IAHGames

A few years back, I lost my then-boyfriend to the realm of Vana’diel. He was too busy battling Tonberries and dashing around on Chocobos in Final Fantasy XI to notice that he had unknowingly cast Blizzardga on our relationship.

We met up less, and even those dates were governed by the laws of “I Cannot Miss the Best Time to Level” or “My Guild Is Having a Raid at 8pm”. Imagine my frustration and annoyance.

Of course a simple solution would have been to also pick up the game (he did offer to pay for it). However, I did have other limitations to consider: My computer could not stomach those demanding requirements and I did not have the money to upgrade it.

Needless to say, the final outcome was a convenient arrangement – his Mage could fully concentrate on his daily grinding routine, and I found solace in the side-scroller maps on Maplestory’s Victoria Island.

Let’s face it. It’s tough to date a hardcore gamer, much less maintain a relationship. It is especially difficult if a) Both of you do not have a shared interest in gaming, b) Play different games, or c) The game he is currently enraptured with (instead of you!) is grind-intensive.

Take for example my FFXI-chugging friend. Communication took a turn for the worse the moment that game hit shelves, and dipped even further when he upgraded his computer. My SMS and MSN messages went unheeded until the wee hours of the night (if at all), and phone calls consisted mainly of “grunts” from his end. I do believe half of those grunts were made by the monsters he was happily slaughtering while EXP-farming.

Even playing the same game together can still result in losing your boy.

I played Dragonica with another boyfriend and sometimes he had this bad habit of switching off all his chat channels whenever he was in ‘hardcore training mode’. Even private messaging in-game was not an option! I did try to ‘stalk’ him at his training map, but eventually he out-levelled me by too large a margin, and it was too painful and dangerous for my character to tread the maps leading to Lavalon. And Mission Maps were certainly not an option. RAWR. Did I mention that when I managed to find him in town, he was usually in ‘AFK Open Shop’ mode??

Of course, it would be sexist to solely accuse the males of neglect. Us females are equally guilty, especially if combined with the lust to don a new set of armour or earrings with 1337 stats – only 10 more levels to go!

In fact, a study was jointly published early this year by a Brigham Young University undergraduate and his professor, where they concluded that the more youths play video games, the worse they rate their relationships with others.

So Gamer Boyfriends and Gamer Girlfriends, if you are guilty of indulging in solitary confinement in game – beware! Imagine the negative effect it may be having on those around you and even your significant other. It is important to stay on top of the ranks in-game, but even more important are the people dearest to you.