Helbreath & Addiction?

[Dimora 0]

I'm studying human addictions in university and I decided to ask you guys how do you see your relations between you and helbreath :) .

 

Ive made a customized list based on WHO ICD-10 disorder classification about Dependence syndrome / Addiction syndrome. The ICD 10 -list has classifications only for drug dependence disorders so I made my own that is developed to fit in computer gaming. The Core to define an addiction is in the following 6 lines:

 

1. A strong desire / need to play

2. Decreased ability in controlling the start, amount or ending the gameplay.

3. Withdrawal symptoms (mostly anger, frustration, violence) when ending the game for reason or another.

4. Increased tolerance

5. The game has become the centre of ones life. (Someone may organize hes/her life in a way that he / she could play more. Perhaps waking up earlier or going to bed a lot later than was supposed etc.)

6. Continue use despite harmful consequences

 

Whats the most satisfying thing in your gaming? When youre thinking about the game whats the thing that crosses your mind at first? When you describe the game to your friends whats the thing you start from?

 

1. Gaining ek

2. Fighting overall / raiding

3. Trading

4. Getting a drop

5. Exping / leveling

6. The Helbreath environment / graphics

7. Friends / community

8. Successful paralyze to a moving target

9. Sh*t talk

10. Something else?

 

Remember that this poll is just made for fun. Nobody gets judged / classified. I only want to know what you think about this subject.

 

Addiction itself is a painful disorder that might mess anyones life big time. Its good that this community talks also about the addictive factor that belongs to this game. I hope that the conversation stays polite, leave the sh*t talks into the game or somewhere else but not here.

 

 

-- X --

 

 

 

Ill start the conversation with my own answer. A while back I noticed that I was hooked on HB big time. Thatswhy I reduced gaming a lot and now Im 'on a break' from HB (and i might come back after xmas xD). I noticed that I was constantly thinking about playing the game. "O damn i wish i'd get a hp63 cape from a demon that i killed with Zoro" etc. Ive also dreamed of playing hb.

 

I also woke up earlier in the morning just to get few more majestics. I got damn tired at school but it didnt matter. The game become the centre of my life (ye i was nolife true that).

 

When im thinking about hb i always think about getting a damn nice drop or casting a successful paralyze + mass rape the victim with my surnoobs fellows.

 

I still cant deny the fact that HB is a da*n good game ;p and despite the addictive consequences i still want to play it.

[oceaneagle 0]

I don't think I am addicted but I do really enjoy playing. However I am generally listening to an Audio Book or watching TV at the same time.

 

I suck at getting EKs and I have NEVER had a decent drop. My main thrill in the game, strange as it sounds, is helping out someone else. If I come across a Newbie I get a kick out of giving them something like a DF10 or LLF Flam.

 

I am not one for siht talking and NEVER get involved in this. I would sooner just walk away. Having said that I delight in seeing others siht talking. Such people seem to have a great difficulty in expressing themselves and never come up with anything original, the word Noob being the extent of their vocabulary. It amuses me to wonder what the siht talkers are like in real life. I visualise little spotty wimps who are bullied at school and hide behind a keyboard to be brave.

 

So am I addicted? Nope! would I rather be down the Pub swilling beer at ?3 a pint and not allowed to smoke? Nope! I would much rather be sitting here cigarette in one hand, coffee in the other and picking out letters with my nose.

 

Other games I have tried don't seem to have the game-play of HB. This is the only game I ever play. My other use of the PC is in Forums providing help to people taking Nautical exams & who have Nautical problems, explaining international regulations and generally assisting people who wish to become Naval Officers. I also help in a Forum dedicated to teaching people English.

 

 

[Pocus 0]

Really props 2 you guys for beeing so honest and real!

 

And to not mess up this great topic:

 

I'm really not addicted to helbreath nemesis in any sort of way. It's not helbreath itself that's not addictive, it's just the fact that I have played it ALOT before nemesis. So the thrill to get the best sets ingame, having the most ek's, helping out new/guild members, belong to the most influenced people or beeing best friends with the GM's (yes for some people this is a thrill) etc. etc. just died in time. And really, I'm glad it did. I just think it's a waist, spending your time (im not talking about an hour a day) on a virtual "world" instead of doing more important things IRL.

 

Nonetheless I can understand why people are addicted to helbreath... after all ... its that mp77 chain you want so bad!

