Games taking over

celestialteapot · September 22, 2008, 10:32:07 PM

I'm sure I'm not the only one to find that certain games take over your life and don't let it go until you (a) completed it on ever possible difficulty setting (b) completed every little side quest and unlocked everything (c) remove it from your computer/console to prevent you ever going near it again (or for a reasonable level of time).

The first game this happened to for me was 'Simon the Sorcerer' when I was about 9/10yrs old, it was also a time when my dad was home on leave and trying to take an active interest in what his kids were doing - it failed as he soon got very bored. A little while later I'd completed the game and moved on to a game that my uncle recommended called 'Civilisation II'... this one my mum (she's a programmer) took an interest in and we spent hours together playing it. I also have vivid memories of playing 'Theme Hospital' so much that every time I closed my eyes I saw doctors with little dollar signs above their heads!

Other games that took over my life were 'Star Trek 25th Anniversary' (actually this still has control of my life, it's a permanent fixture on my hard drive!), 'Fallout 1 & 2', 'Starfleet Academy' (there's still a level I was never able to get past and sadly I no longer have the game), 'Ripper' and 'The Lost Files of Sherlock Holmes: The Case of the Rose Tattoo'.

I think I'm somewhat fortunate in that MMORPG's aren't really my thing otherwise things might get rather ugly. Although that might be broken by 'Star Trek Online', before then I need to move into a bigger flat so I can build myself an awesome desktop computer that will run it.

Currently, 'Black' (a FPS for the PS2... ooh, abbreviation fun) has control, each level takes between 50 - 90 minutes to complete and it's driving me up the wall! I will defeat the game!

What about you guys?

Meds · September 22, 2008, 11:31:18 PM

Well i did Star Wars lego over and over until i got Jedi status, every hidden block and prize. Loved that game. COD is my other game that i keep going back to, hooked i am.

KingIsaacLinksr · September 22, 2008, 11:33:36 PM

Eh, MMOs have certainly had a strong grip on my life. I won't deny that, but we've come to a mutual agreement. I no longer crave nor wish to play MMOs anymore, but if I have nothing else to do, well, then I do them. Its why Wow has fallen off my favorite list because it no longer fits my play style. In order to be "good" in Wow, you need to have no social life and no work life. Otherwise, it sucks for you. Its no longer "flexible" as it used to be. I blame Blizzard for that grave mistake.

Other games, Star Trek Bridge Commander, Star Craft, and others that don't come to mind. I currently play Eve Online and its a relationship that has been extremely strained due to Wow. But we "get along" as it were.

King

Darkmolerman · September 22, 2008, 11:48:09 PM

I am still adicted to crackdown, it is really fun and well addicting.

billybob476 · September 23, 2008, 07:05:29 AM

Well I've been playing World of Warcraft for over 2 years. There's no way I'll ever do everything in there. Another fixutre is Civilization. I've played Civilization III since it came out and I recently (i.e. yesterday) installed Civ 4 for the first time.

Rico · September 23, 2008, 08:25:35 AM

Most here already know this but I've played MMO's for a long time. Everquest, then EQ2, then World of Warcraft. But I'm one of those rare MMO players that doesn't feel compelled to play all the time. Many nights I don't log in at all. And it doesn't bother me. The great thing about WoW as compared to older MMO's is you can really get in fast, have a little fun and get out. Which is why I like it. I don't care about Uber gear. There really has never been a game where I felt it was taking over my life. I have too many other interests that take up my time.

KingIsaacLinksr · September 23, 2008, 10:50:06 AM

Quote from: Rico on September 23, 2008, 08:25:35 AM
Most here already know this but I've played MMO's for a long time. Everquest, then EQ2, then World of Warcraft. But I'm one of those rare MMO players that doesn't feel compelled to play all the time. Many nights I don't log in at all. And it doesn't bother me. The great thing about WoW as compared to older MMO's is you can really get in fast, have a little fun and get out. Which is why I like it. I don't care about Uber gear. There really has never been a game where I felt it was taking over my life. I have too many other interests that take up my time.

Gah, never mind my post. I was derailing the thread before I knew it...;)

King

MSUFan · September 25, 2008, 07:27:19 AM

Quote from: Kinglinksr on September 22, 2008, 11:33:36 PM
Eh, MMOs have certainly had a strong grip on my life. I won't deny that, but we've come to a mutual agreement. I no longer crave nor wish to play MMOs anymore, but if I have nothing else to do, well, then I do them. Its why Wow has fallen off my favorite list because it no longer fits my play style. In order to be "good" in Wow, you need to have no social life and no work life. Otherwise, it sucks for you. Its no longer "flexible" as it used to be. I blame Blizzard for that grave mistake.

Other games, Star Trek Bridge Commander, Star Craft, and others that don't come to mind. I currently play Eve Online and its a relationship that has been extremely strained due to Wow. But we "get along" as it were.

King

Blizzard didn't do that. You did that.

