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3 Aug 2005 Just when I got out
![[Misc]](http://www.graxdomain.co.uk/images/site/Misc01.jpg)
Hello, my name is Grax...
It had been about 2 years and 6 months since I played a MMORPG game, that game being Star Wars Galaxies. I was a human Master Artisan heading towards being a Master Droid Engineer. Grax Jacpor was my name. It has consumed my life during the 5 months that I played it during my final year at university, grinding away hour upon hour to slowly reach my goal. It had affected my social life and it probably would have cost me my degree. Fortunately I grew bored with the endless grinding and limited gameplay and stopped playing it. Over time I pretty much stop playing games altogether, short of mini flash games on the internet, occupying my time with other activities. I also tried playing Planetside, but that did not last as long. For a time, life was good. But a few days ago something happened.
When I went to the comic convention I picked up a 14 day trial disk of City of Heroes, but I didn't do anything with it until now. I installed it, spend a short while creating my character, making sure that every pixel of my 3d avatar was my version of perfection. Coming up with a character concept was simple. It would have been crap for me to do some cheap knock off of an existing character (like so many people have done in the game), or to think of a whole new character with an in depth character background. The only man to get the job done;
I created myself, in all its toned glory.
Once jacked in I felt my around the virtual city of the game, which strangely felt like I was playing Grand Theft Auto, albeit has a hulking mutant in a city of superheroes. I slowly began to remember the feeling of running to and from the same place, repeating the same task of beating the bad guy over and over again, using the same button combination over and over again, all in the name of slowly getting enough experience to get the next skill that will make me just that little bit better. I know its yet another grinding game, I know it will all be a waste of time with nothing to show for in the end.
And right now I don't care.
It's already starting to take over my free time. Whatever free moment I get I'm on in the City, like an alcoholic screaming "I'll tell you when I've had enough!" I'm not working on pet projects that should be done, I'm starting to 'forget' to talking to my friends online (you know who you are and I'm sorry). I even said today "I'll just go on for an hour, just to get to the next level, it won't take long". Before I knew it the evening had done. An entire evening in which I could have been saving all the stray kittens in the world, gone. I have another 9 days until I'll have to start paying for the privilege to play. Damn right I'm going to make the most of the free trial period.
Oh, if anyone happens to be on the European server Union and you happen to spot Grax, stop him and tell him "Get back to work, ya lazy bum".
Posted at: 23:32 PM
Your Thoughts
VALERIE said on Thursday 4th of August 2005 at 04:15:20 AM
haha, yup, that's a true-to-life replica of yourself ;) Hopefully you'll only be amused for another 9 days and won't bother to pay money to renew it...then you can claim your life back. In the mean time, eh, have fun,. There's always time to repair the damage later. MIA said on Thursday 4th of August 2005 at 10:10:40 AM
Hehe, nice character! :p I tried out the free trial a while ago too, and thought the game was pretty good! Of course, seeing as I'm already subscribed to bother EQII and WoW, I don't have the time (or money!) for another mmorpg in my life, aw.
I will, however, probably be making room for City of <em>Villians</em> when it comes out. Bwahha. Because Villans just rock so much more! :D
Have fun with your trial! :D