I spend more time on these forums than actually gaming....

[Malakili]

So, its come to my attention that I actually donlt game very much anymore.  I sure love to talk about it, but given my schedule I have less and less time to actually spend in games due to the fact 1) I'm simply not home as much 2) when I do have time to game, I really dislike being interrupted, so if I know there are a bunch of possible interruptions, I just don't bother booting anything up.

 Just looking for suggestions about how other people have managed to keep up their gaming as their gaming time has dwindled, and how they make the most out of it.

I'm thinking I need to drop my more serious games.  As much as I love Starcraft 2, Its made me unbelievably frustrated to actually get WORSE at it because my playtime has dropped off so much, I don't have the time to get good at things anymore, not legitimately good like I used to, and thats a problem for me because of how I just do things in general (not just in gaming).   With shooters its a little better because you aren't reminded constantly how much you suck like you are in an RTS, and even if I can't be as good as I used to I can still get fun/exciting/cool kills from time to time.   

MMORPGs are ok because I can get "better" just by spending a bit of time on it every day, even if it isn't much time, but its really only my character getting better and not me, which generally leaves me bored as all hell after a couple weeks and haven't found an MMO that actually compels me to play long term in quite a long time.

What genre's work best for someone like me? What games? Do I just need to force myself to radically shift how I view gaming in my life?  I know this probably all sounds a little silly and possibly a little like a whine post, but its actually causing me legitimate distress and I'm not sure the best way to deal with it.

FAKE EDIT: The reason I have so little gaming over the last 1/2 year or so is because I entered a phd program that is quite demanding (as one would expect).  I love it, but I also want to keep up with my hobbies SOME.

[Tebonas]

As do I. Its called working an 8 hour day job with browser internet access

[Khaldun]

My problem is also partly ennui with games: it's still both my leisure habit of choice and an art/cultural form in which I have great intellectual interest, but I feel like game design is spinning its wheels in some respects. There are fewer and fewer titles that both feel like fresh or engaging experiences to me and which accommodate my increasingly crowded life and professional schedule. I have the same sensation in particular that if I put down a title for a while, I find it too difficult to "re-acquire" the basic structure of gameplay in some titles without having to go back and play them over again, which in some cases I don't want to do. I got too busy to finish RDR a while back for example and then when I went back to it I was struggling to remember how to quickshot things and lasso and so on.

Another complicated issue for me is that my daughter is so much more interested in games now that I can't play some of the things that I used to play while she did something else elsewhere in the house: she always wants to come and see what I'm doing. That's fine if it's WoW or DCUO or King's Bounty, not so fine if it's The Witcher or RDR or Saint's Row 2 or Assassin's Creed 2. If I time it right, I can do some of those games, but I have to save some quests or segments or activities for when she's asleep, and when she's asleep I'm often pretty tired myself.

[Malakili]

I'm often pretty tired myself.

Indeed, this is a problem for me, though not due to children.  I simply spend a lot of my most mentally alert hours getting things done for school, but the game I enjoy most require quite a lot of alertness and dexterity, both of which tank for me after about 8-9pm.  So even if I have an hour or two to play before bed, the kinds of games I want to play are kind of inaccessible.

[UnSub]

Try to organise a night to yourself for gaming once a week. Promise your fiancée something in return, but make one night something you can inject some solid time in.

You also need to adjust to the fact you probably won't be buying every game you want on release and will probably be behind in lots of discussions.

[Malakili]

Try to organise a night to yourself for gaming once a week. Promise your fiancée something in return, but make one night something you can inject some solid time in.

You also need to adjust to the fact you probably won't be buying every game you want on release and will probably be behind in lots of discussions.

Actually, the fiancee is the least of my barriers to gaming, she's happy enough to watch some TV alone for a while if i want to play a game for a while.  We've been living together for a long time and thats never been a problem for us (i dislike TV, she dislikes games, so it works out) Its more the school work load thats utterly smashed my ability to game with any kind of consistency, and consistency is really needed in games like SC2 or anything else competitive for that matter.   