[Magazo 0]

i like to talk to other ppl xD

Anyawy i never stopped studyaing/diong something i had to just to play, so i guess im not adicted, if i have to stop i stop xD

mmm maybe something is that i find HB one of the most interseting games i have on PC; so when im playing with PC; i usually play HB basically, and leave aside the other games

gl wif ur work

[Synz 0]

There's no addiction there, as my friends know - I get super bored with the game really quickly and will quit for like 5 months at a time. The only reason I come back is because my friends either start playing more or beg me to come back.

 

My favorite thing to do on this game is actually help my friends get good characters, and I never really ever played my own character. I trade away all my stuff so my friends can have good stuff, etc.

 

Only staying around because the community, I loves me friends :wub:

[Kefka 0]

Sorry, it's long but it definitly goes with your subject.

Me I always enjoyed the ek noise. =p

Other than that it was the guild that kept me around so long.

I love Synz.

 

MMORPGs are designed to require increasing playing time to achieve higher levels and obtain more gold, weapons, skills, and power in a virtual world. At the highest levels, players must band together into guilds to go on quests or raids that can require 10 or more hours of continuous play, with some players reporting playing over 70 hours per week. (2) Most players can play casually and never have a problem, but an estimated six to 20 percent of players play to the exclusion of such essential activities as work, school, family responsibilities, and even eating and sleeping. (3) Reports of failed marriages, neglected families, lost jobs, derailed educations, and even suicide have appeared in the medical literature and the lay press. (4) Attempts to stop playing can result in a withdrawal syndrome consisting of restlessness, depression, vivid dreams about the game, anger, and excessive sleep. (5) The problem is especially acute in China and South Korea, where governments have set mandatory limits on playing time and government-sponsored rehabilitation clinics have opened. The Chinese government estimates that 13 percent of the country's Internet users younger than 18 years are addicted to the Internet

 

 

Persons with this disorder exhibit behaviors usually associated with drug and alcohol dependence, including a need for increasing amounts of exposure to the substance (i.e., the game), denial of the adverse effects it has on their lives, repeated unsuccessful attempts to stop playing, and continued playing in the face of serious consequences such as divorce, job loss, and school failure. (6) This disorder is not yet catalogued in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which was last published more than 10 years ago, but it is important for family physicians to recognize this problem and to ask about time spent playing Internet computer games when examining a patient who exhibits unexplained or resistant symptoms of depression, anxiety, or sleep disorders, or employment, marital, or school problems. Patients should be referred to a mental health provider who specializes in addictions. Inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation therapy is available, as is On-Line Gamers Anonymous, an online support and recovery program based on a 12-step model (http://www.olganonboard.org).

 

 

(1.) Total MMOG active subscriptions. Accessed September 19, 2007, at: http://mmogchart.com.

 

(2.) Griffiths MD, Davies MN, Chappell D. Online computer gaming: a comparison of adolescent and adult gamers. J Adolesc 2004;27:87-96.

 

(3.) Salguero RA, Moran T, Bersabe RM. Measuring problem video game playing in adolescents. Addiction 2002; 97:1601-6.

 

(4.) Black L. It's a troll's 'life' for some: online games raise addiction concerns. Chicago Tribune November 30, 2006:1.

 

(5.) Woolley L. (2006, April 21) Withdrawal symptoms. Message posted to: http://www.olganonboard.org/ index.php?topic=329.0

 

(6.) Reuters. Online addict dies after "marathon" session. Accessed May 1, 2007, at: http://today.reuters.com/ news /articlenews.aspx?type=internetNews&story id=2007-02-28T085229Z_01_PEK267720_RTRUKOC_0_ US-CHINA- INTERNET-ADDICTION.xml&src=rss&rpc=22.

 

(7.) Griffiths MD, Hunt N. Dependence on computer games by adolescents. Psychol Rep 1998;82:475-80.

 

ANNA L. MEENAN, MD

 

University of Illinois College of Medicine

 

at Rockford

 

Rockford, Illinois

[~farjat 0]

Somehow im addicted to helbreath also but in a different way.

Like my way of addiction is to keep it good and stable, coordinating actions between staff members. That gives me more pleasure than gaining EK or trading.

Im sure other admins also. Im sure jaapy also loves to see all working good. Scat likes to add new crazy things (dragonia) and Sexy loves to have the community happy also when she dont join it too much. White enjoy to see his fixes doing good and enjoy playing also. Guason likes to make his "montly Lammers check" and deep Log investigation. Hunter likes to make events more than playing or do support/administrative job.

