It's Official. We are CONTROL FREAKs.

[dexters]

From this article:

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/videogames/211972_gametypes.html

Our true natures are revealed by many choices we make: the cars we drive, our clothing, the food we eat, the music we enjoy and the films we watch. We are, to an extent, what we consume.

Then there are video games -- the red-headed stepchild and favorite whipping boy of pop media. Video games also betray our hidden selves. By their interactive nature, we relate with games more intimately than any other entertainment medium. An average video game requires an investment of 10 to12 hours of our precious time.

The Control Freak
The Control Freak may think that only games can bring some much needed order to their lives. If everyone else is calling the shots in the real world, they can rule over every detail in the digital realm.

So-called god games are a godsend for the CF. Micromanaging may be a pain to co-workers, but in The Sims and Tycoon series games it's an essential skill. Mighty corporations and entire populations live or die under the CF's focused gaze.

The CF got hooked on gaming with Sid Meier's "Civilization" and "Railroad Tycoon" and has most recently found an outlet for obsessive compulsive tendencies in "The Sims 2," "Rollercoaster Tycoon 3" and "City of Heroes."

 

[Tomoyo]

True. I can't stand that idiot governor!

 

[Arkaeyn]

I'm not sure how it can be tongue-in-cheek when it's not funny, but it's also certainly not true.

Oh well. At least video games are getting press, right?

 

[Kayak]

I'M not a control freak just a meglomaniac

 

[IbnSina]

... got that right!

 

[Shadow Phoenix]

so...which country would you declare war on now in 2005

 

[Tomoyo]

so...which country would you declare war on now in 2005

I have to fire the governor in California first...

Disclaimer: I actually think the governator has done a decent job.

 

[gmaharriet]

I have to fire the governor in California first...

Disclaimer: I actually think the governator has done a decent job.

Do you live in California, Tomoyo? I live in Sacramento, and I'm enjoying our governator's offbeat methods.

He's really beating up on the legislators of both parties, telling them if they don't get the job done (like passing a budget on time), he'll take it to the people for a vote. About time someone got them off their behinds.

 

[Tomoyo]

Actually, I don't. It's just that everyone knows the governor of California, so I decided to use him as a reference.

Nice to know he's doing his job...

 

[tR1cKy]

GO Schwarzie GO!!!
Control Freak... sincerely i don't feel like a control freak, i couldn't care less of being in control of things and i have all the order i need in my life (the less possible ), and yes, i'm ok with that.
Ok, psychology is a serious matter, but too often those wannabe psycho things found in magazines are complete BS. They are on the same "scientific" level of astrology and occultism.
On the other hand, i AM a control freak in Civ3. I need to micromanage everything, direct every worker action manually, choose everytime what to build etc., but i need to do it because letting the AS (artificial stupidity) decide would be a big loss, and micromanaging is a challenge in itself. With good micromanaging and coherent strategy you can overcome any bonus given to the AS.

 

[Hyronymus]

What's wrong with being a control freak ? I myself hate people that go with the flow .

 

[TriangleMan]

Control freak is about as from describing me as possible. I go with the flow so much it sickens me.

 

[Grand Cadfael]

But the govenor is ahhm..... missing,now exusse me as I go bury my gov... er um grandpa

 

[Nooble]

Don't understand.

????

 

[garyg]

The micromanaging is not the appeal for me.
It's a turn based game so I don't have to rush to get things done before the time limit is reached and the computer realeases it's hordes. I'm too old to enjoy twitch games anymore. I think 'asteroids' was the last one for me.

 

[The Omega]

Weird............Here they're saying I love micromanagement.....I use governors, automate my workers, and really pay much attention to stuff I don't need to....

 

[Aeon221]

If you read the rest of the article you just start to wonder... based on the games I play, I fit in all the categories.

Apparently I am the world's only homocidal control freak who manages to find time to be a vegetarian and a hippie ;p

I guess I had better re-evaluate myself based on this article (which is BAD press for us game players) and go... eat a baby... or something.

Maybe someone should write a retaliatory article!

 

[sennomulo]

I'm not a big fan of micromanagement either. In fact near the end of my most recent game I had a huge empire and had to set a whole bunch of cities to making wealth just so I wouldn't get 20 boxes every turn asking me what I want to build where. But it's not nearly as bad as Vanilla where I had to move each worker individually during the inevitable late-game pollution epidemic.

Anyhow, I am just about the opposite of a control freak. I'm an anti-authoritarian who likes to accept as little responsibility as possible. The fact of the matter is Civ is addictive, control freak or not.

EDIT: I'm a vegetarian hippie too.

 

[Dragonlord]

Control freak? Total BS....

IMO, Civ is about building an empire and overcoming the challenge of a (numerically) strong AI.
True, I micromanage, but that's because it's necessary on higher levels - I don't particularly enjoy cleaning up pollution for instance...

 

[Chuck2280]

Geez, after reading the article I think I had better sign up for some serious therapy! I fit into every category they listed! I agree with one section of the article called "The Decompressor." I used to drive a truck (a tractor-trailer, the kind everyone loves to hate) for a living. After a tough day driving through heavy traffic, I used to love to play Midtown Madness just so I could run over the cars with the truck. I guess my inner child is just a latent sociopathic control freak in need of a little decompression!