The Seven Deadly Sins of Gaming

I haven't participated in any of the recent NBI Talkback Challenge dialogues, though at least one indirectly inspired several posts earlier this month. This week's topic is more of a questionnaire than one idea, but it was an awesome idea, courtesy of Joseph Skyrim.

Lust– Do you enjoy games more if they have scantily clad and “interestingly proportioned” avatars? Do you like playing as one of these avatars? Why or why not?
I don't know if I enjoy them more, exactly. I certainly don't have the same issues with scantily clad avatars that some others do. Just the other night, I was admiring the dancer girl outfits from SWTOR. But, while I enjoy playing characters of the opposite gender—and tend to choose physical features that appeal to me—I don't necessarily dress them up (all the time) in chain-kinis. In fact, some of my favorite outfits for LoneStarBelle in TSW are rather conservative, especially for TSW. I find that skimpy costumes, while visually appealing, break immersion due to impracticality.

Gluttony– Do you have a game backlog of unfinished games but still buy new games regardless? Why or why not?
I am not a game hoarder. I have purchased a few games that ended up not being that fun for me. But I can't think of a single game that I've gotten and then never played at all. It helps that I am on Steam in name only. I think I got an account to take advantage of some promotion.

Greed– Do you enjoy hand-outs in a game? Have you ever opted to NOT do an action / in game activity because the rewards were lacking? Why or why not?
I'm not sure what is meant by hand-outs here. I do like getting commemorative stuff for various events. I did stop raiding in WoW partly because I felt that the rewards were too few and far between for the time and effort I was putting in. On the other hand, I just wrote yesterday about continuing on with SWTOR's planet quests even though we are at a level where they hardly give any reward at all.

Sloth– Do you ever leech or AFK in a party? Do you discourage others from attempting things that you feel are difficult? Have you ever seen someone that needed help, but decided not to help them? Why or why not?
I have never gone AFK for the direct purpose of leeching off teammates, but I may have discouraged or declined to do things I felt were difficult. I can't think of anything in particular right now that others were trying to get me to do that I tried to persuade them otherwise. I am fairly helpful, and have developed a few friendships as a result of randomly assisting them with a fight or two.

Wrath– Ever get angry at other players and yell (or TYPE IN CAPS) at them? Have you ever been so angry to stalk a person around in game and / or in the forums? Why or why not?
While I have rage-quit parties on a number of occasions, I don't generally type in all caps. In fact, I have my caps lock remapped to be a regular shift key. SO IF I YELL, YOU KNOW IT'S ON PURPOSE!! Nor do I stalk people, they're not worth my time.

Envy– Ever felt jealous of players who seem to be able to complete content you can’t? Do you ever suspect they are hacking or otherwise cheating? Why or why not?
I have been a little envious in the past about content I was never going to see because I was not raiding. I know there are hackers and cheaters out there, but I couldn't point to anyone I have seen lately that I suspected of cheating. On the other hand, I don't consider most exploits to be cheating. If the game design contains some "flaw" or bug the devs fail to correct, players should be within their rights to take advantage of said flaws. The devs may take action to correct the problem, including removing inventories, credit, titles, etc.; but the players should not be banned or otherwise punished for the devs' oversight. Hacks, bots, and other external cheats, on the other hand, should be bannable offenses. If only there were a way to ban such people permanently from even starting another account for that game. And I have actually met people (former coworkers) who were banned for buying illicit gold for WoW. Honestly, I didn't have much sympathy for them.

Pride– Are you one of those people that demands grouping with other “elite” players? Do you kick players out of your team who you feel are under-performing? Why or why not?
I did once vote-kick someone for being a jerk right before the last boss in the instance. But I'm the polar opposite of elitist; though that, in and of itself, is a form of pride. I have no interest in playing in an environment where the elitist jerks hold any sway. Maybe because I was one of those kids that always got picked last in pick-up sports, I don't want people to feel they don't belong. It's just a game, after all.

Whew! I guess the worst I'd say for me is Lust, at least the way these questions were phrased. Though Wrath is up there, too. I'm easily frustrated, and snappish, at times, as Scooter can attest. But this does not usually come through the keyboard.

If you're looking for something to blog about today, I suggest tackling these questions yourself. Let us get to know each other a little better.

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