Yes. These are all things I've been experiencing over the past few years as well.
How Have Your Gaming Habits Changed?
- Thread starter Commodore
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Yes. These are all things I've been experiencing over the past few years as well.
Mise
isle of lucy
I haven't changed too much in the philosophy of what games I like and enjoy, but I have changed the specific games. E.g. I used to enjoy games TBSs like Civ and RTSs like C&C and AoE as a teenager, but now I prefer RPGs. I found that the thing I liked about Civ and RTSes was min-maxing, cheese strats, or troll strats (e.g. using a massive corps of engineers to take over enemy buildings in Red Alert). When I was in uni, though, I played WoW hardcore, which frankly fulfilled all of the requirements of a good game for me. So that was literally the only game I played for a long time, and the game that got me in to MMOs and RPGs. I've played a number of different MMOs, but only WoW and Star Trek Online have I played seriously. Dota was the game that I settled on as the confluence of my interest in strategy games and RPGs, and I played that a lot too.
On a parallel course was that I really liked FPSs, first games like Half Life, Quake 3, UT, but then more strategic, slower games like Team Fortress, Wolfenstein ET and CounterStrike. I didn't play any of these games in uni (WoW took up my whole free time basically), but after uni I started playing them again. I played on console, bought CoD games, that sort of thing.
Now, though, I pretty much only play Overwatch. Again, this has the RPG/MOBA/strategic elements of WoW, Dota etc, but in an FPS setting. Obviously other games have done this, but not to my satisfaction. Overwatch is the perfect combination of the elements of computer games that I enjoy. I'm sure I'll get bored of it one day, but I can easily see me playing this exclusively for the next 2 or 3 years.
The only major change is that I prefer console to PC now... Even for Overwatch. I just like playing on a TV, on my sofa, rather than at a desk. I can put my feet up and stuff. For this reason, I've not bought a PC game since Cities: Skylines.
On a parallel course was that I really liked FPSs, first games like Half Life, Quake 3, UT, but then more strategic, slower games like Team Fortress, Wolfenstein ET and CounterStrike. I didn't play any of these games in uni (WoW took up my whole free time basically), but after uni I started playing them again. I played on console, bought CoD games, that sort of thing.
Now, though, I pretty much only play Overwatch. Again, this has the RPG/MOBA/strategic elements of WoW, Dota etc, but in an FPS setting. Obviously other games have done this, but not to my satisfaction. Overwatch is the perfect combination of the elements of computer games that I enjoy. I'm sure I'll get bored of it one day, but I can easily see me playing this exclusively for the next 2 or 3 years.
The only major change is that I prefer console to PC now... Even for Overwatch. I just like playing on a TV, on my sofa, rather than at a desk. I can put my feet up and stuff. For this reason, I've not bought a PC game since Cities: Skylines.
Disgustipated
Deity
Well since my gf and I are no longer together, my gaming time has went up considerably. Almost to the point its worrisome. Even near the end with her I was using it as an escape for some of the stress she was causing me. I seem to be avoiding the real world lately, and mostly gaming or watching youtube/netflix. Mostly gaming.
One positive aspect is I've given up World of Warcraft for good. After trying the recent expansion which most people felt was good but I felt was horrible, I feel like it's too much trouble keeping up with the game. You almost have to play continuously to keep up with the changes. MMO's are just too big with too much to do. Especially WOW. You feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work it takes to accomplish anything. Plus it was taking up too much room on my hard drive. I needed the room to install another game (Xcom2 which I never finished because it's just not that good)
I'm also disappointed by games like Witcher 3 and DA: Inquisition which take on MMO trends of putting busy work to extend the length of the game. I'm getting tired of games now days taking over 100 hours to complete. 50 hours for a RPG used to be the norm, and I feel that's perfect. Yeah exploring is fun, but only to a certain extent. The 2 games mentioned above you spend so much time exploring, you are ignoring the main plot of the game. I blame Skyrim/Oblivion/Morrowind for this. Bethesda games are not good RPG's, and should not be the standard everyone shoots for.
A somewhat recent trend for me is not finishing games though. I usually don't like to do that. But unlike the OP, I can log in some serious gaming time when I'm in the mood. But sometimes I get bored of a game and don't finish.
Although I'm right handed, so my feet usually go to the left.
One positive aspect is I've given up World of Warcraft for good. After trying the recent expansion which most people felt was good but I felt was horrible, I feel like it's too much trouble keeping up with the game. You almost have to play continuously to keep up with the changes. MMO's are just too big with too much to do. Especially WOW. You feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of work it takes to accomplish anything. Plus it was taking up too much room on my hard drive. I needed the room to install another game (Xcom2 which I never finished because it's just not that good)
I'm also disappointed by games like Witcher 3 and DA: Inquisition which take on MMO trends of putting busy work to extend the length of the game. I'm getting tired of games now days taking over 100 hours to complete. 50 hours for a RPG used to be the norm, and I feel that's perfect. Yeah exploring is fun, but only to a certain extent. The 2 games mentioned above you spend so much time exploring, you are ignoring the main plot of the game. I blame Skyrim/Oblivion/Morrowind for this. Bethesda games are not good RPG's, and should not be the standard everyone shoots for.
