Hello FFXIers,

This is a one-time post within this community. I am not attempting to hijack the forum with this request, but I would like to reach out to interested parties through this space.

This is Zek Valkyrie, a sociology faculty member from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. I have been interested in and have published some work about game worlds such as this one. I would like to continue strengthening my understanding of these worlds (even more so since I am an active participant and long-time FF fan). Currently, my aim is to interview gamers who have been playing this game for over a year, though ideally, I would like to speak to “career” gamers (i.e., those who have been playing this game for multiple years, and with fewer breaks).

I am exploring players’ feelings about their labor in game worlds, their perceptions about digital goods, their interpretations of community events, as well as how they conceptualize exiting the game and losing character data. I expect interviews could last an hour or more depending on your willingness to share and the depth and breadth of your experiences. None of your personal information (your name, avatar/character name, online handles, post history, etc.) will be used in my findings, that is, who you are would remain completely confidential.

If you are interested in talking to me or want more information, please contact me at the following email address: zvalkyri@uccs.edu

I will also avoid responding directly in this space, since again, I do not want to be disruptive to its main purpose.

I look forward to hearing from you! And I hope to see you in Vana'diel~