Probably need to pick something that I can do what you say though, play one night a week, and be ok with that.  Unfortunately that is going to take me out of anything remotely competitive.

[Bunk]

Welcome to adulthood 

Competitive gaming is something for those who have no real schedule I'm afraid. Shift your focus to single player stuff. I think in the last two years, the only online gaming I've really done is a few Borderlands runs, which are quick, and one brief attempt at mutiplayer Civ 5. MMoGs are fine for me, as long as I realize that I'm going to be playing them as if they were single player - raiding or battlegrounds are just not going to happen.

[Malakili]

Welcome to adulthood  

Competitive gaming is something for those who have no real schedule I'm afraid. Shift your focus to single player stuff. I think in the last two years, the only online gaming I've really done is a few Borderlands runs, which are quick, and one brief attempt at mutiplayer Civ 5. MMoGs are fine for me, as long as I realize that I'm going to be playing them as if they were single player - raiding or battlegrounds are just not going to happen.

Yea, I'm sure this is the correct way to approach it, but its easier said than done for me :).  In truth I've been dealing with this issue for a solid 1/2 year + at this point but I've been sort of just been powering through it with SC2 which I was bad enough at for a long time that I could improve even with a limited schedule.  Now I've hit the wall there, and its sort of dawned on me that I'm going to have have this problem no matter what I play.   The issue of course is that I really do like to play games to improve at them, and it seems like the types of games you are suggestion (by and large) have a low skill ceiling that won't keep me very interested.

Clearly thats the point of course, I need to shift how I approach gaming.  Its just easier said than done.  Its going to sound pretty quaint, but I was talking with a friend earlier and I observed that in many ways I really identify with the competitive gaming community and in some ways is an issue of redefining myself, not just redefining how I spend my time, and I think that is where some of the issue is coming from.

EDIT: Somewhat ironically if I had a normal 8 hours a day type job, I'd have a ton more time to game than I do now.  As it stands I have 8 hours a day (on average) on campus a day, and then I have loads of reading and writing to do on top of that.  Yes, that is of course the life of a phd student and I don't regret it or dislike it, I think its just affected my life even more drastically than I anticipated actually.  Especially going back to it after having been out of school for a bit and sort of enjoying being in the work/leisure rhythm of a normal job.

[Lantyssa]

FAKE EDIT: The reason I have so little gaming over the last 1/2 year or so is because I entered a phd program that is quite demanding (as one would expect).  I love it, but I also want to keep up with my hobbies SOME.

If you're doing the Ph.D 'right', you don't have time for gaming...  or anything really.  Really it'll be just about the worst point in your life for any leisure activity since most doctoral programs expect you to be putting in 60-80 hours towards the program.

You'll have to either just tinker around or plan a night for yourself.  It's hard to make it work, but it will get better.

[Murgos]

My goal is to make enough money that I can retire and play video games, I'm basically giving up on the next 20 years or so.  Eventually, I plan on spending my dotage in a retirement home with all the latest hardware and an internet connection and just play 20 hours a day.

[Sky]

As do I. Its called working an 8 hour day job with browser internet access

[Lucas]

It's been a problem for me as well, lately; I just have to organize myself a little better: fact is, for me it is quite easy to lose focus, whenever I'm playing a single-player game or a MMO. So I play for a bit, then shut down the game, browse the internet, mess around with other stuff, then start the game up again, rinse, repeat for very short spans.

But also, I  know what you mean Malakili when you say: " when I do have time to game, I really dislike being interrupted, so if I know there are a bunch of possible interruptions, I just don't bother booting anything up.".
Sometimes it's even more of a sensation than a real thing, so even before booting something up you feel like you just don't think it's worth it.

[Paelos]

I've shifted my gaming during my crunch periods to MMOG's where I can log in an do something for 1-2 hours at a time, and strategy games where I can manuver turns that have a finality to them. There's stopping points in both those games.

[Malakili]

On an on and off topic note, the fact that an MMORPG might be my best option for consistent but limited time to play a game really says a lot about how much they've changed.

