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Life Imagined As One Big RPG

Posted by timothy on from the congratulations-you're-employed dept.

Scoop Snookems writes "Will there be a day where we earn achievement points simply by brushing our teeth or high-fiving a friend? There could be, according to Carnegie Mellon professor Jesse Schell. In this video from the annual DICE summit, Schell comments on recent evolutions in gaming before fixating on a concept where our futures evolve into one big RPG. Fascinating stuff, and I hope writing this post nets me 10 points."

136 of 176 comments (clear)

  1. Life like a video game by Ethanol-fueled · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Ho hum. A non-article. Video games are close enough to reality*. Police Quest vs. being a real policeman, for example, where 80% of both is banal tedium like "show your badge" and "knock on door" and "fill paperwork". Or like working life vs. WoW - spend 90% of life performing mindless, repetitive acts to hoard enough money to buy stuff and have a little fun every now and then. Or Nightshade, possibly the first game to feature a "popularity meter" (karma?):

    Higher popularity meant greater recognition by everyday denizens of Metro City and allowed Nightshade access to more areas.

    And, of course it should work both ways. Eventually people cease to receive points for wiping their ass or washing their balls and begin to lose points for not doing either.

    * With the exception of extra lives and respawning, of course.

    1. Re:Life like a video game by jhoegl · · Score: 2, Funny

      Less crying, more ball wiping.

    2. Re:Life like a video game by Austerity+Empowers · · Score: 1

      I have begun to deduct points for everyone who leaves the restroom without washing their hands.

    3. Re:Life like a video game by Rei · · Score: 1

      I don't know... it'd kind of suck if life got too close to being like a video game. ;)

      --
      sed "s/SJW.*$/... never mind. I was about to say something stupid, and also, I'm a troglodyte./Ig"
    4. Re:Life like a video game by Chris+Burke · · Score: 1

      Life is already like an RPG to me... or rather, an Adventure/RPG hybrid. The main difference being that instead of the emphasis being on leveling up, a lot more is placed on collecting useful items that serve unique functions.

      For example I recently acquired the Spyglass item when I found a monocular small and rugged enough to keep in my cargo pants. This goes along with my Lantern (actually two items... LED flashlight for light and propane lighter for lighting things on fire).

      Whenever I buy something like that, I can't help but mentally hum the Zelda "dah dah dah-dah!" power up theme.

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
    5. Re:Life like a video game by tnk1 · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I think the big draw for people who want more and more realistic games and RPGs in particular is actually to get a few things that I think everyone has wanted at one point or another in their real lives:

      * Knowing the rules by which you can succeed (quests, boss kills, catalogue of increasingly better equipment)
      * Getting data on your level of success in relation to others and against your own personal goals. (stats, levels, reputation meters)
      * A sense of having achieved something measurable, even if it is to simply get a new piece of gear that exists only on a hard drive.

      The more realistic the game is, the more that they can pretend that there is some relevance to real life in that game. The secret hope being that some day, there will be a simulator that allows you to get a score for how you would do in real life or at least some skills that cross over.

      You *could* get points for doing various things in real life, and I think in some ways it is not a laughable concept. People want data, they want to know that what they are doing is benefiting them in some way. They don't always know that, and that is a substantial barrier to happiness. Things would be so much easier if I had a reputation meter for various people, particularly of the opposite sex, and also knew what to grind to improve that reputation without the complexities of trying to balance earning cash while having a social life. You might say life might get a lot more boring if you always knew the rules, but it's quite clear that millions of people prefer a grind to the "excitement" of being surprised.

    6. Re:Life like a video game by pinkj · · Score: 1

      19d20 - !!Critical Post!! (Funny)

    7. Re:Life like a video game by stfvon007 · · Score: 1

      * With the exception of extra lives and respawning, of course.

      What about those who believe in reincarnation?

      And if I respawn as a cow do I still get to keep my XP?

      --
      All misspellings and grammatical errors in the above post are intentional and part of my artistic expression.
    8. Re:Life like a video game by Hoi+Polloi · · Score: 1

      I actually caught myself thinking like I was in a game once. I was going hiking recently and thought, "Hey, if I climb that peak I'll be one away from satisfying the 'Climb the Highest Peaks' achievement." I was creeped out and amused at the same time.

      --
      It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
    9. Re:Life like a video game by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      i dont know what rules you play by, but my last boss kill has me on probation until i'm 60
      i did get a huge cheer from my coworkers when i posted the "first kill" pictures tho

    10. Re:Life like a video game by tibman · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I do something similar to this but in periods of acquire and slim down. I don't hoard or have too many redundant items (like people who have eight different shotguns or whatever) but what i have is usually very nice. Camping pack is nice and probably done.. lots of titanium and everything is water-proofed (including zippers).. the best part is that it's so light. I still have a backup bag fully packed too, my old army ruck. Tritium Compass (radioactive self-illumination).

      My latest projects have been in mobile tech that doesn't require any infrastructure. I've been working on a solar-rechargable commo-device called the "z-day coordinator" that builds a peer-to-peer network with no required central base. The idea being that during disaster or infrastructure break down, a hand-held communication network can still operate over long distances. You can also add auxilliary wireless devices like motion-sensors (or whatever you can dream up) that join the network under your control. Allowing a small group of people to quickly deploy an electronic sensor network to detect motion, fires, gases, whatever. These devices can be very small since no interface is needed, just sensor, battery, transmitter (with MCU to talk with network). I hope to get a kit together to sell someday... /me tilts his head to the side and daydreams for a while.

