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JPRGs fans with full time jobs, what are your time management secrets?
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I usually try to play 2 hours per day on weekdays. On weekends and especially the day before I'm off I go all out gaming. It helps that me and most of my friends are homebodies and only hang out when the mood calls for it lol. Granted it still takes me 3 weeks+ to beat a long jrpg compared to my younger days when I could've beat them in a weeks time.
Just play when you can. Don't overthink on what you want to play. Just boot it up and go! Lol.
Just play when you can. Don't overthink on what you want to play. Just boot it up and go! Lol.
Freshmaker
I am Korean.
I mainly just play them on hand helds anymore.
Suspend feature = I can stop and pick it back up whenever.
Suspend feature = I can stop and pick it back up whenever.
When you were a kid you also had a full-time job. We called it school. My hours were 8:45 to 3:15 every day, but I got up at 7 and didn't actually get home until at least 4. And yet I still got tons of JRPGs in, even with homework included.
The problem isn't the job, it's how you budget your time outside the job.
That said, if you have a wife and kids those should take priority.
The problem isn't the job, it's how you budget your time outside the job.
That said, if you have a wife and kids those should take priority.
Managing? My ridiculous backlog tells me I'm not managing at all!
edit: what
edit: what
I did similar hours myself and got plenty of gaming done too. Now that I have a job, a real job. I away from home 6-6 Thats an extra three hours a day I don't have any more. It adds up. I also don't have children of my own to worry about so my heart goes out to all the gaming parents out there.
midasmulligan
Member
Vita/surface pro 2 is how I do most of my gaming.
Also, with real jobs (not school), it is alot more stressful, and at the end of the day, sometimes you just dont have the energy to play. Its different when youre a kid in school.
School is EASY man.
ULTROS!
People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
I was able to complete Tales of Hearts R with a platinum achievement in a month. I have a full time job, with a GF, at least gym 3x a week, and have to go out with my friends once in a while... So my tips are:
- play during work breaks
- stick with portable versions
- play on weekends, work nights, and during commute
- play during work breaks
- stick with portable versions
- play on weekends, work nights, and during commute
killatopak
Member
My secret is I don't manage my time.
As I dive deeper into adulthood, I find it increasing difficulty to make time for them, and being fairly introverted, I don't even have the social obligations, girlfriend/wife, kids issues many people have. I'm finding that, while in my earlier years it was common for me to entire days gaming and think nothing of it, today I don't really have the stamina for marathon gaming and do it sparingly. I seem to prefer spending my free time doing a variety of activities, of which games would be ~1-3 hrs of (and it's not uncommon for me to go a day or two without playing anything, and yet I still buy the fuckers like that's all I do everyday). The fact that recently, I'm trying to dedicate myself into improving my drawing skills hasn't helped since that's time I probably would have spent playing games before.
I tend to look at JRPGs and longer games like that as projects that I work on every now and then until completion. Like someone putting together a complicated model ship or drawing an elaborate painting. I don't usually finish them right away (it depends on how much I'm into them), but I kind of reconciled with that and accepted it since I still enjoy playing them. I also have a habit of playing on hard difficulties and attempting to do EVERYTHING, which I should try to curb if I wan't to get through stuff faster. I just finished Dark Souls II the other day after playing it on and off since release, and I just got to "that" part on Bravely Default (which I'll probably just rush through to get to end just to knock it out). I like to sprinkle shorter games in between "projects", or during active ones when I need a break, just to keep the pacing from slowing down too much and to keep things fresh.
I tend to look at JRPGs and longer games like that as projects that I work on every now and then until completion. Like someone putting together a complicated model ship or drawing an elaborate painting. I don't usually finish them right away (it depends on how much I'm into them), but I kind of reconciled with that and accepted it since I still enjoy playing them. I also have a habit of playing on hard difficulties and attempting to do EVERYTHING, which I should try to curb if I wan't to get through stuff faster. I just finished Dark Souls II the other day after playing it on and off since release, and I just got to "that" part on Bravely Default (which I'll probably just rush through to get to end just to knock it out). I like to sprinkle shorter games in between "projects", or during active ones when I need a break, just to keep the pacing from slowing down too much and to keep things fresh.
kubricks
Member
I have a full time job, a wife and two kids, and I still manage to enjoy some JRPGs.
What I do;
1) Handheld only. Console gaming is really out of question at this point.