Every1 in staff like found his own roleplay based on the administration system also.

 

 

Also i remember a case i readed once in an argentinian newspaper. it happened on China.

 

A guy that played a game, if im not wrong it was ultima online, got a great item. Time passed and he shared it with a friend.

Suddently this Friend Sold the item in real money without the real owner knowing.

The owner knows it and went to his friends to ask for it. He denied to give the real owner part of the money.

Then the real owner becames crazy because this and murdered him!!!!!

 

 

 

 

[Dimora 0]

Wow kefka. Thanks guys for being active with this topic.

 

Where are the guys that beg farjat to work faster when the server is down? :P

Any other 'no-lifers' around?

 

Yep in gaming the addictive thing isnt necessarily the game itself but the feeling you gain from playing. Someone might feel that its a fast way to get relaxed, excited or perhaps escape the real life.

 

Also its true that MMORPG is based on long-lasting gaming experience (nonstop)

 

Its also true that majority never experiences such feelings. Most of players are not addicted. Most of the guys that are addicted do not even realize they are addicted.

 

Keep up the conversation! :)

 

Also Special thanks to whole staff for being so patient with us. We get a lot from this game and we surely do give you something as a return (good & bad things). Everyone should remember that the staff is working 24/7 to keep these things up.

[Cake 0]

I'm addicted fo' sho'!! I don't know what it is about this game, but I can't ever seem to quit. I may leave for a while or play very little, but I can never fully stop playing. Is it because of the community? Probably, since I would never try another server =/

 

Or maybe I get addicted to things easily? I love playing basketball for hours a few times a week. Quitting that would probably be harder than quiting HB =O

 

SO I DUNNOES LOL

[Gaucho 0]

Wen i start playing on nem i was addicted. I got much more time to play and i do it all the time.

Now is much more talk to friends read the forum and play a little. I never got item and i never hunt for them.

 

I just log to have fun and be with the HB friends. I always like to log on my char to talk and fun with all the elvs and ares.

[Giggles 0]

I have an Adictive personality Yes! lol I will play till I'm so burned out I cant even look at the game or I get Addicted to another game but mainly with HB I find my friends keep me here more than my adiction allso I have'nt compleated my goals of getting all the crafts to 100% :unsure:

 

Yes I'm an addict but what beter place to be to be one :D my friends all around :wub:

[Pocus 0]

I think it's very interesting how I keep seeing the word "friends" here. Do some of you guys really play HB to be with your HB "friends" meaning you have a lack of friends IRL?

[Synz 0]

I think it's very interesting how I keep seeing the word "friends" here. Do some of you guys really play HB to be with your HB "friends" meaning you have a lack of friends IRL?

A lot of them are real life friends.

 

Plus - the older you get..the less you see of your friends. Unless you really haven't noticed that, I'm sure you're pretty young.

 

[Cake 0]

SYNNY IS MY FREND

[Pocus 0]

I think it's very interesting how I keep seeing the word "friends" here. Do some of you guys really play HB to be with your HB "friends" meaning you have a lack of friends IRL?

A lot of them are real life friends.

 

Plus - the older you get..the less you see of your friends. Unless you really haven't noticed that, I'm sure you're pretty young.

 

Yeah the fact that they are real life friends explains a lot.

 

I'm 20 years old so it depends on what you define as "pretty young".

[Synz 0]

I think it's very interesting how I keep seeing the word "friends" here. Do some of you guys really play HB to be with your HB "friends" meaning you have a lack of friends IRL?

A lot of them are real life friends.

 

Plus - the older you get..the less you see of your friends. Unless you really haven't noticed that, I'm sure you're pretty young.

 

Yeah the fact that they are real life friends explains a lot.

 

I'm 20 years old so it depends on what you define as "pretty young".

Yeah :)

 

Plus, I don't know what else to call them? COMRADES?

[Deckmaster 0]

Wen i start playing on nem i was addicted. I got much more time to play and i do it all the time.

Now is much more talk to friends read the forum and play a little. I never got item and i never hunt for them.

 

I just log to have fun and be with the HB friends. I always like to log on my char to talk and fun with all the elvs and ares.

 

 

and to go eking wth frind

[Dimora 0]

Addiction usually means that YOU MUST DO something. You cant stop even if you want to. Until you realize youre addicted you cant even think about stopping. I wasnt that addicted but I was addicted a bit milder way. I bet most of us can quit playing but we will eventually come back again and again. Just to see the friends or something.