      --
      http://soylentnews.org/~tibman
    11. Re:Life like a video game by Nadaka · · Score: 5, Funny

      ... Things would be so much easier if I had a reputation meter for various people, particularly of the opposite sex, and also knew what to grind to improve that reputation...

      Its called a clitoris.

    12. Re:Life like a video game by ubersoldat2k7 · · Score: 1

      Too much Fallout for me. One day I had the urge to grab one of my wife's hair clip that was in my night stand.

    13. Re:Life like a video game by Yamata+no+Orochi · · Score: 1

      Zing!

    14. Re:Life like a video game by psithurism · · Score: 1

      And if I respawn as a cow do I still get to keep my XP?

      Yes! You will still be a level 30 IT student, but it probably won't help as you pursue levels in "Cud Chewer."

    15. Re:Life like a video game by Sparton · · Score: 1

      You *could* get points for doing various things in real life, and I think in some ways it is not a laughable concept.

      Speaking of real-life application, the new Pokemon HeartGold and Soulsilver has a pedometer that, when you tie a Pokemon to it and walk around, it gains experience and more happiness towards you (as... well, you're walking around with it in a way), including other benefits. Perhaps the future is now?..

    16. Re:Life like a video game by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      Heck, most working people have wanted to be able to pull off a boss kill from time to time.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    17. Re:Life like a video game by CapOblivious2010 · · Score: 1

      Reality is just like a video game - except you only get one "life" (and no save/restore!)

    18. Re:Life like a video game by Hurricane78 · · Score: 1

      * With the exception of extra lives and respawning, of course.

      Why? You can certainly still gain the Hindu achievement! :)

      --
      Any sufficiently advanced intelligence is indistinguishable from stupidity.
    19. Re:Life like a video game by RobDude · · Score: 4, Insightful

      I'm not sure I agree. I mean, maybe a little. Mostly, I think the rules are pretty clear. They only seem confusing because the things required aren't easily obtainable (if they are obtainable at all).

      I think the real reason for the popularity of MMORPGs and why they consume some people's entire lives, really come down to two things.

      1.) In a video game everyone is equal
      In WoW, if you are a paladin, you are have the same abilities as other paladins If you want to be a priest - you can be a priest. Whatever image of yourself you want; you can be, and you can be it as good as anyone else.

      In real life, that's not true. If you are 5'2" and want to play in the NBA - that's too bad. We aren't all equal. You can't decide to roll a character with the base stats that support what you want to do. You can't reroll to get more +INT to be a famous scientist. You are, you. And you can work to improve yourself, but you're very limited and what is worse - other people aren't.

      Most of us are just 'average' at most things. We don't like to think that, but it's true. If you have an average aptitude and work really hard, you might be 'really good'...but you won't be great. Most of us won't be great at anything. Do you think the popular guy who banged the hottest girls in high school was more deserving than the unpopular, ugly nerd? Or did he just happen to be more with symmetrical features that made him popular with the ladies?

      In life, you are stuck with your base levels and other people are blessed with higher base levels and can outperform you with minimal effort. In WoW, you roll whatever you want and know you are equal.

      2.) Effort
      In games there really isn't much effort at all. The trend has been to remove skill from the game play and replace it with 'time'. If you spend a lot of time playing, your character becomes better. The time spent isn't particularly hard. It's lazy. You click a mouse, hit a button. That's not tough.

      You can just sit back, spend a lot of time not doing much, and be rewarded! Your character grows and improves and you get cool stuff and respect from other players and you rock.

      In real life, things are *hard*. Like, really hard. A lot harder than people think they should be. In Wow, you hit '2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1, 2, 2, 1' for a few hours and your Warrior levels up and now he's stronger and has more hit points. But to increase *your strength* you have to get up and go to the gym and train properly. And then, the rewards are an order of magnitude less.

      The difference between what a world-class power lifter can lift is 2-3x what an average high school lifter can lift. Countless hours and imaginable effort to obtain, let's just say a 5x gain in strength doesn't compare at all to the difference between a level 1 warrior and a level 80 warrior. The level 80 is easily 1000x stronger in terms of what it can do.

      Even nerdy stuff - like the rubiks cube. I had one in high school, learned the solution included and could solve it in under 120 seconds. The world's best solvers who train for hours and hours each week can consistently solve it in under 20 seconds. Years of work and dedication to get six times better than a loser high school kid.

      In terms of effort, the fictional rewards of a video game far, far out weigh the rewards of real life. And even in my examples; the fastest rubiks solvers and the best power lifters - not only did they work, they also had a higher aptitude than most. Something they can't change or control.

      We all joke that the hardcore WoW players are losers; but the more of a loser you are, the more appealing WoW becomes. The popular guy in high school - he's going to go to a party and mess around with a cheerleader....WoW seems lame. But to the below average looking kid with few friends - well, life isn't offering him much. He can work really, really hard for below average results in whatever he chooses - or he can go to WoW where he is on a level playing field with others and where he can see serious improvements, magnitudes better than real life offers.

      It's and easy sell.

    20. Re:Life like a video game by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 1

      You get multiple lives

      But, yeah, the no save/restore kind of sucks.

