[GreenLantern]

I started online games with Diablo, where I met a group of guys who I played UO with for about 6 years and still talk to on a daily basis. I know as much about them as my "offline" (for lack of a better term) friends, we've helped each other through tough times with advise and shared some laughs over jokes, just like I would with my "offline" friends. I've known them, about 12 or 13 guys, for 12 years now, thats longer than some of really close "offline" friends. I have a really good buddy i've known since we were 4 or 5 move to Australia and now we chat daily online and have skype convos to catch up. Is it any different talking to him than it is to these guys I met through a Video game? Does that make it wrong that I don't have that initial RL contact?

This is different then leading two marriages, I have never really been into that, but I do consider these guys close friends and I think the bond that is friendship is formed off of a common interest that is shared between two people. Wether its sports, games, music, or views on life, I don't think that it being over a computer screen makes it any less of a friendship.

Anyone else who has played MMO's can understand where I am coming from, people have pen pals, lots of time people they have never met, is that person not a friend?