Demonstrating Learning Behavior

Three MMO mistakes I’ll never make again
“I do not need to level tonight.”
For “level,” also insert “get the pretty new item,” “finish this mission,” or do ANYTHING when the whole point of staying on is just to accomplish some virtual goal. If I stay on too late some night because I’m having a great time (either just doing a good storyline, or playing with friends, or even soaking up some testosterone in a PvP battleground), that’s one thing — that’s fun — that’s adding a smile to the ledger of your life. If I’m blearily trying to pound out that last 150 hellboars I need to get the XP to level up? Log out — the boars will be there TOMORROW.
“I do not need to help people run things.”
I don’t need to be a class leader. I don’t need to be a guild leader. I especially don’t need (or want) to spend any online PLAY time having meetings, discussing some kind of inter-player drama, or conducting interviews with new members. I can do it — and I’m for damn sure GOOD at it — but I will eventually resent it, and that will cause me to burn out, with fiery, painful consequences.
“I do not need to play a healer.”
This one is somewhat tongue in cheek — what I need to do in any game is make up (a) a ranged damage dealer and (b) a tank. Judging from both CoH and WoW, I’ll make them (and level them up) in that order. That is what I enjoy. Anything beyond that… will probably have to wait until I’m done with those two.
Bonus: “People are only rarely as reliable when you are an online friend as they are when you are a face-to-face friend.”
That’s just the simple truth. Note that I did not say “virtual” versus “real life” friends: inasmuch as the time I spend online is REAL time, and I am talking to REAL people in other parts of the world, and spending time doing activities and having REAL fun — the people I know online are just as “real life” as anyone.
But they aren’t a face to face friend to me, and I am not a face to face friend to them, and no matter how good a person you are, that makes a huge difference. Raise your hand if you have NOT been burned by assuming otherwise in the past.