Yes, It's True: I'm still a gamer.

With summer coming to an end, and a few things calming down around my office, I once again find myself with some free time. Even with my writing schedule, which is finally back on track now that I've figured a few important plot details out, I still need to come up for air.

Since I sat down in front of the Commodore 64 and loaded my first games from tape, I've been a gamer. Since then I'm sure I've played thousands of games, but the ones that really stuck were the massively multiplayer online sort. Starting with Everquest and going on to many others, this is my favourite digital hobby other than creating my own content. I can escape into an immersive world for hours at a time. I come back with a clear head, a bag of new experiences, and sometimes new friends.

Writing takes priority, don't get me wrong. I wake up every morning and my first cohesive thought is about what I'm planning to write that day. I get whatever I can down, and on a good day brain fatigue doesn't set in until about 1pm. Usually there's some office work to do, calls to make, and that takes up the rest of my day. Then I'm left to pursue hobbies, which include guitar, drums, and other things. Gaming has been sorely missing from my list of pursuits, however, since I've been busy, and I haven't been excited about a game in quite some time.

Then Star Wars: The Old Republic comes along. I've known about this game for years (literally), but recently a few people have been asking me if they'd see me around in that gaming world when it launches, and my answer was invariably yes. I even bought a cheapo PC laptop so I would be all ready to play (there's no PC version, and I'm not willing to install BootCamp on my Macs anymore, they're for writing and other creative pursuits). The next question that comes from readers and friends (often they're the same people), is if I'll be starting a guild, or if I'm already a member of one. Until today I've offered a blank expression as a response - which doesn't come across as well over the Internet.

Let's touch on another point before I follow that up though...

Over the years I've made a lot of friends through online gaming. I've learned a lot from them, had some fantastic times, and still speak to many of these long-range buddies. For some people Facebook or Myspace was their big first experience with social networking and having a large network of online friends. For me it was the Massively Multiplayer Online gaming space, mostly Everquest and World of Warcraft. Even though I enjoy going off on my own often in games, I find it's still better if there's a social aspect. The possibility of meeting new people online (in a game), and taking on a challenge with friends adds a whole new dimension of excitement to gaming.

So, when a couple readers asked me if I'd be forming a guild in The Old Republic today, I couldn't help but think of the fantastic folks on the Spinward Fringe Facebook Page, and wonder what that kind of environment would be like in game when it goes online later this year. I enjoy hobnobbing with the Facebook crowd and check in whenever I can. Imagine interacting with like minded people in an online game? Knowing that I'd download a lot of responsibility to officers in the Guild (much as I have with the Facebook Page), I decided that, yes, I'd create a guild. If there's something I've discovered I like doing, it's giving people who enjoy my company or my writing a place to hang out.

So, it is with no shame that I admit: Yes, I'm a huge [nerd] gamer, and I've created a guild called the Freeground Nation. If you're looking to play Star Wars: The Old Republic later this year and don't have a guild yet, go ahead and check it out. I'm sure I'll spend a great deal of my winter playing this game. Whenever I'm not writing, that is.

RL

[Updates on the Expendable Few, Broadcast 7 and other stuff coming early next week. The work goes well.]

No more World of Warcraft for me

I can't believe I'm saying this, but after a few months of not having time to so much as log on, sadly I don't think I'll ever be going back to World of Warcraft. The only thing I don't like about dropping an online game is the friends I leave behind, something similar happened when I left Everquest.

The difference this time is that I actually got to know some amazing people over the couple of years I spent online, and I miss them as though they were next door all along. It's pretty surprising how you can form attachments online, it makes the world seem pretty small until you look at the cost of airfare.

Sadly, "tools" like Facebook certainly don't cut it as far as staying in touch is concerned. Besides, as far as social network interfaces go, it's bare bones ugly, populated with applications that are as much spam as they are sad marketing and research tools and I find that for a social network there's very little back and forth even when you are 'speaking' to several friends. That, and I've turned down friend requests from at least a couple dozen people I've never known from anywhere. Spammerific.

Back on topic; I know I'll miss the people in World of Warcraft, the social aspect is what keeps people going back I believe. The game itself is great, but it does wear a little thin for some people. Besides, with two or more hours of writing every working day, then editing and more writing on the weekends along with other normal life stuff I have to get to, logging on just doesn't happen. Do I think of the people I was connected to online? Daily, it's hard not to after spending a couple years on and off in digital nearness with them.

Not spending time online has brought a lot of success that pushes me forward and upward in life though, and that's something I have to prioritize. It just goes to show that growing pains can come in many forms and at any time.

Last week I saw the inside of a bar for the first time in about six months, a few people were amazed I was even still in town. Just being around familiar faces for a bit was pretty good, getting in touch with a few friends I hadn't seen in a while. I still found myself thinking; if all the people I cared about online were there too, well, what a great time it would be.

Well, back to the editing of Project Moo...