Everquest or Evercrack?

Mrs. Woolley has found a convenient way to absolve herself of guilt in the death of her son. While Everquest can be time consuming, it is not inherently addictive. Neither is work, food, sex, or any of the other “aholics” that we have become accustomed to viewing as being addictive. Admittedly, it can pose a danger to those already predisposed to addiction, but so can many things. By demonizing the game, she is refusing to admit that her son was responsible for his own actions. Everquest did not kill her son. Her emotionally disturbed son killed himself.

The Everquest experience has actually brought families closer together, and given both parents and children a new appreciation of each other as individuals. “I think it has enhanced our relationship, we both treat each other more like equals and partners in our private life. It is much easier to talk to her now and I have found her talking to me about much more of her life and ideas. [f, 40]” (The Norrathian Scrolls). There are descriptions of families whose meal times are more animated now that they all share a common interest, and can discuss the game. It can also lead to some hilarious incidents.

Leadership is also an ability that can be learned and sharpened through Everquest game play. Everquest is a dynamic game. There is no end, no point at which a player can say “I’ve won”. As the player progresses through the game, the monsters become harder and harder to kill, and require more and more players to kill them. In order to kill these “boss mobs”, a well-run guild is essential. Organizing a guild, defining its structure, determining its mission and goals, electing officers, setting up rules and loot priorities, and recruiting the best players available is exactly like setting up and running a corporation. Trying to lead 50 to 100 players who are experiencing time lags due to their differing internet connections through a zone, and keep them alive when half of the raiding party loses their internet connection because some hub along the internet just crashed, requires a great deal of skill, and this skill can be translated into real world employment opportunities.

When Shawn Woolley’s mother discovered his body that Thanksgiving morning, Everquest was running on his computer. The character he had loaded at the time was female and named Iloveu. It would appear that Shawn Woolley was searching for something in a game that he could not find in real life, maybe something that he was afraid of admitting to himself. We will never know what happened those last few hours of this unfortunate young man’s life, what it was exactly that sent him over the edge. It could have been anything, or it could have been nothing. But whatever it was, it was the act of an unbalanced mind. It was the culmination of a lifetime of unhappiness, not the game, but the gamer.

One aspect of EQ that is intriguing is its expression of emotion. All communication is typed, and the community has developed various way of conveying their feelings. Emoticons are used extensively. The newer emoticons that actually show a small face are not available in game, so players develop their own unique typed versions of these “smilies”, and most players can be identified by their use of them. “I’m happy” [:)] “I’m very happy” [:))] or [:D] or [:^)] “I’m perplexed” [:] “I’m sticking my tongue out” [:P].

controversy, and lured by the sensationalism of the lawsuit, the CBS network’s news magazine 48 Hours aired an episode entitled “Addicted: Suicide Over Everquest.” Featuring footage from Everquest fan conventions, and interviews with players, the show presented an unbalanced view of the game. The show opens with scenes of a rather normal looking man sitting at his computer. Susan Spencer, the correspondent, sits beside him watching his monitor. Sitting on his other side is his wife, who complains that she wishes he spent more time with his family. As it turns out, this player is a doctor

Some topics in this essay:
Susan Spencer, Everquest Social, Player PK, People Everquest, Shawn Woollery, DON’T PULL”, Tribune Woolley, Norrathian Scrolls, Hobbit Tolkien, Everquest Quickly, player base, trade skills, playing everquest, real life, message boards, percent player base, everquest social, 16 percent, computer skills, everquest players, committed suicide,