Issue Date: November 23, 2003
Love is a battlefield
Singles find real romance in fantasy games online.
Divorced and with a son, Heather Smith never thought she'd find Prince Charming. She seldom dated, avoided Internet matchmaking services and wasn't enamored of the local bar scene.
What the 35-year-old insurance claims assistant from DeForest, Wis., couldn't have realized was that happiness was just a few keystrokes (and another universe) away. Or that her knight in shining armor was actually a level-62 Paladin named Soltari.
All she was seeking when she recently made her way around a bustling medieval bazaar at Everquest.com was new weaponry. Instead of a shiny cudgel, she landed a hot date, and scant days later, a permanent adventuring companion. "I didn't go looking for love," says Smith, who clocks 50-odd hours a week at the pastime. "It just found me."
Smith and boyfriend Jeff Boldt, 44, of Madison, Wis., represent a growing cadre of computer users who've discovered that true love may be waiting in -- of all places -- the massive multiplayer online games market.
An Internet-only subset with players interacting in real time throughout various settings, this virtual world of role-playing is fast attracting a group of young, single people, the ones who are more comfortable acting out their fantasies or engaging in social situations behind a computer monitor than face to face. But Match.com this ain't.
Approaching members of the opposite sex under amorous premises can be difficult, and the proper setting is advised. Luckily for you, we've put together a short list of programs that offer a prime context for canoodling.
A good place to start is the library on the Plane of Knowledge in Sony's EverQuest. The fantasy-themed adventure through which Smith and Boldt met boasts upward of 400,000 subscribers. "It's unthinkable to ever imagine you would meet 'the one' in such a place," confesses Boldt, who was pleasantly surprised to learn that the alluring shaman he had been trading weapons with lived just 15 minutes away in the real world. Players here are friendly, the mood is lighthearted, and otherworldly architecture provides an instant topic of conversation. (Costs $29.99 for the base software, $12.95 a month thereafter.)
Also popular is Starwarsgalaxies.com, based on the sci-fi franchise. Featured player occupations like musician and dancer make for a swingin' scene at hot spots like the Mos Eisley cantina. Dancing, drinking and casual conversation are all encouraged within these grimy, futuristic saloons. But remember, no gunplay allowed. (Costs $49.99, plus $14.99 a month.)
More conservative players should try Thesimsonline.ea.com, the latest evolution of the award-winning people simulator. After designing a character, players can build a home, live the bachelor lifestyle and hit the clubs in search of affection. Cosmic's Love Club offers themed quarters like the Retro Room and Royal Throne Room, where computer Casanovas can seduce a partner before whisking her off to the private chapel for a quick wedding. (Costs $29.99, plus $9.99 a month.)
All games come with a 30-day trial period. If only we could say the same for relationships.
-- Scott Steinberg
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