teaser for FfH II version 0.16

[Xanikk999]

I like Nikis-Knight, think that the problem with games is that its too addictive and makes the person loose time he/she could spend doing other things, like reading, doing exercises, studying, etc

Reading isnt anymore productive unless its non-fiction.

 

[Silverkiss]

It isn´t productive but it is an alternate source of fun that doesnt hurt your eyes or mix with your brain. And it makes you write better (believe me, i write well in english (and portuguese) because of books). But it can be very addictive too.

 

[Grey Fox]

is an alternate source of fun that doesnt hurt your eyes

I dont know about that.

 

[Silverkiss]

It only hurts if you read like me (24 hours a day, nonstop nonstop dang I remenber me reading and eating lunch at the same time)

 

[Chandrasekhar]

What makes time spent gaming any less valuable than time spent reading or exercising or studying?

Note: I'm being sort of rhetorical here. I'm fully aware of arguments that could be made, but I'd like to see what you think.

 

[ogredpowell]

One thing about gaming, is that, depending on the game, it can actually help build skills. Games like Civ actually HELP problem solving skills, as in civ, thats kinda waht you do- when someone is coming to beat the crap out of you and enslave your people, you have to figure out how to stop it.

That being said, civ is addictive, and certain people should NEVER play addictive games, as the costs outweigh the benefits. Although they still get taht problem solving boost, they spend time gaming (that they know they shouldnt) rather than going to the gym(important for health), reading/studying (important for intellectual development), and relationships- and yes, a relationship with people online is not even comparable to the love of a good man/woman.

just my 2 cents

 

[seZereth]

well, my opinion is you can do just about everythng as long you keep the balance, playing is good for your brain, as long as you dont neglect other things... so you should look for a harmonic live, balance playing with working, sitting with sports and and so on... that are my 2 cents,.. a well and try to meditate and dosome yoga... it helps... even in aspects you wouldnt think at first

 

[Silverkiss]

What makes time spent gaming any less valuable than time spent reading or exercising or studying?

Note: I'm being sort of rhetorical here. I'm fully aware of arguments that could be made, but I'd like to see what you think.

Well, gaming is fun, but its "useless". I mean, studying you learn things so you can get a good job, exercising you keep a good health, reading you exercise your imagination (while having fun), and many more... Obviously gaming is good for the brain, like someone said that it helps solve problems, I think it does too, but one thing is to play 1-2 hours a day and the other is to play 8+ hours.

 

[Sureshot]

the original civs made me interested in history, and i learned a lot from them. reading does not necessarily increase academics in general, its the content (if i read erotica im not exactly learning much of academic value) that decides that.

games are by far better than watching television, and even television can be educational. reading is just one form with a heavier emphasis on imagination with less stimuli intaken, things like jogging are heavy stimulus and work baser things (though it also provides dead mental stimulus generally allowing for self reflection). health is important but id rather the world was filled with intelligent thinkers rather than healthy muscle bound idiots.

a mix is fine, but i dont consider any one time breakup any more valuable to growth, to think so is to be closed minded (i like a healthy mix for myself, but thats hardly a reason for me to be blind to the values of differing forms of mental and physical exercise)

 

[Nikis-Knight]

What makes time spent gaming any less valuable than time spent reading or exercising or studying?

Note: I'm being sort of rhetorical here. I'm fully aware of arguments that could be made, but I'd like to see what you think.

Please beware, I've gotten long winded of late.

Spoiler :

It's partly the difference between words and images. What draws you to look at a magazine in a rack? Usually the cover pic. What do you remember after browsing it? Usually the content of the articles. Human brains respond to images and words differently.

Images are quick, fleeting, look here! Look there! kinda things. It is vital, or was in the past, to be able to take a scene in with a glance and know without thinking what there was to fight, eat, and mate with. After a glance, usually no more is needed, certainly no deep thought on what you're seeing.

Words are different. Words and language must be learned. Words demand thought. What do these mean? What is the intent of the writer/speaker? Do I agree? Words can be lies or truth, serious or trivial, fact or opinion, whereas images merely are.

So reading is going to be better for you mind than television, (providing you are reading something written for people your age, etc.). The medium is more conductive to thought, deeper thinking, requires focus and attention.