A somewhat recent trend for me is not finishing games though. I usually don't like to do that. But unlike the OP, I can log in some serious gaming time when I'm in the mood. But sometimes I get bored of a game and don't finish.
Especially true with RPG's. It's hard to remember what transpired in a game already in progress and what I wanted to do with that character, so I just start another.
I put my feet up when at my desk. Right now my feet are laying on top of my printer which is on a small table next to my desk. I can put my feet up either to the right or to the left and play.
Although I'm right handed, so my feet usually go to the left.
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Akka
Moody old mage.
It's actually rather surprising how little my habits have changed. I guess I've been somewhat stable in my preferences since... well, forever.
The kind of game I play might vary widely, but it's much much more dependent on what new games are actually available and interesting than any noticeable change in what I like.
And the only noticeable changes are mainly due to what is common in the market and feels formulaic (like, I loved Half-Life when it was the first linear story-driven shooter, but it's become so prevalent as a genre it doesn't interest me anymore).
Reading everyone else describing how they changed, I wonder just how much of a statistical outlier I am
Repetitive grind tend to bore me fast, but a good storytelling means I'll have a hard time to tear myself away from my screen until it's late in the night (or morning).
Though the absolute worst is a good sandbox game with lots of immersion. That's the time trap I'm most wary about.
Unless it's some obsessive-compulsive disorder to clear all "?" on the map, which is another problem entirely
The kind of game I play might vary widely, but it's much much more dependent on what new games are actually available and interesting than any noticeable change in what I like.
And the only noticeable changes are mainly due to what is common in the market and feels formulaic (like, I loved Half-Life when it was the first linear story-driven shooter, but it's become so prevalent as a genre it doesn't interest me anymore).
Reading everyone else describing how they changed, I wonder just how much of a statistical outlier I am
Exactly the opposite of me ^^
Repetitive grind tend to bore me fast, but a good storytelling means I'll have a hard time to tear myself away from my screen until it's late in the night (or morning).
Though the absolute worst is a good sandbox game with lots of immersion. That's the time trap I'm most wary about.
I can understand the criticism for DAI, but really not for TW3 - exploration is COMPLETELY optional in it (you can stick to the MQ without doing anything else), and there is none of the fetch quests that are prevalent in Inquisition (all quests are unique and tell a story).
Unless it's some obsessive-compulsive disorder to clear all "?" on the map, which is another problem entirely
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Lexicus
Deity
#Mylife
civvver
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Mostly I just don't have time or patience to learn new games. So it really keeps me from diving into a game like stellaris or civ5 expansions. When you have limited time to play I want to dive in and play. I'm also finding a lot of games I would've liked in my youth I find needlessly difficult now and hate mostly platformers and twitch games like spelunky or vvvvvv. I love dota2 cus it's competitive but very nicely contained in an hour box. Play a match takes an hour then you are done. Civ and rpgs take a little too long and aren't as fun in hour chunks. You really need 2-3 hour sessions I think to get the right level of immersion.
warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
My gaming habits change all the time, I think, but there is a clear difference between my gaming habits 20 years ago and now.
I am an adult now and as such have obligations and responsibilities so.. there is a lot more time for gaming. Honestly, in school there was homework and parents on your back and this and that, but now, I am an adult and can spend 8 hours playing a game if I want to and nobody will bug me about it. Of course every week I have a certain amount of chores that need to get done, and that can't be ignored, so if you pull an 8 hour gaming session one day, you need to spend a bit more time in the remaining days of the week looking after house maintenance and so on.
The main thing is flexibility. I actually spend less time gaming now than I did as a teen or 20 year old overall to be honest, but when I really get into a game I do have the luxury of being able to just dive into it. It's all about the balancing act of entertainment and responsibilities, really. As an adult you have to be decent at it to get by. As a kid the structure is in your place for you so you don't have to worry about it, but your schedule is far more rigid as a result.
I still basically play the same kinds of games, but now I have a steam account and a LOT more options. Plus no more need for piracy. So now I am giving money to the developers I like and have a lot more options for games.. and flexibility in terms of when I can play them. And a bigger monitor and a fancy gaming mouse. And a steamLink which allows me to easily play games lying in bed or sitting on my couch.
A lot has changed but overall my love of gaming hasn't really declined. I do take a bit longer to get into a game sometimes, but I just put that down to the adult life being fast paced and so on. My entertainment time is very dear to me and an important part of my weekly time budget (I don't have this written out and planned or anything, it is a mental consideration only) so if I can't get into a game I look for a better game to fill my time with. Or a different activity altogether.
I also have learned how games are designed and implemented, taking a lot of the "magic" out of games. That's the main difference for me now that I think about it. I think it's also the reason why it's harder to get into games overall. As a kid everything was.. magical to me. Now I look at the game, I understand what algorithms they are using, what sort of game it is, and it's harder to surprise me and immerse me. But it still happens with games and I love it when that happens
I am an adult now and as such have obligations and responsibilities so.. there is a lot more time for gaming. Honestly, in school there was homework and parents on your back and this and that, but now, I am an adult and can spend 8 hours playing a game if I want to and nobody will bug me about it. Of course every week I have a certain amount of chores that need to get done, and that can't be ignored, so if you pull an 8 hour gaming session one day, you need to spend a bit more time in the remaining days of the week looking after house maintenance and so on.
