My Mom Keeps Taking Civ3!!!!

[sealman]

I had a similar situation years ago with my mom's boyfriend and Ultima Online. Ultimately it all comes down to control. Parents sometimes feel the need to control their kids and this is especially true in regards to things like video games because they often don't understand them and feel them to be a threat.

I think that its pretty selfish on the parents part. If you never allow your kid to make choices for themself and develop their own time management skills they will never succeed later in life.

Parents dictating the amount of time a kid can play a video game is the same as my parents dictqating to me how much TV I could watch in a given day. I can't recall what that was and I am sure I will do the same to my kids.

As Omeaga grows up, I am sure that the amount of time he is allowed to play will increase and eventually he will be allowed to make his own schedule.

 

[KabeDerlin]

I was once restricted to two hours on the computer a day period. I guess my parents finally gave up because my alternative was hanging out with my friends and they had to drive me there all the time

 

[The Omega]

Omega: do not take Gainy bo's advice. This is just going to lead you into playing the game more when you shouldn't be. Note: It is legal to patch the game in this manner as long as you are the only one playing with the copy that was legally purchased, but you are opening yourself up to be tempted to abuse this and get into actually copyright infringement.

My advice:
1. Find a girl/boy friend. IE: don't become a 100% CIV Geek.
2. Do your homework (and fencing practice) before you play CIV.
3. Exchange CIV disk for homework with mom.

1. It is very difficult to find a girlfriend amoungst people who you can't stand being around for longer than a single class period.
2. I do. She forgets where the CD is.
3. See above answer.

 

[kevincompton]

The Omega, i know the feeling. When I was your age i had the same problem but now i look back and I thank the Lord that my mother had the wisdom to keep me from being a zombie. By the age of 16 I had read Les Miserables, Tale of Two Cities, The Scarlet Letter, various Shakespeare and history books all on my own achord. I learned how to play classical guitar and can now play Bach's 1st Cello Suite. I built a hundred forts in the woods and started writing rock songs and I'm now in a So Cal band with a reocrd deal and I'm married to a super hot chick.

Don't get me wrong, that whole time I was addicted to Civ1-3. Its an awesome game and my love of history makes it even more awesome. But if you start showing your mom you are pursuing things in life on your own that add up to something worthwhile, then she won't care as much about a little video games. I found that after i spent 3 hours practicing scales to a metronome, she could care less how much video games i played. But more the point is that you will enjoy life more.

I look at some kids like this one kid i knew, very antisocial, just played games in his room every free moment he had. His life sucks right now. He could have been good at violin, but instead he sucks and hes married to some nasty fat chick that pushes him around.

 

[painkiller]

Does your mom only hide Civ 3 or all your other games aswell?

 

[The Omega]

The thing is, I do have a life. I'm fine with the 2 hours a day for playing civ3. it's just that my mom keeps forgetting to give the CD back to me, so for a while I'll have civ3, play it 2 hours a day, be happy, then she forgets it for a while. The cycle then repeats.

 

[The Omega]

Does your mom only hide Civ 3 or all your other games aswell?

Sometimes other games, sometimes just civ3, sometimes every game except civ3,...

 

[Haradrim]

At 16 I really can play on the computer (not only civ) all I want, as long as I don't whine about doing stuff. Dad thinks I should be doing menial work outside, but of course I can't do that!

With school back in session, however, I haven't been playing civ a whole lot. When I do it's usually for a few hours between supper and when I go to bed (8:30-11:00)

 

[painkiller]

Yo Omega. 2 hours of civ 3 is nothing compared to some guys on this Forum. Some dudes play probably 8+ hours every day. Some guy on some thread wrote that he actually saw a cow move because it was so late and he was so tired. Now that is not healthy.

 

[The Omega]

Yo Omega. 2 hours of civ 3 is nothing compared to some guys on this Forum. Some dudes play probably 8+ hours every day. Some guy on some thread wrote that he actually saw a cow move because it was so late and he was so tired. Now that is not healthy.

Did that once. Was tired for the entire next day, but it was definately worth it!

 

[LLXerxes]

I think that your mother is right

How dare you! Throww him in the dungeon!

Well, in your case, you have to stop being so addictive to Civ. I doubt that she'll stop for a while... sorry

 

[citizen001]

maybe you should be spending some time doing other things than playing civ 3. two hours a day is quite a lot of time, and if you invest it in other things like homework (if you are still in school) or doing other things, such as playing sports you'll feel much better about yourself. and your mum may trust you again and give back the civ 3 cd.

 

[kevincompton]

I'm lucky if I get more than 2 hours a week. My wife hates video games.

 

[LLXerxes]

two hours a day is quite a lot of time,

Um, no, it's not that much... when playing Civ, the time goes by so fast.
Now, 4+ hours is good enough... but 2 is kinda short, if your enjoying the game

 

[The Omega]

maybe you should be spending some time doing other things than playing civ 3. two hours a day is quite a lot of time, and if you invest it in other things like homework (if you are still in school) or doing other things, such as playing sports you'll feel much better about yourself. and your mum may trust you again and give back the civ 3 cd.

I keep saying, I do do my homework, i do do everything I'm told, 2 hours is fine with me, it's jsut that my mom keeps forgetting to give the CD back to me!

 

[kevincompton]

2 per day is plenty I'd say. I have played much more in a day before, but if your able to play everyday, 2 hours is more than enough.

 

[painkiller]

I actually played Starcraft 10+ hours in a row once with some friends. We started playing 20.00 and finished sometime around 06.30 the next the day. When I finally went to bed I had this dream that I was a terran foot soldier killing zerglings... Now that's not healthy. That was then and now is now and I'll never do something that stupid again...

But you know even my liittle story is nothing compared to what some students at the university do. I study electrical engenering so naturally there are lots of dorkish dudes there. Some guys in my project group invited me to play Counterstrike once with them. They start playing at 20.00 friday and finish at 15.00 Sunday. Then they go home and crash and go to school the next day. They stay up with lots of Coca cola!

Is that healthy or what!!!

P.S. I didn't play CS with them

 

[Psychonaut777]

Option Z:

Downlaod Alcohol 120% and create a virtual disk drive then load the Civ3 CD content to this. I'm almost certain this doesn't violate the EULA because you are simply backing up your data and already own the game.

You no longer need the CD to play the game. =)

 

[citizen001]

I keep saying, I do do my homework, i do do everything I'm told, 2 hours is fine with me, it's jsut that my mom keeps forgetting to give the CD back to me!

if that's the case just use the patch or option z, although i still think 2 hrs is a bit much even with nothing else to do. you should rest once every hour because of the eyes.

 

[jaitop]

Omega, have you tried speaking to your mum that instead of hiding the cd, maybe you both could come to a compromise and decide on a particular spot where she'd keep the cd when you're done with playing?