"Life is too short to worry about highscores"

[Zierro]

The reason I quit Runescape was because it would take me years and years to achieve what I wanted - maxed skills. The effort didn't turn me off at all - it's the amount of time I'd have to spend that I would rather spread out through other life experiences and other video games. Maybe if I had a hyperbolic time chamber or something, but I do agree that life is too short for me to worry about maxing out every skill. Runescape isn't that great.

[Guest jrhairychest]

Agreed it is about self control and how you manage it. Trouble is, where does that fine line between 'fun' and 'obsession' really border? Sure we can all say we do it for fun but the real measure is could you really deal with losing your RS? I also often wonder if those players in the top 10 will wake up one day after spending an incredible amount of time on RS and wonder where their lives went.

 

For those comments directed at the video. For me he was just talking about how it affected him and how 'he' felt he had wasted his life doing it. Although he started with blaming video games I think the guy was more angry at himself, and rightly so. At least he was honest about what he'd done with his life (or not).

[Assume Nothing]

Interesting, a few things may have sounded true and made sense,

I can't understand that just because he realised what he had "wasted" his time on video games over more important things doesn't mean that we have done/will do it too.

Just because his life sucked because of video games doesn't mean ours will.

 

I really enjoy video games, and unlike him, I have learned things from them.

Maybe it's not as important as like going to a class in school but you never know.

 

Maybe I don't usualy meet the people I met in online games, but I learn to know them and talk to them.

It's like, I don't have to ring on a friends door just to talk to him, I can just call them instead.

 

Anyway, seeing as he said he "wasted his life" doesn't mean I will, I'm still young and have plenty of time left in my life.

I'm still studying so it doesn't matter if I play games to talk to people instead of talking to them irl. I get enough of rl contact with people at school for now.

 

Well, one thing's for sure; RuneScape taught me how to type, and improved my grammar. I'm "superior" at spelling for my age, apparently.

[Star_Fox]

When I saw the list of what other thing's there is to do besides making a lvl 80 char in WoW was just...silly...What benefits

do reading all Harry Potter books carry over building a top notch character in a video game? Nothing.

Time should be spend according to how you want to spend it. It's that simple. Seriously, think about it for a sec.... If you decided to

spend your summer driving all the way from NYC to LA, you may end up stranded in the middle of nowhere, run into

a gang of thugs and have everything stripped from you, get into a serious car accident and the only worse thing that can happen

when you decide to spend your whole summer playing games is...losing in a game. The beauty of video games is that the consequences

are so minimal because the virtual reality acts like a barrier that keeps you safe, comfortable, and entertained. This is why

so many people play video games in the first place. Life is just too full of struggles and you constantly worry about what

can happen for the worst.

 

I haven't thought of what good things may happen if I had decided to do other things but honestly, will it REALLY matter if

I met my first love or decided to make friends and have a "good time"? Like Muggi said, Everything you do will ultimately mean

nothing once you die". I couldn't have said better. I think everyone is entitled to their way of life and no one should have the right

to take it away. Ever.

[Naraku893]

Highscores are not important at all. All it does is make nerds grind more. I'm talking about those extreme people on the highscores, who play like 15+ hours a day every day of their life. I can see an occasional weekend playing hardcore, but some people are just ridiculous. I remember when RS wasn't about highscores, just about completing your goal. Now all some of these kids do is gossip and track nerds on the highscores. :thumbdown:

[jsboutin2]

I'm in front of the computer 4+ hours on most days, but what else is there to do on a tuesday evening?

 

Studying? It has it's own time limits, or you're incredibly stupid/overworking.

[jsboutin2]

Wrong topic

[Dexek]

Balance is the key. I do feel sorry for this guy after watching the video though. I'm surprised it took becoming overweight and divorced in order for him to realize that he hadn't prioritized gaming appropriately in his life. As far as I can tell, many gamers I've met on Rs do/did have balance in their lives. Obviously you come across those individuals who don't, but in my opinion they are few and far between.

[Star_Fox]

Balance is the key. I do feel sorry for this guy after watching the video though. I'm surprised it took becoming overweight and divorced in order for him to realize that he hadn't prioritized gaming appropriately in his life. As far as I can tell, many gamers I've met on Rs do/did have balance in their lives. Obviously you come across those individuals who don't, but in my opinion they are few and far between.

 

 

Yes. But to those who are above the highscores with billions of exp clearly are suffering from the stereotypes mentioned in the video.

