do you game more or less nowadays?

[Plenum]

these forums are heavily weighted to the male side of things (80:20 population ratio?) and there's a lot of techies and gamers here (both pc and console).

my question is -

do you game less or more, or the same since you started taking your spiritual seeking more seriously?

- -





I have had a few 'bouts' of gaming in the last 6 years; where I will just drop-out of the world for a few weeks (usually 3-5 weeks or so) and just indulge in whatever games I get my hands on. These 'bouts' are not too frequent; perhaps once a year, or maybe once every 18 months. But I go pretty full-on.

for me personally (and there are many many reasons to game) I think it was an orange-ray related issue ... to do with personal power and effectiveness ... and I would retreat to games when things got too out of hand in real life ... but that's just my understanding of it, and the way I used games. Like television, there are many ways of using that 'gadget'; some beneficial, some benign, and some for escape.

games are cool; but I don't feel anywhere near as much attraction to them as I once did. I still remember the old Space Quests and Hero's Quests lol. Eye of the Beholder. Pools of Radiance. haha. Get me a time machine!

peace

[ChickenInSpace]

Tried Good old Games? There's your time machine in any case =).

I was a very frequent gamer but have shifted completely to only story-heavy titles and no no-brain shooters. The latest game I picked up was probably El Shaddai: Ascension of Metatron because... well, I think most of it is in the title.

I count myself as a rpg:er too which is infinitely more developing and have been partially stuck on creating a spiritually correct game to put some players through =P

[Unbound]

I played a lot of video games with my brother last year. I have always been a gamer and I actually often feel that I have learned so much about myself by playing them and reflecting them within myself.

[Hototo]

Less playing now. Not sure on reason but is mildly annoying. Believe it to be a form of social anxiety about the game characters and being "in charge" of them... Something about losing my sense of authority and leadership lately.

[Jade]

Part of my awakening I attribute to my previous gaming addictions, I realized that the beautiful and magical world I escaped to was no better than the real one I could interact with in a fruitful way. Sometimes I long for the dissolution into an MMO world again, but mostly I feel more inclined to read something spiritually uplifting. The aggravation and low vibes that accompany most games just seem unappealing anymore.

Ah, the mourning! I fantasize about turning on my console and playing old Final Fantasy games, but the word "time sink" never meant so much. Maybe after I get over my initial rush to raise my vibrations I will be able to indulge again.

[Adonai One]

Gaming bores me rather quickly for whatever reason. I fail to feel a true motivation. When I do game, I use it to simulate firearms when I really just want to shoot real firearms but I can't afford the range time and the ammo.

Besides that, I think gaming can serve a spiritual purpose in my life by helping me understand purpose and commitment by actually finishing games.

[Spaced]

Like you plenum I think I have an "on again off again" relationship with videogames, right now I am in an on period.

I think the type of games I play may have changed a bit though: I can no longer do the mindless violence type games, it's gotta have some kind of depth or emotional appeal.

I've been getting into an MMORPG lately (but not too into it!) and I find interacting with people in game has been useful for dealing with some of my yellow ray distortions, since to accomplish much in the game it really benefits you to work with others. The game is very open in terms of the kinds of interactions you can have with other players which provides me with plenty of catalyst between all the scammers, griefers, pirates and whatnot without having to worry about getting scammed, harassed or killed in real life .

Plus I really like the character I made and getting to know her has been enjoyable

[xise]

Plenum you mentioned some great games

I find I play less games these days, but the decrease has been fairly constant over the past ten years. I still go on 3-4 week bouts as you describe, probably 2-3 times a year. It does seem like games these days are more about mass market braindrain no-thinking games, which bore me. I tend to be drawn toward the older school games and indie productions.

It's hard to draw conclusions though about rays without a closer examination of the type of gaming. Back in undergrad, going to a small tech school with less than 33% girls, there was very little social scene. There I played multiplayer fps games in clans, with tons of yellow interaction and drama.

