Any info would be great…in short, my 14 year old Nephew purchased the game, and now uses all of his allowance to play the game online. Quite literally, the kid has 4 friends over in the morning (school is out) they all plug into networked computers and play Everquest until all hours of the night. As my sister is a stay-at-home mother, she is always watching what they are doing and she says they are constantly playing the game.
From what I can gather online, it’s just a game about elves, trolls, wizards etc…etc… Seems innocuous, but I’d like the dope on it if anyone has it…Should we be worried? Thanks all!
Well, too much of anything is obviously bad. The kid shouldn’t be spending ALL his spare time playing this one game, and certainly not ALL his allowance money…Other than that, I don’t think there’s anything inherent in the GAME to be worried about.
Basically, from my understanding, it’s basically an online RPG. You create a character, and from there it’s open-ended. You can kill stuff to get experience points (plus whatever the thing happened to be carrying at the time…), you can make stuff (like if you’re a blacksmith or something), things like that. It can be a form of chat room…I mean, you talk to other players in the game to facilitate trades of objects, alliances, and just teaming up on some other random guy. Unless there’s some way to just play it on a LAN (so only with his friends, not random strangers…), but I’m not sure there is.
I play EQ, and I am also a guide [volunteer “customer service”] and can say that if the kid is a pretty much normal kid [and he sound like it to me…] there is nothing to worry about.
Costs in general are $13US a month for 1 account [he might have 2, not uncommon] and the programs run about $60US for the whole set [not including the latest addition, Gates of Discord] If he is spending more money than that, he might be buying in game money and items from people on Eb@y or MySupers@les.com or one of the other online websites that sells EQ items.
I don’t think it is that big a deal for him to hang out with his friends until all hours playing, as you said it is summer. If he continues to do it when school starts, that might be a matter of concern - but I honestly think he is just taking the popportunuty to fritter away his summer hanging out with his friends=) If you are really concerned, ask him if he got a ‘buddy code’ in the email last month, and load his discs on your machine [or go over and ask him to show you how to play, and let him tell you all about the game]
The ‘buddy code’ is an advertising ploy, it gives you a free month of playing EQ to see if you happen to like it. If you do, then you can [hopefully for SOE] extend your subscription=)
I play about 20 hours a week as a guide, for which I get the munificent reward of my regular playing account free [it is about the only perk for guides, after a certain amount of time you get your play account comped, and they provide a guide account for your guide activities] and about 20-30 hours a week on one of my playing accounts. I am also jobhunting…when I am employed I drop to about 20 hours total playing EQ. I am pretty typical of most adults in that respect. Usually 2 or 3 hours in the evenings and 4 or 5 hours on weekends if we have something in game planned [like a raid on a particulat target to get something from the encounter.]
My email is on my info page, email me privately with more questions if you like=)
Some people do develop problem addictions to Everquest. Someone mentioned the term “Evercrack” above. Yeah, it happens. Not a healthy addiction.
That being said, more often than not problems like that are blown out of proportion. Still, if you want to head it off, you may want to try limiting his computer time. If he spends 12 hours a day at it, limit it to 8. Spends 8, limit it to 6. If he spends under 6, I wouldn’t worry about it too much. While it still may seem like a heck of a long time, some people stay logged on all hours of the day.
I’m curious how he’s spending ALL of his allowence on it. Here’s a link to the pricing information of Everquest. If he’s spending an amount more than one of the pricing plans, he might be buying equipment (in the game) for real life money (yes, it happens). That could be trouble.
I’m really just giving a worst case scenario here. The vast majority of Everquest players are just there to have a good time and socialize, the odds are your nephew is as well.
Phlosphr, my son is 13, and plays Everquest with his uncle, who lives a few states away. I encourage it, as it’s a way for them to spend time together.
I did worry for a while, considering the length of time some of the “quests” take, but really, it’s just a point of making sure he’s keeping up his other responsibilities (homework, chores, etc.), and gets some outside time.
As long as your nephew’s parents are clear with him about how much time he’s allowed to play, there shouldn’t be a problem. And, yes, they WILL have to enforce that. “Five more minutes pleeeeeeeeeeeeaaaase!!!” will turn into an hour if they let it. It really is an addictive game, I end up watching and I can see how easy it is to get hooked on.
One of my kids played EQ all summer once. At the end, he sold his character on eBay for $750. That’s a lot more money that I had made total by his age.
