My take on this (and no one likes to admit it) is verant has somthing here..... They get you with the simulated human interaction thing, it gets to all kinds of people. I'm (luckily still) a married guy who started getting into this game way before mmorpg's exploded and I got hopelessly addicted because I was
not very aware of what this game does to you.
Playing to all hours on the weekends and right after work, heck somtimes even AT work. Luckily for me my wife is a very patient woman and just wanted me to be happy. But she saw right away
that I had a problem. She expressed to me that she missed me one day. THAT WAS A BIG WAKE UP CALL!!! Your wife missing you in your own house when you are sitting 30 feet away? So I quit, but then I went on the ultimate "EQ replacement quest" you know the one. The "What can I replace everquest with quest..." So there is was.
I went through all the motions. I tried tribes RPGMOD, morrow wind , neverwinter nights, dungeon siege, darkstone, diablo, diablo 2, warcraft, might and magic.... nothing did the trick of course. AND DO YOU KNOW WHY! because of the feeling you get in a virtual world that is way to large to explore. A world that is not real, and ultimatly designed to never quite satisfy you. Remember EVERquest as in FOREVERquest. That is the only way I can explain it. Then came the EQEMU. (bless those guys) Suddenly I was able to log on and play and I did not have to worry about my time and money ticking away (the i gotta play before my game card expires feeling) In the end I did not quit, but only play 1 or 2 nights a week. I think people get addicted to EQ for the same reasons they get addicted to chat rooms. They are either lonely , or they are not happy with their current life. If this is the case I do not think fantasy is the answer. It may dull the pain for awhile, but it will ultimatly leave you with the inevitable black hole. It was this feeling that made me realize there was a warm lonley human being in the next room who wanted to be with me, and that is what snapped me out of it. I think fantasy is there to make life more fun then it already is, it adds gratuitus adventure, but if your life is not fun to begin with, dont run from it, you will only regret it. Your life will still be there waiting for you when you log off, or close that fantasy book. if somthing is not working. Make a change. So back to my original quest "What did I finally replace everquest with?"
Well, everquest. But in moderation. I spend the rest of my time playing jak and daxter, or crash bandicoot with my wife. I have more fun doing that then all the hours I spent online surrounded by people i did not even know. Everquest is alot like the world in some ways. Its amazing how sometimes you can be surrounded by thousands of people and still feel totally alone.
oh, and by the way. Hey BLOOD_Kayne, pass that over here man all right!