I #@#$%@! Hate Video Games!

[Lemur]

I have this problem with Elder Scrolls Skyrim. Great game and good stress relief after the spouse and son goes to bed...however I just started a blog as a creative outlet + potential money maker so now I have a new motivation. I think the key here was just replacing the habit with something else.

Now if I could just replace energy drinks (terrible I know) I could be more efficient...tried replacing with coffee but meh I got an addict mind I swear. Good thing I dont' experiment with drugs.

[TheWanderingScholar]

@Lemur;
I used to have this problem with Skyrim, then life happened and I just started disliking it more. I have moved onto old games like Morrowind after downgrading my PC/Laptop. However I do not play Morrowind that much as currently focusing on my thesis and IRL. Which is nice.

But yeah, energy drinks? Bane of my existence which I am slowly pushing out.

[Viktor K]

I deleted all the games off my computer this Spring and started learning to code. For me, learning to code made more sense. I wrote about this on my blog so I don't have the energy to repeat much of it. However, I found that solving coding algorithms is where I really started to "enjoy" coding. Also when working on a website or project. Just like in games, there are problems that have to be solved. Specifically in contrast with online games, the result of effort/skill is only dependent on you. There aren't other players "making you lose".

I still re-install a game every couple weeks, but my life is much more balanced. I find that most games I simply don't enjoy as much when I start to play them. My attention span for games has dwindled considerably. If the game is not interesting and fun within the first hour, then it is too much of a commitment for me. My life has so many greater demands.

However, if your life is not full of things to do, if a lot of your goals are mere wishful thinking and not actually things you desperately need, then why not play games? I think, later in life, I will happily enjoy dumping hours into games again.

Also, for me, I have found that tabletop RPGs allow for so much more freedom and higher-quality social interaction than most/all of the video games I've played. And my favorite style of game is RPG and strategy. Thus, when I play these, if they are not instantly enjoyable or engaging (some of these plots are just way too slow. Even playing the Witcher 3 I keep quitting before the first village whenever I try to pick it back up), I lose interest because I could just roleplay with friends and enjoy myself much more.

I think video games have nice place and are not a dirty hobby by any means. However, they can be a distraction from any sort of goals. If I remember correctly, though, you are not in such a desperate place as I am, so maybe you can just relax a little and enjoy them guilt-free.

[Viktor K]

Here is an additional interesting article that talks about the 8 values of games. If you can find which you identify most with, then you can think about which activities you find more healthy that also scratch that interest. I realize this thread was necro'd and that THF may no longer find this an issue, but for anyone else who has found this pop up on their active topics: https://theangrygm.com/gaming-for-fun-p ... ds-of-fun/

[Jean]

Thanks for the article. I necroed the topic because it's so weird to sink so much Time in a poursuit that leaves so little to show for it. I'm not éventuellement wasting money on it (about 10.- per month)

[Jason]

I wish I saw this thread before I doubled down on ATVI.