My horrible video game addiction.

[Mouthwash]

Right now I am utterly addicted to RFC: Dawn of Civilization. I'm playing a Marathon Russia game, and the problem is that this mod seems to have genuine quality. Usually my game addictions last about a week before wearing off- for instance, I tried Fall From Heaven 2, found it to be amazing, and got bored when I realized it didn't have much of an aim. This thrill, on the other hand, shows no signs of wearing off. Whether it's because of the dynamism of the rise and fall concept, or because it's simply that Russia is a wonderful builder experience, I actually find I'm enjoying myself consistently. I play for hours every day, at the cost of my social life and productivity of any sort. I currently have zero passion for history or Hebrew (two things I need to be studying right now) at the moment. Every time I open a book, the plans and progress of my game come flooding into my head.

I surely couldn't make it in college if I had a Civilization attack every month or so.

 

[ywhtptgtfo]

Then you shouldn't even try games like Europa Universalis III or Victoria II, as they are even more addictive from my experience.

 

[Mouthwash]

I actually hate EUIII. Unless there was a huge aspect of gameplay I totally missed, I couldn't get into it at all. Feels like a constant struggle without satisfaction or reward.

 

[ywhtptgtfo]

I actually hate EUIII. Unless there was a huge aspect of gameplay I totally missed, I couldn't get into it at all. Feels like a constant struggle without satisfaction or reward.

EUIII's only good with the last expansion pack installed (Divine Wind). With mods like MEIOU or Death and Taxes, it's pretty decent.

The game is a constant struggle depending on how you play it. If you want to conquer other countries all the time, then you'll obviously find yourself constantly in conflict. But if you just want to be a trade power or be a colonizer, then it can be a pretty quiet game.

As you can see, even traditional civ loyalists like TheMeInTeam now frequent the EUIV forums.

 

[Tahuti]

I actually hate EUIII. Unless there was a huge aspect of gameplay I totally missed, I couldn't get into it at all. Feels like a constant struggle without satisfaction or reward.

I loved EUIII. But with expansion packs its better.

EUIV is even better. Chances are you'll like that one even if you hated EUIII.

 

[AdamCrock]

Feels like a constant struggle without satisfaction or reward.

That is life ..... plain and simple

 

[Tahuti]

That is life ..... plain and simple

Alles leben ist kampf

 

[Mouthwash]

EUIII's only good with the last expansion pack installed (Divine Wind). With mods like MEIOU or Death and Taxes, it's pretty decent.

The game is a constant struggle depending on how you play it. If you want to conquer other countries all the time, then you'll obviously find yourself constantly in conflict. But if you just want to be a trade power or be a colonizer, then it can be a pretty quiet game.

As you can see, even traditional civ loyalists like TheMeInTeam now frequent the EUIV forums.

I indeed played it on Divine Wind with D&T. And I did try to play it peacefully.

Anyway, can we actually get back on topic now?

 

[Quackers]

Only a few years ago if an addiction got out of hand you could break the disc.
Now, with steam its far more difficult to get back to normal...

 

[Commodore]

That is life ..... plain and simple

Yeah, but the whole point of video games is to offer an escape from the unrewarding struggle of real life. That's a big reason I hate it when people complain about lack of realism in video games. I get my dose of realism in everyday life, I don't need it in my escapist entertainment as well.

 

[Phrossack]

I recommend uninstalling it. I recently did that with BtS on my school laptop. Granted, I wasn't that into it anymore, but I kept playing it and figured I needed to stop the temptation by simply making it impossible to make the wrong choice. It's crude, but it works.

 

[Zack]

Yeah, but the whole point of video games is to offer an escape from the unrewarding struggle of real life.

The point is entertainment. Your own reasons for seeking entertainment are, well, your own.

 

[Mouthwash]

I recommend uninstalling it. I recently did that with BtS on my school laptop. Granted, I wasn't that into it anymore, but I kept playing it and figured I needed to stop the temptation by simply making it impossible to make the wrong choice. It's crude, but it works.

It doesn't. What stopping me from reinstalling? I don't really play anything else.

 

[Phrossack]

It doesn't. What stopping me from reinstalling? I don't really play anything else.

It can be inconvenient to reinstall. If you're as lazy as I am, that might be a deterrent. But it works for me because I have my disk at home, not at school. Maybe you could ask a friend to hold it for you and not give it back for a while? That should work.

 

[Ajidica]

Really, it comes down to discipline. What I try to do is only play video games on Friday/Sat/Sun or if I literally have no other tasks that need to be accomplished that week.

 

[IAM]

Use your addiction as a reward system. Study for 20 minutes+/- with an alarm set and a specific goal for the study time. If you accomplish your 20 minutes goal play the game for 20 minutes+/- again with an alarm set. Go back and forth.

 

[Terxpahseyton]

If it works good for you, but that seems horrible to me.

 

[GoodGame]

Only a few years ago if an addiction got out of hand you could break the disc.
Now, with steam its far more difficult to get back to normal...

It's easy to uninstall software.


@OP

A simple rule is to get serious about the things you are doing, and also analyze the implication.
The OP implications is more or less, a life of Civ is more interesting than studying Hebrew / history. Maybe that IS a fact for the OP.
Or maybe it is a temporary fallacy (like a temporary avoidance due to anxiety, maybe Hebrew testing performance anxiety, to just make a wild suggestion).
So maybe you just need to refocus your priorities (e.g. will studying Hebrew get you farther in life than playing Civ) and face the underlying problem?


Or maybe your 'addiction' is really avoidance that you don't really like Hebrew or History? Maybe you need more interesting academic alternatives? Maybe you are secretly a game theory / mathematician type trying to break free of language and sociological studies?


A last suggestion would be to see if the studying is just plain monotonous and boring. Maybe try to turn studying into a game in itself. Bet yourself you can read the same page over and over 100 times. Bet yourself you can skim the review sections in 2 minutes a chapter. etc..etc..

 

[Quackers]

It's easy to uninstall software.

Yess...but once you break the disc unless you buy it again you cannot play it.
Uninstall a steam game and you can return back to the library and reinstall it.

It was easier, albiet margnially, in the past.

 

[Aleksey_aka_al]

I actually hate EUIII. Unless there was a huge aspect of gameplay I totally missed, I couldn't get into it at all. Feels like a constant struggle without satisfaction or reward.

It just takes longer than Civ.