Member Facts
	Age:	40
	Gender:	Female
	Location:	Chicago, IL U.S.A.
	Occupation:	Manufactures Representative
	Education:	UW-W B.S. in Business/Marketing
	Marital Status:	My what?
	Pets:	All-American Rescue Dog (no-kill shelter, 3-time loser — best dog ever)
	Favorite Movie:	Too many I do like — just can’t think of one that is above all others
	Favorite Book:	Black Night White Snow, The Last Tsar, Trinity, Poland (when on vacation as many books as possible, any books)
	Favorite Band:	Anything from classical to hard rock (excluding rap and country western)
	Favorite Actor:	Really don’t have one

So how did it all begin for you — how did you get introduced to gaming and what was your first game?
I’ve always been a gamer.  The first game that I can remember was Ms Pacman.

When did you make the cross into MMORPGs?
An accident I’d finished a computer game — there was nothing out on Nintendo that interested me.  One day I was browsing in a software store, and EQ caught my eye.

How did you choose your Echelon nickname and/or game names?  Is there a story behind them?
I usually choose my names from books.  Since joining Echelon, it has been easier to stay with one name:  I have a feeling no matter what name I chose for a new character she’d get called Ady.

How did you discover The Echelon?  Why did you decide to join?  How long have you been a member?
Shadowbane:  four of us were playing together.  I have the most time, so it was my task to find us a guild.  Came to the website and just loved what I was reading.  The game name may change, but I’m a gamer, I’ll be there.  Much more fun to do it with a group of like-minded friends.

What is your favorite genre of game:  medieval fantasy, science fiction, comic book, or contemporary world?  Why?
Medieval-type fantasy.

What are your favorite race (i.e., human or nonhuman), gender, and class (i.e., tank, nuker, healer, thief, etc.) to play?  Is there a particular reason why you choose them?
I spent three years playing EQ as a cleric; If I never see “HEAL ME!” in Group chat again, it will be a week too soon.  I prefer to play some sort of caster — I will never again play a class that is totally dependent on others.  Class is much more important to me than race.

What is your primary reason for playing MMORPGs (i.e., an escape from real life, to take out aggression, to explore alternate personas, to become immersed in a fictional world)?
I consider gaming my hobby.  I just plain love to game.

What do you consider achievement in a MMORPG (i.e., high level, possession of rare artifacts or equipment, a broadened social circle, notable PvP conquests)?
I’m goal-orientated:  by nature, I strive for the level cap/ability cap.  I love to quest, although I’ve recently surprised myself with my enjoyment of crafting.

Now some fun stuff.  What is the longest stretch of time you have ever played straight — breaking only for restroom visits or food?  What was keeping your attention that long?
Humm...  Probably 7 hours.  A group of us were in Mistmoor (EQ zone), just having a ball.  Time got away from me — had to work on like two hours sleep.  That is as close as I’ve ever been to sitting down on Michigan Ave and bursting into tears — I was a total wreck.

Would you care to share any particularly amusing, exhilarating, or touching stories from your MMORPG experiences?
I was taking a boat to FV, spilt coffee on my wireless mouse, and just ran right over the big ship from the shuttle.  Swam and swam — being a noob, I eventually drown with no loc.  A very smart druid, with the help of a Necro, was able to find my corpse the next day...  Have a fear of water (in game) still.

What MMORPG are you currently playing?  How long have you been a subscriber?  What keeps you playing?
Horizons, since it came out — so like eight months.  See above — I’m a gamer. :P   Actually, I’m enjoying Horizons.  It's entertaining and not a huge time sink.  Perfect till the next huge time sink.

What upcoming MMORPG are you most anticipating?  Why?
I’m honestly not sure.  I have high hopes for EQ2 and WoW — I have both pre-ordered.  I do know in the end I will have to choose one.  There are not enough hours in a day for two.

Is there anything else you would like to share with the guild?
I really love being a part of Echelon — you are all fun to game with.

Special Section:  "Women of Echelon" Series

The "Women of Echelon" Series is a special feature of interviews with our female guild members, showcasing their unique perspective as the smaller MMORPG player segment and giving them an opportunity to share their thoughts, experiences, and hopes on major gaming issues, the MMORPG community, and The Echelon Gaming Guild.

It has been said that Western women are typically not socialized to play video or pc games.  Do you agree with that statement (either based on your own experience or on the experiences of your female friends)?  Do you feel that current MMORPGs would more broadly appeal to women if they had more exposure opportunities?
I think many American women just have a different idea of entertainment.  I do see lots more playing than I did a few years ago, though.

There is a familiar gender tautology in the game industry:  (1) game advertisements, magazines, and avatars use effusive displays of female sexuality because women continue to be a small segment of the gaming demographic and they must appeal to the male audience; (2) women find effusive displays of female sexuality in game advertisements, magazines, and avatars either intimidating, discouraging of their participation, or outright offensive and therefore continue to be a small segment of the gaming demographic.  Do you feel either statement has validity?  Do you find the visual or textual presentation of games to be alienating to women?  Do you find that you turn a "blind eye" to male-oriented marketing gimmicks?  Has the marketing of games changed over the course of your gaming career?
Wow.  I’ve honestly never thought about it.  I game because I enjoy it.  /shrug

Some researchers have hypothesized that the violence in games, particularly MMORPGs and FPSs, continues to be a deterrent to female gamers.  How has the violence in MMORPGs affected your experience?  Does violence enhance or detract from your game play?
They are games; I guess I just don’t focus on that aspect but rather more on the questing and gaming.

Harassment is a recognized problem in MMORPGs.  Have you ever been subject to harassment (particularly sexual) by male players?  Have you ever lied about your real gender or played a male character to avoid harassment?
My closest friends have told me that you only need talk to me for a few minutes to know I’m a woman.  No, I’ve never denied being a woman, and I only very rarely make a male character (not sure why that is).

Yes, I was once the victim of a unbelievable case of sexual harassment.  It has left me very cautious about giving out personal information.  I figure if someone is interested in becoming friends, over time we’ll exchange information at a comfortable rate for both of us.

How would you describe your real-life social circle?  Do you have more, less, or an approximately equal distribution of male and female friends?  How has your MMORPG hobby affected your friendships with both genders?
I’ve an equal number of male and female friends.  My social life is as active or inactive as I make it.  My job requires me to spend many hours participating in mindless chat; sometimes I just enjoy being alone.  I used to be okay with talking about gaming.  I’ve come to realize most of my friends find it “odd.”  It’s easier to just not bring it up.

Have you ever attempted to convince a female friend to play a MMORPG with you?  Did she play?
Yes, and she played for a while.  Much to my dismay, she quickly started using EQ as a chatroom.  She no longer games but stays in touch (chatroom-style) with several of the people she spend hours chatting with in EQ.  /shrug

If you started playing MMORPGs at the invitation of a friend, spouse, partner, or significant other, how much convincing did you need?
No one else to blame — I did this to myself.

Imagine you were asked to describe the value of playing MMORPGs and belonging to The Echelon to another woman.  What would you say?
I don’t see this as a gender question.  Any of my friends that game I recommend Echelon to.  Most adults prefer gaming with other adults — it’s great to be able to move from game to game with the same people.

Anything else you would like to tell the guild about MMORPGs, female membership in the guild, or your experiences as a female gamer?
This guild of gamers has forgotten more than I know about MMORPGs.  Seriously doubt there would be anything I knew that they didn’t.  As to being a female gamer, worry less about female and more about gamer.  If you come to play, you’ll be accepted and respected.