I played for a couple years when it first came out. Then I quit and sold my account so my character might still be running around gold farming somewhere.

I played Everquest for many years, made over $10k selling my accounts/items. For the amount of time invested though, it sure wasn't worth it I guess the only benefit it had was it kept me from going out and spending money every night, that's about it!

bump..out the hizzy.

But for me.. WoW wasn't a hard trance to free myself from. I played for a period of 3 months non stop it seemed like, then canceled for like 2 years.

I re-subbed about a year ago and played for another month.

To me, it's just another MMO.

I played Everquest for almost 13 years. I was so horribly addicted originally that I averaged about 12 hours a day for 3 full years. At one time, I was rated the #1 bard in the entire world. Im glad I quit though. I really wish I would have invested my time into other stuff though.

I played RuneScape for seven years. I made several friends whom I still keep contact with (we all keep in contact with each other, honestly). In fact, I'm probably going to a Nightwish concert with one of 'em in September. It's surprising what life-long friendships can be made on MMOs. That being said, it's easy to get addicted, or at least start playing to much. I used to play for at least eight hours a day, even on school days. It was quite fun, I'll still say that today, but I will say that it was unhealthy. But at the same time, some of the best friendships I made on there were with people that were the same way. You'd be surprised why some people play MMOs religiously. I think one common thread is depression. It's a way of escaping life when people are unhappy with theirs. You get a feeling of achievement from completing quests, getting that next high-level/expensive item, and you make friends in a much more ideal environment. So a lot of people who get addicted, in my opinion, need help in real life. Once reality is better, they'll migrate away from it.

The reason why I quit personally is because... well, it just got boring... I mean, it's RuneScape. I've tried other MMOs like WoW, RoM, and about five others, and while they're fun, it's not the same when you don't have a clan or guild. All of my RuneScape friends, as I call them, are busy with their own real life things, myself included, and don't really want to get into MMOs at the moment. I probably never will again, but I'll always remain in contact with 'em.

way back when it first came out and on and off ever since. WoW for me goes like this....Expansion comes out, buy and play for 6mo, get everything top tier and pvp, get bored, quit. Start playing again 6mo later, play for 3 months to get new PVP rewards and new raid gear now that they nerfed the shit out of old content and the new content is always super frickin easy. get bored, quit til new expansion. Like clockwork since the beginning.

I ignored it due to the monthly fee junk, stuck with Guild Wars for awhile instead which you just buy and it works without fees. Sequel to it is out this year and it's an open expanding world like WoW this time around, and yet again, still free.

My biography cannot accurately be written without an entire chapter devoted to WoW. I got the game when it first came out and it was my first experience with an MMO. Needless to say, I was hooked easily, quickly and for a long itme. It didn't help that it was released just as I was finishing university. I was single, working a low end job and had too much time and money.

I was in it from the beginning and got out as Wrath of the Lich King was coming out. I didn't have another expansion in me, not to mention the people I played with were all getting out as well. I have no regrets. Those were some of the best times... sitting in front of a computer.

This was me. My fiancee left and my apt was hit by one of the largest known recent tornados to hit OKC. My friends just got married and having kids and I had no job, no car, no anything. It swallowed me whole for years. It was incredibly tough to quit. I actually quit 3 times total (the last time was June 1, 2010 and I havent been back since).

Welcome back to reality.

MMO's are a terrible drug, IMO.

I've seen WoW ruin friendships, relationships, and seen people lose jobs. Not worth it. I'd rather be addicted to an actual drug than a virtual drug.

And I've seen the complete opposite. Let's not say anything silly now. It's fine if you don't like MMO's or WoW in particular, it's everyone's perogative to make up their own minds, but let's not make any sweeping generalizations. Last I checked, WoW had peaked at nearly 12,000,000 subcriptions. There's going to be a whole range of people in there.

I'm with Adam on this.  I've never known a person in real life who played WOW that wasn't hopelessly addicted and allowing other parts of their life to suffer as a result. (I'd say the same about Counterstrike and Everquest, as well...)

Did I say those people didn't exist? What part of "I've seen" did you not understand? Go play WoW.

Bwahahaha, down boy! No need to get defensive! Reading your reply I was lead to believe you were trying to make a point.

I was making a point. My point is, and was, I'd rather take a real drug than a virtual drug. Why? Because at least with real drugs you get a real social life as opposed to "lolomfgraid11!!!!!!".

Call it defensive all you want, I was just simply pointing out your inept ability to take a short post for what it was and going on this whole tirade of defending WoW and MMO's.

Then why precede your 'point' with that terrible generalization? If all you wanted to say was the second part, then you should have just said the second part.

And my reply was a far cry from a tirade.

Because it's not a terrible generalization. Stereotypes are based on truths. The truth is, most WoW players kill their social lives to play, and/or live in their parents basement.

Truths are actually based on facts and until you show me some, your previous statement will stay in the realm of a generalization.

Good day sir!

All this talk of WoW has me itching for a round of WSG. Points if anyone knows what that is!

Edit: You're also assuming people had great social lives before they started playing WoW.

You don't say?

I would play an MMO but I'm hopelessly addicted to Nintendo age and Sega age. I can't wait to level up. Am I doing it right?

EDIT: I just realized this is an old Manifesto thread...BOO!

I played WoW for 5 years.... I quit a few months after the launch of Cataclysm (last feb or so). I'm still interested in what they are doing with the game, but I simply cannot allow myself to play it anymore. It was taking WAY too much of my time.

That being said, the time I stayed interested between expansions got shorter with every one..... during my 5 years, I did take a few short breaks (a few months at a time) But now I think I'm finally done with it for good.

Ha, I logged over 2400 hours in that damn game leading our guild on Sargeras since Vanilla. Was fun until post BWL.

edit:  Grats on quitting, now you can smell the fresh air again.

I quit playing WoW retail a little before Wrath of the Lich King came out, and was a GM on a private server for a good year and a half after that. I stopped WoW all together about 2 1/2 years ago. I honestly would've never quit if they didn't change the difficulty setting of raids and such with Burning Crusade.

I think BC had it right... refined all the crap from Vanilla and streamlined it.

...It went to shit after that though