Getting your GF to play an MMO....

So.....

I'm really looking forward to Star Wars: The Old Republic (SWTOR).

I'm not the only one it seems, though. My girlfriend has stated she might consider playing it with me.

This is quite momentous, as she really really really hates the idea of playing games like World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy, or other high end mmo's in the current market.

The thing that convinced her? It's Star Wars.

Now we come to my concern, is Star Wars enough of a draw for her to learn, appreciate, and enjoy the mechanics of the modern mmo.

I highly suggest that should your GF decide to try playing you set her up on your own machine. Don't try and put her on some laptop that kinda runs it. Make sure the setup is as clean and comfortable for her as possible.

Let her reconfigure the mouse....don't tell her not to change your settings. Just cause you like your mouse twitchy fast, doesn't mean she does. Same goes for your keyboard, monitor, or chair.

If you want her to enjoy it, she has to be as comfortable as you always are while playing an mmo for hours.

The next thing to remember is, don't hover and try to explain things. Unless she "wants" your help, she'll learn and explore just fine. If it's frustrating, you telling her what to do isn't going to make it any less frustrating. It's just gonna make her feel like she's not really playing and she's being told what to do by you. In an mmo like SWTOR letting her get immersed in it by herself is the best thing you can do to facilitate her enjoyment of the game. Be available to answer questions, but keep it simple and don't try to over explain every facet of the game she asks about.

You might be suprised at how quickly she picks it up.

I'm looking forward to seeing how well my own girlfriend takes to the world of the Old Republic.

Just remember, don't force it; and don't get upset if after an hour she walks away from it frustrated. She probably won't have the experience of patience with an annoying mechanic that you're used to from many previous games of the type. Just try to recall how you felt the first time you were playing an mmo.

We as gamers take alot for granted over the years. Each iterative game that comes along builds on the previous generation. This means someone new to gaming in general has a very steep learning curve that must be taken carefully and slowly. It is all too easy to push too hard and have someone give up in frustration before they begin to enjoy themselves in our hobby.