On the lack of humanity in our community.

[elemental10]

Here's an advice I tell myself when I feel like i'm burning out grinding:

"It's a game. Play it as a game. Not a job."

Here's also an advice I tell myself when I go into dungeons:

"If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all."

Following these two great advice, I manage to grind my NIN zodiac in one week and still feel like I want to do more, as well as being the least amount of jerk as possible (except that part when we keep dying and the tank keeps on doing the same mistake over and over again even with us telling him not to do it and he replies with, "I've been away for 4 months. I forgot how the game works." Then why are you queuing as a tank in one of the high level dungeons knowing you 'don't know how the game works'????? Are you short of mental capacity???)

It's a game. Games are for fun. Once the game feels like a job, you better have someone paying you to play it.

[CrimsonThunder]

For anyone suffering from depression and plays (myself included, clinically depressed), don't let half of the ignorant people tell you how to feel.

Some people use this game as a means of distractive therapy and it can be very easy to get attached emotionally. You have absolutely no right to tell someone how they should treat their emotional state in this game. None at all.

[Maikal]

I lost a great deal of patience and understanding from the switch. I lost part of what made me who I am--ultimately, my humanity.

I don't mean to sound flippant with this statement, however, dramatic statements like that suggest that you need to step away from gaming for a while and focus on other hobbies or activities. These types of emotional responses aren't at all healthy for you.

[Bishop81]

Penny Arcades said it best (warning: foul language),

http://www.penny-arcade.com/S=0/comic/2004/03/19

10 years later, not much has changed.

On the bright side, the community here isn't that bad yet. However it has potential to reach LoL levels of fail if all SE does is release content that "promotes" fighting among players.

[Dekent]

Astrologist is a new class, Alex savage is newer content still, even the best developers take months to get class balance right. If you are using terms like 'emotional genocide' over having to play another class until the balance patches hit for "HARDCORE EXTREME ELITE" content, you really need to take a break from the game or join the casual crowds pace. It's much more fun on this side of the fence anyway, we have punch and pie.

[Adire]

For anyone suffering from depression and plays (myself included, clinically depressed), don't let half of the ignorant people tell you how to feel.

Some people use this game as a means of distractive therapy and it can be very easy to get attached emotionally. You have absolutely no right to tell someone how they should treat their emotional state in this game. None at all.

I've suffered severe bouts of depression before too, and I suffer from very severe chronic anxiety. If a game is regularly causing me distress that I can't handle, I move on to a different game or take a break until I feel I'm ready to come back.

It's important to know when it's time to move on for your own good. Please, please do not encourage people to remain in environments that put them at risk more than helps them. You may have good intentions, but what you essentially seem to be doing is telling people to stay in environments that cause them harm and to not care.

[Maikal]

It's important to know when it's time to move on for your own good. Please, please do not encourage people to remain in environments that put them at risk more than helps them.

This is extremely good advice. It's a little scary to hear other commenters advising the topic author to stick it out, like it's somehow going to benefit that person. It shows a very poor understanding of mental health and well-being.

[CrimsonThunder]

I've suffered severe bouts of depression before too, and I suffer from very severe chronic anxiety. If a game is regularly causing me distress that I can't handle, I move on to a different game or take a break until I feel I'm ready to come back.

It's important to know when it's time to move on for your own good. Please, please do not encourage people to remain in environments that put them at risk more than helps them. You may have good intentions, but what you essentially seem to be doing is telling people to stay in environments that cause them harm and to not care.

Certain aspects may be bad but others may be good, you do not ditch a good thing for something trivial. Furthermore you suggest the environment is the issue when clearly it's the people that are the problem. Do not defend those who would prey on others.

[Nordya]

I sympathize with you OP, went through something like that in another game and now play very casually.

It makes me laugh when I read in lots of external places the community is so nice. Not my experience at all.

[Adire]

Certain aspects may be bad but others may be good, you do not ditch a good thing for something trivial. Furthermore you suggest the environment is the issue when clearly it's the people that are the problem. Do not defend those who would prey on others.

People create the environment in an MMO. This is an MMO.

I'm not defending people who prey on others either. Not sure where you got that. I'm just aware of the truth that there are always going to be rotten people out there. Sometimes for your own good, you have to remove yourself from their reach if you can't handle it.

When you're becoming hyper-sensitive to trivial things, that's a good sign that you may need to take a break or leave.