(Originally posted on SW forums)

Here’s a little story. It’s very much true.

It begins when I was nearly 15 years old. I was in Year 9 at the time. My freinds at school persuaded me to try this game. It was called Maplestory. I wasn’t keen on it, because it looked crappy.

I made a warrior (with screwed up stats) and played. I became fond of the game. It got to Lvl 18 and then I deleted it.

I restarted, with the help of my freinds from school, and made my Mage (JCoolMage)

I would only play for a few hours at max in the evenings after going out with freinds.

Within a couple of weeks I had hit Lvl 30. I made the advancement with my freinds to Ice-Lightning, and all was good. Then I began training more hardcore. I wouldn’t go out every day, like I used to, rather go out once or twice a week, and spend the rest of my time on Maple. Homework would be left till 10 or 11Pm to complete.

Weeks and months past. Now I’m 16, In my final year at school. I’ve been married to a girl on maple (wasn’t a “serious” relationship, more of a good freind one) for almost 5 months. Then, through a freind (who I met in RL) of a freind, I met this other girl. We talked in game and then moved onto MSN, often spending all night talking to each other. We fell in love I guess and from then on, I completly stopped going out with my freinds. I’d stay up till 4 and 5am on school nights talking to her. This carried on for about 6 months.

By now my mage was 7x, I became so focused on Maple that I failed to give enough time to this girl as I should have, we grew apart and split up. She then told my MapleWife (whom I was still married to) about what happend and that prompted a divorce =.= I guess that was my fault, but meh ._.

I became really depressed, I took several overdoses and was put on Anti-Depressant pills. No-one knew, not even my parents. I was seriously ill for around 3 weeks, and with the Final year of School, I had my GCSE’s in this time period. .__.”

In the mocks, 3 months earlier I had achieved 1 A*, 5 B’s and 4 C’s. Not bad, considering I did no revision at all.

In my real exams, I achieved 6 C’s and 4 D’s. Pretty much fail.

I have a goal in life is to buy a motorcycle so I can go riding with my Father (We go out Pillion every couple of weeks, great fun)

I took a gap year from School and after a month or so, found a Job. It wasn’t bad, pay was alright and the people were nice. I was doing well, I would get home about 8Pm, and play on Maple till about 11, then bed.

My mage was now high 9x, and I was intent on Lvl 100. I began saying to myself “just another 10minutes”, which in real terms was at least half an hour.

I created my Crusader on the 11th November and quit my Mage. I began training this till the early hours of the Morning.

This carried on and I started being late for work every so often. In the end, this led to being given a 4 week warning, terminating my working contract. I was gutted, I felt like I’d failed myself and my dad (I do alot of things, so I can be like him, He’s helped me with alot of things – I really look up to him, although I live with my Mother, we don’t really get on well)

I sleep during the day, waking up at around 8pm to complete my 9pm-1am 2x Card (GMT Times) and sleep at about 11am.

I have no job, only 2 real life freinds, plenty of “real life” skills, but nothing on paper, which is what Employers need to see. I have no forseeable future and I’m petrified of ending up being a bum.

I spend about $100 (£50) every 3 months on NX, and often waste it on crap :

I know alot of you will just say that it’s my fault. I’ll accept most of the responsibilty but there is something about this game. It’s not just me, I know alot of people who play simular hours to me. I’ve heard of it ruin a real life marridge among another things.

I understand nothing can really be done, but I just hope that none of you who play this game get in the same situation as me, and if you are I seriously suggest you get out of it as quick as you can :