Social oddities of MMOs

If you’ve played MMOs as long as I have, you’re bound to see some pretty strange behavior that really doesn’t fit in the context of the game. Most people join a MMO to have fun playing a game and hopefully to have a few other people to play with. The extent of their social interactions with their fellow players is communicating to complete shared goals and maybe have some light non-game related banter.  However, for some people, a MMO isn’t just a game, it’s a very important social networking medium that they feel should serve to fulfill any and all of their social interaction needs.

So without much ado, here’s a list of the weird social things I’ve seen in MMOs:

1. Cyber - better known as online sex chat. For some players, it’s just not enough to immerse yourself in an imaginary world. You have to have sex there too.  Though real world sex and pornography are real and viable alternatives, having play-sex with the elf maiden of your dreams is just too much for these folks to pass up.  If you have to do it, be discreet. Nothing brings more derision than accidentally typing in world chat “I moan softly, not so rough…” And definitely make sure you’re alone. You’ll never know whether or not someone is ready with their Dwarven hand cannon.

2. Online whoring - Many players play the opposite gender in MMOs. So much so that many male players automatically assume that the sexy female Paladin they’re playing with is being controlled by a 40 year-old guy named Ed. There’s plenty of reasons as to why male players play female characters and vice versa. It’s a game and in a game, you’re allowed to be anything you want, including the opposite sex.

However, some enterprising players take it a step further. It’s sad to say but true that many male players can’t resist being nice to a character known to be played by a real life female. To take advantage of this, some male players will pretend to be a female in real life while playing a female character in game. These smooth operators, known in some quarters as traps or loot whores, will cajole, entice and flirt in order to relieve lovestruck (and probably really lonely) male players out of their hard earned items. To keep their identities (and real life gender) a secret, these online whores will go through extraordinary means by creating a fake female profile (including sexy, but not too sexy pictures) and adopt female mannerism. Once exposed, these charlatans will disappear into the mists, moving the gifts of their lovestruck victims to other accounts.  Sadly, this stratagem is quite popular as a variety of online guides on how to perpetrate this scam are readily available.

3. Playing in the nude - for some players the visceral excitement of having their character in armor or other appropriately themed fantasy apparel is not enough. They want to be in the nude.  Some do it because they crave the attention and sure notoriety only online nudity can bring. Others do it, because seeing their character naked brings them real life excitement. Whatever the reason, the online world is full of flashers of every stripe and variety. So much so that providing a way to make your character naked is almost a cottage industry in of itself.

4. Online weddings - role playing is pretty common in MMOs. You’re already playing an elf, dwarf or magician. Pretending to have friendships or even relationships with your fellow players may seem as a natural next step. But for some, the common bonds of friendship are not enough. They feel they must ritualize their bonds of affection by participating in their very own online wedding, complete with ceremony, guests, wedding gifts and other party festivities.

Online weddings by themselves may not be weird, but throw in the ability of any player to assume any gender they wish and you can often have some strange marriage combinations. For example, a male and female pairing in game might be two real life male players. Or a male - male pairing in game could be two real life female players. Whatever the combination, most participants in online weddings should be prepared to check their gender identity issues at the door. The story of the online divorce upon discovering that the partner’s real life gender is all too common.

5. Looking for love - It’s quite sad really that some players assume that MMOs aren’t just a game, they’re also a singles bar.  They are convinced they will meet the love of their life online and will unhesitatingly ask “ru a rl grl?” Upon hearing an affirmative, they will relentlessly pursue the new object of their affection to learn where they live, what age they are and if they happen to have pictures posted online. Usually by that time, the female player will have rebuffed the would-be online romeo, placing them quickly into the block list they use for trolls and other obnoxious players. Undaunted, these romeos will try yet again, not varying their technique, knowing that even a blind squirrel will one day find a nut.

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