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Online
relationships - whether platonic or romantic - are sometimes
slightly troubling even to those of us who have played an MMORPG
like EverQuest.
In fact, that concept bothers me for some
reason. Especially if you go and get Married online. I mean,
yeah, I can understand you "liking" to adventure
with someone a lot ... but to the point of "marrying"
them? In an online ceremony? Come on... isn't real life
complicated enough? [m, 28]
To outsiders, and particularly those who are
unfamiliar with internet chat rooms, the concept is almost
frightening. How can a player develop a good friendship or
fall in love with someone in a make-believe world? How can
a player feel like they know, or trust, someone whom they
have never even met face to face? For the most part, the following
is not an essay that tries to justify or criticize the quality
of relationships formed online; instead, it is an exploration
of several mechanisms inherent in MMORPGs that facilitate
the formation of these relationships.
Survey data collected from players of
EverQuest (EQ), Dark Age of Camelot (DAOC), and Ultima Online
(UO) consistently show that online relationships of both a
platonic or romantic nature are fairly prevalent in MMORPGs.
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Players also indicate that these relationships
are fairly substantial and meaningful.
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