 

I also have a lot IRL friends but when you get older seeing friends irl gets a lot more complicated. You move to another city for studies / work and friends do the same. Its kinda usual in todays world to keep contacts in the web. And web also made possible to create new connections with all kinds of 'virtual friends' as I see you guys. Virtual friends can be almost as good as real friends even if we never see them irl. Thats pretty funny but thats how it goes.

 

HB-addiction compared to addiction with substances is a lot better option. Its a lot more acceptable to play hb 24/7 than use drugs 24/7. And its always easier to quit without bad physical and mental withrawal states. But when playing messes up studies/job its time to start thinking the relation between work and free time..

 

For me, quiting hb happened after i got all items a player could get + full hero. I had no more goals in game (except making a new char). So I felt it was a good time to keep a break. Ive always felt that I might come back and I never close the option of returning. The nemesis-community has hooked me.

[Moha 0]

Addiction usually means that YOU MUST DO something. You cant stop even if you want to. Until you realize youre addicted you cant even think about stopping. I wasnt that addicted but I was addicted a bit milder way. I bet most of us can quit playing but we will eventually come back again and again. Just to see the friends or something.

 

I also have a lot IRL friends but when you get older seeing friends irl gets a lot more complicated. You move to another city for studies / work and friends do the same. Its kinda usual in todays world to keep contacts in the web. And web also made possible to create new connections with all kinds of 'virtual friends' as I see you guys. Virtual friends can be almost as good as real friends even if we never see them irl. Thats pretty funny but thats how it goes.

 

HB-addiction compared to addiction with substances is a lot better option. Its a lot more acceptable to play hb 24/7 than use drugs 24/7. And its always easier to quit without bad physical and mental withrawal states. But when playing messes up studies/job its time to start thinking the relation between work and free time..

 

For me, quiting hb happened after i got all items a player could get + full hero. I had no more goals in game (except making a new char). So I felt it was a good time to keep a break. Ive always felt that I might come back and I never close the option of returning. The nemesis-community has hooked me.

imo wars are boring when fh ,

mages all always fun

 

 

[Dimora 0]

i disagree :). but lets keep the conversation in its actual topic.

[Ruutu / Risti 0]

Oh am I addicted? I bet I am.

 

I have taken control over my playing, but I still love this game.

 

Last winter I didnt go to school for over month, I didnt even visit there.. I had alot going on in my life and I didnt stop going to school because of HB atleast not only because of HB. However I used all the free-time I got for playing. I have always loved all kinds of sport and Im passionate "bodybuilder" but last winter I stopped going to gym and stopped exsercising and I just played.

 

I guess what happened to me was pretty bad example of HB addiction, but after realizing the problem I had no troubles taking a brake and taking over my addiction =P

 

But to answer the questions, Dimora made..

 

1. I want to play, but I can controll my playing.

 

2. I can controll my playing, but I do sometimes notice its damn 02.00, I got school tomorrow and I still got 40% till next majestic.

 

3. Dont think so

 

4. dunno

 

5. I do sometimes organize my schedule so I could play more, or that i can participate events or so.

 

6. Dont have this problem anymore. When I noticed my playing went too far and it had harmfull consiquences I took a brake.

 

Most satisfying things in playing HB for me are:

 

2. Fighting overall / raiding. raiding with my guildies is great, especially when teamwork is good and causes lots of panic in elvine =D

 

3. Trading. I enjoy doing great trades, improving my items, especially if it also helps other guildies or my fellow citizens.

 

4. Getting a drop. I never get 1, but Im still waiting for a good one!

 

5. Exping. I hate it, but I love it. It makes me stronger, but drives me nuts :D

 

7. Friends / community. This must be the most satisfying part of helbreath, over the years I've made some great friends in HB and I love chatting and playing with em.

 

8. Successful paralyze to a moving target. Oh what a great feeling it is!

__________________________________________________________________________________

 

I think Im still slightly addicted, but I can controll my playing and it doesnt cause me any harm.

 

And ye, i got a girlfriend.

[Zariel 0]

The interesting thing here is how Pocus is quick to point out 'IRL i have friends. I have a REAL LIFE. Do you lack a real life?'

 

IRL = What? (i know what IRL stand for)

 

Real life is a combination of both the imaginary world; the inner world of fantasy which doctors, psychologist or any other machine can never figure out. (they try and label it with fancy terms in books and teach you fancy ways of describing such 'imaginary' states of being. i.e psychosis, bi polar disorder, MPD, etc. And a combination of the physical realm, the spiritual realm..etc. etc.

