylor 95). Moji is a character that I created and
spent time with and formed a connection with but she is not a direct reflection
of myself. She is a character that I feel inspired by and I continue to watch
grow in the game and in my mind as her story and progression build her into a
more developed character. Although she contains pieces of traits I value, or
attributes I have that I am proud of, or those that I wish to gain, she is an
amalgam of those qualities combined into one character that embodies who I want
to experience Eorzea through.
Identity in the
game is formed over time and often without the gamers’ awareness. “He
categorizes players as achievers, socializers, killers (players who enjoy
inflicting misery on others), and explorers (whether it’s the geography or the
game rules,” (Yee 29). These pieces of a gaming identity are formed through
sustained behavior in the game. “These aren’t separate categories that players
fall into but rather the building blocks that allow us to understand individual
players,” (Yee 29). The building blocks Yee discusses are aspects of the gamer,
their avatar, and their in-game personality combined. A gamer may exhibit any
number of the aforementioned behavioral traits to a degree but over time they
will continue to gravitate towards a particular few as their in-game identity
becomes more clear and strengthens.
Felicia
Day says of her experience with gaming, “When we graduate from childhood to
adulthood, we’re thrown into this confusing, Cthulhu-like miasma of life,
filled with social and career problems, all with branching choices and no
correct answers. Sometimes gaming feels like going back to that simple kid
world. Real-life Felicia wasn’t getting more successful, but I could channel my
frustration into making Keeblerette a A-list celebrity warlock, thank you very
much!” (Day 115). The separation and simultaneous connection of identities in
gaming creates an environment where the gamer can connect with the world and
their avatar while casting aside their concerns with the outside world. I can
log in and work through a difficult dungeon with Moji and truly feel relief and
pride at the end just as strongly as I would if it were myself gaining
experience and levels. Even as I work through quests with Moji and deeply
connect with the emotional impact of frustration and improvement in the game it
cuts off the hindrance of anything that may be impacting me outside of the
game.
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