Why do -you- play Lusternia?

Makodi

generic or heartfelt answers accepted all around

Tavon

I have no idea. I just do.

Makodi

it's just /slightly/ addicting

Daraius

90% RP, 10% watching numbers go up.

Iasmos

 

Tacita

1) I spend a lot of time at my computer because I work and study from home. As such, I procrastinate using Lusternia.

2) Lusternia helped me out of a very bad place and because of that, it's always going to have a place in my life as I endeavour to give back to it and the community the support that it/people gave me.

3) I like magic and spaceships. I especially like having magic spaceships. (Longer version: I adore Lusternia's lore, orgs and all the RP in general).

4) A lot of my friends play Lusternia and they are pretty awesome.

5) I haven't got a cult yet.

Cyndarin

1) PK

3) Griefing

3) Being the Night

Maligorn

Mostly, I enjoy the extremely immersive atmosphere that this game provides. It's like being in a big ol' fantasy book that's continually being written, and where you can make yourself one of the main characters in its saga.

Vivet

Tavon said:

I have no idea. I just do.

I'm kind of here too. Since November now, I've been regularly working six (sometimes seven) days a week, 50-60 hours a week, but I still find time to pop in on mornings and evenings because... well, because.

A lot of it is just habit, but the lore and all forms of mixed up genre infusions did a lot for early establishment. Player connections new and old are probably the most potent force for maintaining interest.

Parua

Lusternia is my home.

All my life I've felt like I didn't belong anywhere, that I don't fit in, even into my own skin. My family doesn't get me, my 'friends' often forget me, and my coworkers and I just don't click on that level. When I made my first character something like 9 years ago, I had been hopping around the IRE muds, trying to find one that I felt right in. I made a little Shadowdancer, and I ran into a player named Shayle, who took 'me' under her wing and showed me the way of the world. I was blown away. I had never had an experience like that before, and I felt like I was a part of something real.

I was just a teenager, and real life called me away, but I never forgot what it was like, and when several years later, I found myself in college where, once again, I felt like an outcast, I made another character. Being a little older, I was able to join into a different aspect of the game than before, and I really got into politics and helping to further the cause of my guild. I made some friends then that continue to this day, and though my youthful stupidity caused me to lose that character due to breaking a rule I wasn't familiar with (at the time) I don't regret an instance of it.

I made a character that helped me vent my frustrations, and I've had characters that let me explore feelings that I have yet to experience in the real world. It can be tough, at times, to remember that this is -just a game- because this game is so important to me, and has been there for me during so many difficult times in my life. 

When I found myself, again, in a not-so-great spot, after losing my job and feeling myself falling deep into depression when I couldn't find one, I made another character. Lusternia gave me something to strive for, something to accomplish when everything around me was falling apart. When I feel like things are spiraling out of control, I can log in and, not avoid, but forget about the stresses that real life heaps on me, at least for a little while.

The immersive atmosphere is something I treasure incredibly. When I was sixteen, and had just discovered Lusternia, I felt like I was participating in a book, like I was playing a character in a fantasy novel, and that appealed to me so greatly. The lore is really engrossing, and the fact that I can interact with -living gods- was a huge pulling point for me. I can truly do or accomplish just about anything I set my mind to, and the only thing getting in my way is myself, not my circumstances, not a degree, or a job, or anything else. The world is truly open to me, and all I have to do is reach out and grab it.

My love for Lusternia is hard to put into words, because I -have- taken breaks before, and not just because of situations where I was forced to against my wishes. I have gotten myself embroiled into situations where I hated every option open, and I chose to quit, or I had a falling out with another player, and couldn't bear seeing their name anymore because it stirred up chaotic feelings of sadness and anger. But I keep coming back, and that's more than I can say about anything else in my life. But I can say with 100% certainty that I wouldn't be here, and I wouldn't be who I am right now, if I had never found Lusternia.

And these are just part of the reasons I play.

Kethaera

Lusternia was familiar and different enough from another IRE mud I played to be both interesting and horribly addicting. 

