David

"But as I've said before, I grew up surrounded by women."

That explains your perspective. I think the 'mystery' in unfamiliarity encourages foreplay. And since there's less mystery because of your familiarity, it follows that you're more interested in them as friends then as superficial sex toys.

That of course is my take on your situation. A grain of salt and a sugar cube.

It's always the "visionary" designers that produce ideas like permadeath. They wrap it in colorful packaging and make grand claims about its potentials. I mean, the idea looks great on paper. You would think it would encourage community and smart play. So it all seems believable at first. But history has shown that it simply doesn't work when implemented. It's like a plane that just won't fly, but there're still a few diehards that won't give up. They keep stubbornly launching the plane only to see it crash and burn. I fully expect that 50 years from now the same "visionary" designers will come out with the same ol same ol and we'll get to see it crash and burn all over again and again and again and again. It almost makes you tired.

Are MMORPGs addictive?

I've played a lot of games and MMORPGs. I've spent a LOT of time on my computer. I've done almost everything. I've programmed in several languages, surfed news and forum sites, made stories, created art, finished homework, played games, chatted, and on and on. It's not games I'm addicted to, it's the computer. It replaced RL. I've had social anxiety disorder since childhood. That was before I even knew about computers. When I later learned about computers, I turned to them as a source of security and protection. My computer is my escape from stress and anxiety. It's how I avoid yoU!

Here's what I got to say about this:

The less thinking is involved in games, and the more chance is involved, whether they're offline or online, the more like a casino they're.

Thinking versus Chance. (as they say, gambling isn't a strategy)

An equation like this
Chance/Thinking = Addiction Rating

The higher the addiction rating, the more hooked you'll be. This isn't so much about the reward you get, it's more about the chance involved and how much you're involved in acquiring that reward. The more a company gets between you and your reward to control the process the less likely you'll be involved.

The reason I explain it that way is I think games that make you think are different than games that're as simplistic as slot machines. Slot machines are either for the extremely mentally challenged or they're something entirely different. If we added real life knowledge to a game that has a lot of thinking involved then I think that there would be a lot less confusion and opposition to it.

There're many studies that link game playing with systems thinking. I can't recall exactly which study, but one of them was very optimistic about how games can be a good thing. I think games used in education can be very effective. If a game teaches you knowledge and makes you think in ways that will benefit you in real life, don't you think that would impact this whole discussion?

Thanks. Remember to be fair to both sides of these arguments.

Getting the papers together just called my attorney I'm preparing to sue Budweiser for 20 years of alcoholism. I think I got a pretty good case.