About the Gamer:
It started out by farming mobs for her brother’s character, yet ended up so enticed by the game that she ended up the most avid gamer in her family. She even got her parents to play, too! Just like that, Shauna embarked on a 10-year, love-hate relationship with Lineage.
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Senior Gamer: Shuan
First time encountering online games: 2002
Played Lineage for: 11 years (ongoing)
Class: Elf
Longest consecutive play: 36 hrs
Greatest fear: Cheetos
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▲ Shuan was noted as one of the hottest Lineage gamers of all-time. The magazine Talker contains many interviews with her in past issues.
Q: When did you start playing Gamania games?
Shuan: I was 14 years old in 2002. My brother had to join the conscription program, and begged me to “keep his Lineage character alive”. I did it for my brother, even though I had no interest in games whatsoever. Then the worst happened, I was tricked and my brother’s account was robbed. It was worth more than I would ever imagine a virtual property to be. I had to start from scratch, out of guilt, before my brother came back and find out what happened. I even had our parents pitch in and help level up the character.
I didn’t find it all that fun at first. But before I knew it, I became attached to the game, emotionally. I met so many friends online, and started to look forward to come home and turn on the PC. It started out as 4 hrs per day, and slowly become 5 or 6… Once I was online for 36 hrs straight. That was crazy! The worst was when the server went under maintenance. I literally did not know what to do. I’ve also read about how people died of exhaustion from playing games. That is also one of my deepest fears, ha!
Q: How did playing Lineage expand your social network?
Shuan: I made so many friends through Lineage. Honestly, some of them date back to when I was 14 or 15 years old. Not all of them are still active players, but we’ve always been in touch. They are like any other friend you make in life. The thing is, we might even be closer than friends from other circumstances, because we’ve been through a lot in the game, and already formed some kind of comradeship. They are friends with my parents too, and a lot of them also attended my brother’s wedding.
I got to know of people that were much older than me. That would never have happened in real life. They give me very different advice about life, and I’m still grateful for it. I met my current boyfriend through Lineage, too. I actually was trying to set him up with my cousin, but for some reason… we ended up together (laugh). Many of my friends from Lineage also married their fellow gamers. I know over a dozen of these examples. The magic is there because you already know the people you meet have similar interests as you, so its leads to a stronger relationship.
Q: How was Lineage integrated in your life? What phases did you go through? Which memory had the biggest impact on you?
Shuan: I’ve been playing Lineage since junior high. Lineage practically was my life, all the way till I entered the work force. Many of my classmates became pretty rebellious during this time, and did some crazy stuff. I was the only one that couldn’t wait to go home every day after school. I really had nothing to rebel against, my life was perfect, and I was content.
Speaking of memories… I gained a lot of weight during that time. I mean a LOT. Lineage had this campaign going on at that time, and we bought all the Cheetos we could just to get the lottery tickets for Lineage prizes in them. Tell this day, I can’t bear to look at a Cheetos package.
▲ Shuan has an impressive collection of Lineage products. These Cheetos cards (shown in picture) had her gain quite a few pounds, but luckily it paid off!
Q: How did your perspective of gaming change over the past decade?
Shuan: I started a guild and become the guild master for quite some time. It somehow reflected a lot of events that were going on in real life, and sometimes they dominated everything. But as I grew up, I became more able to separate the virtual and practical world. I’m more in control of my own time now, and I don’t spend every spare cent on the game like I used to do in the old days. (laughs).
Q: How would you describe what Lineage means to you in a simple sentence? Which related memories you hold most dearly?
Shuan: I have a love-hate relationship with Lineage, because I’ve put so much time and money in it, yet it also has given me so much. I met so many wonderful people along the way, and this game actually has party made me who I am today.
I remember myself at the 7th anniversary convention of Lineage. It was crazy. I was determined to go for the side products, but they were only offering 500 tickets through an online lottery system. I was so depressed when my name didn’t come up on the winner’s list. When we heard that 100 tickets would be handed out in a mall in Taipei downtown, I rushed there alone and stood in line for 3 days straight. My online friends were so worried, that a few of them dropped by just to check if I was okay. I was extremely touched, and it turned out to be my most cherished memory to date.
Although my obsession for Lineage has worn off a bit, mainly because my friends eventually stopped, I still play on a daily basis, along with my mother. We even have our own slogan: “Lineage is a land where your dreams can be more than just dreams!” I think these 11 years of Lineage were not bad, not bad at all. My Lineage experience was fun, heartfelt and rewarding, and it still is. It always will be.