Anyone else stare at their games?

Kobra · Post by **Kobra** » Wed Jul 20, 2005 11:57 pm

and then end up not even playing anything for the night?

WTF is wrong with me? Night after night i've looked at my new games piled on the desk, and then read forums, and surf, and before I know it i'm tired and need to go to bed. Not playing a damn thing.

It's almost as if i'm scared of putting a commitment into one title. Or perhaps i'm just worried I won't like the game? Or maybe i'm too lazy to read the manual, and to really enjoy the game you need to read the manual?

Grrrr... Tell me i'm not alone in this.

Kagath · Post by **Kagath** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 12:15 am

Nope. Not alone.

Zarathud · Post by **Zarathud** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 12:54 am

There is a Penalty on the Field:
Delay of Game, Against the Octopus Overlords.
5 Yards.
Bedtime.

Ka Faraq Gatri · Post by **Ka Faraq Gatri** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 5:43 am

I do that often (though not lately as the obvious choice is always World of WarCraft)

I also do it when selecting a DVD to view or a CD to listen to.

Jeff V · Post by **Jeff V** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 6:23 am

I haven't played a game in months. I don't stare at them though, I just push them aside when the boxes get in the way.

Goonch · Post by **Goonch** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 8:21 am

I'm right there with you! I have been doing that alot for the last couple of months now...on & off. For me I think that it is age related. I turned 45 about two weeks go. My gaming "ruts" seem to be getting more & more frequent.

I wish that I could find one game and commit to it. I just can't

raydude · Post by **raydude** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 9:00 am

I'm going through that now. I think its partly because I've been putting in long hours at work using a computer. So when I go home my subconscious must be telling me this feels too much like work.

Carpet_pissr · Post by **Carpet_pissr** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 10:00 am

I do it all the time lately, and also think it may be age related, plus I am so damn tired with a relatively new baby. It just seems to take less energy to surf the net and read about games than actually playing them.

A lot of times, instead of trying to decide what to play (when I actually muster the effort to start a game), I will just default to Civ 3 because I love it so. /me sings song in praise of Civ

I think it's partly because by the time I get the chance to sit at the computer, after spending quality time with wife and kid, looking after "house/yard" stuff, it's about midnight and I realize I MIGHT get 20 minutes of gaming in if I am sensible, and more if I am crazy and slightly masochistic.

I think the actual process I go through as I stare at the games is: What in the HELL can I play for 20 minutes or less? The answer (other than previously stated Civ) is almost always - NOTHING. It takes me 20 minutes just to get my bearings again from where I left the game months before. Thus the web surfing.

Last night I loaded up Steam for the first time in a long time (i thought it was probably a couple of months), and when I looked at my last Hl2 save game, it was made in freaking MARCH! I got so close to finishing, but just never had the time to sit down and wrap that one up. And HL2 is not a game one would normally just sit there gathering dust imo. That game DEMANDS that you play and finish it, it's so good imo.

Ah well, baby>PC games, so I am not bummed about it, but one day, the right bastard in HL2 that keeps mocking me throughout the city with his damn intercom will get his. At first I could take his indirect, veiled attempts to damage my rep, but now he is just frothing like a lunatic. I have already written his name on one of my uranium laced crossbow bolts.

Lassr · Post by **Lassr** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 10:46 am

I do this a lot also. I think mine has to do with the committement of time to learn a new game. I have at most 2 hours a night to play. Sometimes I can spend a week learning a new game and getting the feel of it. So I usually sit there and play around online, watch TV, or end up breaking out an old game I already know how to play.

This week I started putting together a scale model of a Bradley Infantry Vehicle that my daughter got me for father's day instead of sitting down and trying out one of my MANY unplayed games.

But I am determined to sit down and play Warhammer this weekend!

Kobra · Post by **Kobra** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 11:58 am

Lassr wrote:I do this a lot also. I think mine has to do with the committement of time to learn a new game. I have at most 2 hours a night to play. Sometimes I can spend a week learning a new game and getting the feel of it. So I usually sit there and play around online, watch TV, or end up breaking out an old game I already know how to play.

This week I started putting together a scale model of a Bradley Infantry Vehicle that my daughter got me for father's day instead of sitting down and trying out one of my MANY unplayed games.

But I am determined to sit down and play Warhammer this weekend!

Jesus that sounds like me. The commitment to learn a new game sounds pretty reasonable as a deterrant, especially since I like complex games.

I inevitably end up slapping in Halo-PC or Savage and banging peoples heads instead of one of my newer - more complex games - that I haven't read the manual on.