And I very much feel that Lusternia helped me get through a period of depression and anxiety this past year, where interacting with people in the game made me more willing to do so outside the game. Conversations I've had as a character and as a player often helped with situations in my own life, even(or especially) negative ones with players I don't particularly get along with- so I love you all, even if you don't feel the same about me.

Everiine

I play for the lore and RP, especially the lore. I love watching worlds being built and unfolding before me.

Munsia

There's other games besides Lusternia?

Arimisia

I have played since a few months after the game was initially launched. I have played several other text base and graphical games but always seem to come back to Lusternia. Right now, Lusternia is my only game. I think part of it has to do with the overall story (really wish some of it was filled in better though!), the fact that I can be successful in whatever I want to do really, and the community.

I do think some players have issues but don't we all? It not overly toxic which I have been running into in other games lately. Plus, there are a lot of cool people here I still gotta meet!

Kalnid

To tell people why the things they wrote are wrong.

Marcella

Because I'm bored.

Also, roleplaying.

Kaalak

Certain people are worth the time.

Ssaliss

My reasons for playing have shifted massively over the years... When I first started, my reason for playing was to learn combat (!). As most of you are aware, that never really got anywhere, although I suppose I'm one of the few noncoms that have transed a purely combative skill (hexes). I still haven't forgotten it permanently...

After that there was a bit of a void in my direction, so I decided to pick up herbs and sell them. And sell them I did; I transed herbs and got myself a pair of gloves out of the ordeal, along many other things. It also (indirectly) got me involved with the n'Kylbar, since Arimisia was one of the major buyers of herbs from me back then. She was far from the only one though; I sold herbs to Celestians and Magnagorans alike, and even to a couple of Serenwilders. Towards the end of that career, I had about 400 pocketbelts full of herbs. I'm not sure, but that might've been one of the reasons they were eventually removed...

Harvesting non-stop for several (as in, 8+) hours a day took its toll though. I started to dread harvesting, and even logging in, and that caused me to take a break for a couple of years. I did log in a couple of times, just to look at stuff, but for the most part I was completely gone. My only real regret is that that caused me to miss the whole "Commune vs. City wars", but aside from that, it was a much-needed break. If I hadn't taken it, I probably would've been so fed up I would've suicided Ssaliss.

After coming back, I again found myself without a purpose. So I started teaching novices... which, considering I'd been away for a couple of years, was a less-than-stellar career. So for a long time, I pretty much just went through the paces; I harvested a little bit so I had herbs for myself (I didn't sell any large amounts, if any, though) and did some bashing and influencing. Mostly influencing, needless to say. That ended one fateful day though when Golgothura (I doubt many recognise that name anymore) pretty much asked me out of the blue if I wanted to buy her shop from her almost four years ago. In the end, I bought it for 900 weed, 2000 rosehips, 190 beryl, 112 bloodstone and 185 sapphires. And I've had the same shop in Glom ever since, and expanded from there.

Back then, my goal with the shop was to get gold. Perhaps obvious to some, but my goals have changed pretty drastically since then. I now have plenty of gold (although, of course, I don't say no to more), so now I run the shop more to make sure that there are always fills available (although politics do prevent me from doing that at times, although to this date, I've never banned anyone from my shops, other than my aethershop that won't sell to Glom enemies (again, because of politics).

I still have a couple of goals for Ssaliss to achieve, but he's in a really good position. I play alts occasionally, but he's always the character I come back to, no matter what. Strange to say, but he's kindof the anchor point of my life; I know that no matter how crappy everything gets, there are always people who enjoy some of his labours. And at times, that's what gets me through the day.

Ardmore

I don't play Lusternia, it plays me.

Acrune

I don't really play that much, but when I do, its either because of the people who keep dragging me back, or because I'm horribly addicted to coding, and if work doesn't scratch the itch for a while, playing with lua code does :P

Zouviqil

It's therapeutic for me, in many ways, and that's why I can't stop playing this game!

