WOW sociology

[Azzadabomb]

Hi everyone,
I'm a sociology student from Australia and for an assignment we have to choose and study a community. I have actually chosen the WOW community. I honestly have next to no knowledge about WOW and thought this would be a great place to start. Not only will i be able to finish an assignment i could also get into playing the game but hey we'll see what happens.

1st question: As a community what is the common goal that all of you share?

2nd question: Obviously it is an online game, but how has it specifically affected your relationship's i.e other friends, new world wide friends etc.

Cheers, ill just start with those two for now.

Thanks

[Wintrow]

Heheh, I suggest you start playing. You'll figure it out soon enough :tongue:.

In the mean time:
1. Have fun, usually playing wow

2. Playing games in general is usually a pretty good way to feel connected to other gamers. Even if they're console gamers. You do however start to see non-gamers as abnormal. I just don't get how certain people do not enjoy games at all... Does EVERYTHING need a purpose? Do they have NO imagination at all. I couldn't fathom a life without it...

Playing wow exclusively is however a problem as that severely limits where you're able to play games. You'll need online access AND a pc with the client installed. As low as the system requirements may be strangers (or even relatives) aren't that comfortable with you installing a 12GB+ program on their PC and locking you up behind it. They ARE however a lot more open to you bringing along a console gamedisc as it's usually multiplayer AND everyone can sit in their couch and watch.

In that respect, people that don't go to an offline LAN-party because they can't play wow then for that one single night are... a more degenerate kind of gamer. For the wow-ers out there, they remind me of the Lost Ones (http://www.wowwiki.com/Draenei_Lost_One) though less ugly :grin:.

Most of my relatives and loved ones don't play games. They see most of my playing time as lost time but don't make a big deal out of it as long as stuff gets done around the house and I don't go overboard (which does tend to happen on occasion). The problem is naturally that my definition of "playing a little bit" and theirs usually isn't the same...

[Marlous]

2) I met my boyfriend through WoW. He hopes to emigrate to my country in a few months, to start a study here in September so that we can be closer together.

As for friendships, I've gained those as well through this game. Some people might not call them 'true' friendships because you don't tend to meet up irl, but I disagree; the things I sometimes talk about with WoW friends go much deeper than you would ever have with a friend that you go clubbing with or drink a few beers with (because from my experience, such conversations are always pretty shallow). And there are many people who have guild meetups a few times a year, and spend some 'real' time with their online friends.

Some people claim that playing MMO games is anti-social. I say, for someone who doesn't feel at home in a pub or just doesn't make social contacts that easily, this game is actually a pretty nice way to make some friends - the contact is the same, it's just the means that differ. And while there are of course people who neglect their rl social life just to play the game, there's even more people who still have friends outside of the game with whom they meet up and who just expand their social network through this game.

But yeah, do start playing the game yourself - and make sure you find a nice sociable guild. Then you can see for yourself how it is. :)

[zerlikjr]

I have been playing WoW a bit over a year, and have made some good friends. I Solo more then I would like, but the guild has team speak and even if you are not playing the same parts of WoW you can still chat with each other.

Just like any family there is competition which is fun. My main character is a mage and it is fun to out DPS other mages in my guild. That said, I also help them by sharing information from this and other sources to help them improve.

Then there is this site, most of the people I interact with here aren't on the same server as my characters, but I still have a since that I know them from reading their post.

Z.

[KarlMalone]

Ever since my twin girls were born last April, and especially since we moved an hour away to have a bigger place that we can still afford, I haven't been able to get out and "hang out" with my RL friends much. Fortunately, most of them play WoW. So instead of getting together to go to the bar or play D&D or whatever, we meet up online once or twice a week and quest or run instances together. This way, I still get to socialize with my buddies, but I'm still there to spend time with my girls and help my wife out.

[Valas Azuviir]

Just wanted to point out that we have a Survey & Research (http://www.worldofwar.net/forums/showthread.php?t=412968) thread for these types of things, and that a school assignment counts as "research:. :P

[Azzadabomb]

Thanks everyone that's been a huge help...it seems like it is a good social game. On the other side of things would anyone happen to know of people who have become addicted to WOW??? or maybe even have had to suffer the effects of someone's WOW addiction.

Thanks,
A

[Azzadabomb]

Another thing i was talking to a customer at work yesterday and he said something about the rating system and that if they had to bring in an R18+ rating WOW would have to get that rating....Is that the basics of it???? lol

[elsegundo]

Another thing i was talking to a customer at work yesterday and he said something about the rating system and that if they had to bring in an R18+ rating WOW would have to get that rating....Is that the basics of it???? lol

What rating system is this? and in this rating system, what does the rating R18+ mean?

[Trakamoocow]

That would be restricted eighteen plus years old.

I spose im uh, mildly addicted. More that I cbf clubbing much any more, and visiting people doesn't really get me all that excited when aircon + entertainment resideth @ home. Levelling my 3rd 80 for kicks?

It certainly affects your social skills; I have a 40 hour a week job, but apart from the occasional shopping trip I tend to game and watch moofies in my spare time. Face to face interaction sk1llz drop a fair bit when you're not exercising them as much in a social setting.

Tbh I've relatively traded one addiction (clubbing/drinking/recreational substances) for another hopefully less harmful one. I hate vegging out in front of the TV much anymore, something interactive gives my mind something more to do.

[mmorpg man]

to me the difinition of an addict is someone who is totally dependant on 1 thing and can't get away from it without losing their sanity. of course there are people who are addicted to WoW but there is a difference between someone who plays alot, but isn't addicted, and an addict.

as far as relationships go, I have all the friends I need on WoW. some people would say that I have no social life, because I don't go out, have next to no real life friends and stay in my room all the time when I'm not at work. I don't think of it like this, I do have a social life, I just interact with my friends in a different way to others. a virtual social life is still a social life. also I've seen girlfriends/boyfriends, husbands/wives and even whole families playing wow together. its just another way to spend time with 1 another.

[mesonm]

to me the difinition of an addict is someone who is totally dependant on 1 thing and can't get away from it without losing their sanity. of course there are people who are addicted to WoW but there is a difference between someone who plays alot, but isn't addicted, and an addict.

as far as relationships go, I have all the friends I need on WoW. some people would say that I have no social life, because I don't go out, have next to no real life friends and stay in my room all the time when I'm not at work. I don't think of it like this, I do have a social life, I just interact with my friends in a different way to others. a virtual social life is still a social life. also I've seen girlfriends/boyfriends, husbands/wives and even whole families playing wow together. its just another way to spend time with 1 another.

Some would say that lifestyle is bordering on the definition of addict.

It is interesting how society is changing, though, from one where getting together in the evening and hanging out was the norm, to one where (for some) online contacts with people you likely will never meet replace the face-to-face interaction.

Myself, I much prefer the face to face, but can see both viewpoints.

[Azzadabomb]

Thanks guys sorry i havent posted any more questions on in a while been flat out...What is some of the identifying features of WoW?

[mmorpg man]

its not so much the identifying features of wow, but the identifying features of mmorpg's. all are split up into 2 catagories: Player vs Player (PvP) and Player vs Environment (PvE). it appeals to many different people, if you like beating down on other people you do PvP, if you like conquering new worlds you do PvE. then there's the option just to hang around in towns talking to people in chat.