2) Play during commute on mass transit. I always carry my Vita around.
3) Play during work breaks.
4) Play when my wife is watching telly.
5) Sacrifice sleeping hours for RPG goodness.
6) Stick to one game at a time, complete it before moving on.
Progress would be slow but you ended up appreciating every small things and side stories in the game.
I spend more than 8 months to complete P4G, worth every second of it.
What I do;
1) Handheld only. Console gaming is really out of question at this point.
2) Play during commute on mass transit. I always carry my Vita around.
3) Play during work breaks.
4) Play when my wife is watching telly.
5) Sacrifice sleeping hours for RPG goodness.
6) Stick to one game at a time, complete it before moving on.
Progress would be slow but you ended up appreciating every small things and side stories in the game.
I spend more than 8 months to complete P4G, worth every second of it.
You can pick all three at once, just do everything in moderation.
Pretty much. It's weird how people think kids have so much time. Personally my school was from 8 until 3:15... So I got up at about 6:30 to ride the bus, or maybe slightly later when I started to drive. I didn't get home until about 3:30 or so. On days when there was homework I'd be doing it until at least 5, when dinner happened. Then finish up homework afterwards and it's about 6pm. Had to get to be dat about 10 or 10:30 in order to get up early again. Then there was the part time job I had in there once I turned 15. So it turned to 3, sometimes 4 days a week of 7:30AM on the bus and not getting home until 9PM.
College was similar with trying to do full time classes and nearly full time work. As I posted before, I felt like I had eons of gaming time once I graduated college and had a more 'normal' job of just 40 hours per week.
Now I'm not so blessed, but man 40 hours per week was fucking nice.
Well said. I too view the journey of going through a good RPG like chipping away on a project. It takes time and patience.
djSyndrome
Member
There is none. I used to finish a couple per month at a minimum; now I'm lucky to finish one at all. Lightning Returns took six weeks.
skLaFarebear
Member
It's totally ok for you to take months to finish a game. Not everything has to be beaten in a week. It's taken me almost a year to work through xenosaga and I'm only about halfway through episode 2. Games like those take time.
I have a full time job, a wife and a young child. I get about 1.5 to 2.5 hours a night for myself. I don't have any time management secrets. My backlog is huge and it takes me a couple weeks to beat most non-JRPG games. It took me 6 months to beat Persona 4 Golden. OK maybe a combined four because I took a break in the middle of the game. I've been playing Persona 3 Portable for I think a month now and I think I'm about 75% done.
The Vita is fantastic for me because I can put it to sleep in the middle of anything. I can also play it if my daughter is doing something by herself in the living room or playing with my wife. I don't have to wait for the console to boot, load the game, etc. It's helped me get through a few games for sure.
I look forward to sleep mode for the PS4.
The Vita is fantastic for me because I can put it to sleep in the middle of anything. I can also play it if my daughter is doing something by herself in the living room or playing with my wife. I don't have to wait for the console to boot, load the game, etc. It's helped me get through a few games for sure.
I look forward to sleep mode for the PS4.
I dont have wife and kids but I am the exact opposite, although I love my Vita I cant play it anymore.
Reason is because I am easily distracted. With a console I can say "I will finish this mission before I stop, because if I don't then I gotta go through the heinous process of starting it up and loading and all that"
With a Vita, although I can pause anytime, I will find myself pausing alot and not giving it my full focus, hence I get little satisfaction over it.
I work full time (sometimes more than full-time), have a decent home and social life etc., and still manage to fit it in at least a solid handful of meaty RPGs each year out of ~40-45 games overall. Can't say this will work for everyone, but I've found over the years these are what works best for me.
1) Above all else: Do not mindlessly watch TV. At the very least, second screen on a laptop/handheld/whatever if you do. Scheduled watching/watching with a purpose is fine, but channel-flipping eats up time like nothing else.
2) Try and avoid being a completionist. Doing side quests is fine; trying to kit out your party in the best gear in every slot when you've already completed a game is dumb.
3) If it's not working for you after a while, don't force it - move on to something else.
4) Only play one meaty game at a time. You can have multiple games on the go at once, but make sure only one of them is an RPG.
1) Above all else: Do not mindlessly watch TV. At the very least, second screen on a laptop/handheld/whatever if you do. Scheduled watching/watching with a purpose is fine, but channel-flipping eats up time like nothing else.