Bad Demographic · Post by **Bad Demographic** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 12:11 pm

This sounds pretty much like what I do when I finish a game.

Of course, it could be you're just (temporarily) burned out on gaming.

Hrnac · Post by **Hrnac** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 12:43 pm

I do this all the time as well. Now days, I usually just decide to play some online poker instead of playing a game. This could change with my recent Arx Fatalis purchase. I have played this game for several nights in a row and am getting hooked on it.

-Hrnac

Jag · Post by **Jag** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 1:32 pm

Playing WOW nonstop. Briefly booted up BF2, but nothing but WOW lately.

Daehawk · Post by **Daehawk** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 2:38 pm

I was doing that a little over a week ago. I have no new ones but I do have tons of old ones. Id wake up thinking about all the games i could play. Id do what needed to be done around here thinking about those games. Then when i had time to play one I could'nt get my enthusiasm up enough to grab one and load it up. id just play Enemy Territory for the billionth time and be bored. I did this for about 3 weeks.

Finally I decided hell with it Im gonna finish some stuff I have on my computer already like Fallout Tactics, Nexus, and Rome. So I completely started over in Nexus, continued my progress in FOT, and am saving Rome for when Im done witht hese two.

Im loving these 2 btw..great games.

D.A.Lewis · Post by **D.A.Lewis** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 8:26 pm

Sheeezzz man
after all the names you called me in my collector thread and you come out with this

But yeah, whenever I'm in a gaming rut, I too go into stare mode. Interestingly I just got out of it last night, finally playing Spellforce Gold edition. And can barely wait to get back into it.

What usually puts in the fear of committment mode are boring tutorials. It seems far too many developers put no thought at all into a compelling opening and just want to teach the dry basics. I really wanted to play Star Wolves, Nexus and X2 but the intro to the game mechanics was boring me silly. So now they sit. And another game I've had my eye on, Star Rangers, is coming out and if the intro is boring, that game too will sit.

Wouldn't it be neat if games had a feature where a rep would come over to your house and show you how to play?

Sometimes though you just have to grin and bear it. Discplies 2 had a just about non existant tutorial and was very very dry in the beginning. But I stuck with it and within a few hours I found myself liking the game very much.

Kobra · Post by **Kobra** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 9:27 pm

I think GameTap might cure all of this.

One monthly price, all the games you want - thousands to choose from. Streamed right to you, and when you are done, the stream is cleaned up and deleted. I can't wait for it.

But yes, some games lose you so fast, and you'll probably never go back to them. Funny part is, some of the best games are like that. I fell in love with Chaos League because I stuck with it and learned, and got to the cool stuff. All of my friends got put off quick and missed the fun. Medieval Lords is like that, hugely detailed tutorial that leaves you hanging, even the menu system is confusing to get in to play! But if you read the manual - twice - do the tutorials, and stick with it - Then you are rewarded with one of the best gameplay experiances EVER.

killbot737 · Post by **killbot737** » Thu Jul 21, 2005 10:51 pm

Kobra is a big

HIPPO-CRIT

because he seems to be a

COLLECTOR

Anyhoo, once in a while I stare at my "Games" folder on my desktop that I drag all my current games to whenever they deposit a desktop icon. Then there's the MAME and MESS and other games sitting on my drives someplace that aren't in that folder.

baron calamity · Post by **baron calamity** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 7:25 am

I stare at my PSP often wondering if there will be a game out for it anytime soon..

Ripstar · Post by **Ripstar** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 10:45 am

Gee, I never have time to stare at my games because I have so many in my collection. I got new ones to play, I got old classics to play, I have the best of every genre to play, I have all the latest modules and patches, follow-ups in the forms of books and background material...its just never ends.......I'd tell you more but got to drop in on an oldie but goodie. haha

tgb · Post by **tgb** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 10:51 am

I'll take it a step further. Many nights I fire up a game, stare at the title/load screen for about 5 minutes, and then say "screw it" and either surf the web or go watch TV.

After 27 years, I wish I could recapture the magic gaming used to have for me.

Kobra · Post by **Kobra** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 11:30 am

killbot737 wrote:Kobra is a big

HIPPO-CRIT

because he seems to be a

COLLECTOR

How exactly am I a collector? I have 4 games sitting on my desk, all purchased within the last 3 days. I have 3 other games I play all of the time. So a total of 7 games, with 4 being brand new qualifies me as a collector?

