Musings on MMORPG's: Why is it that people spend so much time in what is, essentially, a useless pursuit? I realize that there are those who make substantial monetary earnings from gaming, but for the vast majority online games are only for entertainment. But why do we spend so much time and effort and, indeed, money to built up fictional skills instead of using that time to learn skills in the real world? Why would I (who have more than a passing interest in archery) rather sit in front of a computer for hours at a time, upping my archery skills on a character rather than go outside, and do it for real? How is it that I can have a character with vast amounts of income, when I can barely afford to put gas into my car? (Yes, I know. It's because I spend all my time on the computer instead of looking for a job. That's beside the point.)

I think at least part of the reason is that things are so much easier in the game compared to real life. Things are laid out for you plainly. Go here, kill this, you'll get X amount of money for it and Y amount of experience. Add up Z number of experience, and you advance to the next level. In real life things are much more nebulous. I have no way of knowing if my archery is really improving that much. I have nothing to double-check it against, no comparison.

Real life could work like the game in some respects. Go here, do this, you'll get paid for it, and work/skill experience. The process is much more complicated in the real world, perhaps needlessly so. I could, for instance, take my bow and some arrows, and go hunt things until I was an expert shot. But that would be illegal, and for good reason. My next option would be to go to a shooting range and perfect my skill that way, but I'd have to pay for that. On a limited budget it too often seems like a frivolous expense. My only cheap, legal option would be to set up a range in my backyard, but for many even that isn't really viable. So instead they live, as I do, vicariously in a world uncluttered by population, unfettered by laws, and with animals and evil-doers to slay; but who never really die. If we had to live in this world all the time I don't think we'd like it very much.

I'm not really looking for comments, though theories on why people spend so much time in this vicarious lifestyle would be interesting to hear.