MMORPGs is definitely a mirror of the real world and at the same time a virtual world. Being a mirror of the real world, the players have the chance to show their own unique personalities based on their real lives. For example, they would tend to make some decisions just like they would with their real life problems. Being a virtual world, however, the players can also hide behind a mask or what we call an avatar, allowing them to "fake" or change their real selves. This may be both positive and negative, depending on the situation. Positive in that it can become a chance for the person to improve, but negative in that they can put on a false personality.
Anyway, my point is that there is a gap between reality as we know it, and the virtual world that is the MMORPG world. We may never know fully the people we meet online; and we may not be the person or the character that we project online. However, it becomes a means for the shy person to become outgoing enough to actually lead a guild. It also allows the introvert to meet new people, to share and learn new ideas. Basically, it allows confidence to build within each of us, through the roles we play (that's why we call them MMORPGs in the first place), through performing the responsibilities that were entrusted to us.
Personally, I would thank my guild for giving me the opportunity to learn all these new things. I have gained, not only friends, but experience through the position I held in our guild. There were no boundaries with regards to gender, age, or even race. Real life social status did not matter either, so were academic and personal achievements. MMORPGs is now a point of convergence for people from all walks of life.
But overcoming gaps is not that easy. It requires being open-minded, at the very least. Being able to acknowledge the different cultures and traditions, even those from our fellow Filipinos. It also requires that a person acknowledge the uniqueness of each person, that we are shaped by, not only our environment, but by our own family histories, experiences, and the ideas that shape our thinking. And this, ultimately, would make no two persons alike.
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This is my entry for Week 6 of GM T's Group Writing Project, with the theme: "The most challenging thing(s) in an MMORPG: How I bested the game and myself"
