How to Balance Video Games and Real Life

Link - http://kotaku.com/5990380/how-to-balance-video-games-with-real-life

Check it out. It's a good read. Especially for those of us who find it hard to balance our every growing list of real life obligations. As we get older, married, promoted, have kids etc... we can find it hard to find the time to game. I could definitely identify with several parts of this and even come to some of the same conclusions. So if you having similar problems, give it a read.

Good read, all pretty obvious stuff though.

I could completely identify with having trouble choosing an easier difficulty to actually have time for the game. Fallout is so much more fun when everything can kill you!

this is how i do it ...... work work work ok now im off home game game game sleep and repeat m-f

S7 Sticky wrote:this is how i do it ...... work work work ok now im off home game game game sleep and repeat m-f

I like the way you think.

Wife normally goes to bed about 10. I normally go to bed about midnight. That's 2 hours a day for gaming!

~mrmiller

Miller's way will probably be how I eventually end up doing it once Ella sleeps more consistently thru the night. As for the easier difficulty, I tend to gravitate towards that difficulty if I start to struggle with a game because I'd rather play an easier version than get frustrated on a harder setting. Aside from getting the time, my biggest difficulty is dropping the side quests and not exploring every inch of a game because that goes against my "compulsive" need to see everything made in the game.

I generally never go for "easy" difficulty or cut out the exploring but I have definately started to prioritize. Both in what I play and taking care of business before play. But everyone is different. The main point is that you don't have to give up gaming just because life gets busy.

heres how i game...."oh its the weekend".....d@mn you responsibility....d@mn YOU !

I doubt that I'd involve myself with MMOs anymore or games which are basically grinders like Diablo 3. That's just way too much time wasted on games that pointlessly make me run the same instance, dungeon, etc over and over again in hopes of getting the gear that I want. I'd much rather play RPGs because I enjoy their stories, but there's no way I'd even think of pressing the 'Easy' button. Easy mode may get me through a game quickly, but then it makes the game feel more like a chore and not enjoyable.

^^^ this!

One interesting thing;
I actually prefer games like RPGs, and my schedule is about as busy as it gets. Sure they take a lot of time, but you can pause whenever! I even told the wife I was excited for the new baby because it will give me more time to play Single Player games like Skyrim again.

For reference, my schedule goes :
Wake Up
Work
End of day, workout between when I'm off work and when wife is done/baby #1 is out of daycare
Family/dinner stuff until 7:30 when baby goes to bed
Hangout with wife until she goes to bed (or tries to) around 9-11, depending on the day.
Study for my Networking exams
Game
Read
Sleep

Obviously some on the later days I have to cut out gaming completely.

Lately, in the past year, I've given up some gaming time to watch anime. It wasn't something I was really into before, but I've been enjoying it. Before I started watching anime like this, I think the only ones I watched completely were DragonBall, DragonBall Z and Yu Yu Hakusho. Now I've watched Naruto+Shipudden, Bleach, and am currently watching One Piece (all subbed obviously). They've all been fun watches so far. Once I get caught up with One Piece I'll probably take a break from anime and go back to gaming again and hopefully be able to actually complete Skyrim's main story. lol

Anime is a big time sucker.

Xpert, you HAVE to watch Hunter X Hunter 2011. It's amazing.

PS: There is an older Hunter x Hunter series, but the new one has much better animation, voice acting, and story. Similar to the difference between Fullmetal Alchemist and Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.

It might be something I'll watch eventually, but since One Piece has about 600 episodes, I'm going to be anime'd out by the time I get caught up.

One Piece is great, I forget how long it is since I've been keeping up weekly for years now. I would say if you hit a filler and get bored, HxH is a great show to watch to take a break from One Piece. It's about 60 episodes now, and I think will either be finished at 70 or so, or maybe go a bit farther (hopefully)

I only really game Friday and sat night, I might get a few hours in during the day on the weekend, or an hour or so during the week. I like it that way makes gaming more of a treat. And you guys not going to bed with your wife's during the week are nuts, missing out on some sex more then likely

In order to get my gaming fix in, I've turned to apps to find something fun with some more flexibility. I've come across some oldies that used to be for the PC and console that have been redone for the iPhone.

For a little action I've gone to Pirates! by Sid Meyer. I used to play the crap out of it on the Xbox and it's still just as good. I think pretty much all the console features are in it and you just can't beat terrorizing the French, Spanish, English, and Dutch with your own fleet of pirate ships.

While I've never played any of The Bard's Tale games, I'm really enjoying it. The game has pretty good graphics and voice acting, it's simple to lean and play, and just complex enough in character creation to keep you entertained without being real difficult. The crude humor and comments are a plus too.

If I remember right, I got both games for $2.99 each, although The Bard's Tale might have been on sale. For those other new dads out there with iPhones and iPads, I suggest picking up one or both of these if you're having trouble finding the time to game.

I play a bigger % of mobile games now as well.

Me too. iPad mini is amazing for games. Larger screen than the iPhone but much lighter and easier to hold that the full size iPad. It's the perfect gaming platform for these type of games. I find myself playing a lot more games on it. Right now I am playing Another World (reissue of an old PC game), Baldur's Gate (also old PC game), Bastion and Horn. All highly recommended for those interested.

Bastion didn't impress me. Never played any of the others.

I never played Bastion on any other platform but I am very much enjoying it on the iPad. Not a hard game by any means but very charming. Great art style, music and narration. Definitely enjoying it personally.

I also cube, so that's kinda like gaming. It improves spacial awareness, which is big in any game.
Got a new cube last week:

I tried finding Baldur's Gate on the App Store for my iPhone and wasn't able to find it, it that an iPad only app? I used to love playing that on the PC, if I remember right it has like 3-5 CDs to play it.

I didn't realize it but yes, Baldur's Gate is iPad only. Sorry.

S7 Interseptor wrote:I didn't realize it but yes, Baldur's Gate is iPad only. Sorry.

It's all good. I really didn't have too much interest in getting any type of pad but with how the little one is I might look into getting an iPad mini or possibly the original. I don't want to spend a ton of money on one but it would be nice to have something that I could play some app games on and possibly surf the web some.