Tabbitha

I am more with Chaismene on this one.

I do think, being part of a guild,can teach you certain things,you may not of yet learnt in RL.

For example,a lot of new players,come into the game thinking its all about pvp,and 'bashing' people and monsters.

Thay may be of a young age,where they have not had to take much responsibility in rl, for others feelings etc.

Being a part of a roleplay guild,can teach them valuable emotional and social skills.

Sticking to guidelines and boundaries..
Considering others feelings
Working as part of a team

all of these are things needed for the 'real world'

If ,as the OP put,you take things a step further and become a leader in your guild,you can learn other things.

Planning and Implementing ideas.
Communicating with others
Problem solving.

With computers being used more and more in the real world,who knows when you may get a job,that deals with people via email, networking,or 'conference chats.?

If you end up working for a compnay that has overseas clients,the above may well be the forms of communication, you may need to use.

If you have had to deal with difficult members,or sort out disputes with other players,you will already have experience and expertise in those areas,which may help when dealing with dissatified/irate customers..

Plus the keyboard skills needed.

So yes I do think, depending on the type of work, you do, there is a place for an online game to contribute to real life.

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Paladis

Very dependant on the job ye going for.

I can see the blank looks on any boss i'd be trying to work for within the construction industry followed by 'so...your 36 and spend your evenings playing computer games??'.

Trying to explain to your average joe that playing an online game for years, making decisions, calming down situations and trying to make people understand each other from different nationalities has infact improved my own customer relations and improved my tolerance to arsehole customers.... often results in them giving very funny looks and walking away.

Personaly, at the present moment in time, far too few people would be able to seperate 'online group management' from 'oh...you still play video games?'

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Snubson

It will become more and more towards a more....open way of admitting to leading a virtual community (Admitance not being a bad word..just a good descriptive word, virtual..purely for the ease..as the game is virtual, community encompasing the people playing) in the job market as the world progresses.

It'll always put your problem solving, communication skills and beyond that to the test too, but pure dependance upon what the job is, will essentially determine on what you'd put upon your CV. I'd never consider putting it onto a senior or management application, nor any application towards the logistics/chemical/banking industries. If it was towards a more IT support role, then aye, it'd maybe help put you infront of others, because it shows you've had experience in various media functions and communication programs on your computer in a more enjoyable area, than just work. But, also considering most households these days have a computer and most people able and happy to use MsN and suchlike, it'd not put you so far in the forefront.

Applications put into places now...to the next two, three maybe years..I'd still be wary, five years onwards, who knows how things will develop. The business world heavily acknowledges the power and pull of such games as UO, WoW and beyond, mainly at this time as pure money making giants though. With the minority, becoming more evident though, towards the actual communities that are also within the games.

Unfortunatly, at the moment a large mindset of people in the "higher" positions in the world think games are games, end of. Lets make the cash.

(spelling mistakes have to be excused...revision for exams have melted my mind slowly)

Talon

ever since i was young ive been dislexic. ive played uo since i was 13 and im now almost 21. before i started playing i could barely read properly and barely write (not much has changed). but since i have started rping and playing uo i have learned alot more than i would of thought

I read loads of books these days and have a better understanding wit writing and reading, me school never gave me the help i needed and i feel uo and the rp communtity has helped me alot more than a school would normaly tbh.

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Geronimo

Yes - good posts all around and many valued points.

No doubt one learns alot from RP and being in the community - I dont know how many times people have thought of me as English is my mother language.

But for the CV part and using it when applying i still doubt. Why?
Because the ones sitting higher up (In most cases) are 1 or 2 generations older than us and they dont understand it as we do. Maybe one day it will be a part of a CV but as as Snubby said there are plenty more things to put in before "being part of a online community".

Even if i myself applyed now to a game company (which im about to do) I wont mention this in my CV even tho it says on their page it is a plus to play games. I'll tell them that in a interview if i get that far. But to reach there I want my skills in what I do to take me so far.

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Rolo

I think unless your specifically applying for a job at Blizzard/Mythic/SOE its not going to be a good idea to mention this at all.

Even in the future, alot of people have heard of WoW in the current young (ish) population and it is considered much a...oh you play that stupid online game. (before I quit WoW I got this alot if I let it slip when drunk or something)

Other then becoming insanely good at typing whilst fighting a level 60 Human Paladin bit I've not changed much since I start playing Uo at 14. I still act the fool in my online "persona" (meet me irl I'm serious...promise), still no good at managing things etc etc.
Ultimately for me Rolo/Stanner isn't James the student at all they are two completely different people.

Has anyone else noticed that time and again its always the same people leading things, coming up with idea's etc etc, this leads me to believe that you have these skills anyway and they're just manifesting themselves in online games. I'm inclined to mention names but they'd never let me forget it and I'd prefer to keep calling them nubs. Obviously you can hone them with guild management/leadership but ultimately the skills are always there and that will be self evident I think if you are called for interview.

callumf

heh

Im in the generation above yours - im 41 - and I have to conclude that the two above posts are awesome - Rolos and Gnomys. And for "young" people are remarkably perceptive - thats a compliment before the flamers start looking for matches.

I think its a two-way process you learn from rl and apply it to online, and you learn from online and apply it to rl.

[In general the more experience [levels/skills] you have irl the better your general approach to "online" will be [or should be] - hmm I need to think this one through more... ignore it for a moment and I will come back to it later]

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