Does anyone else 'lose focus' when playing a game?

[thx1138]

I have noticed a pattern in my games.

I start off as an eager beaver, every action is measured and has a purpose. I make great headway. And then a while later i realise that i have got 'bogged down'. I tend to get drawn into long battles, and my score is not all it couild be. When i look at the date, i realise that i should have been improving techs.

And i get so keen on squishing whichever opponents i am at war with, i even end up clicking CONTINUE on a city, or just building any old rubbish, to get on with the war.

Perhaps this is why i prefer SCENARIOS.

Anyway, i think my Civ2 report card would say NEEDS TO CONCENTRATE, MUST TRY HARDER.

 

[Siny]

Yeah this happens to me all the time and not just Civ.
I can be playing a game and stop focusing on the game I'll then realise that I've been still playing the game but not knowing what I've done.

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<FONT size="5">Siny has spoken!</FONT s>

[This message has been edited by Siny (edited May 24, 2001).]

 

[drake]

Never happens to me no. You guys should stop playing the predictable ai! A human opponent will keep you on your toes and force you topay attention......unless of course you want to lose

 

[BlueMonday]

Sounds like every day of my life.

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[Mongol Horde]

Tip play 1 game then put it back in the box for a month then every one will be like the first. And drake is it possible to reply to a thread without slagging off SP, you like MP better we get the picture.

 

[drake]

And drake is it possible to reply to a thread without slagging off SP, you like MP better we get the picture.

Just trying to help man! These guys lose interest in their games because it becomes easy and predictable (right?). I was only suggesting a way to help alleviate their boredom, by getting opponents that actually have brains

Honestly, just trying to help! (even if I'm biased)

 

[Ecco]

Well, i personally happen to focus, because i hate, i just HATE, if i lose a unit to the AI for no reason, or give up a tech, or give up a wonder. I still enjoy the 'i screwed you again you stupid shmuck' thing and i carefully plan each step and attack.
Of course, sometimes i get screwed, but most of the time i get screwed because the AI did a good job, not because i lost focus.

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"The weak have one weapon: the errors of those who think they are strong."

- Georges Bidault

 

[stormerne]

Well my East Anglian friend, I know exactly what you mean and the cause is not what you expect! You are <u>too</u> focussed, too concentrated. You are describing the stage where you are getting tunnel vision.

Take a step back for a while. Put the game down and sleep on it. Or forget about the battle, look at the strategy for a while. Or take a A4 reduced photocopy of the tech tree, plot what you've got and where you'd like to go, then work out a way to do it before you have another turn. In my experience, looking at the big picture is the way around this ennui.

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[goodbye_mr_bond]

I only lose my focus when I forget why I'm playing a particular game. Usually when I play the AI, I don't think of it as if the AI is my enemy. I always try to keep in mind that I'm actually playing against myself. In other words, as I go to war, expand, whatever, I'm always thinking about how I can maximize my score while at the same time trying to finish as early as possible.

MP players might consider this boring, but as your civ score tends to reflect a well-developed civilization, I like to think it in terms of building an elegant and stable empire. So basically, I would say: don't think of your cities only as knight-factories; try to 'role-play' as if they are real cities which you are managing. And the wars you are engaging in as necessary for your people's survival. Otherwise you'd have more fun just playing chess--AIs are much better at that.

 

[andycapp]

thx1138,

I can understand what you're saying I (and I suspect most Civplayers) have felt like this at some stages. The advice from Stormerne and Mr_Bond is sound, what I would add to that is, deliberately set out to play the game in different ways with different objectives.

For example sometimes I decide I will play the game as a ravenous warmonger and go all out to conquer and show no mercy - my object being to conquer the world in the shortest possible time. At other times I will make my objective to get the highest possible score (I find these games the most boring) or as a change I decide I will build an empire that is happy, productive and with monuments to it's greatness etc and do it in a way that is at least reasonably ethical/moral.

At other times I decide I am simply going to experiment with dfferent strategies and approaches to that, which I normally adopt (eg. experiment by build cities on different types of terrain like hills and mountains etc). No matter which way I play it's good to step back from the micromanagement and plan campaigns or strategies during the game - in short variety is the spice of life - apply it to the way you play Civ.

 

[Dogberry_Old]

I like the "intellectual tension" that comes with a good game.. where you really have to focus & sweat. You just don't get that, playing the AI after a while. It is always present in at least some degree when playing other people.. even in the simpler games that don't go that far.

Past a point .. playing the AI is more like baking a cake than playing a game..at least to me.

Dog

 

[andycapp]

Dogberry you're like a "Dog with a bone"

- couldn't resist!

I take your point, and I suspect many other Fanatics have to - why labor it?

 

[TrailblazingScot]

he is a clucking idiot...

online games are slow!

Play me online and you know that I'll be you...so why play me?

 

[Dogberry_Old]

Hey Kitty .. I was nice !

Lot's of good things are slow.. starting with SlowwHand.

If you have the girl of your dreams sitting next to you .. do you give her a nice, long slowww kiss.. or just a quick peck on the cheek ?

Dog

 

[SlowwHand]

Saw Dog's post and could just blink my eyes.

Thanks, I appreciate that more than you know.

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[Philo]

I always lose concentration after a while and then when i start concentrating again i dont know whats been happening for quite a long time.