While we were in Greece, Oct 7 I was asked by a colleague to try out a game for “Pakikisama” sake. It was a game called “Clash of Clans” an on-line in-phone game set in the medieval “lord of the rings” times wherein you mine gold to get money, pump elixirs to create troops (barbarians, archers, wizards and dragons) and then attack others to get more money and build your base. Then when you get to certain level you get to create or join clans and fight with other clans. Its a very addictive game cause at first it only takes a couple of minutes to just harvest your gold & elixir every day and then there’s nothing pretty much to do. As the game progresses, it becomes more competitive and cooperative and you spend more and more time. Since everything
I would just like to share some nuggets of gold I picked up while playing the game…
1. Sin works in stealth mode – COC is not Sin but the way it hooks you is like it – It feels good at first and then guilt catches up to you (for some people it takes longer) and later on you get to that stage of denial that you’re actually over doing it.
2. Time is Gold – In the game, whenever you upgrade something whether it be troops or structures, it takes time. In the beginning a few minutes, to a few hours and eventually it will take weeks. This teaches you patience. For those who can’t wait, your op you can wait or you can pay your way up. Like what I mentioned, buy Gems which buy you time. This just proves that time is Gold.
3. Power corrupts – There is someone who is stronger & better than you. Specially in this world of over 7B people, you got to be content with who you are. I don’t mean not striving to be the best, but accepting it when you’re not. My base is far from being the best (as you can see) but i’m happy just to be able to win some and lose some.
4. Life is a temporary – As pathetic as it may sound, our life on earth is not the real thing. Eventually, everything we have earned and saved, gets left behind to the next person regardless whether you like it or not. When my partner in Post Ad Boom died, her dying wish was that the money she has be given to her niece. It never happened even when we told the family about her wish. In COC, or any game for that matter, its a virtual world within that our temporary world. However, I’d like to think I made real some real new friends in that game tho I never got their full names — I do hope that someday I can meet them in person, shake their hands and thank them for helping me out.
5. Tools are made to be used but can be misused – I’m sure the original maker created it to entertain and relieve stress but once i started getting hooked, it actually didn’t just only add to my stress making me grumpy at times but it also gave me sleepless nights.
6. No man is an island – when you get into a clan, its not just about receiving, its giving and succeeding as a team. No matter how powerful you are you just can’t put troops in your own castle. You need to request and other people need to give you. I’ve hopped over several clans, the best one i’ve found is — MANB. However, it is the people who actually make a clan and I’d like to give special mention to great people like Faye, Cramz, Cristel8, Xtian_76, Makaryo, Zer0, Chief_Allen, Kamotz14, Gem, Sigmund, who not only welcomed me but patiently helped me out in winning battles. Of course, ex-Imagine Nation photographer Sheryl Aguiba aka Pachechay who introduced me into this wonderful clan.
This is my wonderful clan - MANB. We've encountered more powerful clans who we can't beat but they're not as tightly knit as ours.

This is my wonderful clan – MANB. We’ve encountered more powerful clans who we can’t beat but they’re not as tightly knit as ours.

If you will see here (check the stats), there are people in the clan who just give. And people who just take (then of course the in between). Watch out for those people… they’re the literal “Suckers”. They need to understand life is “Give and Take”. If you can’t give virtual money, how can you detach from real money.
very few just give, mostly give and take and there are those that just without shame just take.

very few just give, mostly give and take and there are those that just without shame just take.

Today, after much hesitation, I’ve finally uninstalled the game from all my phones! Not because I wasn’t enjoying it but I was enjoying it too much. At first I thought I could just control myself and limit the # of minutes I play each day but there are times I honestly find the game taking over what supposed to be time with kids & family, time for work and most importantly, time with God. In my quiet times, I already promised God i’d take it out… parting wasn’t as easy as I thought. I’ve made friends whom I know i’d only get to chat with there…
I’m going to miss more than the game itself waking up to see who is up and online in the clan… requesting to see who would give and what they would give. Having something to chat about with people from the company…
As a tribute, here is my base…. yes, I did buy some Gems.
after a month of playing, i'm now upgrading my townhall to 8 & I have 5 builders.

after a month of playing, i’m now upgrading my townhall to 8 & I have 5 builders.

A couple of blogs ago, I wrote an excerpt from the book “Gotta have it” and I wrote there that hobbies are meant to fill up the unproductive times in our life but when they start creeping in to the necessities like family, work, etc. Then it becomes an excess that need to be stopped.

I’d like to end this blog post with my final two words… something that describes what I feel finally once again — I’m free!