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Beyond the Game: Celebrating Friendship in the Remarkable Life of Ibelin | MMORPG.com

SystemSystem Member UncommonPosts: 12,599
edited October 25 in News & Features Discussion

imageBeyond the Game: Celebrating Friendship in the Remarkable Life of Ibelin | MMORPG.com

Netflix's World of Warcraft documentary, The Remarkable Life of Ibelin, is out today, chronicling the lift of one of WoW's most enduring figures. Robin is here with her thoughts.

Read the full story here


Comments

  • ScotScot Member LegendaryPosts: 24,273
    edited October 25
    Great article, already saw the video a a couple of days ago.

    These days it astonishes me that people can still see online friendships made through MMORPGs as nerdy or lame. When you think that social media has people becoming "friends" after a swipe that should show you how shallow those relationships are.

    Where as a friendship formed over umpteen hours of gameplay is somehow not real, where these days you don't only text but talk. To me friends made through gaming are way more solid than today's "swipe by nights".
    strawhat0981cheyaneVosperCelciusKyleran
  • Lilly_LambLilly_Lamb Member UncommonPosts: 15
    edited October 25
    Scot said:
    Great article, already saw the video a a couple of days ago.

    These days it astonishes me that people can still see online friendships made through MMORPGs as nerdy or lame. When you think that social media has people becoming "friends" after a swipe that should show you how shallow those relationships are.

    Where as a friendship formed over umpteen hours of gameplay is somehow not real, where these days you don't only text but talk. To me friends made through gaming are way more solid than today's "swipe by nights".

    I get your point, but the bigger problem is that people are LIARS. Everything they say and do is a selfish PERVERSION and DISTORTION of something REAL. You should have learned that what other people say is nothing but a load of trash and everything they do and say is an imposition of TYRANNY. Your fellow man is a dangerous fool. The evidence is everywhere around you.


    So, to your point, that is why there are r#t@rdz who will behave the way you describe.

    Celciusxdave78Kyleran
  • AngrakhanAngrakhan Member EpicPosts: 1,750
    Just because social media relationships can be fake doesn't mean MMORPG relationships suddenly are deep and meaningful. I say "can be" because in my case anyone I'm friends with on social media I actually know in real life. It means my friends list is very small, and that's fine by me. I realize a huge segment of the population has thousands of social media 'friends' and they confuse that with actually being liked and accepted. That's who you are referring to in your post. I realize that. However, I digress.

    The primary issue with MMORPG relationships comes from the anonymity. People can take on whatever persona they want which may not match who they are in real life regardless of the hours they may spend with you in voice chat on Discord or whatever. An actual friend is someone who is going to show up and help when your life goes south. When your whole world turns to shit they'll show up at 3am to pick you up off the floor, get you sobered up, and make sure you get to your job so you don't get fired counting the lost sleep as just part of the way they help take care of their friend. Your MMO friends can't do that because they don't know who you even are or where you live regardless of your emotions toward them. That holding each other at arms length and maintaining anonymity is quite intentional by both sides of the relationship whether you want to admit it or not. It keeps things nice and clean. They aren't going to ask you to help them move. They aren't going to ask you to borrow money. They aren't going to want to come over and hang out and get in your business. There's a word for people like that: acquaintances. Don't confuse your online acquaintances with friends.

    If you're hesitant to share your actual legal name and address with someone, they aren't your friend. That's a pretty good litmus test. You clearly don't trust them at some level. That's probably WISE, by the way, if you've only ever met online. Just don't confuse it with friendship.
    Kyleran
  • ScotScot Member LegendaryPosts: 24,273
    edited October 26
    Angrakhan said:
    Just because social media relationships can be fake doesn't mean MMORPG relationships suddenly are deep and meaningful. I say "can be" because in my case anyone I'm friends with on social media I actually know in real life. It means my friends list is very small, and that's fine by me. I realize a huge segment of the population has thousands of social media 'friends' and they confuse that with actually being liked and accepted. That's who you are referring to in your post. I realize that. However, I digress.

