Hello. Some of you may know me, my name is FireHeart/Drew and my characters in game are Physical, Firee, Firepaw, Walrus. I have been thinking lately that I think it's time for me to move on from MapleRoyals. It's quite a hard decision for me to make after playing Royals for nearly 3 years, and playing GMS since 2006 when I was 9 years old. I realize that the reason I love Maplestory so much is that it feels like an easier, happier version of real life. Whoever you want to be or whatever you want to do, you can in some way emulate that life in Maplestory. In Maple you can craft an entire identify for yourself, express yourself, reach accomplishments, make friends or even lovers. I think it's sad that MapleRoyals is sort of better than real life. But, perhaps the real sad thing is that I have this viewpoint. Real life can be great too, for some. It just sort of... feels too scary and too sad for me. Everything can just go so terribly wrong at a moment's notice if you had bad luck, so it's hard to live a brave and happy life. I feel like modern society is just a giant competition to compete in the capitalist machine and people lose sight of what the human experience is all about. I'm not sure what I value anymore and how I want to live my life. Lately I've been struggling in real life to find real meaning in my work or even my family and friends. I'm friendly enough to have lots of friends and acquaintances. There's just that this nagging forlorn feeling like I don't really belong and an inner doubt like I never measure up. This is something I'm trying to work on I guess, but it's something that's bothered me for a long time. TLDR: I'm just wondering, does anyone else who has been really into MapleRoyals before have thoughts like these? I find living a real and virtual life can be quite... confusing at times. Where do you really find meaning? Sorry if this post is a bit mopey btw, I've just had a lot on my mind and wondering if anyone could offer some advice. I hope everyone has a good day lol
I understand what you’re going through ! Ever since I graduated uni and started working there were no longer “grades” or tangible accomplishments that really gave me satisfaction or a sense of direction in my life. Working in finance is a never ending rat race and I busted my ass for the past 4 years and finally burnt out and came back to this game. I think for me (currently) I am convinced that my accomplishments in game and the friends that I make are valuable for my “real life” well-being. Playing royals is something that I look forward to while fixing shitty spreadsheets and the game gives me the reward my brain needs. Sure I’m going out less with my real life friends but the people I meet and talk to on this server are just as real! Life is hard and it will never feel like maplestory lol...(B>leech long hrs). The important thing is that you ask the right questions and I think you're already on the right track. Feel free to reach out if you need to talk and I hope you find what you want!
Hey man, I've been through the same thing. So I've changed my schedule a bit. It used to look like Maple 16 hours > Priorities. Then I decided it was time for change. I treat Maplestory like a reward now. I make a list of things I value and prioritize. I do those things first no matter what. And when the day nearly ends (9 or 10PM) that's when I reward myself by playing Maple for an hour or two. Weekend maybe 3 to 4 hours. This way it makes Maplestory more fun and fulfilling opposing to placing Maple before what matters.
I feel you Drew, I felt the same way until I made a joke and got perm banned. You were the only person who cared and I didn't know you were Drew, you used to greet me all the time 2 years ago. You can always play the game and focus on your life as well. I'll continue to request ban appeals though I don't expect anything to happen out of it considering how harsh and condescending certain administration can be. I was running a guild up until recently and met a lot of new people because of it. I played a korean shooter for 13 years and it's community is a thousandth of what it was, despite that I frequented and stayed. The community at that point was small but you all come from the same place and that's what makes it worth your time. You can limit your time on the ordinateur for a few hours less a week, spend that time outside and continue to play. Good luck.
I basically played EMS up until 2015, and then thought I was officially done with MapleStory. Fast forward 2 years, some guy tells me about MapleRoyals, so I decided to give it a shot, since Pre-BigBang MS is best MS. When I was making my first character "Mooshy" I suddenly remembered how in modern day GMS, you can't really have an Islander anymore, which led to me becoming one here. Nevertheless, real life does come first, so whatever you decided to do, I hope you enjoy it.
Maple isn't just a hobby, it has become a routine, a way of life. Some might even call it a drug. The moment you login, you can't get enough. The moment you logout, the withdrawals kick in and soon enough you find yourself logging back in. A few years later your eye sight begins to decrease, and you notice it, but you keep playing regardless of that loss. On one hand that's dedication, which is a good trait, on the other hand that's a fucking retarded thing to be dedicated to. I'm pretty sure we are all well aware that ultimately there is no gain in Mapling or gaming in general other than the mental pleasure it gives us, but like I mentioned before, for some it has become more than a mere hobby. The moment you put too much effort into a hobby it is no longer a hobby, it's a way of life. The problem nowadays is that there's too many distractions. Like everything else, technology also has its negative and positive traits, these distractions being one of the negatives. Gaming, Instagram, what have you. Think back a hundred years, or even fifty. People didn't have all of this shit we have now, so they could focus on what they knew, what they wanted to do, what will give them what they thought is a good life for them. 100% of their effort went towards their work and family. Now? 50% to social media, 20% to work, 20% to friends, 10% to family. And that's a rough estimation of the average human being. Yeah, some people make money off of these distractions, but that's like 1%, or even less, and we're the suckers that are making them rich. I still believe one day I'll have the courage to punch my monitor and burn it to ashes.
