We all know it's pretty weird to realise how life would look if somehow we suddenly stopped playing the game, being it for a good reason or just because it's not the same as it used to be. When you're used to think and live this community, quitting for once could be something hard to achieve, but as with any addiction, not impossible to.

Players from all continents enjoy playing together, some of them even share their life outside the game, being it through instant messengers, meetings and conventions. Those online friendships, sometimes teach valuable things about the life itself, such as who to trust and how to trust, handling your hard-earned money, administrating a group of people and so on. This actually doesn't mean that the more you play, greater you'll be. A game is a game and nothing else. Real ingame friendships usually to extend to the so called "real" life, instead of just taking part between a login and a logout.

And someday you realise it's not the same, the objective was already hit, you got a great tibian carreer, a stable character, inside an awesome guild with the best equipment crystal coins can buy. Still, you feel that something is missing, you still need something else to keep you focused on the monitor, waiting for the next funny quote, that will most likely never come... that's when most players decide about leaving it behind. It doesn't matters anymore.

Still the friendships remain, the life goes on. For students, a good period to ascend the grades, dedicate some more to small (or big) projects, a time to party, enjoy meeting new people and the life once again. Not that standing eight hours behind the computer everyday isn't living the life, but there are plenty more things to do outside the window of your bedroom. After all, a game is a game, being it a part of an alternate universe, such as Tibia, driving the player into the character's outfit.

Although, there are tibians that spend lots of time trying to leave the everyday routine of being a player behind. So on, some questions were asked a fellow one, who seem to have succeeded in it.

Tibianews: - What made you leave the idea of dedicating lots or even little time to a game?
Former Tibian: - I played the game for 4 years and 2 of those years I spend them on quitting it. One day I loged in and as you said on the article, it just wasnt the same. Dont know why it happened, maybe it was that I had completed most of my goals, maybe it was something that happened in real, its hard to know. All I can tell you is that Tibia lost its spark that day.

Tibianews: - And what was this spark that once kept you inside the imaginary world of Tibia?
Former Tibian: - My best real friends. We were a team, a good team. Dark Necrocear, Bart the Monkey and me, Dark Necrosis. We were a bunch of newbies who couldnt speak english at all and didnt really knew what this game was about. It was just a big msn with creatures and stuff, but then they quited and I didnt.
Tibia is so better when you are a newbie...

Tibianews: - Indeed, that's why I'm only logging in on noobchars lately... <laughs>
Former Tibian: - haha

Tibianews: - So, what other interesting things you found outside the window?
Former Tibian: - I found so many things! For example, a couple of weeks after quitting tibia I was selected to participate on a contest TV show and I won an all-paid 1 week trip around Chile with 19 friends! (not kidding!) Then, I took all my money and built a bicicle with engine, I now can go anywhere I want with it! (8 liters of gas = 560km! its so cheap) And it just got better!

Tibianews: - Wow, that's awesome!
Former Tibian: - I became the comedy writer on my school and the director want me to write a comedy for a big metting in a couple of weeks. The tibian spark was gone, but a complete torch turned on real!

Tibianews: - So it seems you're doing pretty good after all, eh? By the way, don't you feel a bit empty after leaving it all behind?
Former Tibian: - Tibia used a lot of my time, and that big empty is still hard to fill. But I'm sure something will show up. There are lots of things I can get addicted now to fill the tibia whole! Just kidding haha, I just used my tibia time to do other things, mostly go to friends houses and do sports.

Tibianews: - Don't you regret your decision?
Former Tibian: - Dang! thats "the" question haha. I miss some things but I dont regret leaving tibia. Some things had to be sacrified in order to quit, like getting away of the thing that kept me playing, all my tibian friends. I miss them all but once tibia affects real life, sacrifices must be done. Quitting an addiction is never easy, but once you achieve it, if feels good. Now I want to help people get from where I was, to where I am.
I know there are many players that are trying to quit Tibia but havent been able to. Just read the Tibia forums! Someone says he is quitting and a week later he/she is back! Quitting is hard, but not impossible. Quitting was my last tibian goal, and I achieved it.

Tibianews: - Congratulations! And keep up the good work!
Former Tibian: - Hahaha, thank you very much!

Play safe, as much as you think it's suitable, but don't forget there's a whole world outside, with people that WILL find you interesting and that WILL like you. don't pay attention to the mud sometimes thrown, in the end, none of that really matter. Don't forget that you got a life to live, and most tibians still have a long road to follow. Go out, meet people, make new friends, form a band, join a volunteer group, form one. Discover more about the things you like, be it ballet, be it thrash metal, be it economy, be it human rights... after all, you're free to do what you want, when you want and the way you want, and that's only up to you.

First Published: 9/27/2007