These days its less about community and more about relaxing. I also use them as an escape when I feel down for 1-2 days every 2 months or so. That being said, I've always loved single player games that end up more mind/creative expression games (orange! ) games than pure braindrain - like sim games master of orion, etc. There is creativity and art in games. And there games that give you the ability to create, so not all is distraction. And many well written RPGs are like books, which involve deep questions of human nature (and polarity!).

But a key part of my orange ray lesson is that there is a huge part of me that is a nerd, and a geek. I love pc games. I love board games. I'm 200% ok with that. I wasn't in the past, but I'm happy I am now.

That being said, I enjoy doing "cool" stuff like playing poker or hitting the bars, but even if I didn't it would be ok

[kanonathena]

I haven't done much gaming since I started meditating. Before I always wanted to buy a good gaming PC and play all the games I want but don't have money. Then I kept on delaying and eventually don't feel that urge anymore. The main thing is that I grow less and less tolerant of any sort of conflict in games.

[GentleReckoning]

I've deleted all of the games off of my computer a couple days ago. I'll re-install for IRL lan parties or when I'm an independent web developer able to travel the world at will. More or less.

Or whenever I feel like playing the new SC2 expansion competitively. XD

[Marc]

I don't have money to buy any new games or a current system, so I just have an old Xbox with Splinter cell chaos theory, Fable, and Halo. I play it once every 3 months or so and then get bored. I feel that I just have so many other things to learn that I can't really justify draining 6hrs without doing it with another person.

[GentleReckoning]

I'll swing by sometime, and we'll beat Halo co-op.

---

Speaking of Halo, I went to their launch party in Chicago. It was a blast. Unfortunately, I spent all of the time talking to the developers instead of testing out the game.

[Peregrinus]

I lost the desire for drinking smoking games tv newspapers radio 4 years ago when I read the LOO. Prior I was unfocused and lost within the illusion and spent vast hours upon these and other various vices as do many.

It is efficacious to exist only with one's own thoughts, rather than those of varying vibration other-selves as presented via various media.

"Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakens." - Carl Jung

[Lycen]

I consider myself a gamer as well, though for a few years now I play a lot less than I did. Also I get anxious after a while playing most games, I feel like I am trying to hide from reality that way. So right now I play rarely but do watch let's plays. Awakening to this reality from a games feels uncomfortable, watching others play is my "happy" medium at this time.

[Brittany]

Uhm...there are females who play video games too, you know.

[xise]

No!! No such thing as female gamers!!

Although I don't mind games of violence - especially first person shooters, which nearly all have violence - I detest simulation games where they try to portray real life (or a possible future reality) yet construct the gameplay in such a way that the selfish or evil playstyle is the only effective one.

An example of such a game that strikes the wrong cord in me is Prison Architect, which from what I can tell is a sim Prison game that encourages violent put down of prison riots:


So not cool when prisons should be about rehab. I could not play that game. This s*** is f'ed up. :-/

------------------------------------------

On the other hand, I have no problems with games that put you as an evil ruler, but no compunctions about it being a statement about reality, such as the current fantasy strategy dominions 3 multiplayer play by email game I'm currently in - it's like master of magic but pbem. I am a Pretender God called Kali fighting with other Pretender Gods to become the sole god of the world, and my race are Rakshasas (Hindu demons, I picked them because they are a very good race) who use blood magic - sacrifice humans in order to cast demonic magic. My main competition is a race of cyclops who use necromantic magic to raise the dead. I will be casting a global enchantment called Astral Corruption that will make all magic save blood magic subject to astral horrors attacking the casters, and will shut down the necromancy of the cyclops, and players in my game will shortly get this message:

"From time to time seers skilled in the astral ways are visited by terrible dreams of a coming atrocity. An atrocity that will pour poison into the very veins of magic, pollute the astral wellsprings and call upon the slaves of unreason to prey upon seers, sages and sorcerers alike. That atrocity has now been committed, Kali, Prince of Destiny, King of Arcane Mysteries, Bewerage, Lord of the Hunt, the Undeceivable God, has performed an impure sacrifice of unheard magnitude, using the power of blood he has twisted the fabric of magic itself filling it with the impure energies upon which the slaves of unreason feast. The sooth- and doomsayers wail and cry that this must be that terrible time of which the prophesies speak, the time when no magic can be safely practiced save for the impure path of blood, the time that ushers in the rule of Kali, the time of the reign of blood.