2) Try and avoid being a completionist. Doing side quests is fine; trying to kit out your party in the best gear in every slot when you've already completed a game is dumb.
3) If it's not working for you after a while, don't force it - move on to something else.
4) Only play one meaty game at a time. You can have multiple games on the go at once, but make sure only one of them is an RPG.
It's my favorite genre and I don't finish many games, haha. That said, portables are my saving grace. Take them on vacation, take them to the bathroom, take them to lunch, take them my parents' for the weekend.
I can't remember the last JRPG I finished sitting in front of a TV. The Last Story maybe? I think I beat it in 22 hours.
I can't remember the last JRPG I finished sitting in front of a TV. The Last Story maybe? I think I beat it in 22 hours.
Barrylocke
Member
Portables are a godsend. I'm very happy that this is the trend of JRPGs in the East as it benefits me too.
This job I'm working in actually gives me some downtime to whip my 3DS out, so that helps. Even still, the biggest thing is recognizing that not every new game that comes out is something you really want to play. I have a sizable backlog, but many of the games are ones I got for cheap. It's nice because if I'm in the mood for something different I already have it on hand.
I agree with not completing stuff just to say you did it. Sometimes extra challenges can be fun, but if you realize that you're not liking it, drop it. I had to do that with 100% completion in Etrian Odyssey a while back. I beat the bonus boss, but I wanted all the items for the final reward that you could transfer to EO2. Eventually gave up because it was pretty much beating minor bosses over and over praying for an item drop.
Another thing I decided to do was retire from Pokemon. I realized that the single player experience doesn't offer much for me anymore, and the multiplayer experience wasn't something I felt committed to dive into (it's pretty impressive in its complexity on the multiplayer tier). After Heart Gold came out and I played it for a last round of nostalgia, my Pokedex is packed away for good.
This job I'm working in actually gives me some downtime to whip my 3DS out, so that helps. Even still, the biggest thing is recognizing that not every new game that comes out is something you really want to play. I have a sizable backlog, but many of the games are ones I got for cheap. It's nice because if I'm in the mood for something different I already have it on hand.
I agree with not completing stuff just to say you did it. Sometimes extra challenges can be fun, but if you realize that you're not liking it, drop it. I had to do that with 100% completion in Etrian Odyssey a while back. I beat the bonus boss, but I wanted all the items for the final reward that you could transfer to EO2. Eventually gave up because it was pretty much beating minor bosses over and over praying for an item drop.
Another thing I decided to do was retire from Pokemon. I realized that the single player experience doesn't offer much for me anymore, and the multiplayer experience wasn't something I felt committed to dive into (it's pretty impressive in its complexity on the multiplayer tier). After Heart Gold came out and I played it for a last round of nostalgia, my Pokedex is packed away for good.
Portables and a lengthy train commute.
This year on the Vita I've finished:
Ys: Memories of Celceta
Persona 4G
Valkyria Chronicles II (PSP)
Elminage Original (PSP)
Ys: Oath in Felghana ( PSP)
Ys 7 (PSP)
Demon Gaze
Child of Light
Dragon's Crown
Trails in the Sky (PSP)
Killzone Mercenary
Rogue Legacy
Guacamelee
Hotline Miami
FFX
Toukiden
Muramasa
Alundra (PSOne)
Walking Dead season 1&2
Ragnarok Odyssey Ace
On the 3DS I finished:
Bravely Default
Fantasy Life
Shovel Knight.
Currently hopping between Persona Q and Freedom Wars. Good times.
This year on the Vita I've finished:
Ys: Memories of Celceta
Persona 4G
Valkyria Chronicles II (PSP)
Elminage Original (PSP)
Ys: Oath in Felghana ( PSP)
Ys 7 (PSP)
Demon Gaze
Child of Light
Dragon's Crown
Trails in the Sky (PSP)
Killzone Mercenary
Rogue Legacy
Guacamelee
Hotline Miami
FFX
Toukiden
Muramasa
Alundra (PSOne)
Walking Dead season 1&2
Ragnarok Odyssey Ace
On the 3DS I finished:
Bravely Default
Fantasy Life
Shovel Knight.
Currently hopping between Persona Q and Freedom Wars. Good times.
