Ask WoW Insider: Are you who you play?
by Barb Dybwad 
Dec 14th 2007 at 7:40PM
A hearty howdy and hello and welcome to this week's edition of Ask WoW Insider, wherein we humbly beg your forgiveness for going AWOL for a few weeks. Last time we got together we talked about who should pull in groups and instances, and this time we turn our attention to a more philosophical conundrum. Reader skoh-fley has a question about how we conceptualize character identities: I often hear my friends talking about their characters, saying things like "my mage is 42 now", or "he just got a new cloak", when I would normally say something more like " I'm 42 now on my mage", or " I just got a new cloak".
To me, it seems weird that some people reference their characters in third person, as if they're another real person; it's like they're telling a story and their character is the protagonist. But I'm sure some people think I'm a little weird for talking about my character like I am them; maybe I'm a little too emotionally deep in the game and have been treating it the same as real life.
Is it normal to talk about your character as if they're you, or are they two separate entities? And what can be said about people who treat their character as themselves -- are we too involved in WoW, or do we simply see it more as a part of life than a game?
How do you talk about your characters to those curious "real people" out in the "real world"? How closely do you identify with your character(s)? Is it normal to grow emotionally attached to our virtual selves?
Have you got questions? The truth is out there! Send us what's on your mind and we just may choose your question to publish for Ask WoW Insider. We need your submissions at ask AT wowinsider DOT com!
Filed under: Virtual selves, Ask WoW Insider, RP
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Mikezila Dec 14th 2007 7:52PM
I always refer to my character as if me and them are the same person. I always speak of them in the first person.
I wouldn't call myself emotionally attached to them, but I believe that as far as the game is concerned, I am them.
It's the difference between being a hero and playing one on TV.
Thor Dec 14th 2007 7:53PM
I refer to my character as me unless I'm using names...
I think one of the reasons its hard for me to level an alt is because im so attached to my main.
Bbcversus Dec 14th 2007 8:02PM
Same here, can't level alts at all, got a lvl 6 shammy and thats it since over two years I play the game. I remember I made my mage, first time I entered in Azeroth, and got by now over 10k screenshots with me (my char ofc) doing that and this and been there etc.
Cant play anything else, also dont know that much from the other classes, only what I heard and asked and I think is great since all the other classes and builds and so on are mistery and I know everything about myself.
Maybe is not good enough for PVP but Im learning from fighting. :D
theRaptor Dec 14th 2007 7:57PM
I use the first person when I am playing that character, and the third person when talking about another of my characters (Im currently playing a 70 mage and pally).
Iamnotalie Dec 14th 2007 8:00PM
When I only had 1 character I would always refer to him in first person. Having multiple high/max level characters made that very difficult to do, so now I consider them separate people, all referred to in third person.
Angelus Dec 14th 2007 8:04PM
I talk like that about my main character. I say things like, "I got my drake last week." or "my broom failed on me and I fell and died in the swamp."
But my alts are different. ie, 'I got my shammy her nether drake finally' lol like she is my kid or something.
praxis_22203 Dec 14th 2007 8:09PM
I once asked my friend who played an undead Rogue, "Do you think you'd like your character if you ever met him?"
He said, "Uh no. He would kill me and camp my corpse."
C-DUB Dec 14th 2007 8:41PM
LOL win. Best comment I've read today.
I'm a guy playing a female undead rogue. The fact that she would probably do the same thing makes me always talk about her in third person.
But all of her epics are mine :)
kunukia Dec 14th 2007 8:56PM
I call my toons me. In fact just today, we were talking in guild about going to Molten Core, and I said, "One of me is attuned, I just can't remember which." They are all me.
Izbay Dec 14th 2007 9:10PM
My rogue's name is Izbay and she is my very bestest friend
Zakk Dec 14th 2007 9:37PM
Depends on the situation. If I'm talking about them, alts are referred to in the third person, and my main is referred to in the first. If I'm playing an alt, I consider myself me. Like, if somebody were to ask me what I was doing, I wouldn't say "Goatadin [my new, ever so awesomely named Draenei Pally =D] is questing." I'd say "I'm questing."
Andrew Breese Dec 15th 2007 1:40AM
As an Alt-aholic, I have to use the 3rd person, and often explain when I'm switching between toons when talking to others.
Otherwise they look at me strangely, particularly when it appeared that my new L10 Shaman was soloing BRD for Mats.
dmurlor Dec 14th 2007 10:01PM
Yes and no. I am a Druid but am not a nature freak (not saying I don't like nature, just not a tree hugger). However, I never like to stay the same for too long, and shapeshifting cures just that :)
Plus we turn into animals!? ANIMALS! Awesomeness.
Mainman Dec 15th 2007 6:34AM
I have one character per race/class, and tend to talk appropriately as each of them while retaining the key points of my personality. It's based on an idea I once had of "What if your brain was put in a different body at birth, and experienced a different life from the one you know?". This means that although the different characters have 'lived' through different experiences, their core personality and way of thinking are the same universally.
...And I'm not even on an RP realm. The tl;dr version is "I act like I would do if I was really there, regardless of race or class". As for referencing in the third or first person, I only refer to my main (a Human Paladin) as 'myself', as this is EXACTLY what I would be if I were actually in-game. This was my decision from the very beginning, and I see no reason why I should find this strange (within reason).
Jared Dec 15th 2007 4:44PM
I started playing pen and paper games 8 years ago and that makes me refer to my characters in the first person. The point of roleplaying is to assume a new identity and act as though you were that person and not yourself. Im sure most of us refer to our main as "I" and that's normal. well, as long as you don't actually think YOU just got an epic drop that You will proudly wear......to the supermarket.
NobleArc, The Lazy Canadian Dec 14th 2007 11:07PM
In my head, I'll think: "I finished that quest, I'm finally level 48, I just spent 20g, and I miss it." but I'll say something like: "I just finished that quest on my mage, she's now level 48, and had to spend 20g for spells and new gear."
Dunno why.
Moonwhisp Dec 15th 2007 12:52AM
I switch between first and third person a lot, while in the middle of a conversation. I mainly think while playing that I'm my character but when I talk about what I do, I end up using third person.
Tom Dec 15th 2007 12:57AM
Im half french so i speak both languages, for some strange and unfathomable reason in french i refer to my rogue on first person and in english in third person.
hart_ducha Dec 15th 2007 3:24AM
I'm a little of an alt-aholic too. I end up having crazy thoughts like, "I'll send all this cloth and spider silk to my tailor, she'll know what to do with it." Or, "my poor hunter, all she really does lately is stand around disenchanting stuff." But when I'm playing a character, I think and talk about that character in the first person.
Finnicks Dec 15th 2007 4:09AM
There's probably something wrong with me, but as an RPer I usually refer to my characters as if they were separate people, since they have backstories.
My main, the undead warlock, Finnicks, is a character that's been with me for many years and has existed in many manifestations, the latest of which is my WoW main.
You'll probably think I'm psycho, but he's a manifestation of my darker side, and I find that roleplaying him I vent my evil side so that I can continue being a hopeless goodie-tooshoes in real life.
But I still refer to him as a seperate person. He's only come out once in real life, and lemmetellyawut it wasn't pretty. The unfortunate person that met him up close and personal hasn't come near me since. They avoid me like the plague, matter of fact.