    21. Re:Life like a video game by poopdeville · · Score: 1

      Doesn't matter the rules, or how long it took me to grind that money from collecting flowers or whatever - end result is I have more money.

      Only a child would think working a hundred hours for a dollar is "better" than working an hour for half a dollar.

      --
      After all, I am strangely colored.
  2. and 100 points for by Gr8Apes · · Score: 2, Funny

    So what's a relevant first post get me? 100 points?

    --
    The cesspool just got a check and balance.
    1. Re:and 100 points for by andrewd18 · · Score: 2, Funny

      Achievement Unlocked: Fail.

    2. Re:and 100 points for by Darinbob · · Score: 1

      -10DKP for you!

  3. troll by JWSmythe · · Score: 3, Funny

    -5 Karma Trolling.

        Sorry dude, but those are life points. Go help a little old lady across the street, or save a stuck kitten in a tree. :)

    --
    Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
    1. Re:troll by rgviza · · Score: 1

      To get to level 2 you need to help 40 old ladies across the street. n00b...

      --
      Don't kid yourself. It's the size of the regexp AND how you use it that counts.
    2. Re:troll by Wandering+Wombat · · Score: 1

      Do I get points for sticking the kittens IN trees, since I am helping other people to gain karma?

      --
      I like to place meaningful quotes in my sig, so people will know that I know what meaningful quotes are.
    3. Re:troll by JWSmythe · · Score: 1

          I guess that would all depend on the state of the kitten.

          Live kittens are probably worth positive points.

          Dead kittens propped up in branches, or nailed to the tree, ummm, probably not positive points. :)

          Kitten in a noose? OOohh, definitely not positive points.

      --
      Serious? Seriousness is well above my pay grade.
  4. Actually used as a therapy tool by Gothmolly · · Score: 4, Interesting

    I've read articles where kids with behavioral disorders, social anxiety, general nerdiness, etc were encouraged to use this as a means of driving more appropriate/better behaviors. Like if a shy kid talked to a classmate, he gave himself 10 points, etc. Then they worked with the therapist to track the whole thing - basically making life your RPG.

    --
    I want to delete my account but Slashdot doesn't allow it.
    1. Re:Actually used as a therapy tool by LS · · Score: 2, Interesting

      A friend of mine was accused by his father of general nerdiness, and threw him on the street every day to hang out with the local thugs. He's still a nerd at heart, but he can handle himself in a fight and bench 300 lbs now, though he still obsesses over the latest linux distros. Probably worked out better than any RPG therapy could, but he's quite a riven guy.

      --
      There is a fine line between being a cultivated citizen and being someone else's crop. - A. J. Patrick Liszkie
    2. Re:Actually used as a therapy tool by girlintraining · · Score: 2, Insightful

      I've read articles where kids with behavioral disorders, social anxiety, general nerdiness, etc were encouraged to use this as a means of driving more appropriate/better behaviors. Like if a shy kid talked to a classmate, he gave himself 10 points, etc. Then they worked with the therapist to track the whole thing - basically making life your RPG.

      Agree. They do that for people with autism-spectrum disorders too. There's entire classes of neurological and psychological disorders that regular computer interaction can treat. If playing video games improves a person's quality of life, there's no reason to degrade it. Everybody has their own coping strategies that are unique to them and if it works then that is what is important, not some moralistic concept of "better" behaviors like going outside or excercising. In medicine, you choose the treatment with the highest efficacy and lowest risk of side-effects (do no harm). People are going to bitch about video games being used as crutches or substitutes for more socially acceptable behavior. Those people should be ignored.

      --
      #fuckbeta #iamslashdot #dicemustdie
    3. Re:Actually used as a therapy tool by DigiShaman · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I can't wait till someone start shooting up people and numbers (HP) start floating above their head.

      --
      Life is not for the lazy.
    4. Re:Actually used as a therapy tool by mhajicek · · Score: 3, Interesting

      My wife and I did this with my ADHD son for a while when he was about five. Positive points for doing good things, negative points for doing bad things, all according to a list. When he saved up enough points he had a list of things he could cash them in for, like eating out at a restaurant of his choice, seeing a movie, or getting some Lego. It did seem to help.

    5. Re:Actually used as a therapy tool by jollyreaper · · Score: 1

      I've read articles where kids with behavioral disorders, social anxiety, general nerdiness, etc were encouraged to use this as a means of driving more appropriate/better behaviors. Like if a shy kid talked to a classmate, he gave himself 10 points, etc. Then they worked with the therapist to track the whole thing - basically making life your RPG.

      Too much grinding, too many griefers and the loot drops have been nerfed. Nobody ever said live was fair? I'm sending a nastygram to the developers. *jolly's account gets permabanned*

      --
      Kwisatz Haderach
      Sell the spice to CHOAM
      This Mahdi took Shaddam's Throne
    6. Re:Actually used as a therapy tool by Hatta · · Score: 1

      But that's not really how RPGs work. You don't get experience points for doing stuff you don't like. You get experience points for playing the game, which should be fun, so you'd do it anyway. I've never been motivated in an RPG to do something simply for the sake of getting experience points. If I ever find myself doing something only to get experience points, that's a poorly designed game.

      --
      Give me Classic Slashdot or give me death!
    7. Re:Actually used as a therapy tool by sorak · · Score: 1

      wii fit. One of the things I like about wii fit is that you can use calories burned to track your score. Actual weight loss makes a good long term goal, but, in a single day, being able to say "I earned a piece of chicken" actually adds something to the routine.

