When World of Warcraft came out, I got hooked pretty fast, so this reminds me a bit of that. My best friend tried to get me into Everquest but I just didn't feel the game was very enjoyable from a social or "solo" standpoint. In WoW, I was able to log-in and do solo stuff that was interesting or accept the group invites to heal some five or ten-man groups (which I had become quite proficient at). I haven't played seriously for several years (focused on building my online business so I can quit my day job) but I still think about the online friendships, my former guild mates, where they are and what they are doing. I had a sort of connection with them at the time that was a bigger part of my life than those who were physically around me, with the exception of my daughter. Nowadays, however, when I slow down just a bit, I still miss playing D&D! :D