Runescape and MMORPGS... Nerd Haven?

[aj926]

First off, this is not entirely my belief. I'm simply pointing at others'. Don't start flame, please.

 

 

 

It seems that in today's society, Runescape is looked down upon the most in terms of MMOs. WoW obviously beats us, and the FF one is rated much higher than our game. However, one general "rule" about all of these games has held true, from the beginning of creation. It has been said that MMOs have held nerds, geeks, and overall hermits away from otherwise normal society, possibly making them more social and pointing them in the right direction for a more social lifestyle.

 

 

 

With the ability to only see your players' avatar (for us, a guy in shiny blue armor), everyone is socially equal. You can be a different persona entirely that your real life persona, and continue a "new life" from the HUD of a computer screen. Personally, I find this to be a bit unhealthy. I hold a job at Target, go to college, and barely have time to mine for fish or flip a giant mudcrab for massive damage. This game takes time away from making money and friends, and puts it into a world that is almost as unfair as the life you lead away from the computer screen.

 

 

 

Of course, everything in moderation. I'm not saying that someone playing Runescape once will have a hard time finding a wife... but someone who spends over 900 hours leveling "Kingsmash70" or "Hardman01" usually has a hard life outside of their domain.

 

 

 

I am in a stable relationship, hold up a job, go to school, and still have time to fart around on the internet. What are your thoughts?

[JimmyMcNabb]

I agree with you and I think that anyone within the first 20 pages of the highscores cannot lead a healthy life away from their computer screens but I feel that it is unfair to say that the majority of runescapers are like this. There are many people out there who play the game for fun and merely play it like they would play a racing game on their ps2. For an hour or so every couple of days. When regarding the no-life aspect of runescape you must also take into account the passive players of the game.

[oropher]

I must say that I'm not a geek :

 

 

 

I have always managed to have a "normal" life outside rs. You always need to remember rs is just a game, not a life.

 

 

 

I do admit I sometimes nolifed, specially when I was close to a goal I had for a while. :-w

 

 

 

It's just a game, and it's supposed to be fun. If it takes over your life, you need to do something about it.

[aj926]

I must say that I'm not a geek :

 

 

 

I have always managed to have a "normal" life outside rs. You always need to remember rs is just a game, not a life.

 

 

 

I do admit I sometimes nolifed, specially when I was close to a goal I had for a while. :-w

 

 

 

It's just a game, and it's supposed to be fun. If it takes over your life, you need to do something about it.

 

 

 

Well, of course. This has been the outcome of multiple "RS is healthy for you" topics, and is an evident truth. I was more refferring to how MMOs attract no-lifers, and what it does to them.

 

 

 

 

 

I agree with you and I think that anyone within the first 20 pages of the highscores cannot lead a healthy life away from their computer screens but I feel that it is unfair to say that the majority of runescapers are like this. There are many people out there who play the game for fun and merely play it like they would play a racing game on their ps2. For an hour or so every couple of days. When regarding the no-life aspect of runescape you must also take into account the passive players of the game.

 

 

 

Obviously, the majority of players don't no-life. I'm talking about MMOs in general, and how they affect the normal person's life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And even if you don't "no-life", take into account your total exp. Now realize how many hours you MUST have spent leveling up your character.

[Enipeus]

never thought about it, I just dont try to play that much. :P

[highlanders]

A lot of people are nerds, they just don't admit it. When people get amazing total levels over small period of time, they won't make me believe they're "efficient".

 

 

 

I also don't believe a word Zezima said in his interview, it was way too easy to lie. I am doing a biology major, psychology minor, possibly a chemistry minor. IÃÆââââ¬Å¡Ã¬Ã¢ââ¬Å¾Ã¢m looking to go into genetics research. Btw, I'm number 1 in Runescape, it 'just happened', I'm just being 'efficient'.

[Ice_and_Spec]

ya i agree i have a gf, i make some a's in school mostly b's and c's :oops: (algebra and biology) i hate them both, im definatley not a nerd,geek,etc... their just labels anyway...

[primadog]

I have not played rs in any seriousness in the past 6 month, but I am still a nerd.