    8. Re:Actually used as a therapy tool by rwv · · Score: 3, Insightful

      When he saved up enough points he had a list of things he could cash them in for, like eating out at a restaurant of his choice, seeing a movie, or getting some Lego. It did seem to help.

      No armor upgrades or attack bonuses? And you didn't offer to teach him new spells or more powerful versions of the spells he already knew?

      Sure as heck doesn't sound like an RPG to me!

  5. Though tangental to the post, I'm reminded of... by Delusion_ · · Score: 2, Informative

    "Achievement Unlocked"

    http://armorgames.com/play/2893/achievement-unlocked

    I think it's an excellent statement about the prevalent use of achievement systems for their own sake.

  6. Points are known as dollars by barakn · · Score: 1

    And a lot of what you do isn't worth any points at all.

    --
    "I'm so moist I'm sticking to the leather." -Kermit the Frog on The Late Late Show
    1. Re:Points are known as dollars by ddxexex · · Score: 1

      Then points don't really matter all that much in life...

    2. Re:Points are known as dollars by tibman · · Score: 1

      Do you then lose points for feeding your family?

      --
      http://soylentnews.org/~tibman
    3. Re:Points are known as dollars by rgviza · · Score: 1

      leveling up your alts is a gold sink.

      --
      Don't kid yourself. It's the size of the regexp AND how you use it that counts.
    4. Re:Points are known as dollars by SteveFoerster · · Score: 1

      Then can I have your points?

      --
      Space game using normal deck of cards: http://BattleCards.org
    5. Re:Points are known as dollars by khellendros1984 · · Score: 1

      It's kind of like dumping experience points into an object to enchant it, or spending money for the arrows that you've lost. You lose points in the short term, but gain a certain ability that will help you earn even more.

      --
      It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
  7. Where's the reload button? by zero_out · · Score: 1

    We all play roles in life, we all gain "levels" and earn currency to barter for more stuff. We grind out content with to earn a reward. RPGs are designed to imitate life in a mathematical way that isn't so far-fetched that it destroys our suspension of disbelief. The current parallels between life and RPGs don't impress me. However, the one and only feature that I truly wish I could have from an RPG would be the ability to reload. Or in the case of an MMORPG, the ability to reroll/rez. When that happens, THEN I will be impressed.

    1. Re:Where's the reload button? by colesw · · Score: 1

      The Hindu already have it.
      http://www.hinduwebsite.com/reincarnation.asp

    2. Re:Where's the reload button? by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but they remove all continuity except the mystical one. It's kinda like being a completely different player. At least you get to keep your karma points.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    3. Re:Where's the reload button? by KlaymenDK · · Score: 1

      At least you get to keep your karma points.

      Will my new me remember the password to my Slashdot account?

      --
      "Good news, everyone!"
  8. So when will we start.. by Higaran · · Score: 1

    So when will we start to walk around with signs over our heads that say our name, and have a backpack that can hold an ungodly ammount of armor and wepons.

    1. Re:So when will we start.. by Jorl17 · · Score: 1

      Cowboy Neal can already do this.

      --
      Have you heard about SoylentNews?
    2. Re:So when will we start.. by furby076 · · Score: 1

      More importantly, when will I have an exclamation point over my head and be able to give people a reward "You earned a ration" for bringing me a gold statue worth a hell of a lot more then that ration :)

      --

      I do not support "The Man". I also do not support your irrational stupidity
    3. Re:So when will we start.. by Higaran · · Score: 1

      Yes, but then again Coyboy Neal is a god. I know because I pray to him every night before bed, and he usually responds, that is when he isn't too busy playing the "RPG of LIFE" that is. I was talking about average joes like the rest of us.

    4. Re:So when will we start.. by retchdog · · Score: 1

      Coyboy Neal

      Best GNAA post ever?

      --
      "They were pure niggers." – Noam Chomsky
    5. Re:So when will we start.. by Rei · · Score: 2, Funny

      I just look forward to the day when I no longer keep having these strange dreams of prospecting, stealing, crusading, and combat. My friends kept asking me why I've engraved "Elbereth" all over my house. All I could usually manage is to shakingly point at the water fountain outside and say, "The ampersand... it came from there!"

      I figure that this pine wand that I'm whittling should give me about a 60% chance of getting out of this padded cell, depending on what type it turns out to be.

      --
      sed "s/SJW.*$/... never mind. I was about to say something stupid, and also, I'm a troglodyte./Ig"
    6. Re:So when will we start.. by icebraining · · Score: 3, Interesting

      So when will we start to walk around with signs over our heads that say our name

      It has already been done. The backpack would be handy, though.

      --
      Dilbert RSS feed
    7. Re:So when will we start.. by KlaymenDK · · Score: 1

      The one good feature in Second Life: If you're having a bad day, you can literally walk around with a thundercloud over your head. Just like the "missile balloons" (google it), this would be an awesome thing to have and use ever so rarely.

      --
      "Good news, everyone!"
  9. Largo by Sum0 · · Score: 1

    Reminds me of Largo from Megatokyo, who seems to live within a variety of video games and sees zombies instead of people and robots instead of cardboard boxes. We already have a way to measure achievement (at least on one level). It's called money. There are certainly others; career advancement, academic achievements, karma points...