With one blow Kali has crippled much of your forces, your loyal mages brood useless in their towers dreading even to try the most basic of charms, your seers and soothsayers dare not gaze too long into the void lest they find eyes in the void gazing back at them. Such arrogance from the upstart of Lanka. Has Kali forgotten the treaty in which this abomination was forbidden. Your path is clear, purify the world from this taint, cleanse the world of this corruption, wash the world pure with the blood of Kali."

This, I'm ok with . But as I said, this game makes no qualms about being reality, and I do not role play as some other players might (roleplaying demons is not something I want to do). As an aside, there is much discussion about whether it is best to follow through with your word in this fantasy game when it comes to non-aggression pact (NAP), and alliances with players, and I always play that I don't backstab people. If I go to war with someone, I give them notice our alliance is over, I don't do surprise sneak attacks. It's interesting the amount of catalyst some players go through as they backstab other players and then usually get backstabbed themselves and start having inter-player problems as the backstabbing usually involved one player forming a personal relationship with another player in order to gain trust, and then backstabbing them to gain an advantage in the game...quite fascinating to observe, actually. Got to love the yellow ray catalyst, of which is a following example of the diplomacy boardgame type drama:

Player 1:
"solicit: to ask for or try to obtain (something) from someone.

I didn't do any such thing with Helheim, other than try to establish borders -- a message that got ignored and only after my expansion force bumped his off did he respond asking for a NAP, with no further communication.
Notice the trend here: I had four neighbors. Two asked for NAPs in place of actual communication. The other two I never had any kind of "formal" treaty with, but kept in touch. Which turned out to be the better form of diplomacy?"

Player 2:
"Let me lay it our for everyone.

C'Tis organises a beatdown on Neifelheim. Then withdraws after a few turns and allows their 'allies' to shoulder the burden of the war.

C'Tis then attempts to organise a beatdown on Helheim. Sauromatia says no, because Sauromatia did not want to break it's treaty and liked having Helheim as a neighbour.

C'Tis then graciously offers Sauromatia a slice of of Helheim, all while making diplomatic overtures at Helheim. Sauromatia says no, again.

C'Tis, enjoying the benfits of an NAP3, moves armies into position against poor, trusting Helheim. Then C'Tis informs Sauromatia that if they want any of Helheims provinces, they need to assist in their war. Meanwhile, C'tis begins massing troops one province away from Sauromatias border, no doubt to backstab my nation once they have drawn us into a war.

C'Tis then attacks poor, trusting Helheim. They revel in their betrayal and all the Sauromancers do a creepy dance like the bad guy from that movie, Silence of the Lambs.

Sauromatia, fed up with C'Tis, starts telling C'Tis what they want to hear and reinforces it's borders. C'Tis has a hissy fit and tell Sauromatia that treaties are meaningless. Sauromatia reinforces it's borders some more.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is the story of why Sauromatia does not trust C'Tis."

Player 1:
" Keep pointing the fingers. I can see you have every other border just as fortified as you flail about, trying to get the world to ignore what you're doing in there. Don't worry, we all know."


----------------

You get your catalyst in many places, multiplayer games included. And if you haven't guessed, I am currently in one of my bouts of gaming

[Spaced]

Oooh, I love dominions 3! I usually play as Marignon cause I like their national summons (ooh pretty angels)

---

My favourite simulation is Dwarf Fortress. The game randomly generates a whole fantasy world and then gives you seven dwarfs which you have to keep fed, sheltered and safe from nasty goblins and trolls. As your settlement grows more and more dwarfs migrate in. Each dwarf has its own personality, forms relationships, etc. It's also one of the most complicated and counter-intuitive interfaces I've ever seen. Add to that the limitless amount of things you can get your dwarves to do and you've got an excellent 3D simulator

[Jade]

If anyone wants a dynamic 3D sim, I would recommend Wurm Online. Before I describe it I want to preface my post with a PLAY AT YOUR OWN RISK warning! It's very engaging if it ends up being your type of thing.

