Sabusha a dit :

While I think that running into rooms asking for bf/gf is rather silly, I definitely don't think that real long distance relationships are stupid.

It's quite difficult to compare these two cases. Mostly because players asking for a soulmate are kids that simply want to show off. They want their friends to know that they're 'cool and old' now, not a kid anymore. I think it's quite normal, you see kids trying to act like adults all the time in real life as well. It's because they don't want to be treated as kids and want to look like older people. They want to look special in front of their peers. 'Hey, look! I have a girlfriend now, I am so cool, she's so pro!' As long as these two only talk between each other and send each other nice hugs and stuff, I have no problem with that. I don't want to upset anyone here, but these relationships are USUALLY not based on real love and don't last long. It really depends on how the relationship starts and how old you are. If you start this way and you two end up loving each other, that is great for you and I am glad you are happy.

However, REAL long distance relationships (LDR) work between older people. There is a big difference between 'I am looking for GF here whisper me' relationship and the one that is built slowly. Yes, LDR is usually very difficult to manage and it's not easy to handle, but if you are mature and you really mean it, then you have a nice chance to keep your relationship strong.

The reason why I am against the following statement: "This is just fucking bullshit, you don't even marry each other in the internet. Relationships counts on irl love, not internet." is because I myself found my boyfriend here in game and I am very happy with him. We started dating exactly 2 years ago. Yes, it's our second anniversary today and we've visited each other a couple of times and we're planning our own future. Who knows, maybe I'll even end up moving from Europe to America in a year because of him. You probably have bad experiences with dating online which I apologize for, but there are some very happy couples that met each other here in TFM. Some of them are even living together now.

However, I have to admit that I do not know of anyone who's happily in relationship by looking for soulmates in random rooms. If some players want to have fun like that, let them be. The thing I am hoping for is that parents taught them how to behave on the Internet and how to keep their privacy from people they don't know.

I agree that TFM is not a dating site, but you do build relationship with people. I am sure you have some good friends that you'd miss if they disappeared and stopped playing Transformice. It's like saying you cannot have friends on the Internet.