  10. Life Imagined As One Big RPG by Cornwallis · · Score: 4, Funny

    Why on earth would I *want* to imagine my life as a rocket-propelled grenade?

    1. Re:Life Imagined As One Big RPG by Minwee · · Score: 1

      Because you spend your days crawling around on the outer shell of an unguided missile traveling at over a hundred thousand kilometers per hour?

    2. Re:Life Imagined As One Big RPG by sorak · · Score: 1

      Why on earth would I *want* to imagine my life as a rocket-propelled grenade?

      In exchange for 72 virgins?

    3. Re:Life Imagined As One Big RPG by cstdenis · · Score: 1

      Because it's explosively fun?

      --
      1984 was not supposed to be an instruction manual.
    4. Re:Life Imagined As One Big RPG by Lorkki · · Score: 1

      It's an awesome flight, but you only get one shot and in the end you still mess things up?

    5. Re:Life Imagined As One Big RPG by sorak · · Score: 1

      I'm sorry if I offended you. I would assume that you are either a virgin or a terrorist, but seeing as how you are here on Slashdot, I think I could guess as to which one.

    6. Re:Life Imagined As One Big RPG by nottheusualsuspect · · Score: 1

      Frankly, that's not that bad an analogy for life ... You spend the first half of your life being loaded with information, aiming at a career path, spend an astonishingly short amount of time finding your goal, then try to fragment your effects into as many different areas and directions as possible, sticking little pieces of yourself and your target into enemy flesh, deeper and deeper until you reach their vital organs, shredding them apart in the seconds before you take their life.

      I may have gone off on a tangent, but I think you get my point. Don't eff with RPG-man.

    7. Re:Life Imagined As One Big RPG by KlaymenDK · · Score: 1

      Oh my god it's already happening! Whaaaaaaaagh!

      --
      "Good news, everyone!"
  11. But what if this reality is a stage? by Eukariote · · Score: 1

    What if this physical reality is not as absolute as it mostly appears? What if the perception-warping effects of psychedelic drugs show that fundamentally this reality is subjective and flexible? What if it is really an adaptive stage, a credible illusion, in which we play out the role called "life"?

    If true, that would certainly explain why we are so easily addicted to and feel at home in RPGs as we would be born role players.

  12. Life is like an RPG by CorporateSuit · · Score: 5, Funny

    I do not need to knock on my neighbor's door. In fact, going inside, opening his cabinets, and taking whatever I want is expected.
    I get experience points for beating up stray dogs.
    I find treasure chests, unlocked and unopened, hidden away in all sorts of bushes and alleyways around my city. Some even contain armor!
    I don't work out, I level up!
    I only carry up to 255 pieces of any item.
    If I receive something that appears to be worthless (like a Rusty Sword) I must carry it with me wherever I go, in case I find someone who can restore it to its former glory.
    When I buy a shirt at the store, I attempt to sell them the one on my back in order to cut costs.

    --
    I am the richest astronaut ever to win the superbowl.
    1. Re:Life is like an RPG by Hoi+Polloi · · Score: 1

      I hate the fact that sometimes I can't stack things in piles of more than 20. Just try carrying a hundred M&Ms.

      --
      It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
    2. Re:Life is like an RPG by ArsonSmith · · Score: 1

      I keep all my money and belongings in barrels strewn about my property.

      --
      Paying taxes to buy civilization is like paying a hooker to buy love.
    3. Re:Life is like an RPG by hansamurai · · Score: 2, Funny

      My town burned down while I was out playing and everyone I know is dead.

      --
      Reviewing just the first hour of video games.
  13. We Have This Already. It's Called "Religion" by RobotRunAmok · · Score: 1

    Good vs. Evil. Karma. Deviate from the path you have chosen, lose points. Stick to the path, accrue points and power.

    Michael Moorcock, whose Eternal Champion books were the inspiration for Gygax's Law/Chaos/Evil/Good/Neutral "alignment" system that has in turn been at the core -- subtly or not -- of every RPG produced should be getting residuals. Instead, he's probably just getting a good laugh.

  14. Is life like an RPG? Sure by Em+Emalb · · Score: 1

    If you take RPG to mean rocket-propelled grenade.

    --
    Sent from your iPad.
  15. Which RPG? by Delusion_ · · Score: 3, Funny

    Second Life? I'd better get my penis helmet in order.

    Ultima 4? I'd better start trying to be a better person.

    Ultima Online? I'd better start trying to be a much, much worse person.

    WoW? I'd better start practicing being a hot elf chick.

    A Squaresoft RPG? Christ, I'd better start working on my hour long monologue skills.

    1. Re:Which RPG? by jgtg32a · · Score: 2, Informative

      Not everyone in a Square game has a long monologue, but you are only required to wear 3 belts at a minimum.

    2. Re:Which RPG? by skotay · · Score: 1

      Not everyone in a Square game has a long monologue, but you are only required to wear 3 belts at a minimum.

      Sigh... Times are tough.

    3. Re:Which RPG? by Chris+Burke · · Score: 1

      I'm from the Vincent/Chrono school of Squaresoft monologues.

      "..."

      The nice thing is that it easily scales to whatever length monologue you need.

