Does your in-game/internet personality reflect your irl personality?

tvalentine

title really says it all. I ask this because i hear and see forum threads (not referring to this site) in the forum of the mmo i play of people using dirty tactics to just ruin other people's days. TBH i believe my personality reflects my internet/in-game persona, although there will be few times where i may say/do things i normally wouldnt do(if you're the same, "yes" would be your poll vote btw). I'll copy paste the post i made in reply to a thread that really got me thinking about this. Some of it wont make much sense since it is related to the mmo, but my opinion is still in there.

 

"heh even when i was a pirate i dont think i could see myself doing this. Sure it's just a video game, but there are still people behind the keyboards. Just a group of peeps tryin to have fun mining(lol). I perferred lowsec and 0.0 since to me it was what being a pirate meant, having -10 sec status, and hunting people who you could catch. Teach them a lesson, give em some hints if their new then be on my way with a ransom or killmail. But i guess that is the great or worst part of the internet, anonimity(sp?). You can be who you want to be, say what you want, and nobody would know it is "John Doe" irl. But tbh if thats what/who you really want to be/do, it might be a good time to look at yourself and your character (not the video game type). Dunno, but i like to think i'm more of a asset to the world then just another asshole who doesnt care about anyone but himself."

Default101

For the most part yes. I tend to take a live and let live attitude in both MMOs and life. However, once someone gives me reason to dislike them I am rather unforgiving and rude.

Some people call me an asshole, but I simply place a very high value on respect. Because so many MMO players are disrespectful, I tend to be an asshole while playing online games. This does not hold true for real life in most cases, however.

 

In short, the philosophy stays the same but the results vary significantly.

Ihmotepp

I will sometimes play a character, but that character reflects my personality. I'm generally easy going, and polite.

talismen351

I would say I am pretty much the same attitude in and outta games. I usually will be friendly and polite to most people I meet in game.

I also have the attitude treat me as you want me to treat you. And typically people who start using 'loot' or crap talk in chat channels, I just won't bother replying to them tho.

Quirhid

Aw crap. I voted no when I meant to vote yes. Unless its roleplay. Which is very rare.

Cephus404

Except in specifically RP-oriented play, which almost never happens online anymore, I am myself everywhere.  What's the point of being anyone else?

Palebane

I like to act and play roles in online video games. Many times I play the opposite of the way I am IRL.

Breagha

Originally posted by Cephus404


Except in specifically RP-oriented play, which almost never happens online anymore, I am myself everywhere.  What's the point of being anyone else?

 

So very depressing, and so very true. Goes for me as well.

*sighs* I miss RP...

kittyvonkita

Heck yeah!!

Mostly all I say in Guild Chats are "Bear with the cold nose?"

It's just one of those things. SHhhhhh...

EdgarDampbrn

Man... wow is all i gotta say... if you get on vent and fake who you really are..

 

Game or no game, always be yourself.. no reason to be fake.

midmagic

Most of the time. But games allow experimentation with things I would never do and have no desire to do in real life (even have a hard time sometimes doing in a game).

Stormwatch

I kill creatures all the time and skin them. I am always myself, so I do this in games as well. Ah … personality. I would say they always reflect a piece of a personality. Maybe the darkest corner, but it's still there. You cannot be someone entirely different.

In my case, I prefer to play antagonists. No, not what you think. Not PKing. I am rather intrigued by the rather comical super-villains.. Those who twirl their moustache, scratch their cats and device evil plans (which they explain in great lenght), only to see it fail and escape cowardly afterwards to return with a new plan — another time. So yes, it reflects my irl personality.

LynxJSA

Unless I'm roleplaying (not often anymore) my character is pretty much my 'ship' so any intereaction I have with others it's me, much the same way as if I was talking to someone while playing Space Invaders in a pizza shop.

 

 

tvalentine

good replys so far, except i havent seen anyone who voted no (on purpose) explain their reasoning for voting so. I'd like to hear what the other 20% have to say.

Illius

I am in game/on here as I am in person.

Death1942

Sort of.

 

I do like to help people and i am a nice person in RL.  That being said i can be a bastard at times and particularly when playing an Assassin...quite brutal...of course i never do that in RL...at least not when anyone is looking

Caleveira

MMOs as well as forums provide contexts in which, while not trying to act as someone different, you may say things unlike what you would irl. I've seen this a lot with guys playing female chars, they may be upfront about who they are and not try to deceive you and then act, maybe unconsciously, in a somewhat feminine manner... it can be kinda creepy. People playing "barbarians" or brutal looking races/classes also do seem to drop a couple of iq  points compared to when they're playing wizzies. They're not roleplaying but seem somewhat affected by context. PvP is another good example, otherwise polite people become the proverbial 12 year old when they get Pked.