[Morat20]

I've really pulled back any MMORPG gaming (god, that's a time-sink). I have to share the console with my wife and kid (both of whom get more gaming time than me), and am pretty much stuck with games I can play a few hours at a time, then let sit for several days.

So Mass Effect 2? Fine. Fallout 3? By the time I get back to it, I've forgotten what I was doing or how to do it.

On the other hand, I always have a steady supply of games to play -- I've still got the original Assasin's Creed sitting around, having only played a little of it....

[Rasix]

On an on and off topic note, the fact that an MMORPG might be my best option for consistent but limited time to play a game really says a lot about how much they've changed.

Well, in most now you can actually solo and get something done. It's no longer the EQ model of sit on your butt and hope you get picked for the kickball team.

I do tend to keep a MMO subscription around because it is something I can jump in and out of pretty easily.  Even in group instances if something comes up in an emergency, it mostly doesn't matter if I alt-F4 on the spot (thank you LFD).  I do not raid. That's just not compatible with the time I have available.  I've tried many different ways to raid, but with a non gaming wife and especially now with a young son, it's just not feasible.

And like others, as my time has decreased, my indecisiveness has gone up. It's hard to pick something that I know I can only get an hour into before I have to put it down. My habits in general have changed much from just "play everything I can afford".  I tend to only play games I really want to play.  Replays of games from the past usually don't get very far.  And probably the biggest thing is that I tend to just not buy and not play games I would have in the past due to pure lack of time and only a passing interest.  Like that new DC MMO, it sounds kind of fun, but will I really have time to play it and will it be worth a full box price if it has the chance for me just not liking it at all?  I've completely skipped two sequels to Assassin's Creed because the first one, although fun in parts, just kind of missed the mark for me.  These games even get ignored when they drop down to bargin bin prices.  

And games that get bad press/bad worth of mouth? Skipped entirely unless I'm a huge, huge fan of the series/developer/genre.  There are a lot of games that I just can't finish anymore and it drives me nuts. Long RPGs and jRPGs are difficult for me to finish because it takes months.

At least I'm not as indecisive with my gaming as I was when my son was an infant.  "Why bother loading something up, the possibility of him waking up screaming is about 50%".  At that point it was just easier to pick up a book. Marking a page is a lot faster than saving and exiting a game.

On the positive side, I always have something great to play (often installed and waiting for me on Steam or still in its shrinkwrap next to the TV).

[Soulflame]

I've been shifting my gaming to the DS.

[Yoru]

I've had this happen to me gradually over the past year or so, largely due to either picking up new hobbies or expanding my time commitment to older ones. My gaming time is almost entirely restricted to about 30 minutes at lunchtime on 2-3 workdays out of the week, and perhaps an hour, maybe two or three, somewhere during the rest of the week.

My solution has been twofold - one, I still enjoy games like StarCraft II, but I'm not competitive and don't expect to be. I'm rather pleased that I've climbed from Bronze 99 up to the teens. These sorts of games I tend to play more with friends and coworkers during lunch (SC2, BFBC2, etc. - mostly FPSes, aside from SC2), and my preference generally rotates with what the rest of my social circle is playing.

For my solo gaming time, I choose games that are easier to pick up and put down, particularly indie games. Minecraft single-player, Recettear and a goodly list of others. I'm looking forward to picking up SpaceChem when I have time for it in February. The only long mainstream games I bought and completed last year were Dragon Age and Mass Effect 2, and I've already crossed DA2 off my list for this year. I've more or less dropped all MMOs at this point.

Like Rasix says, I find that becoming pickier is pretty much the only solution. There's a lot I'd like to play, but unless it's the one or two "OMG MUST PLAY NOW" games that come out each year, I tend to wait for reactions from the F13 crew and my offline social circle. It's helped me avoid stinkers like Civ5.

[Bann]

I found myself with less and less time for gaming lately too. Something that has worked out well for me was picking up Domions 3. After the first few weeks of getting familiar playing against the computer, I moved into playing human opponents. It works well for me because it seems scalable - when Im crunched for time I can always find enough time to play my turn and mail it in, and when things slow down a bit I can join a 2nd or third game.