 

 

 

From my point of view, being a nerd or social misfit has much more to do with who the person are than what game they play. Yes, MMO players have much cross-section with those so-call "social undesirables," and for some, lead them to a deeper path. But who's to say that they won't have buried themselves into something else, if MMO haven't come along? It could be worse, it could be better. The social perceptions are just that, perceptions.

 

 

 

In all honesty, if the person truly aspire for something, who's to say their achievements are not worthwhile? A professional sports star may spent all his waking life training, but what he really earns (before the television contracts and big salary)? An achlete may train his body to be toned and healthy, but he may just as likely to permanently disabled. A gamer trains his patience, split-sec reaction, but he may get fat and ugly. Is it really that different?

 

 

 

Of course, there are certain evils of addiction, but without it we won't have this discussion. The question is, is MMO's evils worth its goods? Looking at the size our community, the larger RS population, and the even larger gaming world -- the answer is a reaffirming yes.

 

 

 

Can the evils be reduced? Of course! We need to educate more about the dangers of addiction and the importance of social life. These are the things that we need to study, discuss, and develop for the benefit of the community.

[Triforceelf]

Of course MMO's are nerd havens. I am a nerd (a very strange one who spends his summers working with animals, but still a nerd) and most of the people who play RS are nerds or geeks to some degree or other.

[Master_Smither]

Of course people think they are nerd heavens.

 

 

 

Itmay take away from social life but these days is social life on the streets any better than a police shotting range? 50% of teenagers in big cities own a gun and that same 50% probably have done or are doing drugs. But most people who play runescape alot would say they don't "fit in" at school so they play this game. The top 3 people have been playing for over 6 years and have not "no lifed" the skills they have.

 

 

 

Maybe some people play a bit too much but from what? Possibly falling into the wrong "crowd".

 

 

 

It's their lives let them live it.

[mcneilp]

Of course people think they are nerd heavens.

 

 

 

Itmay take away from social life but these days is social life on the streets any better than a police shotting range? 50% of teenagers in big cities own a gun and that same 50% probably have done or are doing drugs. But most people who play runescape alot would say they don't "fit in" at school so they play this game. The top 3 people have been playing for over 6 years and have not "no lifed" the skills they have.

 

 

 

Maybe some people play a bit too much but from what? Possibly falling into the wrong "crowd".

 

 

 

It's their lives let them live it.

 

 

 

Find that hard to beleive... :-k

 

 

 

As someone already said, nerds/geeks are just labels, in the long run, who really gives a s**t? Its peoples own lives, let them do what they enjoy doing, if someone enjoys playing rs then who are we to argue.

 

To answer if rs attracts "nerds/geeks" then i'd have to say it attracts folks with a higher attention span, who keep playing and enjoy it, (not always a higher iq) than most online,normally fps games where players start swearing down a mic at you just cause you killed them.

 

 

 

I'd say mmorpg's are stereotypically "nerd" games...but meh, everyone can choose what to do with their time and if they want to get fit, play rs or whatever, its entirely up to them.

[Danqazmlp]

In my experience, most of my friends in rs have social lives, most have gf's, go out getting drunk having fun etc. I think runescape attracts more casual gamers than the other mmorpg's

[Aneron]

RS is just a dump for my spare time... spare time that I'd have no matter what.

 

 

 

I'm a straight "A" student, not necessarily in the "in" crowd, but I'm not a social outcast or anything like that.

 

 

 

I think the point at which RS becomes unhealthy is when you start to play it instead of fulfulling a RL obligation. This is not the case for the majority of players, but if it is for someone then yes, I suppose I'd say he/she is "geek".

[llamster]

9 million people play World of Warcraft. Millions others play various other MMOs. That's a lot of geeks.

 

 

 

No, most people who play MMOs aren't "geeks" or "nerds". MMORPGs are just another type of game.

[Giordano]

Simple: Unreasonable people need to be unreasonably higher than others. Who made the title nerd up? Hmm? Jocks and popular kids back in the day and the term stuck. These people have no reason why their interests are better than others, thus making their 'highness' absolite.