Shortly thereafter, he grew out of it. FF a few years. Just the other day he got his first real full time summer job doing web stuff. One thing lead to another.
Forget that it’s EQ. That has nothing to do with it. An obsession is an obsession regardless of what it is about. It can be about chess, Beany Babies, whatever.
Some people go thru phases. Especially kids during various development phases. In most kids there seems to be hardwiring for dinosaurs at a certain age. A few don’t ever “come out” the other side of such a phase. That’s when you worry.
So, relax for 6 months or so. Watch what’s going on in the rest of his life. That’s what’s important.
Maureen - you have added some calming words for my sister and I. She is going to limit his game play…she really had no idea what he was going to do when summer came. She thought he would play a lot, but not from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. So she is going to limit his time on the game, not to take away from his quests… but limit it nontheless, I spoke with him last night and I guess he and his team beat their first dragon…[no idea what that means in terms of game play] and aside from that they are all going to camp at the end of July…so hopefully they will level out and do more things outside etc…etc… thank all I appreciate it.
Limit play time. Echoed by others here, but cannot be stressed enough. Time tends to disappear when you play EQ.
EQ is a great game to talk to and play with people from all around the world. I played constantly for over a year with two guys from Denmark, a Korean, and a husband/wife team from Texas. I got to learn alot of culture and some choice Danish curse words.
Nothing to worry where game content is concerned, but many people (not necessarily your nephew) play it as a proxy for a real life. Have your sister limit game time.
EQ player here, and I agree with everyone else - make sure the kid has a balanced life, limit his game time. Make sure he gets some exercise. Other than that, it really has no worse effects to a kid beyond what watching TV all day every day would bring. Unless, of course, you’re one of those people who think that meeting people online and talking to them is a bad thing (which would make me question why you’re on this message board, so I assume you’re not one of them.)
EQ is very fun and very addicting. It’s easy to make friends in game. There’s a whole pile of EQ players on the SDMB, if you really want to make sure your nephew is OK I’m sure someone would volunteer to keep an eye out for him. But really, as long as he’s not spending 14 hours a day every day at it I doubt it’s a bad thing.
I play a MUD, which is in the realm of the same type of game as Everquest. I’ve been playing for 6 1/2 years, and yeah, it’s addictive.
Kinda killed my social interaction for a while, and made me depressed (but I’m predisposed to the later, NOT saying everyone would be). I play/ed a lot, but I don’t let my school work or college jobs suffer. I have a 3.45 gpa right now.
I’ve always thought of it as a half and half situation for me. It screwed me over in some ways, but I’ve never been happier. I enjoy what I do. And now I build, which means I construct more areas that people visit/fight at.
I grew up with the game (age 14, now I’m 21), and I learned a lot. I would just suggest making sure he gets his outside time. If his friends come over and play, he’s getting the social interaction, mostly. His parents should watch his grades during the school year a touch, and his attitude. If neither waver and he seems happy shrug. But it affects people in different ways.
There’s a reason I have this signature worded the way I do.
Other than being kinda dorky, I don’t suppose there is anything wrong with it. I tend to get addicted to certain videogames myself so I refuse to play it. At least most online strategy games end once the battle ends. Not so with EQ.
A few buddies of mine used to play it a few years ago. I mean they would play it all the time. We would be going out on Saturday night and they would make us late because they would have to finish smiting some dragon or some shit before they could get dressed. THEN they would talk about it the whole car ride. Finally I have to make them shut the hell up in line for the club since no ladies are going to get with a 28 year old guy talking about +2 broadswords and such.
I would echo what Shadez said about depression though. Even multiplayer online games tend to be isolating which can lead to depression. Online interaction does not take the place of human interaction. Not to mention you aren’t getting any exercise. It’s good that your nephew plays with friends who are physically in the room.
There’s only one thing to do with a kid like that: keep throwing fire spells at him until his health points go down to zero, then he’s outta the game. If he tries a “revive” pull out one of your Yugi-Oh magic damping cards and stop him cold. If he tries to come in as a new character, set a warding trap at all possible entrance points to the game.
Shoot, this sort of stuff is covered in all the “Parenting Strategy Guides.”
Well I should have mentioned his father is very high up in the game…past level 65 I think waiting for the next extention. That doesn’t help. He’s a high elf…or dark elf or what have you…