Seriously, how many hours do you need a day to reach lvl 120 dungeonerring only within months? I'm kind of concerned that

some people might actually make a LIVING out of Runescape. It's almost impossible to reach a substantial accomplishment like 120 dungeonerring

while you possibly have to work to pay your bills, commuting, and all the other stuff that needs undivided attention. It's like these

people don't even do all that. They are either possibly filthy rich that life doesn't even matter to them or just sucking off their

parent's finances for dependence so they just could make all that time for Runescape.

[motocrossbri]

Life is too short, hmmm. Well needless to say I have put a lot of time into my account, almost a whole year worth of game play and I do not care. I have fun playing and its entertainment. To those people who calculate how much money you could of made working all the hours you put in a game is like computing how much you could do while your sleeping. Now I have spent 15hrs a day playing this game sometimes. Does that seem like it has consumed my life, I HAVE PLAYED A YEARS WORTH OF THIS GAME OMG. Wait in that time I have also done a lot more then just playing a game. Oh yeah that's right I got a college degree in that period too [cabbage] I forgot about that. This seems more like a person who has an addiction problem instead of a Video Game problem. If you let anything consume your life it is not a good thing whether it be Drugs, Work, Video Games, Fitness.

 

He said he hasn't acquired any skills but I would be willing to beat if he did not play video games, he could not of made this animated youtube video.

[Deletion]

I personally disliked this video, too preachy as I think someone previously mentioned? This video actually made me kind of angry to be perfectly honest. Just because he couldn't find a good balance between real life and gaming doesn't mean that every other gamer can't which he seemed to be implying. Most of my good rl friends are avid gamers playing a wide variety of games ranging through all genres of games, and none of them, including myself have ever let our gaming take control of our lives.

 

Hell, I'm closing in on 2100 total on RS, 5th Prestige on MW2, and being able to drive Mario Kart 64 blindfolded and yet I still manage to find the time to have an active social life, a long term girlfriend and get a Tertiary education (in the form of a MSc in Chemistry if any of you care). Just because a select few can't maintain this balance doesn't mean that every gamer is an obese loner with minimal social skills, which is the stereotype generally portrayed in the media and that this video does nothing to help.

 

I can see how this video may be insightful for a select few however most people that play games have found this balance and this video just seems make gamers sound like they have a lack of self control, which is extremely untrue.

 

tl;dr He didn't have self-control, while most other gamers do so don't preach to us.

 

Done ranting now :)

[Youmu]

being able to drive Mario Kart 64 blindfolded

Now THIS is something that requires tons of nolifing effort :blink:

 

Playing games blindfolded is honestly something I (and probably almost all of us) cannot effectively do, even if sound is on max. Except MAYBE rhythm games but even then I barely make a pass.

 

But yeah, as long as you have a balance between games and irl, it's all good.

[Myweponsg00d]

Man I really hate this thread. Just seeing it linger on the first page makes me rage every time I see it.

 

I've been around the MMORPG gaming community long enough, and I have seen these posts pop up every now and then. Some nerd rages over the fact that the game is evil and life-consuming.

 

Meanwhile...everyone I play with is always like

"Can't DK, hanging with my GF tonight"

"Man just got back from a rough soccer practice..."

"Ah sorry, I gotta bail, some friends just called"

 

These people who have gaming problems are obviously in the minority, yet they project their problems onto everyone else and assume that EVERYONE neglects their family to play this game.

 

lol

[Stev]

Also, video games were NOT to blame. It was his lack of self control.

But the video games are designed to be so addictive to where you can't put it down. It's both the video game's fault as well as the player's.

[Guest jrhairychest]

Yes. But to those who are above the highscores with billions of exp clearly are suffering from the stereotypes mentioned in the video.

Seriously, how many hours do you need a day to reach lvl 120 dungeonerring only within months? I'm kind of concerned that

some people might actually make a LIVING out of Runescape. It's almost impossible to reach a substantial accomplishment like 120 dungeonerring

while you possibly have to work to pay your bills, commuting, and all the other stuff that needs undivided attention. It's like these

people don't even do all that. They are either possibly filthy rich that life doesn't even matter to them or just sucking off their

parent's finances for dependence so they just could make all that time for Runescape.

Agreed although I'm pretty sure that anyone filthy rich probably wouldn't be playing RS as much as they'd have much better things to do. If their parents are supporting them then fine its their money, although what sort of parent would let their siblings play RS all day and make no worthwhile contribution?

