Ask WoW Insider: Are you who you play?
A hearty howdy and hello and welcome to this week's edition of Ask WoW Insider, wherein we humbly beg your forgiveness for going AWOL for a few weeks. Last time we got together we talked about who should pull in groups and instances, and this time we turn our attention to a more philosophical conundrum. Reader skoh-fley has a question about how we conceptualize character identities:
I often hear my friends talking about their characters, saying things like "my mage is 42 now", or "he just got a new cloak", when I would normally say something more like " I'm 42 now on my mage", or " I just got a new cloak".
To me, it seems weird that some people reference their characters in third person, as if they're another real person; it's like they're telling a story and their character is the protagonist. But I'm sure some people think I'm a little weird for talking about my character like I am them; maybe I'm a little too emotionally deep in the game and have been treating it the same as real life.
Is it normal to talk about your character as if they're you, or are they two separate entities? And what can be said about people who treat their character as themselves -- are we too involved in WoW, or do we simply see it more as a part of life than a game?
How do you talk about your characters to those curious "real people" out in the "real world"? How closely do you identify with your character(s)? Is it normal to grow emotionally attached to our virtual selves?
Have you got questions? The truth is out there! Send us what's on your mind and we just may choose your question to publish for Ask WoW Insider. We need your submissions at ask AT wowinsider DOT com!
