Life has dealt me a difficult hand. Over the last decade, I’ve grappled with health issues that nearly killed me. As such, I’m distrustful of “nature” and “creation” — the forces responsible for my existence. After all, why would I feel positive about the force that has caused me such suffering?
Thankfully, there’s a silver lining. This skepticism about corporeal existence gave me an idea. If the real world has failed me, why not spend more time in human-created digital worlds?
After all, unlike the real world, video game worlds are designed by humans, for humans. They’re generally built upon explicable systems and meritocratic principles. An example: Unlike the real world, MMORPG player characters aren’t hampered by randomly-acquired impediments. Noone exits player creation to find their character handicapped or short-lived. Everyone starts on an even playing field, and success is purely meritocratic. No players are inexplicably or randomly punished.
But my attraction to digital worlds isn’t even about fairness. I’m not an idealist. I understand that nothing can ever be perfect.
Rather, it’s about quality of life. An MMORPG is designed to be enjoyable. Real life? Not so much. If you’re reading this, odds are you live in a post-industrialized society — places that consistently rank lower than developing nations in happiness. In these worlds, many people work jobs they hate to finance a life of service to a flawed system. Worse yet, no matter how hard they work to improve their lives, they may never be rewarded. Nothing in life is guaranteed: Our universe is highly flawed, inexplicable, unjust, and chaotic.
In contrast, digital worlds may offer a welcome respite from an often inhospitable reality. Yes, escapism can be unhealthy. But in having the ability to coexist elsewhere, I’m tempted to spend more of my life in worlds far more welcoming than our own.
Byte-Sized Worlds 