Most people, if asked how their hobbies and their work concerns come together, would say hobbies are a distraction from work. Games and other diversions take time that you might otherwise be spent getting things done. Online text-based games are some of the worse culprits for this, since employees sometimes find themselves diverted in the office itself.
Online Roleplaying Games (RPGs), however, are the ground where real life meets total entertainment. In them, although you are certainly being entertained, you’re also learning important lessons about society, and being a part of a group. These lessons can serve you well in the workplace.
The Top Four Business Lessons I Learned From Online RPGs
1. Treat Others Respectfully
When I first started text-based gaming, I was utterly clueless. I didn’t know how to talk to someone out of character, or even that there was any reason I shouldn’t just use the “say” command. People could figure it out from context, right?
This was back in 1997, on Harper’s Tale MOO. When I arrived, people walked me through everything I needed to know. They told me how to get a client, how...