      --

      The enemies of Democracy are
    4. Re:Which RPG? by wintermute000 · · Score: 1

      For the square RPG, don't forget flashbacks. The more emo the better.
      Also you're not allowed to carry a weapon that's smaller than a small cow, if it looks like you could feasibly lift it within the laws of Newtonian physics, then its too small.
      Remember to spike your hair.
      And finally, if you're male, remember to look androgenyous.

  16. Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by joeframbach · · Score: 1

    Isn't this the sort of concept present in Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom? Right now I'm a bit low on my Whoopie.

    1. Re:Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Chuk · · Score: 1

      Whuffie, isn't it?

      --
      chuk
    2. Re:Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by joeframbach · · Score: 1

      Yeah that's it.

  17. Driving Games by Airborne_J · · Score: 1

    I've always thought it would one day become possible to have a racing game which would have actual streets. You'd be able to "buy" certain areas or maps and you'd be able to park your fictitious vehicle in front of your fictitious house. Streetview has brought us one step closer.

    1. Re:Driving Games by SQLGuru · · Score: 1

      Already happened for Chicago. Just need some more cities. http://www.microsoft.com/games/midtown/

  18. Jesse by Kamineko · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I've met Jesse Schell. The man is charismatic and completely insane.

  19. We already have achievement points by LoRdTAW · · Score: 3, Insightful

    ....its called money. And you don't get any for brushing your teeth or high fiving a friend.

    1. Re:We already have achievement points by furby076 · · Score: 1

      ....its called money. And you don't get any for brushing your teeth or high fiving a friend.

      Not necessarily true. At low levels (say when your age 4) your mentor (aka parents) might give you your allowance (aka reward) for brushing your teeth.

      We reward people for the darndest things :) Also rewards aren't just monetary, they are experience, renown, titles, honors, etc. I would say the high five would be a renown reward.

      --

      I do not support "The Man". I also do not support your irrational stupidity
    2. Re:We already have achievement points by Tetsujin · · Score: 1

      ....its called money. And you don't get any for brushing your teeth or high fiving a friend.

      Not directly - but making a good impression, having the right friends, etc. can certainly help.

      --
      Bow-ties are cool.
    3. Re:We already have achievement points by timeOday · · Score: 1
      Not brushing your teeth can very well lead to additional expenses (if you don't think this way, you probably don't have kids), and building alliances surely is a very important part of how people accrue riches (it's not what you know, it's who you know; alternately, why does that hot babe like that ugly rich guy?)

      I do think our society is coming ever-closer to monetizing everything, because that leads to economic efficiency.

      However, I do not agree that money is ultimately the only driver, nor even that there is one ultimate driver (unless it is so general as to be almost meaningless, e.g. "positive affect"). We have several different instincts, not just greed, and on top of that a "rational" mind that can lead us to all kinds of crazy conclusions under the right conditions.

    4. Re:We already have achievement points by Eth1csGrad1ent · · Score: 1

      isn't brushing your teeth simply an insurance policy against losing points (aka money) at a later date ?

  20. Been there, done that, claimed the XP by SlowDancing · · Score: 3, Informative

    Already been done.

    1. Re:Been there, done that, claimed the XP by HikingStick · · Score: 2, Informative

      Actually, that's the second site. The original was http://www.chorewars.com/. The folks at ChoreWars created WorldOfChoreCraft so that people who had it set up at home could use it at work (and vice versa).

      --
      I use irony whenever I can, but my shirts are still wrinkled...
  21. It's almost like The Sims by WillAffleckUW · · Score: 1

    Oh, wait ... that's exactly what it is.

    Me, I'm playing in Black & White. I'm the Noodly One.

    --
    -- Tigger warning: This post may contain tiggers! --
  22. Obligatory, apparently. by rugatero · · Score: 4, Funny

    xkcd.com/189

    --
    This comment is for entertainment purposes only. Any similarity to real insight or information is purely coincidental.
    1. Re:Obligatory, apparently. by Mordac · · Score: 1

      That reminds me, I've got a quest today at the gym that should reward me with +3con. That and my natural 18 charisma will go a long way to finishing my Friday Night quest.

  23. Say what you want... by SharpFang · · Score: 3, Interesting

    After donating 18 liters of blood, achieving the Ist Degree Honorable Blood Donor title, a document and a badge stating that, and a permanent free public communication ticket, I really felt like I just finished a major questline.

    --
    45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
    1. Re:Say what you want... by rgviza · · Score: 1

      Now you just have to do it 19 more times to get the tokens you need to flag for the raid.

      --
      Don't kid yourself. It's the size of the regexp AND how you use it that counts.
    2. Re:Say what you want... by Vintermann · · Score: 1

      High level, lots of hit points, obviously.

      --
      xkcd is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.
    3. Re:Say what you want... by SharpFang · · Score: 1

      use whatever local public transport (buses, trams, metro) for free, country-wide. (trains, planes and long-distance buses not covered).

      --
      45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
    4. Re:Say what you want... by SharpFang · · Score: 1

      nope, just good regen. Fucking casual noob, with regenerating health, that's what I am.
      (the regulations say 450ml per donation, 8 weeks apart at least. That's 40 donations, with 6 per year limit and a lot of extra quarantine conditions (dentist - another month. Injury involving stitches - half a year...). That's at least six and a half years of donating, realistically more like eight.)

      --
      45 5F E1 04 22 CA 29 C4 93 3F 95 05 2B 79 2A B2
  24. Down and Out by spribyl · · Score: 1

    "Down and Out In the Magic Kingdom" has something like this although is was closer to PageRank then points.

