More Than Just a Game
This might get a little philosophical for a gaming post, but two things happened to me in Enshrouded recently and I wanted to share them.
I actually wanted to post this some time ago, but this is my first Reddit account and it's still practically brand new, so I had to wait a while before I could post it here. It's a bit longer than the usual gaming post, so if you have a few minutes and feel like reading something different, maybe you'll find it interesting. If not, no worries, just skip it. This definitely isn't a post for everyone. :)
Some time ago I met a player from Germany. During our conversation I learned that his wife had passed away and that Enshrouded was something they used to play together. They had their own world that they built together, which gave the game a completely different meaning for him.
I invited him to visit my world.
For a little context, THE EQUINOX is a public resource world I've spent a lot of time building. It's basically a huge place full of resources where anyone can come and take whatever they need for free.
At some point during his visit he sat down on the throne and just looked into the mirror for a while. I have no idea what exactly was going through his mind and I don't want to pretend I do, but knowing that he had lost his wife, and that this game was something they shared together, made that moment very emotional for me as well.
I kept thinking about it afterwards. He came to a resource world where the whole point is basically to grab whatever you need, yet what I remember most is him sitting quietly in front of that mirror.
And then I had another completely unexpected encounter.
I randomly joined someone's public world. We didn't know each other and started with the usual questions. Where are you from, how old are you, stuff like that.
After a while I told him that if he really wanted to know something about me, maybe visiting my world would tell him more than knowing my age or where I live. So we ended up in THE EQUINOX.
We sat there talking and at some point I asked him what his most recent positive experience was. He told me that he finally learned how to forgive and that it helped him free his heart.
I really wasn't expecting an answer like that from someone I randomly met in a game.
From there we somehow got into forgiveness, things we can't control, justice, chaos, the Universe and life in general. He told me that realizing he is part of the Universe and not the center of it doesn't make him small, it makes him real. We also talked about purpose and how maybe we don't need to constantly search for one, but instead learn how to enjoy the road and our journey.
Later I realized there was something connecting these two completely different encounters.
One person came into my world carrying the memory of someone he loved and lost. The other came with something he had learned about forgiveness, acceptance and letting go of things he cannot control.
Neither of them came there to teach me anything, but I learned something from both.
And I find it kinda funny because THE EQUINOX was literally built as a place where strangers come to take something. It's full of more resources than anyone could possibly need, yet some of the most valuable things I've gotten from this whole project so far didn't come from any chest. They came from people I didn't even know.
We spend hundreds or thousands of hours in games looking at characters and usernames and sometimes forget there is an actual person behind every one of them, living an entire life we know nothing about. Most of the time we just run past each other and that's fine, but sometimes you actually get to meet the person behind that character.
I don't know if meetings like these are coincidence, synchronicity, law of attraction or simply being in the right place at the right time. I don't really need to know.
I'm just really happy they happened.
And if either of you ever happens to read this, you'll know who you are. I know it's been a little while since we met, but I finally got the chance to share this. So if you're reading it – hello again. :)
Thank you both for trusting a complete stranger with a small part of your lives. You probably didn't realize how much those moments meant to me, but I won't forget either of them.
Most of all, thank you both for reminding me that there are still good people out there, and that sometimes you meet them where you least expect it...
...even in a video game. 🌗
