Fun for the whole family!

[Forte]

I'm kind of envious of all the family's that ban together and plan MMO's together I used to have real life friends that played FF11 with me then they went on to the new fab and I stayed playing 11. Meet tons of wonderful people in 11 and even meet my gf from it and now after a year of pressing and buying it for her I got her to start playing 14 with me and it nice to spend time together even if its in a virtual world

[Griss]

Really cool to hear. Might want to start thinking about what you are going to say if they wander into some of the.. more colorful elements of the game.

[Atoli]

..if they wander into some of the..more colorful elements of the game.

Like..all of Ul'dah?xD
Rich ones killing others for vengeance and money?
The girls dancing in their underwear? Drunken people bullying others?
The lesbian Miqo'tes? The ones who tell you to spend the night with them to have some "adult fun"?

I guess it depends on how much your daughters already know about the world..

[nasomi]

Teaching proper party dynamics is super difficult... But if I get them when they're young, they won't be nubs when they grow up!

I love to hear that other people do the same thing, I'm glad to hear it. And with all the jobs at different levels, you have a better chance of people being able to do things with each other.

[nasomi]

They know nothing of the real world and it's not underware, it's bathing suits. They roam limsa, not uldah, and limsa is pretty much barren, so not a lot of people other than htose on a mission.

Party time is over, time for me to log into their accounts and take their crystals and drops^^

[Purity]

I seriously can't understand what some of you guys think about children.

I mean, I have been playing video games all my life and I turned out alright.
Nowadays' parents seem to want their children to live a bubble.
No computer before 14? Make sure you stock on barney the dinosaur dvds so you can keep them entertained until then.
Also, please educate them at home so they don't learn naughty words from other kids, and make sure they don't masturbate until they're 20.



As for the difficulty.. Don't worry too much.
I remember beating tubular(which my parents couldn't) on super mario world when I was 5.
I played earthbound before I could even read, and beaten it and Final Fantasy IV without understanding a word of english.

You sell stuff, you get money, you spend it on stuff that makes you stronger. They'll figure how to work the markets before you know it. In a couple of days they'll be asking what stats they should be increasing, if they don't know already.

[RolandDebreton]

Since a few months after Beta I brought first my Wife on, then my step-son. He's just turned twelve, and hes doing quite well at the game. We had a friend that found out we had a family together online, and he talked about how awesome it was, and wished that his parents had been involved in this way in his fun. This same friend quipped, "The family that slays together, stays together." And it seems to work out well.

He has learned a lot about people being online on this game. He had played MMOs before, but mostly kid stuff. This was a chance for him to play a really good stratagy game and learn a lot more about putting things together.

A big part of it is the community that surrounds you. We have a decent sized LS that works with us knowing that we are a family and need to keep things relatively, "family-friendly" in nature. It doesn't mean that people have to stop being human, simply understanding. Also, when you do encounter some of those less than perfect situations it generally serves to teach kids some important facts about interaction. Surround yourself with good folks, and you'll not only be surprised by how much fun you can have as a family, but other people will get caught up in the connection and community can really happen all around you.

As with anything else its all about balance. Its a great way for us to have fun and to be a team, and to be involved! Grats on your story!

[Arland]

That's cute and all but... You really should teach your children things they need in their future lives... With 8 and 9 i wouldn't let my children play games that much, let alone where they have to kill stuff to progress. What's with the good old Super Mario?! Jump on heads, eat mushrooms... My niece, she is the same age, got her NDS with Mario Bros. and is enjoying herself greatly.

But well, you might as well teach them how to craft *sigh*

[PurrrjinKitteh]

A lot of things that you would "encounter" in RL also are "encountered" in MMO's. MMO's are being made more "real" everyday. I would rather my children encounter these situations in a game, a game controlled by me... so that I can teach them (or guide them) through it and they learn from that. Same method being taught in schools. Situational training.

Some people seem to think that if a parent would let their child play FFXIV, that they would also let them play Saints Row ><. Yes there are situations in FFXIV that most parents would wish their child to avoid and to remain innocent of. But I would rather the explanation for those situations came from me than from their peers or the street.

Children have a brain and have thoughts and feelings the same as we do. IF my child is going to play, I prefer to be able to play with them and "guide" that experience. If an adult can sit there and play games all evening (or all day) and tell themselves that it's ok because they still deal with RL and they feel they are not doing anything wrong.... then why be a hypocrit and tell your child it's NOT ok to do the same? Do as I say and not as I do? I assure you... the child you are sending outside to play while you stay in and play your video game is asking himself/herself why YOU get to stay and play that while they have to go out.

Our 14yr old is in football, boy scouts and drama club.... plenty of outside interests... but we play all sorts of video games together too. Matter of fact, he is my stepson... and we are closer than ever BECAUSE of our mutual interest in video games. That wasn't always true. But now he comes to me and talks to me about EVERYTHING bothering him because he now trusts me. That trust is a bond I cherish and I do not care in the least that it was brought to me by gaming... only that I have it. And if playing games together helps me keep it.... GAME ON!

[FlynnRider]

This is an awesome thread. Cheers to a long life of gaming!