The Everquest Addiction

I remember laughing when the stories started coming out about "Evil Everquest", and it's addictive nature.  I remember the story about a boy who was reported to have killed himself over EQ.  It's happened before.  I'm sure it's happened with WoW, but the media doesn't really focus on it much anymore. 

But, this is my addiction...

I started playing EQ back in 2001, and my wife started playing shortly after that.  I created a ranger named Rippr Fynn, and after a getting to know several people I joined a family guild.  A family guild is a group of people that just are in it for the social aspect (FYI).  After about a year of playing, I found that I really wanted to ramp up what I did while I was online so I joined a guild call the Iratus Lepus (The Angry Bunnies).  The Bunnies were a former family guild that just started doing hardcore raids. 

The rest is pretty much history.  I played, loved, and had endless fun with my wonderful online family.  For 7 years, I had a smile on my face everytime I logged on to play with them.   It didn't just end with the online world either.  My wife and I have hosted several guildies in our home, we've traveled to meet them in real-life, and we still talk to alot of them on the phone on a weely basis.  Everytime, we've had a wonderful experence.

In-game things were always a rollercoster.  They generally are with any large group of people on the internet (around 200 people).  The good thing about IL was that it had a very loyal core of members that held it together.  No matter the ups or downs, the guild always came through it just fine, and we always progressed decently through the many, many expansions of EQ.  We fought hard, but in the end we always came out on top.  It always felt great to have that sense of accomplishment.  To be a part of that team for 7 years.  My wife played as well, but she never really took to the hardcore aspect of the game.  She stayed in a family guild, and enjoyed the game in her own way.

Well, we get older, and our lives change.  My wife and I have now been married almost 11 years.  We have a 2 year old girl now, and our priorities have shifted to her.  So, about a year ago, we decided to say goodbye to EQ and our online friends.  I just didn't have the time I once did to play the game like I wanted to play it.  It was an easy decision to make really.  Children will do that to you.  I wanted so much to spend as much time as I could with our little girl and my wife in our new adventure of family.  I made my post on our guild forums about my leaving, and it was met with an overwhelming amount of support for my decision.  You see, EQ is an older game with older players, and most can relate.

It was really one of the best decisions I've ever made.  I come home everday to this smiling little girl and my beautiful, loving wife.  I cannot say enough good things about my family and homelife. 

But....to me EQ is still an addiction.  It's been almost a year, and I still feel the tug of the game.  No...that's not right...it's not the game...it's my friends.  It's a hard thing to seperate yourself from the people you love for the greater good.  I suppose it will always hurt a little to think of them and all the fun we had together for 7 years.  I guess it's just a part of getting older....missing the things you once had.

I'd never go back on my decision, but not a day goes by that I don't long to pick up my swords, step back into that world, give all my old friends a viritual hug, and fight beside them one more time.

But you know what?  I think I'll go push my daughter in her swing...