[melopene]

Incidentally, I do think that you can be important and influential in a game without being on all day, every day. You just have to spend a decent amount of time online every week, and generally be available to RP. That doesn't mean that you can't have some times when you just want to log in, read mail, and go do a few things, then log off, but it DOES mean that you get out of a character what you put into it. But if you spend less than 20 hours a week online, don't expect to be selected to rule a kingdom or other important social structure, because there are specific demands behind that. Also, some of my favorite RP experiences were from people who had little time to play, but had bold characters that were lots of fun.

Also, I'm a graduate student who generally has only a few hours of work per month to do (I write a draft, my committee gets back to me 2-4 weeks later with a handful of edits, rinse, repeat- should be on the academic job market within a month, though). I spend plenty of time socializing, I get out when I want, spend plenty of time with my family and friends, and still have more than enough time to average 10-12 hours a day online. I also find it as an inexpensive and satisfying hobby. A number of MUD players are students, so they have more free time than most.