BOZ said:
sounds like how i was on civ2
Was? I still am hooked on Civ2... none of that cruddy Civ3 for me... (Civ3 lacks my favorite element of Civ2- the extensive module-building and customization...)
As for D&D addiction, I used to think that I had a strange addiction, and then I looked at my father- every evening, he's either watching a sporting event on TV, out golfing, at the ballpark or arena watching a game, reading Sports Illustrated, or headed off to an Indian casino with one of his buddies. And he still finds plenty of time to spend with his family and maintain a successful career.
So he has his gaming, and I have mine.
But I do think that there is a limit. Some of my friends fit the "gamer nerd" stereotype to a T- they never really talk about anything else, they ignore basic hygene, they pay no attention to the opposite sex (unless that attention comes in the form of Internet porn), they can't maintain an academic life or hold a job for very long... these are the kinds that are worrisome. But as long as you can hold a job or maintain your grades above failing, and are able to carry on conversations about other things, it should be fine. Try taking a week or two doing something else... for the last month, I haven't run any RPG's, have played maybe one session, and the extent of my gaming involvement has been reading ENworld every couple days- and I'm finding no lack of other activities to fill my time.
Really, contrary to the beliefs of some, D&D nerds are no different than hardcore fans of other types. But if that's all you are, you can be rather dull. Ever tried chatting with an obsessive "motorhead"? What about a football "superfan"? A romance novel enthusiast? They're all just as bad. There is a line between enjoying something, and enjoying something to the exclusion of everything else.