Forcan

In general I treat my online avatar to be an extension to myself personality wise.  I always felt that for MMO, the characters you pick is who you want to be in that world, and you would act according to your personality in that game.  This should be true RP or non-RP wise.  

Of course, some people enjoy to RP with the mind that they can be totally different than who they are in real life, but that may be just another part their personality that is hidden in daily life that gets to live out in a virtual life.

 

 

LynxJSA

Originally posted by Forcan


In general I treat my online avatar to be an extension to myself personality wise.  I always felt that for MMO, the characters you pick is who you want to be in that world, and you would act according to your personality in that game.  This should be true RP or non-RP wise.  
Of course, some people enjoy to RP with the mind that they can be totally different than who they are in real life, but that may be just another part their personality that is hidden in daily life that gets to live out in a virtual life.

 

You'd never cut it as an actor.  

 

 

Forcan

Originally posted by LynxJSA

Originally posted by Forcan


In general I treat my online avatar to be an extension to myself personality wise.  I always felt that for MMO, the characters you pick is who you want to be in that world, and you would act according to your personality in that game.  This should be true RP or non-RP wise.  
Of course, some people enjoy to RP with the mind that they can be totally different than who they are in real life, but that may be just another part their personality that is hidden in daily life that gets to live out in a virtual life.

 

You'd never cut it as an actor.  

 

 

 

Probably not, but then again, I am happy just being myself.. that's a full-time job already

Palebane

Its fun to be able to fit into any skin. I can roll any random character (where the character's disposition is relatively stagnant such as in the case of an orc) and have a good time doing what I think they should be doing, rather than what I, personally, would do. Of course it's not always so black and white, but its still fun from time to time.

I actually really dislike using Vent or Teamspeak in RPGs. I normally don't really care for talking on the phone, and that's what it's like to me. If I hear some big orc character with a teenage boy's voice, it really kills the immersion. The only exceptions would be in PvP or in complex PvE raids. I always use a microphone in multiplayer shooter games though.

Scot

I think Forcan would make a great soap actor, in fact any of us could. You  just play yourself in an overly emotional drama.

Plasuma!!!

I'd say no. My online self is often much different from my real self. Not accidentally, I just love acting. And the best practice for that is online in chat rooms (such as omegle), forums (such as these or 4chan), and online games (MMORPGs).

 

I enjoy inventing new personae and acting them out: I make friends online with fake names and fake (often passable) accents on vent, then reveal who I really am later on once they think they know me (or is that who I really am?!).

The confused response is something I cherish... they doubt whether I was faking it or not, just because I played the part so well and they had no reason to think I was lying - but now it's a possibility. They boggle over it for weeks until I convince them it's the truth... then I give them more reasons to doubt their initial perceptions. I love it, and best of all, they never don't trust me!

They've got nothing to lose by believing in my lies (except in EVE), so they sometimes have a good time, too. My favorite response was "that guy's a chick?! Since when does that happen on the internet?!" in Star Wars Galaxies, Eclipse server.

It's the best entertainment. Ever.

 

I guess it's my way of being an attention whore and/or getting the most out of my online experience.

 

The only people who know the real me are my friends in real life, since it's a bit silly to try and fake your identity around people who see you everyday.

Anonymity is a wonderful thing in online games. So many possibilities.

Cephus404

Originally posted by Bree'ah

Originally posted by Cephus404


Except in specifically RP-oriented play, which almost never happens online anymore, I am myself everywhere.  What's the point of being anyone else?

 

So very depressing, and so very true. Goes for me as well.

*sighs* I miss RP...

 

I miss people who are capable of it.  Most people who do it these days either practice a very shallow version or are trying desperately to live vicariously through online RP.  You either get the people who think talking like a pirate makes them RPers or the people who hate their real lives and wish they were really an elf.

 

With people like that around, is it any surprise real RPers have given up?

CactusmanX

I actually become nicer online than in the realworld, which is odd because if I were going to be cold and offputting you would think I would do it online with the anonymity and all, but nope.  I think it is because in the realworld I can see how worthless people are and don't feel the need to be nice to them but online since the people are not real to me I don't assume them to be useless bags of flesh and so I treat them much better.

Thenarius

Internet personality? :O