I've met a lot of great people who have characters in all orgs, people who are genuinely nice and decent and caring. I don't have many people in my off-computer experiences like this who haven't either moved on with life or been pulled from direct interaction. But when I log in to the game, there are people waiting to greet me, if not my character as well.

Additionally, through Zouviqil, I've been allowed to experience happiness at little things, things in the real world that would make me equally as happy as my character. Things that, given my location and residence, I cannot experience off-computer for many, many reasons, amongst them salvaging what tiny ego I have left.

Of course, the lore, the leveling, the quests, they're all great, too. For me, at the end of the day it's being able to be something closer to the myself I wish I could be, through a textual skin. As long as good-hearted people play this game, I'll come back time and time again, even should my ability to express myself in the off-computer world changes.

That said, much love to the many Lusternians I've met online and in person, thank you for being friendly, nice, and considerate people.

Shaddus

This

Dramshanks

Glomdoring. The unique lore and rp I find there is just lovely.

Lavinya

I was first sucked in by the roleplay, and it's what keeps drawing me back. There are so many possibilities that are supported by the histories, lore, and very different orgs and people. I love two people in the same guild can still have unique roleplay and characters, because there is room to have different interpretations of things, for example within the nihilists, my character has been shaped by being a Viscanti serving Nifilhema and Morgfyre, side by side with a mugwump serving Baalphegar and Fain. United in city/guild, yet still very different. I love that there are ways other than being a top combatant to make your mark on the world (books, plays, orders, ministrys, etc).

I love that I can design my own unique items or buy other people's amazing designs, and know that it's all of a high quality thanks to the review system (which can be frustrating to some, but I love the high standard in all of the game writing, from histories to room descriptions to designs.

I love that I can spend the day and feel productive, even if I don't speak to anyone (if I do a lot of hunting or influencing), or even if I do nothing but converse with people.

I ultimately play for the rich, diverse roleplay, and tend to wander away when to me it feels lacking (or maybe I'm just not motivated to make it happen). Good roleplay can be found in lots of places, arguably I feel some games have much better pure roleplay, but none I find compare to the opportunities in Lusternia. It really has the best history and lore of any game I've ever played.

Shaddus

All trolling aside, I play Lusternia because of the infinite possibilities it holds. The game is much like a Choose Your Own Adventure book with millions of pages you can write yourself. At any point, I can go back to the front of the book and start over, or return to a different version of the book. It's all up to me, and I enjoy every aspect of it.

Malayn

I (used to) play for the combat.

Now I do it out of habit and family ;_;

Ciaran

I don't.

I still check back on the forums and sometimes log in though because there are lots of really cool people that play this game.

(Started playing for combat)

Zagreus

(mudsex)

I suppose I play for breaking quests horribly, exploring, killing things, lore, atmosphere, gods, history, killing things, min/maxing, killing things, having fun chatting with all sorts of people, getting my class nerfed 50+ times, meeting lovely fellow nerds from Lusternia IRL, and also for killing things.

Rialorm

Because it is a challenge. And because unlike in most MMOs it takes a long time to master each of its aspects. Even after retiring my first character, and taking a good long break, I came back because I have tons of 'unfinished business'. I wish to learn combat, get properly involved in roleplay, max out things beyond demigod and before that attain it on this character, become fully familiar with aetherspace, explore everywhere, do all the quests, and probably whatever else new challenges come up in the meantime. There is only one other MMO where I still play after years because of 'unfinished business', and to me that means a game is good. So many others MMOs are just a copy / paste effort with minor innovation, and you can predict the end before you are there which usually means quitting halfway because it feels like a waste of time. 

Kiradawea

One day. One day I'm gonna do something huge. Something that'll change the face of Lusternia forever. And then I'll have won the game.

Jaamil

I play Lusternia for the fun and the many avenues you can take with it with your character's rp and how the character relate/respond and the interactions that come with it. I personally think that Lusternia has really good potential in the enjoyment of it, but after all, its not fun if no one around you will enjoy it with you as often times, my character remains the lone wolf as he usually is. Though, simply put....I find stimulating is mixing the rp with politics and conflicting pk.