KingIsaacLinksr · September 25, 2008, 10:05:12 AM

Quote from: MSUFan on September 25, 2008, 07:27:19 AM
Quote from: Kinglinksr on September 22, 2008, 11:33:36 PM
Eh, MMOs have certainly had a strong grip on my life. I won't deny that, but we've come to a mutual agreement. I no longer crave nor wish to play MMOs anymore, but if I have nothing else to do, well, then I do them. Its why Wow has fallen off my favorite list because it no longer fits my play style. In order to be "good" in Wow, you need to have no social life and no work life. Otherwise, it sucks for you. Its no longer "flexible" as it used to be. I blame Blizzard for that grave mistake.

Other games, Star Trek Bridge Commander, Star Craft, and others that don't come to mind. I currently play Eve Online and its a relationship that has been extremely strained due to Wow. But we "get along" as it were.

King

Blizzard didn't do that. You did that.

I strongly disagree. But that's all I'll say.

King

billybob476 · September 25, 2008, 10:10:11 AM

I haven't played it for awhile but Wing Commander 1 and 2 gave me tendinitis in my shoulder when I was younger.

X · September 25, 2008, 10:12:05 AM

Quote from: MSUFan on September 25, 2008, 07:27:19 AM
Quote from: Kinglinksr on September 22, 2008, 11:33:36 PM
Eh, MMOs have certainly had a strong grip on my life. I won't deny that, but we've come to a mutual agreement. I no longer crave nor wish to play MMOs anymore, but if I have nothing else to do, well, then I do them. Its why Wow has fallen off my favorite list because it no longer fits my play style. In order to be "good" in Wow, you need to have no social life and no work life. Otherwise, it sucks for you. Its no longer "flexible" as it used to be. I blame Blizzard for that grave mistake.

Other games, Star Trek Bridge Commander, Star Craft, and others that don't come to mind. I currently play Eve Online and its a relationship that has been extremely strained due to Wow. But we "get along" as it were.

King

Blizzard didn't do that. You did that.

I'm going to have to agree with you on that. I played WOW in my spare time and had great fun. If you are on the have fun and not compete with everyone on the server, then you can. I solo played all the way up to like level 40 without needing others to help me. If I wanted to team up I could using the whole search thing. I played on my time and enjoyed that. It didn't interfere with my life in any way except the allocation of game time that I spent each week.

Blackride · September 26, 2008, 11:47:36 AM

Before I had a kid I played DAOC about 60 hours each weekend and another 20-30 for the week. That just had to stop :)

MSUFan · September 26, 2008, 09:35:39 PM

Quote from: Kinglinksr on September 25, 2008, 10:05:12 AM
Quote from: MSUFan on September 25, 2008, 07:27:19 AM
Quote from: Kinglinksr on September 22, 2008, 11:33:36 PM
Eh, MMOs have certainly had a strong grip on my life. I won't deny that, but we've come to a mutual agreement. I no longer crave nor wish to play MMOs anymore, but if I have nothing else to do, well, then I do them. Its why Wow has fallen off my favorite list because it no longer fits my play style. In order to be "good" in Wow, you need to have no social life and no work life. Otherwise, it sucks for you. Its no longer "flexible" as it used to be. I blame Blizzard for that grave mistake.

Other games, Star Trek Bridge Commander, Star Craft, and others that don't come to mind. I currently play Eve Online and its a relationship that has been extremely strained due to Wow. But we "get along" as it were.

King

Blizzard didn't do that. You did that.

I strongly disagree. But that's all I'll say.

King

This is all I'm going to say about this and then I'll be fairly done. King, with MMO's and quite frankly anything in your life you define what is good, not others. Everyday is decided before you even doing anything just by your mindset. If you believe you are going to have a good day and enjoy everything to the fullest, you will. It is that simple.

Blizzard created a very fun game. It is supposed to be "fun" by your definition. You seem to define fun as being an uber god of Azeroth. Blizzard did not tell you that the goal of the game was to have the most uber a lewest gear ever created. You decided that having all those things is what made your game fun. It is what drove you to think that it is a job. Look at all those people who just enjoy the game for what it is, a game.

As you grow up you will learn what is important. You will begin to understand that you and only you decide whether or not you have succeeded. Not just in WoW, not just in video games, but in life as well. I guarantee that if you ask anyone who is extremely pleased in their lives why they are so happy, they will tell you a few things. That one they make sure everyday they are given is a masterpiece and the second is that they believe without a doubt that they have succeeded.

So I live with this. Happiness is not an emotion, it is a state of mind. You already predetermine what you are going to feel about something before it happens. If you are continually unhappy and upset with the type of gear you have or your life you will be the way, unhappy. Sometimes redefining a criteria of "good" and "fun" is what we all need. My Grandfather told me that if you don't like something, change the way you think about it, and if you still don't like in then make a compromise.

Again, I apologize for the long post, but honestly King I've kinda grown tired of your upset and melodramatic posts. It's time to grow up and really understand how lucky you have it because in the end you could be much much worse.