When A Game Is Not A Game Anymore | Guilds

Recently, I began watching my latest anime addiction, Sword Art Online, and its premise has me thinking... 

SAO is set 20 years in the future where a popular new MMORPG - much like World of Warcraft - has just been released. Of course, this is the future, so video games are much more than a television and a controller. This game uses software that connects to your brain for true virtual reality.

It's all fun and games at first. However, it is soon discovered that the players cannot log-out and they must complete the entire game to return to the real world. Oh! And if you die in the game, you die in real life!

If you were the main character, Kirito, what would your next move be???

Join a guild OR Remain a solo player?

To Join a Guild...

My first instinct told me to join a guild. There's safety in numbers, right? Maybe; maybe not. What defines a guild in a game like WoW or SOA is skill.

You don't want some moron whose going to abandon the plan and just run into danger in your guild, do you? 

In this case, most of the players were beginners (with a few beta testers like Kirito in the mix as well) which offers a pretty level playing field. But beginners are dangerous in matters of life-and-death!

This thing has no time for your learning curve.

Also, although these are completely different circumstances and everyone has abilities they don't have in the real world, it's important to remember that your guild members are still human. They still experience happiness, anger, sorrow, envy, and other human emotions; they can still walk the line between good and evil...

...Or Not to Join a Guild?

There is great honor in deciding to take on your fears alone as a solo player. Fortunately, Kirito is a good enough player to survive - at least thus far - on his own. As a solo player, he doesn't have to protect a less skillful comrade or worry about being player-killed by an evil teammate. 

However, it has to be a little lonely and more difficult on your own, right? Not only must you face the terrifying bosses and fall into horrifying traps alone, but you can't rely on a buddy to heal you or share objects. It's just you, your objects, your skill, and the hope that all of that is enough.

Don't weep for Kirito, though. He manages to make some friends along the way, and I'm certain he's somewhat enjoying this experience as well.

After all, every cloud has a silver lining...