  25. Working out by electrosoccertux · · Score: 1

    This is why I love going to the gym so much, no joke. Well part of it is having better physique, but getting to go from 110lbs to 180lbs on the incline dumbbell press is a lot of fun. You can even use rare-candies in the form of protein shakes after working out.

    Facebook is a video game too, you try to get more posts on your wall by coming up with clever/funny/interesting status updates.

    1. Re:Working out by Ethanol-fueled · · Score: 1

      Interesting point. For many of us, though, losing points at the gym would result in a net gain. For example, going from 240 points down to 185 points would actually be a net gain, in the form of access to more "enchanted caves*".

      *Go back to grade school if you don't get it.

  26. Trophy : Shower by furby076 · · Score: 1

    Lifetime Play Counter: 2,620,800 minutes
    "You have taken your first shower"

    --

    I do not support "The Man". I also do not support your irrational stupidity
  27. First game where popularity was important by jeffmeden · · Score: 1

    I do believe you meant to say "Shogun", a game published in 1988 whose sole objective was to become popular enough to hold the title "zen master". You could achieve it through the usual benevolent acts of kindness, or killing anyone who didn't agree to like you. Very enlightening game for a 7 year old, let me tell you what.

  28. Re:Real Life Achievements by HoboCop · · Score: 1

    I think this is an interesting idea. The vocabulary ("levels") would need to change.

    Also interesting because there's a mechanism for giving short-term rewards for activities that really only pay off long-term. Instant gratification is a problem for lots of younger people, this is one way to combat that problem.

  29. I'm Just an Avatar by Abdul+the+Newt · · Score: 2, Funny

    I'm pretty sure that I'm just an avatar in a simulation and the guy playing me is an adolescent, socially-maladjusted teen with A-D-D and some strange fetish tendencies... or maybe that's just me.

    --
    Webcomics Posted Monday-Friday http://www.lunatechfringe.com
  30. Already Done, See Movie Surrogates by ittybad · · Score: 1

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0986263/

    --
    No single raindrop believes it is to blame for the flood.
  31. Re:Still in Beta by hackerman · · Score: 1

    If there are security issues, will we be able to sue the programmer?

  32. I thought RPG meant Rocket Powered Grenade by Rick17JJ · · Score: 1

    When I saw RPG in the headline, at first I thought it meant "rocket powered grenade." It had never occurred to me that life could be "imagined as one big rocket powered grenade." After clicking on the link, I soon discovered that RPG could also stand for "role playing games." So then I realized that he meant that life could be "imagined as one big role playing game," which made more sense.

    As someone who is not into playing computer games, that other meaning for RPG did not immediately occur to me.

    1. Re:I thought RPG meant Rocket Powered Grenade by khellendros1984 · · Score: 1

      As someone who isn't into playing explosives, that other meaning for RPG (Rocket-propelled grenade) did not immediately occur to me.

      --
      It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
  33. Stop the simple analogies [madness]! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting
    "Will there be a day where we earn achievement points simply by brushing our teeth or high-fiving a friend?"

    It's already here.

    a. brushing teeth gives you health "points"--you say alive longer with good dental hygenie.

    a. high-fiving gives you mental points -- you feel good.

    A RPG is JUST a game, a game is a perspective, it's not reality--which is way more complex. And today's RPG is based on binary principles (it needs to run on a computer)--which the world is not.

    1. Re:Stop the simple analogies [madness]! by BoppreH · · Score: 1

      The point of having a score is so you can keep track of what you achieved and feel good for it. Can you tell how much healthier you are after brushing your teeth?

  34. Reroll? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I would like to reroll as a female character. I would never have to leave the house again.

  35. Reputation Based Economy by lymond01 · · Score: 1

    So I realize the article is sort of whatever (having not read it myself, I can only assume that's the case) but a friend of mine has been harping about a reputation based economy where the dollar is less meaningful and you earn favors and acquire goods more on how well known you are in a particular area or field. A Nobel winner would be given kingly treatment wherever he or she goes while a politician would remain hated or loved depending on where they are, as they do now.

    It was an interesting concept, hearkening back to traveling bards and the time before recorded music.

  36. Which one? by hackerman · · Score: 1

    Milton Bradley's or Conway's? both would be weird as RPGs

  37. Err... by Nekomusume · · Score: 1

    High school diploma, BA/MA/PHD technical certifications, wedding ring, etc. are all pretty much achievements.
    Life is full of times when you get stupid pieces of paper or random objects that show that you've done something. Might be something useful/positive (PHD), negative (prison record), or only really of interest to you (photo of the person who had a summer fling with), but it's all the same thing. Video game achievements are just an attempt to replicate the "see, i did that!" aspect of real life - albeit in a way that stimulates people's competitiveness.

  38. Procreation by zodar · · Score: 2, Funny

    So instead of having kids, it's considered rolling an alt?

  39. White Wolf already working on this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    Dating: The Masquerade
    Religion: The Apocalypse
    Corporate Ladder: The Ascension
    Bank Balance: Oblivion
    Sleep: The Dreaming

  40. Life Achievements.com by Pinktits · · Score: 2, Informative

    There is a website that does just that actually (let you rack up points for your own life achievements). http://www.lifeachievements.org/

  41. What a grind... by clone53421 · · Score: 1

    Life is great and all, but there’s just too much tedium. Parts of it are just incredibly boring.
    It would have been so much cooler if I could have had a macro do my homework for me.

