Premature reinstatement of auto demolition

[Jojoya]

I'm not talking about any lines, I'm just wishing people would have more compassion for those whose lives have been ruined because of the pandemic.

The compassion is there. But It needs to be applied in a place where it makes a difference - real life. If you want to help a first responder who's struggling, do it in meaningful ways like doing their household chores and running errands like grocery shopping for them so when they do get those few stray hours away from work that aren't given over to exhausted sleep, they can do relaxing things with that time instead.

An online game is a frivolous and temporary luxury item subject to change without notice. It should never be given such importance that what you do or don't have within the game can ruin your life. If you ever get to that point, seek help for your addiction because that what the game has become for you.

[Penthea]

An online game is a frivolous and temporary luxury item subject to change without notice. It should never be given such importance that what you do or don't have within the game can ruin your life. If you ever get to that point, seek help for your addiction because that what the game has become for you.

I personally don't think stuff being from "just a game" is any excuse to be very flippant when someone loses something that could be incredibly difficult to get again, especially if they lost it due to a horrible situation. I think it's very disrespectful to diminish how someone feels about losing something that isn't easy to replace regardless of whether it's physical or digital.

For me this game is not frivolous. I met my boyfriend in this game and we have been together for over four years. I have met some of my closest friends in this game. This game changed my life. Yes one day the game will be gone, but isn't that the case with everything? Nothing lasts forever.

The compassion is there. But It needs to be applied in a place where it makes a difference - real life.

I don't think it is when some people appear to be very happy that they can benefit from someone's unfortunate circumstances due to the pandemic. Not saying anyone here in this thread is like this but it is an attitude I have seen over the past year. Some have been clearly very content that the pandemic essentially gave them a house.

I don't disagree that helping irl is a great thing and can easily be more impactful, but this doesn't mean that having the things you enjoy in a game being there for you to interact with them cannot improve your happiness.

[Jojoya]

For me this game is not frivolous. I met my boyfriend in this game and we have been together for over four years. I have met some of my closest friends in this game. This game changed my life. Yes one day the game will be gone, but isn't that the case with everything? Nothing lasts forever.
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But it was those real life relationships you created with people you met that really changed your life and not the digital "property" you acquired in the game, correct?

Things in a game are just that - things - and they can be replaced if lost. Not necessarily quickly or with little effort but they can be replaced. Getting too attached to a thing, whether physical or digital, is not healthy.

[Penthea]

But it was those real life relationships you created with people you met that really changed your life and not the digital "property" you acquired in the game, correct?

If I didn't play the game I probably would not have met them at all. The only person in my circle of friends in the game that I would have met anyway is an irl friend I knew since long before I played. I'm from the Republic of Ireland which shares a border with only a small portion of the UK. Anything else our border touches is water. Everyone dear I met in the game live in a place that would require a plane ticket for me to visit. Some of these people don't even live in Europe. The likelihood of meeting them anyway outside of the game is microscopically small given my disability very often prevents me from leaving my own home, never mind travel a lot. I wouldn't have met them all in another game because FFXIV is the only online game we all play. Certainly I wouldn't have met my boyfriend at all because the only overlap in online gaming we have is FFXIV.

Because my disability keeps me at home so much, even without a pandemic, gaming is the only real outlet I have to express myself and meet people. I can't do many of the other things I love very often because my body just says "no". This isn't easy to deal with, but gaming makes it more manageable by allowing me to still engage in something enjoyable without my disability constantly getting in the way. I started playing FFXIV during a very dark period in my life and for quite some time it was the only thing that kept me from breaking down. Sure someone could criticise this and call it escapism, and say I should have dealt with my problems instead of game, but my disability has no cure and at the time doctors were struggling to figure out what it was so the treatment I was getting just wasn't working. My problems were beyond my power to tackle.

So no it's not just the people who changed my life, the game did. I understand not everyone has the same experiences and that's fine. But for me FFXIV isn't just a bunch of pixels. It's the reason why I didn't fall into a spiral of despair, and the reason why I met so many people I treasure.

Things in a game are just that - things - and they can be replaced if lost. Not necessarily quickly or with little effort but they can be replaced. Getting too attached to a thing, whether physical or digital, is not healthy.

Sentimental value is a thing and if you don't extend it to a digital plane that's fine. That's how you live your life. But it's not how everyone else does.

Also not everything is replaceable. I own some items that were crafted by family members who died before I was born. The only photograph of my paternal grandmother and I is in my possession and if it got lost it cannot be replaced because she died a long time ago. I would be devastated if I lost those things.

As for FFXIV, yes a person can maybe get another house. But is it the same house? No. I don't value my digital house as much as the above items, but I still care about it a great deal.

And as someone else said having some normalcy after or during a horrible chapter in your life can really help people to cope, and for some people part of it are the things they acquired in a game.

In my opinion, having a sense of normalcy after so much has hypothetically changed is just as important in the process of moving past a horrible event. The little things matter. I'm speaking from experience, though not exactly related to housing in a video game. But the same logic applies.

[Jojoya]

snip

You're still not understanding the point I am trying to make. The game in general allowed you to make those real life connections, which gives the game some importance as a social medium.

But the individual things in the game? They weren't important to the process.

As for the things not being replaceable in real life (which I won't argue against, real life isn't built like a game), why do those things such value? Because of the memories they trigger. Even if the item is gone, those memories remain with you. It is still that people connection that is what was really important.

[Penthea]

But the individual things in the game? They weren't important to the process.

Uhh...you actually don't know this at all given you don't know my entire history with the game. A lot of good memories happened because of specific things in the game, including my house. I'm far from the only person who can say this.

As for the things not being replaceable in real life (which I won't argue against, real life isn't built like a game), why do those things such value? Because of the memories they trigger. Even if the item is gone, those memories remain with you. It is still that people connection that is what was really important.

I don't actually have much of a connection to the dead family members who crafted those trinkets because I never met them. For my whole life they have been people in old sepia photos with some stories to go with them. However the things they made are truly beautiful, and I very much appreciate the talent and craftsmanship that they display. Because I never knew them those items are the only real connection I have to them. And these things they created tell me far more about them than an old photo ever could. If were to lose them I would lose the only meaningful connection I have to these people.

As for the photo of my grandmother, yes it does trigger memories and they are more important than the photo. But it's the only way I can see her face again. Memories can fade with time but as long as I have the photo the image of her face never will.

You and I clearly have very different life experiences and have a very different outlook on what matters. I think we will just have to agree to disagree. Neither of us are wrong. We're just different people.

[Themarvin]

Uhh...you actually don't know this at all given you don't know my entire history with the game. A lot of good memories happened because of specific things in the game, including my house. I'm far from the only person who can say this.



I don't actually have much of a connection to the dead family members who crafted those trinkets because I never met them. For my whole life they have been people in old sepia photos with some stories to go with them. However the things they made are truly beautiful, and I very much appreciate the talent and craftsmanship that they display. Because I never knew them those items are the only real connection I have to them. And these things they created tell me far more about them than an old photo ever could. If were to lose them I would lose the only meaningful connection I have to these people.

As for the photo of my grandmother, yes it does trigger memories and they are more important than the photo. But it's the only way I can see her face again. Memories can fade with time but as long as I have the photo the image of her face never will.

You and I clearly have very different life experiences and have a very different outlook on what matters. I think we will just have to agree to disagree. Neither of us are wrong. We're just different people.

This is a video game, apologies, but really?

I think real life issues > anything related to game, game items is dead items and can be gotten back over time for a dead currency that only work in the game... if game start to overshadow real life and what is in real life of important events, then may need to reconsider some things before keeping moving on.