 

I just can't help feeling that theres quite a few drawing benefits/welfare to support their gaming 'habit'. I've asked a few high ranking players about this and for most of it the answer is the same - put on the ignore list :mellow:. One (not so high ranking) did claim to be disabled and therefore could not work. When I pointed out that if he could play RS all day that he could work I got put on the ignore list again. It seems that it's acceptable to do this kind of thing (and my taxes pay for that) yet I see these kids fawning over those on the high score list as if it's a good thing to not have a job and waste your life away.

[stonewall337]

Also, video games were NOT to blame. It was his lack of self control.

But the video games are designed to be so addictive to where you can't put it down. It's both the video game's fault as well as the player's.

Thats an excuse, a cop out.

[brunokiller]

But it's true, there are actually conventions where game designers discuss how to make your game as addictive as possible.

[stonewall337]

But it's true, there are actually conventions where game designers discuss how to make your game as addictive as possible.

Yes, but that doesn't make it less of an excuse.

[Sir_Kurity]

Yea it is.

 

If you get addicted to drugs, while its partly your fault due to taking it in the first place, its just as much the drugs fault as well due to it being as addictive as it is.

[stonewall337]

Yea it is.

 

If you get addicted to drugs, while its partly your fault due to taking it in the first place, its just as much the drugs fault as well due to it being as addictive as it is.

A substance addiction =/= psychological addiction, although both addictions, they are quite different.

[Obtaurian]

Yea it is.

 

If you get addicted to drugs, while its partly your fault due to taking it in the first place, its just as much the drugs fault as well due to it being as addictive as it is.

A substance addiction =/= psychological addiction, although both addictions, they are quite different.

 

This. How in the world can you compare something like meth to a videogame? Lol?

[green9090]

But it's true, there are actually conventions where game designers discuss how to make your game as addictive as possible.

I love this argument because it means suddenly people aren't responsible for their own choices.

 

I bought something I saw on TV that I didn't need because advertisers thought about the best way to make me think I need it = not my fault.

 

I got fat on junk food because scientists discussed the best ways to make it delicious = not my fault.

 

I got scammed because the scammer put effort into finding the best way to make me think giving him my bank account information was a good idea = not my fault.

 

Nope, sorry, that's not the way the world works. If you're an idiot and smart people convince you to do things, that's still your idiot fault.

[Sir_Kurity]

To those people who calculate how much money you could of made working all the hours you put in a game is like computing how much you could do while your sleeping.

Yea i never got that.

 

Outside comedic purposes. Runescape is alot more tolerable than paid work.

[CaJ]

I've spent 20 years playing video games. Ranging from the simple Mario platformers to the complex, in-depth MMORPGs we have today. In all that time, I've spent at least 400 days behind a computer screen. Watching television is more or less around 300 days in total, I don't know. Then I find hundreds of people on the Internet who easily surpass everything I ever did in just a few years time.

 

Now I've been around people who barely have time for anything. On the opposite side, I find people who do nothing but PLAY. Certain people which I won't mention were always on no matter what time of day. Years ago I happened to log onto Runescape on a Monday morning at 4 a.m. on a school night. One person was on, and he was from the same timezone as I was. Same age as I was, yet was always logged in. He eventually stopped talking to me on PM and I deleted him from my Friends List. Haven't heard from him since.

 

I can prove there are people out there who have been playing every day for years and years, because they are addicts. I think this video does nothing but stereotype. On some nights, I decide to keep away from Runescape, spending the evening watching videos on Youtube or ordering DVDs on Netflix. Other nights, I may find myself spending 4-5 hours grinding a skill. It all depends on what I want to do, and what you want to do.

 

I've met several people in-game who have achieved an entire year's worth of gameplay in just two years. I can't do that, but some people can. Anything that happens to me in Runescape stays in Runescape. I don't need that to be affecting my real life as it is. Right now I am struggling to find myself a steady job and keep up with increasing college work, so I find Runescape to be a temporary escape from that harsh reality. I play at my own pace, and that is all that matters. While I strongly disagree with the video, having gaming take over your life is just asking yourself for trouble.

[Sir_Kurity]

Yea it is.

 

If you get addicted to drugs, while its partly your fault due to taking it in the first place, its just as much the drugs fault as well due to it being as addictive as it is.

A substance addiction =/= psychological addiction, although both addictions, they are quite different.

This. How in the world can you compare something like meth to a videogame? Lol?

I'm not comparing it to drugs in that it ruins your life. But that it is addictive, and a persons addiction to this (and mmo's in general), are not always that persons fault.