Amen. Thank you for writing this. Resonates strongly with me.

This is the reason why I have avoided playing WoW for longer than a free trial period. I had burnt out from a highly gear-focused MUD after observing my behavior after four years was all about making myself look good to other people - parading excellent game skill/knowledge, decking self out in 'the best' equipment, and collecting, no, amassing, -hoarding- virtual wealth on mule characters. My self-esteem became wrapped up in making sure I looked better than everyone else, and I couldn't forgive myself if I failed or slipped up doing this. "Prestige." Greed.

I bounced back the other way strongly by going to no-loot CoX.

Need/greed/pass systems blew my mind when I encountered it in LOTRO and I had to spend a while reading up what it all meant.

Bit more maudlin now. I'm accepting of the fact that most people seem to enjoy loot progression. I'm ok with a game that incorporates it, but I'd prefer a game that doesn't make it the be-all and end-all focus.

More importantly, I'm making sure I don't fall into that trap again. I very rarely roll need unless I know I'm going to use something that very instant. I'm just as likely to pass as greed. And I just shrug if someone else keeps wanting stuff. I don't want to get upset over it anymore. So that fellow has a few more bytes that has a few more numbers on it. It makes him happy. For now.

Chances are, there will come a time when he has everything in the whole virtual world, but no real friends at all, and he will find it is horribly lonely at the top. I know. I was there once. Greed.

You can't take stuff with you when you go. All you have at the end are memories of real people and the good times you had.

If others don't realize this, that's ok too. It's their lives to live how they like.