What initally got me interested in the game was this lets play on SA I read about it.
http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3302467


Another game I fall into and out of is Dungeon Crawl Stone Soup. Its nice because I can decide to take a 10 minute break and get a few cracks at dungeon sprint mode in. Its not so nice because sometimes I mean to take a 10 minute between looking over lesson plans and then realize I've been playing DCSS for the last 5 hours, and really need to goto bed.

[Nebu]

For me it isn't so much about a lack of time (I usually trade sleep for gaming time), but rather a lack of a fun MMO to play.  The factor that has decreased my gaming time most is that the people I used to play MMO's with have all quit playing MMOs.  Since most MMOs require groups to see the endgame content, I've been hesitant to reinvest in them heavily until I can find a new gaming group.  If I can manage that, I'll probably bitch about the difficulty in coordinating schedules.

[ghost]

I'm dying for someone to create a nice MMO that you can play in 30 minute to 2 hour stretches and actually enjoy.  The way most MMOs are centered now it is impossible to do anything other than kill a few rats in that time, or run a battleground (or the equivalent) or two and get mopped by people that play 8-24 hours per day.  

As for non-MMO fare, it's a mixed bag.  Some folks bitch about games like Uncharted/Uncharted 2 which last only 8-12 hours total, but this is plenty for me for just the reasons Morat stated.  If they're too drawn out I get bored and have to retrack to find where I am at.  Some games are just too complex to fuck with any more.  I have this problem with the Witcher right now.  The quests are pretty convoluted and if you don't say just the right thing you can find yourself in a serious dead end. I have had some games recently that I enjoy, however, and have spent a lot of time on.  

Anyway Malakili, I suspect that you will find your situation even more cramped when (if) you do have children.  Life will continue to get more complex once you get married (things change, even though you've lived together) and progress along your path.  It's not a bad thing-  it's just life.  

Edit:  I think you joined up here about the same time I did.  I find it interesting that the Politics board appears to be exceeding popular here.  I suspect that the makeup of F13 was quite a bit different back in 2004-5 time frame.  I suspect that the board as a whole has gone through a lot of the issues that you are talking about. 

[Yegolev]

I had a post going but it disappeared because I had something else to do.

I'm more picky and I play things like Just Cause 2 instead of Planescape Torment.  I can't remember what the hell is going on in complex stories in between play sessions.

On the other hand, I am also easily distracted.  I end up playing things like Dwarf Fortress and SP Minecraft due to whimsy, leaving off a Dragon Age play long enough to forget why I'm fighting down that particular hallway.  Sandbox games are great for me since I don't have to remember much besides how to play.

That is actually another bothersome thing, such as how I sometimes try to use Forza buttons when playing GT5.  It doesn't help that Just Cause 2 also uses triggers for "move car forward".  However things are much better on this front than in the past.  Who else remembers when Japanese games used Circle for Cancel?  I sure as hell do.  Now I mostly just have to worry about conflicting camera controls, but that's not actually as huge a deal to me anymore.

Something else that I have is paralysis due to choice.  Like how you keep thinking there must be something better on when you are paying for 500 channels of TV, when I try to decide what game to play it can turn into me staring at the shelves for minutes on end and later worry that I probably should at least boot up GT5 so I can get some Museum cards....  Losing the ability to play my huge pile of PS2 games (God, Sony, you fuckers!) has only helped somewhat.

I don't have much advice.  My skills are worse than before at pretty much every game type.  I can't play with friends due to schedule.  I can't play certain things when the boy is around.  It's a sickness, adulthood.

[ghost]

Losing the ability to play my huge pile of PS2 games (God, Sony, you fuckers!) has only helped somewhat.

You can get a PS2 for pretty cheap.   

[Nebu]

I find it interesting that the Politics board appears to be exceeding popular here. 