 

The fact is, without this imaginary world, you dont have another world. They go hand in hand.

 

IRL, is a very stupid way of saying- The world is what they tell me it is. Then you go on your merry little way and when you run into some kid , who maybe doesn't have for ABC reason so many physical realm friends or doesnt hold the physical realm in the pedastal you do - you tell them how wrong they are and make them look less human less normal than you and company. (like you and all the followers of what there told). By doing that you are proving that the way you where brainwashed was soooo damn good, that anyone who doesnt live up to the 'false' 'devilish' 'homosexual' standards of society - lacks a real life??

 

Not everyone see's the same things, or feels, or thinks. Not because you are flooded by what constitutes 'real life' as defined by Newscorp and those media companies should you assume that - IRL = The life you are taught.

 

Hanging out with your friends, or watever you do in the physical realm, be it exercise, watch tv, sleep .. work, mating, gambling- doesnt = and can never be described as In Real Life.

 

That aint real life. Thats a zombie life. So infact IRL as used by most here (on earth or on forum) = a fantasy world - which the majority of ppl in this world accept as the ONLY REALNESS in this life..

 

Rituals are hard to break. If everyday you get up in the morning on the same side of bed or watever. That is a ritual. If you always find yourself doing 'rituals' . You should be worried. Rituals are dangerous and powerful. They are not bad, just dangerous.

 

Addictive personalities are just the normal thing, part of being an animal. I dont think addiction is such a huge problem as it's played out to be. If addiction is such a worry for universities and society- why dont they worry about the addiction for power and control which is running rampant and has for centuries now in our society. That is what's compromising our society our future and our kids. Power hungry and control hungry mongrels. Who point the figure at drugs or video games.... to control.

 

IRL IMO = everything and anything within the realm of the mind.. If you can think it or imagine it- Its real. If your heart is beating and you are breathing - then its IRL. Whether its in a fantasy HB world or in some fake concrete world which your vision has been trained to see.

 

Because in REALITY that concrete world with 'friends' is just as fake as this HB world with 'friends'. Or just as real...

 

 

====Disclaimer===

 

This is my opinion, I won't post anymore- so no need to bother trying to defend the system of ignorance and degeneration we live in. I will not respond.

[King!! 0]

Well, defintly not addicted to this game, at least right now.

 

Prolly when I started playing nemesis a few years ago, I was indeed addicted to the game (played a lot of hours per week).

 

I do believe that there are different levels of addiction:

 

When I started playing healbreath, my first MMO, I just loved the game. Finally a game that combined rol playing and lots of players to play with/against. I also started playing it with some of my best friends, back on int, which made it even more fun.

 

Anyways, I never really stopped hanging out with my friends or girlfriend because of the game, as in going out in real life to a pub, party, etc. Of course, I will admit that a few items we had the choice of either staying all night long playing and going out for a pizza, and obviously playing was the choice (and pizza as delivery :P).

 

I think the problem is when the game takes 100% of ur life: stop going out with friends, stop hanging out with girlfriend, stop taking care of importat stuff (job, school, etc). U can play a lot, and enjoy it, but if the game is more important that the *really* important stuff, then u have a problem.

[Pocus 0]

The interesting thing here is how Pocus is quick to point out 'IRL i have friends. I have a REAL LIFE. Do you lack a real life?'

 

 

Maybe we misunderstood. I'm not here to judge people, why would I? I mean we all love this game otherwise we won't be playing it. I just find it interesting to see why many very different individuals come together and play this game that's called helbreath. (or more on topic, are or aren't addicted to helbreath)

 

Don't assume that I'm telling someone they lack in real life really, coz like I said I'm not. And maybe I do, maybe I don't have friends IRL, who cares?

 

I'm not stupid really, I know that what people see as a "real life" is different to each and any other. I used the word to make a difference between Virtual and Physical Friends.

 

But I can see in your reply that we have HUGE differences in what you think about "Real Life" and my opinion about it. For example: "If you can think it or imagine it- Its real", which is just crazy IMO.

 

Sorry about this way offtopic thingy about whats "real"and whats not, and Zariel thanks for the reply, coz Ive learned from it :blush:

 

 

[King!! 0]

U can have phisical friends that play the virtual game.

 

U can also have lots of virtual friends and meet up in real life (argenlandia had many meetings and members met each other).