The main thing is flexibility. I actually spend less time gaming now than I did as a teen or 20 year old overall to be honest, but when I really get into a game I do have the luxury of being able to just dive into it. It's all about the balancing act of entertainment and responsibilities, really. As an adult you have to be decent at it to get by. As a kid the structure is in your place for you so you don't have to worry about it, but your schedule is far more rigid as a result.
I still basically play the same kinds of games, but now I have a steam account and a LOT more options. Plus no more need for piracy. So now I am giving money to the developers I like and have a lot more options for games.. and flexibility in terms of when I can play them. And a bigger monitor and a fancy gaming mouse. And a steamLink which allows me to easily play games lying in bed or sitting on my couch.
A lot has changed but overall my love of gaming hasn't really declined. I do take a bit longer to get into a game sometimes, but I just put that down to the adult life being fast paced and so on. My entertainment time is very dear to me and an important part of my weekly time budget (I don't have this written out and planned or anything, it is a mental consideration only) so if I can't get into a game I look for a better game to fill my time with. Or a different activity altogether.
I also have learned how games are designed and implemented, taking a lot of the "magic" out of games. That's the main difference for me now that I think about it. I think it's also the reason why it's harder to get into games overall. As a kid everything was.. magical to me. Now I look at the game, I understand what algorithms they are using, what sort of game it is, and it's harder to surprise me and immerse me. But it still happens with games and I love it when that happens
Honestly, guys... the Fishdom games I play are a lot less stressful. You get tanks and tanks of virtual fish that are a hell of a lot easier to clean up after and feed than my cats. They even recite poetry and perform dances for me sometimes. Mind you, the one that claims to have a new recipe for me has never come through with it (I assume it's a recipe for seaweed, not fish). And depending on which version I play, the music is very relaxing.
But nobody gets killed, so I suppose it's far too tame for people on this forum.
But nobody gets killed, so I suppose it's far too tame for people on this forum.
Lexicus
Deity
But nobody gets killed, so I suppose it's far too tame for people on this forum.
I need me some violence
Synobun
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Honestly, guys... the Fishdom games I play are a lot less stressful. You get tanks and tanks of virtual fish that are a hell of a lot easier to clean up after and feed than my cats. They even recite poetry and perform dances for me sometimes. Mind you, the one that claims to have a new recipe for me has never come through with it (I assume it's a recipe for seaweed, not fish). And depending on which version I play, the music is very relaxing.
But nobody gets killed, so I suppose it's far too tame for people on this forum.
I'm personally a fan of the Bejeweled games that combine with aquariums or some type of progression system. Gardenscapes and Fishdom were my go-to when my phone could still play games.
Well, there are bombs in the game and one of the aquarium sets is a pirate setting. I just built 4 sandcastles on the edge of the beach so their cannons could guard the place (the cannons blow bubbles instead of cannon balls).
I love Gardenscapes. In one version, you can make Austin (the butler) dance if you poke him.
Austin shows up as a decoration in Fishdom 3: Collector's Edition. In my third tank (farm setting) I've got him standing among some apple trees, next to a mer-cat, while the fish swim around enjoying the apples.
Akka
Moody old mage.
It mainly sounds like an absolute drudge :-/Honestly, guys... the Fishdom games I play are a lot less stressful. You get tanks and tanks of virtual fish that are a hell of a lot easier to clean up after and feed than my cats. They even recite poetry and perform dances for me sometimes. Mind you, the one that claims to have a new recipe for me has never come through with it (I assume it's a recipe for seaweed, not fish). And depending on which version I play, the music is very relaxing.
But nobody gets killed, so I suppose it's far too tame for people on this forum.
If Stalker was made on a better engine I'd still play it to this day. Those were some amazing games.
The engine is indeed finicky to say the least. If you're ever in the mood to visit the zone again try out Call of Chernobyl. It's a mod that combines maps/zones from all the 3 games, you can also play as part of any of the factions. You can add a bunch of other mods to it (improved AI, graphics, more missions...) and just roam around the map play it how ever you like it. There's also an interesting way of playing it in the Azazel mode.
warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
I have a bunch of the STALKER games, but I haven't played any or ever installed them. Should I?
Synobun
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warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
Cool, looks like I have Call of Pripyat, Clear Sky, and Shadow of Chernobyl. I will install the first one... which now that I look it up is the last one I listed
Synobun
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IIRC, there is a mod that combines all three games into one much like Tale of Two Wastelands for Fallout 3/NV.
warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
That's cool, thanks for the tip
innonimatu
the resident Cassandra
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I'm sticking to Civ4 and hate games full of fancy graphics (hated civ5, not even bothered checking 6). Also I've become resistant to learn very complex new games (there's a very complex world out there to entertain myself, why would I waste the effort on artificial games?). I guess my habits froze rather than changed.
