Super Energy Pots: The Price We Pay
Posted by Lime Mercury on 24-Jun-2007 at 13:00
Comments | Lime Mercury's bio | Print 
Author's notes: Hi, this is Lime Mercury, a very old and semi-dignified player of Runescape, who is well versed in everything from peaches to penguin lore. This is my first article, with many more hopefully to come, and I'm glad you have all decided to tune in and have a look-see.
--
I will occasionally catch a news release about someone dying doing something they felt was important to them. Sometimes it's a young football player passing out in practice and never coming to again, other times it's a young Korean boy who perishes after a marathon gaming session. I try to look at these things in a different light than most, and it got me to wonder- what are the ways in which we push ourselves, and how does it affect RuneScape?
Let me take you back a couple of years to when I played RS Classic and had a pure by the name of Arctic Zero. I founded a pure clan named clan Arctic, and I had imposed an order- get to 50 strength by a certain date. And my subjects obeyed. All except for one- me. I was the sole clanmember who hadn't completed the goal the night before I had expected it. After my college studies were complete for the night, I set off to the cows behind the crafting guild and played. And I did not stop, I did not log out. I played, and I 3 hit, 2 hit, and 1 hit them with my shiny blue rune 2 hander, and finally got to 50 strength about 5:30 AM the day I set. My eyes were bleary and bloodshot, my stomach and head ached, but I was finished. I completed the goal I had set out to do, and for that I was elated.
And so, that was my very first RuneScape all nighter. It wasn't my last, though. After a while, I found I liked the taste of a can of Red Bull mixed with a 20 oz bottle of Sprite. That concoction would push my bedtime back an hour or two more a day. Cultivating RS relationships (though there will be more articles about that) also played a part in why I wanted to push myself harder, to sleep less and to do more.
Now that I've returned to RuneScape after a yearlong hiatus, I feel that old familiar feeling, that draw, to do more, to complete and accomplish more, to make more money, to level higher, because I can.
So where am I going with this? I knew a player very well who routinely used methamphetamines in combination with autoing programs to get himself to 85 mining and 90 fishing. He was a very driven individual, and Runescape came before all else in his life. I am not one to judge him for this, as we all have drives and desires and his happened to be different from mine. But the point is that we have ways in which we measure ourselves. Some by how much weight they can lift while lying on a bench, some by how much trivial knowledge they know about sports, some about how fast they can run, and by many other categories which must seem mundane to us, inhabitants of a massive interactive world.
And in that world, what we do and how we do it is the sole determinant in who we are. By that token, we measure who we are in that larger, physical world by what we are capable of becoming in the virtual one. The challenges we overcome, the relationships we form, and the lengths we will go to in trying to get what we want. The pursuit is not simple and the path does not end when you quit and log out for the night. There is much more to RuneScape than the surface. It is a game created by humans and that humanity is reflected in the players.
In a world where the challenges that we face are no longer physical in nature, but mostly mental and emotional, I think it's important that we adapt our view to recognize that our views on what constitutes hard work and perseverance must change with our own culture.
Comments
Sk8rdude60 posted on 25-Jun-2007 01:16
Very nice editorial, and I like the title.
But I know how sometimes people can put RuneScape first before all, I sometimes do. Not only because there's nothing else to do in the Country, but because it's what I want to do.
Skatedog111 posted on 25-Jun-2007 08:22
To me, everyone puts RuneScape before real life, by something little or largely. Anyways, good editorial. Really made myself remember my first all nighter on RuneScape. I've probably had around 50 or more since then. 'sleep less, and to do more'. I'm always having that in the back of my head. It stops me from sleeping until I've been awake for 25 hours. Runescape isn't the thing that has taken over my computer life. Its the forums, and other forums of rs, the fansites, the clans, watching series of shows on the internet, helping people when they ask for it on those forums. Thats what has made me 'sleep less, and to do more'.
Duke Freedom posted on 25-Jun-2007 08:52
The thought alone of skipping a good night sleep for playing RuneScape. *shudders his head*
I mean, sure I've played RuneScape extremely active during quite a long period. Probably up to 12 hours a day then, but I never did an all nighter playing RuneScape.
Sk8rdude60 posted on 25-Jun-2007 12:47
I think my first all nighter was when friends wanted me to stay for pking, since they're all in different time zones. :$
Mario sunny posted on 25-Jun-2007 21:40
I admit, back when I was very active in RuneScape(shall I call it the "wild years?"
, I sometimes did all nighters. My theory of leveling skills was to set a goal, complete it, and set a new one. Say I'd go for 80 fishing, when I'd complete that I just went on to perhaps, 80 fletching. Back then I was really set on my goals- so set in fact I set a certain date to complete them- just to make myself work harder. Sometimes the time period would be really short- and I would literally stay up till 4 in the morning, sipping mountain dew, slapping myself in the face occasionally.
Eventually though, I learned this was pretty bad for my health. I was staying up till 4 and waking up at 10, therefore only receiving 6 hours of sleep. I was yawning every minute- and soon decided to slow down a little.
And yes I have slowed down tremendously. I still do it sometimes, and only once in a row, but only when I'm really set on a goal. During my trip to 85 agility I stayed up til 2 one night, just because I was detirmed to finish the goal.
The thought of using autoers though, makes me just sick. I wouldn't dare risk my two and a half year character by cheating- even if I made a new account they would still track my main down and ban him. I am curious to know why you're friend used autoers, when clearly he knew the risk of it. If your friend were going for such high level goals I'm sure starting out he was a pretty high level character. Sometimes I wonder why people do that- risk their character which they have possibly worked on years just to cheat their way through a couple of levels.
Well that's my say. By the way, nice title.
who plays posted on 26-Jun-2007 08:55
As said before me, it was good. But (also as said before me) I wonder why your friend autoed. The reason most people play and level skills is the sence of achievement. Where is the achievement if you auto? Sure, you'd get respected for your levels, but no respect is always better then respect you didn't earn.
Lime Mercury posted on 26-Jun-2007 17:42
That's an interesting remark- but this was also in RS Classic, where a rune miner was worth much much much more than it is now.
I think he did it to eliminate the grinding that he'd have to do even further down the road.
The character is now banned, in case you were wondering.
Esper Jones posted on 01-Jul-2007 19:16
I've done all nighters quite often in the past 6 months. Bet you didn't expect that of me, did you? I never did try to justify it, but sometimes those few extra hours of playing when EVERYONE is asleep is the most peaceful you could get in my house.
That, and I usually passed out during the whole day after.