Sorry, no. I'm just staring at them because I can't seem to build the motivation to commit to the new ones.

Scanner · Post by **Scanner** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 6:13 pm

Kobra wrote:
killbot737 wrote:Kobra is a big

HIPPO-CRIT

because he seems to be a

COLLECTOR
How exactly am I a collector? I have 4 games sitting on my desk, all purchased within the last 3 days. I have 3 other games I play all of the time. So a total of 7 games, with 4 being brand new qualifies me as a collector?

Sorry, no. I'm just staring at them because I can't seem to build the motivation to commit to the new ones.

Essentially when someone says "I stare at games", it basically means they waste money on something.

Exodor · Post by **Exodor** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 6:37 pm

Carpet_pissr wrote:I do it all the time lately, and also think it may be age related, plus I am so damn tired with a relatively new baby. It just seems to take less energy to surf the net and read about games than actually playing them.

This is me as well. With a 5-week old at home, there's just not that much free time in the evenings, and what free time I have is interrupted at regular intervals.

That pretty much rules out MMORPGS, sports games and action games. I find myself playing lots of OOTP and a bit of Civ3, because I can step away from both at any time without fear of it negatively impacting the game.

I'm starting to feel the WoW itch again, but I know better than to resubscribe - I'd spend more time running back from the graveyard than actually playing.

Giles Habibula · Post by **Giles Habibula** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 8:47 pm

Goonch wrote:I'm right there with you! I have been doing that alot for the last couple of months now...on & off. For me I think that it is age related. I turned 45 about two weeks go. My gaming "ruts" seem to be getting more & more frequent.

I wish that I could find one game and commit to it. I just can't

I turned 45 about 6 weeks ago, and I agree it's partly an age thing.
All day at work, I'll dream about coming home and firing up a specific game. Then, 12 hours later when I finally get home, I turn on the PC, stare at all the titles in my menu, decide they're all too much work right now and I'm too tired for this, and open up my browser to OO and read around a bit. Thing is, this happens EVERY DAY. Each morning at work, I am full of energy and bound and determined to play when I get home. And even though I know that I'll probably be too tired, I'll still tell myself to try. And once in a great while, I do, and once I actually get into the game, I'm fired up again and glad I did it. But after a night of very little sleep, I always regret it the next day.

Weekends are a bit better. Though I really don't get up the energy to actually play anything until Sunday. Then, I'll play for a few hours.

10 years ago, I'd come home from work and play until 2:00 am and get up for work four hours later. I really, really miss those days.

tgb · Post by **tgb** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 9:07 pm

Join the club,Brother

Hrnac · Post by **Hrnac** » Fri Jul 22, 2005 9:47 pm

Giles Habibula wrote:
Goonch wrote:I'm right there with you! I have been doing that alot for the last couple of months now...on & off. For me I think that it is age related. I turned 45 about two weeks go. My gaming "ruts" seem to be getting more & more frequent.

I wish that I could find one game and commit to it. I just can't
I turned 45 about 6 weeks ago, and I agree it's partly an age thing.
All day at work, I'll dream about coming home and firing up a specific game. Then, 12 hours later when I finally get home, I turn on the PC, stare at all the titles in my menu, decide they're all too much work right now and I'm too tired for this, and open up my browser to OO and read around a bit. Thing is, this happens EVERY DAY. Each morning at work, I am full of energy and bound and determined to play when I get home. And even though I know that I'll probably be too tired, I'll still tell myself to try. And once in a great while, I do, and once I actually get into the game, I'm fired up again and glad I did it. But after a night of very little sleep, I always regret it the next day.

Weekends are a bit better. Though I really don't get up the energy to actually play anything until Sunday. Then, I'll play for a few hours.

10 years ago, I'd come home from work and play until 2:00 am and get up for work four hours later. I really, really miss those days.

I am 43 and you summed up my thoughts exactly.

-Hrnac

Huw the Poo · Post by **Huw the Poo** » Sat Jul 23, 2005 1:12 am

Shit. I'm 26 and know how you feel.

Papageno · Post by **Papageno** » Sun Jul 24, 2005 10:04 pm

I'm 44, single, and thus theoretically have all kinds of free time to play, but I have similar periods of "low gaming motivation." I have WAY more games, usually older ones, than I'll ever have time to play all the way through, alas, especially while trying to keep in shape and not become an utter hermit socially.

I'm having fun again playing UT2K4 though. Have you guys seen some of these wild mods? The one with the balloons and platforms and cannon really intrigues me. Air Buccaneers, I think it's called.