    --
    Alexander Peter Kristopeit bought his basement from his mommy for one dollar.
    1. Re:What a grind... by rgviza · · Score: 1

      using macros is a ban-able offense. I'm level 80 and you should have to suffer just like I did.

      Damned new players and their entitlement mentality.

      --
      Don't kid yourself. It's the size of the regexp AND how you use it that counts.
  42. Hunger for Reality isn't new... by argent · · Score: 1

    Nobody remembers this guy?

    This is some twenty-something guy suddenly noticing things that smacked me around the head when I was that twenty-something guy when I picked up Colin Fletcher "The Man who Walked through Time" and got rid of most of my camping gear 'cos going camping with a groundsheet and a sleeping bag and NO TENT was more REAL. Back in the Reagan years.

  43. Addicted to fake achievement in RPGs by rwa2 · · Score: 1

    I like this article:
    http://www.pixelpoppers.com/2009/11/awesome-by-proxy-addicted-to-fake.html

    That said, I think an automated pat-on-the-back system would do wonders for motivation in education... but more from the perspective of unlocking the tech tree / curriculum, and showing what new abilities a student might have after mastering second-order differential equations or the Level IV history of Mesopotamia analytical text.

    But it may just as well breed more precious coddled snowflakes that can't cope with actual mistakes and failures in life. But I guess it just depends on how well it's implemented.

  44. We Already Do This by bitspotter · · Score: 1

    It's called MONEY.

    "Business is a good game. You keep score with money." --Nolan Bushnell

    1. Re:We Already Do This by Vintermann · · Score: 1

      Nah, it's too much affected by die rolls.

      --
      xkcd is not in the sudoers file. This incident will be reported.
  45. Outside by montibbalt · · Score: 1

    Outside: The new MMORPG from the makers of the smash hit "IRL"

  46. The World According to LARP! by HTH+NE1 · · Score: 1

    Beware of contracting RPG Radiculopathy.

    --
    Oh, say does that Star-Spangled Banner entwine / The myrtle of Venus with Bacchus's vine?
    1. Re:The World According to LARP! by Culture20 · · Score: 1

      "What are those swords made of, duct tape?"
      "Mine's a battle axe"

  47. Re:Dating as a raid by silent_artichoke · · Score: 1

    use your class granted feats (style, conversation) to exploit her weaknesses

    Forgot what site you're on, huh?

  48. Re:Sensors everywhere keeping track of what you do by Razalhague · · Score: 1

    Yeah. What he keeps saying (though dressed up as a good thing) is that you will have zero privacy in the future.

  49. Enforces Social Hierarchies by Aelcyx · · Score: 1

    It's a great concept. Really. But why does it work? He mentions people put money into Mafia Wars on Facebook so they can be better than their peer. I don't think this kind of competitiveness with others is great for society. I think it actually makes us dumber and greedier and more superficial. If people are gonna compare themselves to one another, I hope it would be more along the lines of, "That guy has really found inner happiness. I hope to do that myself one day." It seems like the norm today is more like, "That guy has really found inner happiness. Let me find some reason to hate him. If I can't find one, I'll slash his tires."

    Do we really need more stuff that conflates self-worth with measurable things, like salary, possessions, wife's bra size? I'm certain all the wishful thinking in the world won't stop this from happening, but at some point we are going to have to stop comparing ourselves to our peers in order to feel good. And while we're at it, stop mixing up ecstasy (not the drug) with happiness. Big difference...

  50. MMORPG, not RPG by Culture20 · · Score: 1

    You whippersnappers! An RPG is a Role Playing Game, of course it's a lot like life. Achievements? Alts? These are things found in MMORPGs which have nothing to do with Role Playing except a D&D style genre. They're just graphical MUDs.

  51. I just saw the preview for this by Ozlanthos · · Score: 1

    It's a movie called "Gamer"

    -Oz

  52. Life Imagined as one big Syliva Plath Poem by hallux.sinister · · Score: 1

    As we move closer and closer to the day we have all these neat little ports added forcibly to our arms, legs, and back, to handle the bodily functions it will be impossible to deal with ourselves, because we will each be immersed in an amnion-like fluid, in special pods, while we are tricked into thinking that what we think is real, is in fact a vast, virtual-reality world referred to by the machines running it as "the Matrix".
    Row row row your boat, gently down the stream... merrily merrily merrily merrily, life is but an RPG.
    Gee, might be time to turn the computer's power switch to the "On Full Force" position, exit the rectangular wall port cover apparatus, and perform that "play" activity under that giant blue "wall paper" we used to call "the sky". Before you forget how.

  53. Are you "really" real ? by CalcuttaWala · · Score: 1

    Check out (a) Are You Living in a Computer Simulation. http://www.simulation-argument.com/ and (b) the video Are you real http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ebq0tbhap-g Both speculate on the possibility that we are a part of an MMORPG environment as envisaged by the movie Matrix

    --
    Insight into much, Influence over nothing !
  54. Re:Though tangental to the post, I'm reminded of.. by pamar · · Score: 1

    See also www.stackoverflow.com and other similar sites: and I admit that the idea of "being good at something real and gaining experience points" has some appeal to me, too.