It's been discussed here on many threads over several years and it's one thing that really surprised me when I started hanging out here. The term some of us like to use is
self-insertion. For whatever reason, many that play these things take on the role of the MC, that's why they get so emotional about certain things. I never do that...it doesn't even occur to me to do that. For me, it would be the equivalent of becoming Aragorn when I read LotR. No, sorry, I am curious about how the story unfolds, but I don't make that mental shift. Buuut.....for some, it's their way of playing these things and I just have to virtually pat them on the back remind them,
it will be ok.