    The primary issue with MMORPG relationships comes from the anonymity. People can take on whatever persona they want which may not match who they are in real life regardless of the hours they may spend with you in voice chat on Discord or whatever. An actual friend is someone who is going to show up and help when your life goes south. When your whole world turns to shit they'll show up at 3am to pick you up off the floor, get you sobered up, and make sure you get to your job so you don't get fired counting the lost sleep as just part of the way they help take care of their friend. Your MMO friends can't do that because they don't know who you even are or where you live regardless of your emotions toward them. That holding each other at arms length and maintaining anonymity is quite intentional by both sides of the relationship whether you want to admit it or not. It keeps things nice and clean. They aren't going to ask you to help them move. They aren't going to ask you to borrow money. They aren't going to want to come over and hang out and get in your business. There's a word for people like that: acquaintances. Don't confuse your online acquaintances with friends.

    If you're hesitant to share your actual legal name and address with someone, they aren't your friend. That's a pretty good litmus test. You clearly don't trust them at some level. That's probably WISE, by the way, if you've only ever met online. Just don't confuse it with friendship.
    I am not saying all social media relationships are fake, but you do realise the way you use SM is indicative of you being an older person? Somehow I can't see someone whose friends on SM are all friends in real life doing any swiping left or right. :)

    So the younger you are the more differently you use it from the older generations. But I agree that there is a difference between anonymous relationships and ones where you know the person in real life. Though as two of my guilds we ended up meeting in real life such friends can cross over as it were.
    ArleeKyleran
  • ArleeArlee Member UncommonPosts: 164
    I still find it hilarious when people say there are no stakes online and you can pretend to be whoever you want, but it isn't the "real" you. The reality is the way you behave when you have nothing to lose is, in fact, the real you and the person you are when there are stakes is just who you pretend to be to get by. This goes doubly so for people who spend most of their time online.
    Lilly_LambScotKyleran
  • TaemojitsuTaemojitsu Newbie CommonPosts: 8
    edited November 11
    I posted this on a forum thread on the same topic, hope posting links here isn't spamming:
    "she loved fishing, and snow...and PvP"

    2006-03-04
    Serenity Now Crashes A Funeral (ORIGINAL HD VIDEO FROM THEIR WEBSITE) : Internet Archive (I'm leaving out these links because one is enough)

    Serenity Now Crashes e-funeral - World of Warcraft Movies

    YouTube version that actually retains original audio, Yesterday by The Beatles,
    I'm definitely not a bot and these are not spam links to promote commercial content
  • TaemojitsuTaemojitsu Newbie CommonPosts: 8
    edited November 11

    If you're hesitant to share your actual legal name and address with someone, they aren't your friend. That's a pretty good litmus test. You clearly don't trust them at some level. That's probably WISE, by the way, if you've only ever met online. Just don't confuse it with friendship.

    How far should this go? You are aware that even in a rather boring and stupid way, someone's name and address can be used to hurt them? SWATing them using the telephone services meant for deaf people, or DDOSing them?

    So, if you give people one way to hurt you, why not another? Why not give all your friends the password to your game and email accounts? Why not your bank account as well?

    (Personally, if a friend asked for my address, I would give it to them, but no one ever has)

    A story that one ought to link as part of a collection: the name of the short story is just True Names, while the name of the collection is "True Names ... and Other Dangers": but while this book is available for free checkout from the Internet Archive, you have to login and reading the scanned book is awkward, so I'll just link this article about it:
    https://www.scifimind.com/true-names-by-vernor-vinge/

    Edit: also, about this:
    The primary issue with MMORPG relationships comes from the anonymity. People can take on whatever persona they want which may not match who they are in real life regardless of the hours they may spend with you in voice chat on Discord or whatever. An actual friend is someone who is going to show up and help when your life goes south.
    Reminds me of the novel and film, Ready Player One. The main character's best friend comes to help him at a critical time (a bit different in the novel, can't remember). It turns out the main character's guy friend, is (spoiler)



    ‮ɐɔʇnɐllʎ ɟǝɯɐlǝ.‭

    But still a friend.
    Post edited by Taemojitsu on
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