You Say "Obsessed" Like It's a Bad Thing (Part Two: RPGs)

Before continuing with this obsession blog series (that is going to end with this part, because I realized after the fact that it's a really stupid idea), I'd like to apologize.  First, because the first part of this was long and boring.  Second, because I haven't written a socially awkward blog post in over a week!  I have excuses and explanations for this, but really, no one cares.  I think that might actually be my next SAA blog: No one cares.  I don't promise it will be the most hilarious thing ever, but it stands a good chance of being funnier than the food obsession blog, and it's guaranteed to be funnier than personally getting hit by a bus. 

Right.

So.

I'm not usually allowed to play computer games.

I'm 31 years old, so it's not like I have to have parental permission to play computer games.  My roommate owns the computer on which I am typing, and I'm sure she wouldn't appreciate me using it to play computer games, but she doesn't have any specific rules. 

The person who doesn't allow me to play computer games (usually) is ME. 

The reason I'm not allowed to play computer games is because I'm the sort of person who forgets to eat, forgets to sleep, forgets to live in the REAL world while she's playing computer games.  Now, we're not talking solitaire.  I can play a 2 minute game of cards without getting caught up in the wild, wild card flippin' action.  In fact, solitaire and repetitive games like that are sometimes good for me because they give my eyes and hands something easy to do while my brain is busy inventing stories and working out plot details--or else just working out details of my crazy crazy life. 

If the game has a plot.  If the game has a story line.  If the game has an objective that requires pretending I'm another person in a new set of circumstances, forgedduhboudit.  I'm a goner.  I can't play these games without getting absolutely addicted.

I know this because I spent probably a couple years of my life playing different role playing games (RPGs) on the computer.  I didn't get into the card games such as Dungeons and Dragons, but man oh man, I was into some of the similar type computer games.  I was all about fake questing it as a Ranger or an Enchanter, traveling with a "party" of fake people through mystical realms, fighting creatures and learning new mad skills.  Friends?  Social life?  Adequate sleep?  Who needed such things!?  I just gained 302 experience points by killing a giant spider!  Woo Hoo!  Dream big!

I even got way into those text based adventure games.  Remember those?  Zork?  The Colossal Cave?  No graphix?  No problem!  "--Hit troll."  "-What do you want to hit the troll with?"  "--Hit troll with sword."  "-You hit the troll with the Splendid Sword.  The Troll eats you.  You have died."  Oh, I love those things.  They're so 80's-riffic, but it turns out that people still write them.  They still have a following.  In fact, I want to write one, but since I'm not allowed to play them anymore, that dream will probably never come true.  But I'm getting ahead of myself...

Yeah.  Eventually I realized how pathetic I had become in my RPG addiction obsession problem fascination.  And I realized that I had to do something drastic or I'd end up living in my parents' house forever so I could not work and still support my gaming habit.  Okay, so I believe my parents actually love me more than that--if I hadn't kicked the habit myself, they would have kicked it for me--by kicking my butt out the front door and making me get a job.  Instead, I kicked myself out by going back to school.  Because I wanted an education that didn't involve beating up zombies.

Only, I have a small confession.  Sometimes I play this game called Plants VS. Zombies.  And sometimes I still beat up zombies.  It's not an RPG, so I can play a level and stop (ANYTIME I WANT, I TELL YOU!).  I can resume my real life, which is mostly zombie free.

It's just that sometimes, when life turns into a monotonous series of actions, I find myself reminiscing those RPG days.  I go to work and stop a kid from crying.  38 experience points.  I swat the elusive fly that's been buzzing around the kitchen for three days.  107 experience points.  I manage to find an hour to write in the middle of a day that's packed with 2-3 jobs.  203 experience points.  I go grocery shopping.  432 experience points.  I successfully pick up/drop off all three kids to whatever soccer practice or after school activity they have without going absolutely bonkers.  3,598 experience points.

I'm well on my way to gaining a new level and getting some more attribute points to spend!  Hmm...I think I could use a little more wisdom.