What have I been missing?

[Hawkei]

Hi,

I started playing this game in 2006. After which I spent a lot of time playing it on GPG, and taken it up again with FAF. I always used to find FA an enjoyable game to play. It is strategically difficult and demanding. Infact, at several points I have found myself seriously addicted to it. It is so exciting that I will often find myself jumping straight onto the machine when I get home from work. Only to play it into the early hours of the morning.

Recently however, I went on an overseas holiday. For two weeks I was away from technology on an alpine cross country skiing adventure. Having to work harder than I ever have before. Survivng by my own wits, at the mercy of the elements. I've never felt so alive. But now, sitting down at a computer seems so boring. I simply don't have the motivation to play this game anymore. The idea of sitting down to play some kind of tactical simulation seems pointless. When I could be facing real dangers and making real decisions in real life.

Has anyone considered what they could have done, with the time they had, if they didn't spend so much of it playing this game?

[Ato0theJ]

I'm pretty sure most of us know that playing video games isn't a rewarding as many other things but continue to do so because of
1. Low cost
2. No risk
3. Simple social interactions
4. Low effort

As a student, video games are a nice break from work and class, but if I had an enjoyable career, an expensive hobby, vacations to take or wife and kids- I couldn't picture myself wasting time playing video games. So few things that I am not already doing will make a difference to me in 10 years, something as accessible as vidya isn't so much a waste of time.

[FireMessiah]

When I could be facing real dangers and making real decisions in real life.

I prefer Simulated Danger... and Virtual-Reality Hospitals

[SC-Account]

I too like cross country skiing and I have been doing that way before I played a computer game. I don't know what is up with all this self hating in computer gaming communities or here in FAF. Everything in your life is a waste of time if you perceive it that way. There are no good or bad hobbies.

That said I probably learned more through computer gaming than through school, so there are certain other things I would consider a waste of time..

[ZLO_RD]

What have I been missing?

having progress, learning to play better and better is most exiting
also this game is just beautifull
also i can remind to FireWall about game vs RedQuad this can be fun...
But playing better and better is most fun for me, i can't understand how Blackheart and Petricpwns can play so good after few mounth...

[Yudi]

Blackheart and Petricpwnz not from gpg? when did they started FA?

[ZLO_RD]

of course they are not from gpg
Bh here like 9-15 mounth petricpwns plays 6-9 mounth
Thouse numbers are not accurate but they play not even from beginning of faf

[ColonelSheppard]

Well if i'd had the money to travel around the world and go skiing every weekend i would likely not play computer games at all, but let's be honest: I dont.

[SeraphimLeftNut]

The health benefits you might gain, are off-set by the dangers of falling off the mountain. You are making a good gamble however and are likely to be more healthy than the average gamer.

Consider the fact: anything you can experience, is already inside your head.
Therefore in order to maximize experience you must take control of your own thoughts and exercise your imagination. Granted real world is good to guide you in the right direction. The places you can go with a pencil and paper and a few quiet hours are far beyond anything your eyes and body can experience.

Playing this game over and over though is probably a bad thing, but compared to most other video games it does give a chance to the imagination and creativity to have some fun.

[da_monstr]

I'd also go skiing all the time if I could, but alas, I'm a student with not much income... but I'd play FA anyway. It's the only game I played in ages that doesn't let go and it motivated me to get into overclocking a little and going into more detail about computers in general.
No other games I found quite engaging enough, except maybe for Red Alert 2 and Empire Earth, but that is quite some time back now. The generic FPS stuff like COD or BF get boring and stale, Bioshock was OK but not replayable enough...
The only recent games that came close were from the Mass Effect series. As for newer RTS... there is just no contenders out there.

But I guess that everyone will sooner or later stop playing games, as they either lack time or the will to continue. For example, Firewall had this happen to him and once you start feeling that way, there is no coming back. But there will always be fresh blood out there to replace those who leave.