I'm afraid that's what happens when people lose hope in the development cycle.  The MMO forum used to be quite active until the recent cycle of failed MMO attempts reminded us all that WoW is the best we have to look forward to for the forseeable future.  While WoW is great for what it is, I think we've all been-there-done-that too many times with the whole fantasy diku stuff. 

[ghost]

I find it interesting that the Politics board appears to be exceeding popular here.

I'm afraid that's what happens when people lose hope in the development cycle.  The MMO forum used to be quite active until the recent cycle of failed MMO attempts reminded us all that WoW is the best we have to look forward to for the forseeable future.  While WoW is great for what it is, I think we've all been-there-done-that too many times with the whole fantasy diku stuff.  

This is true.  Clearly that's not the only reason though.  Lifestyles are changing.  You can see it in this thread.  

Edit:  And I would suspect that there are a fair number of people that post here that don't game at all anymore, simply because of the community. 

[Merusk]

Yep. There's plenty of hype and chatter on the other MMO sites.. it's just us.  We're all 'adults' now with more responsibilities and less time.  Even the young'uns are mostly out of college (or going for advanced degrees which take more time than Bachelors)

Except for me and my life awash in irresponsibility, unemployment and panic.  But then you don't feel much like gaming.

[Morat20]

I never really managed to claw back as many gaming hours after my Master's as I managed before. Kid's getting older and wanting Xbox time, my PC is aging and money to build a new one is less forthcoming...

Xbox turned out to be a good investment, actually. I'd avoided the things (my wife was a huge console fan, I prefer PC) but it's all that's really kept gaming affordable. Otherwise I'd, right now, be playing WoW, Eve, and older 'nostalgic' stuff off Steam or GoG.

And WoW just because they made an effort to keep the requirements so low. I can't play SC2, for instance, and I won't be able to play Diablo III -- not until I upgrade.

[Mrbloodworth]

I have to constantly make a decision when I sit down at my PC. Play games, or make them. Tie that with I make stuff all day, and sometimes, make does not happen.

[Malakili]

Yep. There's plenty of hype and chatter on the other MMO sites.. it's just us.

I'm actually kind of surprised about this, I haven't frequented any other gaming forums, but it seems like genuine enthusiasm is pretty rare these days outside of official forums where people that decide 8 months in advance they will buy the game hang out.  I thought pretty much everyone just kind of floated around between trying random stuff in attempt to recapture their MMO youth, and begrudgingly resubbing to WoW.

[ghost]

You have to remember that a lot of the people that are starting up MMOs are actually pretty young, and therefore have a lot more time on their hands. 

[Ingmar]

Yeah for every one of us trying to capture our MMO youth there are probably 3 new customers being added at the young end.

[Merusk]

It's even more amusing to see the same arguments you've hashed out 4-5 times play out at the other sites and have the same outcome.

Did I say amusing? I meant depressing.

[squirrel]

I'm in this boat as well. Between the fact I have job/kids/dogs/wife my gaming time is severely curtailed, but I can partake in F13 from work or on the train so...

I feel old now.

[lamaros]

I play single player games or multiplayer games without a big time commitment (like minecraft, blood bowl) and for fun rather than competition.

I'm a bit obsessive, so I tend to only play one game at a time and not want to play more than that, and I rarely watch TV, so I find my gaming time that way.

That said I didn't play games much when I was working and doing my honors at the same time, so I'd say you just have to suck it up with the phd going on. Give yourself a holiday to play games every now and then, but just pick ones that you can enjoy for those moments and don't feel a need to comit to.

[Minvaren]

I find myself in this category too.  The dropoff really happened over the last 4-5 years, because I got tired of paying big bucks for games that left me cold.  So I started waiting 6-12 months to buy games, but most local stores don't even stock them anymore at that point.

I started playing video games in 1980, and I think since then I have found every conceivable way to kill something.  I joke that I play so much Rock Band/Guitar Hero/etc.. because I'm flat-out tired of killing things.

Supposedly my personality type starts to get out of their head and into reality as well later in life, and I find that to be the case as well.  Doing a hobby with my hands is much more satisfying nowadays than sitting at the PC all night/weekend - especially when it's my day job as well.