Games are more complicated, since they are as different from each other as they are from other media. Racing, fighting, shooting games (arcade games, basically) may improve your reflexes and hand eye coordination, but there is only so much hand-eye coordination one truely needs, and it is more important to be reflexive than to have reflexes (and I say this as one who often brags about my reflexs )

Games like Civ do require more thinking about the situation. It is images, but text rich images, moves require thought not reflex, etc. Is it better for your mind than reading Shakespeare, the Federalist papers, good sci-fi, etc.? Not in my opinion, but still useful, perhaps better than banal reading like people magazine or romance novels.

Of course, that's just about your mind. Not every thing you do must be building to your mind. How you choose to have fun is between you and your chiropracter.

Exercise is of course vital, moreso for some people (young, old, those with sedentary professions or slow metabolism) than others. If you are healthy with the level of exercise you have, than I don't see why any more is any better for you, it's all about enjoyment one way or the other at that point.

Studying, well, if you gotta, you gotta, flunking out of high school is a road to poverty, and flunking out of college is a waste of money. Studying on your own is well and good, but again, once past a certain level of being an informed citizen, it is value neutral; know more (about things not directly connected to your life) isn't better, though it can make some people feel better.

Character building, now that is paramount. Games can, possibly, provide interesting situations in which to test your values (should I be considered evil after employing the Baron, etc.), though in the end character will probably come from being tested, which only really occurs around other people, which is where time is best invested.

Wow, I said what Sureshot did, but using far more space. Now, that's a waste of time

 

[QES]

(if i read erotica im not exactly learning much of academic value)

When you read erotica, I beg to differ that your not learning anything of practical value. Skills are aquired through discovery, perhaps in literature, and then practice. Application of taught matterial.

Clearly, there is an acedemic virtue here as well. At least, for anyone you care to grace with Practice on/with.
-Qes

 

[Sureshot]

in most academia theres little worth to erotica, in certain circumstances, and for life lessons theyre great. just a matter of the perspective you're going for. the point being, claiming gaming is useless is only true if you pick some relative field and cannot see beyond it.

 

[QES]

Erotica has much substanitive value to the field of psychology, and even more to Sociology. To know what attracts and why, and what is deviant, and why.

Ahh Deviance, one of my favorite Sociology classes.
-Qes

 

[Chandrasekhar]

Hm... considering my newly revealed minor status, perhaps I shouldn't comment on the subject this has evolved into...

However, responding to most of your responses, I must ask: most of you seemed to indicate in your responses that self-improvement is a more noble goal than self-gratification. I reply (rhetorically), if one can live the majority of their life in relative bliss, playing a game with no improvement value whatsoever, how is this worse than a lifetime of toil to try to leave a lasting mark?

 

[Silverkiss]

Its late and english isn´t my first language so I didn´t understand anything from that question o_0

 

[QES]

Bliss requires no adaptation, no change.
Toil, suffering, and pain create change.

Now neither are good by themselves, life requires both. But when we overly minimize one, or let one overly control us, we deny ourselves growth as sapient beings.
-Qes

 

[Chandrasekhar]

Is growth as sapient beings so inherently valuable that we should sacrifice our happiness for it?

 

[lostkitten13]

Hm... considering my newly revealed minor status, perhaps I shouldn't comment on the subject this has evolved into...

However, responding to most of your responses, I must ask: most of you seemed to indicate in your responses that self-improvement is a more noble goal than self-gratification. I reply (rhetorically), if one can live the majority of their life in relative bliss, playing a game with no improvement value whatsoever, how is this worse than a lifetime of toil to try to leave a lasting mark?

sorry...I like responding to rhetorical questions:

because if it was left to us to judge our own lifes, without the input of others, one that has spent his life playing games in a societical view is deemed a person wasting their life. Though within their own train of thought(mayhaps, if they don't have mental implanting of what is or isn't) they believe they've lived a full one. So, therefore someone that was left to judge themselves would use a societical view(if they knew of it) and question their habits, interests, improvement, and so-forth. If they didn't, they would do what they wish. The reason why we all think that self-improvement is better is because we were taught that. Just like we were taught that murder and rape is wrong. We are to believe improvement is better and not doing so is not. So whomever thinks they're right, let them. We all have opinions, and we all mold our faith and think of it as we want.

-whatever

 

[lostkitten13]

I hate responding late to posts'...

 

[QES]

Is growth as sapient beings so inherently valuable that we should sacrifice our happiness for it?

Yes.
-Qes

EDIT: I sense Epicuris Turning over in his Grave.