It's an MMO, a world totally player run, with economies, houses, towns, empires, etc, built from literally the ground up from the player base. The world starts as a blank map with mountains, lakes, oceans, deserts, forests, etc, and it's completely able to be manipulated. If you want to spend your days chipping away at a mountain until it's gone, you have a lifelong task. If you want to build a humble farm and tend to crops and keep animals for minor propagation, you can do that too. If you want to play a "rogue" and go pilfer abandoned ruins from players long past, this can be very fun! The game is free to play with a premium element that becomes necessary once you get more involved, but it's entirely possible to do odd jobs for others or find a niche in the market so you can make your own wealth to pay for your subscription in game.

Obviously this lends itself much more to a game where a spirit of cooperation is necessary and where joining together of people creates a harmonic environment where much can be accomplished. Or, if you'd like to live and toil in relative solitude, this is possible as well. Sometimes just the scenery can be breathtaking.

The game has been going through some growing pains recently and I actually have mostly retired from it, after becoming too absorbed! It's definitely good though if you know you have a solid "one month on/three months off" gaming schedule, because it's pretty absorbing but it's a good game to know when to call it quits! It's such a fulfilling real life sim that it's easy to use it as a substitute for life on Earth. Anyway, cheers to the fellow gamers!

[Plenum]

Uhm...there are females who play video games too, you know.

apologies, yes Lynn.

[Hototo]

No girls on the interwebz.

Come ooooon folks, this is a cootie free zone. Reserved for highly distinguished researchers. No girls or Hentai tentacle game fans here!

[GentleReckoning]

Uhm...there are females who play video games too, you know.

apologies, yes Lynn.

But are they on this forum?

[Jade]

Doubtful. Usually when someone has an obvious female name like "Guenivere" or "Brittany Lynn" it's a serious trap.

[Hototo]

[Daydreamin]

these forums are heavily weighted to the male side of things (80:20 population ratio?) and there's a lot of techies and gamers here (both pc and console).

my question is -

do you game less or more, or the same since you started taking your spiritual seeking more seriously?

- -





I have had a few 'bouts' of gaming in the last 6 years; where I will just drop-out of the world for a few weeks (usually 3-5 weeks or so) and just indulge in whatever games I get my hands on. These 'bouts' are not too frequent; perhaps once a year, or maybe once every 18 months. But I go pretty full-on.

for me personally (and there are many many reasons to game) I think it was an orange-ray related issue ... to do with personal power and effectiveness ... and I would retreat to games when things got too out of hand in real life ... but that's just my understanding of it, and the way I used games. Like television, there are many ways of using that 'gadget'; some beneficial, some benign, and some for escape.

games are cool; but I don't feel anywhere near as much attraction to them as I once did. I still remember the old Space Quests and Hero's Quests lol. Eye of the Beholder. Pools of Radiance. haha. Get me a time machine!

peace

After college I quit gaming. You summed up why when you say, "I will just drop-out of the world for a few weeks (usually 3-5 weeks or so)" They're too much of an energy vampire IMO.

[Patrick]

The same for me.

Although I'm supposed to work on a request from Tobey.

[Brittany]

Uhm...there are females who play video games too, you know.

apologies, yes Lynn.

But are they on this forum?

[Hototo]

I'm thinking of having that smily tattooed on both my hand so when I facepalm that would be what the other person sees.

Anyway. Yeah. No women on the internetz. Or in gaming.

[Plenum]

[Guardian]

I stopped gaming in 2011

[Plenum]

HARRY POTTER mod for GTA4.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GbaHBLaRQn4


one of the funniest things I've ever seen in my Life