I spent more than half of my adult life (I'm 77) in Christian ministry. Then God allowed circumstances to occur that left me fully disabled and spending almost all of my time inside my home. My life before this was about being God's vessel through which He could minister to others, so I had to pray asking Him how I was supposed to serve Him when I mostly had to stay home inside. His answer was clear and surprising. The world has many people who spend hours playing online computer games. My calling was to do as much as possible to be Christ's representative to those people. Now just like in the real world, there are places in the online world Christians need to stay away from. And just like in the real world, a Christian has to behave according to God's instructions in the Bible. If God says not to do it in the real world, then a Christian should not do it in the online world. So one must make sure they are not playing an online game that requires them to do what God says not to do in the real world. However there are several online games that a Christian can play and not do what God says not to do. Many online games are just different versions of real life. You can choose to be a bad person or a good person. You can choose to do good things or bad things. So in online games I choose to do the things God says to do in the Bible and not do the things God says not to do. Just like in the real world I am an example of, and a witness, concerning God, just as He wants Christians to be - the Light of the world and the salt of the earth. And the people playing the online games respond to me just as people respond to Christians in the real world. So there is opportunity to be God's vessel online just as there is in real life. But there is a desperate need for online games that Christian children can play, free of the threat of being influenced to be bad instead of good. So I pray that Christian computer experts and professionals make good computer online games that are safe for Christian children.
Several great, commercial online games allow us to play the game on our own servers and modify them. I am doing this to make G-rated games that do not allow lewd, rude, crude, or nude behavior, and are as free as possible of offensive content. This does not mean people can't act that way, it means I can ban them from the game for such behavior. At this time I am doing this for an online multiplayer game named Ark Ascended. I rent a server from a company that provides servers for rent and on which they install a copy of the Ark Ascended multiplayer online game that anyone can play on, but I am the server Administrator. This way I have control of who plays and can modify the game to eliminate objectional aspects of the game. If you want to play on my Ark Ascended server, you need to purchase the game. - but I must warn you the Ark Ascended game requires a powerful enough computer to run well so make sure your computer meets the requirements. Just google what the computer requirements are for playing Ark Ascended. I use an online game provider named "Steam" that sells games and provides an easy way for you to install and run the game on your computer, and keep it updated as necessary. Simply google "Steam" and "Welcome to Steam" shows up with a description of what it is and gives the option to install it on your computer. Once Steam is installed you can go to its store, search for Ark Ascended, buy it and install it on your computer. Once Ark Ascended is installed and ready to play, Steam will have it listed as your game and you can click on the on the game picture and another screen pops up with a "play" button. When that is done click the "play" button and after a few moments a series of screens pop up ending with one that has a bunch of game ads that you can ignore, and a "press to start" button. Also a small window will pop up wanting you to let a program named "BattlEye" be installed on your computer. Allow it to happen. It is an anticheat program needed to play the game. Click on the "press to start" button. Click on "join game". Click on "Unofficial" at the top of the screen. There is a horizontal menu list under Unofficial. Make sure that list says, "ALL MAPS" followed by "PVE". At the bottom of the screen check the "Show password protected servers" box. At the upper right of the screen go to "Search" and type "BodyofChrist" (without the quotation marks), then click on the "refresh" button at the bottom of the screen. My server "BodyofChrist" will show up. Sometimes it will not show up because at times server maintenance is going on, but after a while when the maintenance is finished it will show up when you hit "refresh" again. When it shows up a "join" button lights up at the bottom right of the screen. If the server name and the join button show up but is not bright, just click the refresh button again until the name and the join button are bright. At the bottom of the screen there is a "Add to favorites" button you should click so you don't always have to go through the searching process again. Then click the join button and a box will appear for you to put in the password. Type "English" (without the quotes) in the password box (because that is the only language I know) and the game will start. You will need to create a "character" that will be you playing the game. When making your character make sure you give it a name or by default your name will permanently be "Human". When you are finished click on "Create" and you will enter the game. A map will show up giving you choices of where you want to start. Make your choice and click "Spawn". This is a survival game with dinosaurs that some of will attack you. I suggest you stay on the beach and crouch when you move and stay away from critters until you have made weapons, etc. Weather can kill so I suggest learning fire items and clothing for warmth, then make a shelter. And develop fortitude and movement speed to run away from danger. But of course, play the way you want :).
Email me at Christowned@gmail.com if you have a question.
If you want to know about me and my standards go to my website by clicking on this link Christiandisciple.org (or type Christiandisciple.org in the address bar of your internet browser). If you would like to watch a video explaining why and how a Christian can play online games, go to You Tube and search for John Roy Frazer. Click on "video" and watch one that has "Christian" or "Christianity" in their title.