 

I'm not sure why we're even talking about it though. Unless if someone has good facts and reasons why MMOs are of a lower status than other activites, please speak up. :)

[BloodArgon]

Our internet is their skateboard.

 

 

 

Some people skate, some people bike, some people read, we 'internet'. Its just a hobby some people have, and, its like any other hobby. Therefore, you can maintain time in your hobby and time in real life. Due to the heath benefits (rather lack of), people think its not really a acceptable hobby. I also hold a job, and keep up with school, but still have time to do my daily internet activities, Runescape being one of them.

[Giordano]

Our internet is their skateboard.

 

 

 

Some people skate, some people bike, some people read, we 'internet'. Its just a hobby some people have, and, its like any other hobby. Therefore, you can maintain time in your hobby and time in real life. Due to the heath benefits (rather lack of), people think its not really a acceptable hobby. I also hold a job, and keep up with school, but still have time to do my daily internet activities, Runescape being one of them.

 

Exactly. Other people's reasons is that its unhealthy, when lots of other stuff is unhealthy but they don't attack that. Reason is, because there's more 'internet hobbists' than 'TV hobbists'.

[Freesia]

There we have the "explain-why-you-are-not-a-nerd/geek" posts again :roll:

 

 

 

I just like how some people like to judge your success in life based solely on your social skills. :roll: It's their lives, people can choose to live it whatever they like, who are you to judge and criticise?

[Bo4345]

I think being a "no-lifer" is more of a life choice

 

 

 

All of the people that are addicted to rs or other mmos has chosen to do that instead of fullfil thing in real life and has had every chance to stop they dont inject nickateen(chemical that makes tabbacco addictive i just cant spell it) into your body and make it so when you try to quit you have bad headaches and other things like that. I'm pretty sure only good can come from it

[InkofDeath]

I've met people who have actually discussed, and argued with me to the grave the fine points of no-lifing, since the two, sometimes three of us were somewhat extreme no-lifers. I love it. But yes, hardcore gamers(no-lifers..?) usually end going to something that you can repeat, repeat, and repeat without gaining anything large, except bragging rights in-game. And RuneScape does this proudly, and it's one of their key components to keeping their players addicted, you do a lot, but you want more...

[xSxqPowerx]

What I think is that you're contradicting yourself.

[hatebringer]

"nerd" and "geek" are simply labels that society puts on certain people, mostly for bad reasons. I do agree that i probably have put tons of hours into my account, and get above average grades in school, but honestly, what is a "nerd" , as there is really no set definite way to know if someone is a nerd or not.

 

 

 

What im trying to say, is you cannot tell if a person is a nerd or not, and there is no rule that makes someone a nerd. Although this is true, you have to know that if you do spend hours upon hours doing nothing except working on your RS character that you may have a hard time adjusting to outside life.

 

 

 

Simple Response: Spend more time outside and with friends than in your house doing basically nothing.

[NJE03]

I think it depends on the person, some of us can spend hours playing games and then go out and have a healthy social life. Others cannot do this and choose between one or the other.

[nickeley102]

I think that (assuming he doesnt character share) Zezimas achievement is outstanding, it must take a world of patience and an eccentric personality. I bet you he doesnt like to think about what he could have achieved if he had of spent his time on something else, or any other really high level player for that matter.

 

 

 

I was thinking the other day that runescape was like a computer game made by a computer program. The goals are all very long-term and the journey isnt a very exciting, I dont know of anyone that dreams of spending hours cutting down trees or lighting fires. But computer games are supposed to be successful because it is like living a fantasy.

 

 

 

I think that because runescape is so ordered and predictable (and robotic) it may appeal to people who exist on the aspergers continuum (which i have suspected of myself). and who are therefore more likely to be nerds.

 

 

 

I dont consider myself a nerd. I am training to be a PE teacher, so im not that smart, but i enjoy heaps of sport. and mu current boxing record is 3-0-1

[metallicamaniac]

I play rs and I am in the metalhead cliq at school. I am very social. It is just a fun game. Not a drug.