SUBTERFUGE Forums

So, here's a question that's been rolling around in my brain for a while: Does playing a game based on lies, fear, and manipulation make you a worse person? Or, alternatively, does it make you less likely to be manipulated, paranoid, or dishonest?
Here's my thinking:
For answer A (the bad one), I keep coming back to the age-old concept that pretending to be something inevitably turns you into that thing. While that idea isn't 100% true (I will never become a space marine, no matter how much I pretend to be one), its core idea, that our outlook on life is changed by pretending to act a certain way, I think is true.
But for answer B, perhaps all of our practice lying and manipulating doesn't affect us, except to teach us the tricks of the trade. Perhaps we are better prepared to spot liars than we were before because of Subterfuge. After all, the best way to understand a person is to walk in their shoes.
Anyways, I'm curious for some thoughts here.

Absolutely it influences real life. I haven't had a straight 8hrs sleep since starting Subterfuge.

While the game may teach honest people to lie and betray, and people who already do that to do it better, it also teaches life lessons -- betrayal has a short term gain while alliances have long term gain. And it still comes down to choice. You can choose to lie, or you can to be honest.

Life is about the small decisions we make; virtual or not. Bad people become bad one decision at a time.

On the np forum theres a confession thread, detailing the truly mad things people havspe done to get online for a crucial play... Dark stuff.

carter j burke wrote:Absolutely it influences real life. I haven't had a straight 8hrs sleep since starting Subterfuge.

You know, I think my sleeping problems started around the time I got subterfuge....

I have a 6 week old baby - she's ideal for helping me wake up regularly during the night to check I'm not being betrayed. Also means my enemies have absolutely no idea what time zone I'm playing from!

I am more irritable due to lack of sleep. I can't say there is any direct correlation as people's objectives are more diverse than 3 types of outposts, .

However, I do think it improves my critical faculties.

It has *absolutely* impacted my mood on several occasions.

When I attacked someone at a moment that was a borderline backstab, I felt bad for two days. I like to think that I *try* to play honest, but I guess I simply don't have the ability to constantly betray people.

Also, someone was a kingmaker for me once and their generosity really made me feel blessed. That someone would do these things for me! Of course it's just a bunch of pixels on a screen, but it's also real people investing time in short friendships.

So when someone called me a f*cking hypocrit, it actually hurt me. I felt it was uncalled for and I can't remember the last time anyone cursed at me in real life.

In general though, aside from the impact of some individual moments, I find a little bit of the paranoia leaking into real life. Wondering about possible other motives people might have...

Sleep. But, kinda in a good way. Generally I hate waking up in the morning, especially when I have nothing going on that day, so I'll sleep later than I even want to. Subterfuge had changed that, especially early on. Now that I am more familiar with the game, have a better sense of when I am safe and how quickly I could be in danger, I sleep a little longer again.

I wouldn't say that Subterfuge changes who you are. It just allows different parts of your personality to grow more than others. Your ability to lie may grow, while your remorse about it may wither and die. It all depends on how you play though. If your goal is just to do alright and talk to some new people, you'll probably do just that and have a wonderful time with no ill effects. But some people play to win, and there can be only one victor. At this point, it isn't just a game. The ends justify the means, as the old proverb goes. You will use someone like a tool because that is all they are to you, and when you talk to someone, you don't see a person anymore; you see a target. And then you hope this attitude doesn't bleed into the rest of your life.

Yeah. I wake up super early now, not by choice, and can't fall back asleep when theres crucial moves taking place in game.

Oddly enough, the amount of times I can pull something crazy off with 10 minutes to spare is insane.