Perfo
Thirteen flew over the cuckoo's nest
I was fan of the genre and playing tons of them, but with time shrinking I decided years ago to focus just on Final Fantasy. I mean if I had to choose which to play among all of them, I went for the most polished, big and amazing series in there. Thus is few years I basically play only FF titles, with little exceptions like Bravely Default or Kingdom Hearts, but that is. It works for now and I'm satisfied. I don't feel I'm missing much even if I didn't play titles like Xenogears, Persona, Tales of and so on.
Boomstompfloppy
Banned
My vita was a lifesaver! But console games I play once the family goes to bed at night, I get maybe 3 hours if I stay up till 12
And turn off your browser while you at it.
And shut down your PC/Notebook. And start playing and don't ask why you can't step forward, because we both know why, little gaffer.
Antiwhippy
the holder of the trombone
Handhelds and long transit times.
Also have no social life.
That helps.
Though my job status isn't full time as yet.
Also have no social life.
That helps.
Though my job status isn't full time as yet.
Hmm, they are by far my favorite genre but I have a full time (and then some) job, a girlfriend, tons of social obligations/a large social life, a gym membership, and a house.
--I don't play many 'long' games outside of the genre. If I'm not playing an RPG its a platformer, a fighter, a shmup, a retro game, something arcadey with much less of a time commitment...
--Play a lot on weekend afternoons, or at night for an hour or two after work.
--Vacations are another big thing, since I'm trying to save money I'll have a "staycation", and work is pretty generous with the holidays off (we get MLK Day, Presidents Day, and some other days that you don't usually get as holidays)... I took off the day before Veterans Day and catassed Wild Arms 4 for instance.
--If side content is getting too grindy (i.e. build up to exorbitant levels to beat the super-hard optional boss, or grind 10 boar hides) I will drop it. No need to complete every game 100%.
--Only play a few RPGs a year. I envy people like Aeana who (used to?) go through RPGs like potato chips.
--Look on howlongtobeat.com and pace yourself... if I know I'm gonna have a hectic schedule for a few weeks, I'll pick shorter games.
--Also vary the type of RPG. Constantly doing traditional turn-based RPGs wear me down so I'll vary the themes/settings/gameplay styles... maybe do an action RPG, then a SRPG, then something crazy off the wall like Resonance of Fate.
This year was a pretty hectic one for me, but I managed to beat Suikoden 3, Suikoden 4, Wild Arms 2, Wild Arms 4, Wild Arms XF, Lightning Returns, Ys 5, Ys: Memories of Celceta, Castlevania: Order of Eccelsia (not totally an RPG but has RPG elements), South Park, and Neugier. The length between them varied considerably (Neugier took me 2 hours, Wild Arms XF took me 75).
--I don't play many 'long' games outside of the genre. If I'm not playing an RPG its a platformer, a fighter, a shmup, a retro game, something arcadey with much less of a time commitment...
--Play a lot on weekend afternoons, or at night for an hour or two after work.
--Vacations are another big thing, since I'm trying to save money I'll have a "staycation", and work is pretty generous with the holidays off (we get MLK Day, Presidents Day, and some other days that you don't usually get as holidays)... I took off the day before Veterans Day and catassed Wild Arms 4 for instance.
--If side content is getting too grindy (i.e. build up to exorbitant levels to beat the super-hard optional boss, or grind 10 boar hides) I will drop it. No need to complete every game 100%.
--Only play a few RPGs a year. I envy people like Aeana who (used to?) go through RPGs like potato chips.
--Look on howlongtobeat.com and pace yourself... if I know I'm gonna have a hectic schedule for a few weeks, I'll pick shorter games.
--Also vary the type of RPG. Constantly doing traditional turn-based RPGs wear me down so I'll vary the themes/settings/gameplay styles... maybe do an action RPG, then a SRPG, then something crazy off the wall like Resonance of Fate.
This year was a pretty hectic one for me, but I managed to beat Suikoden 3, Suikoden 4, Wild Arms 2, Wild Arms 4, Wild Arms XF, Lightning Returns, Ys 5, Ys: Memories of Celceta, Castlevania: Order of Eccelsia (not totally an RPG but has RPG elements), South Park, and Neugier. The length between them varied considerably (Neugier took me 2 hours, Wild Arms XF took me 75).
SoldnerKei
Member
I play at night, and mostly weekends, sunday it's a sacred day, I don't go out, nobody goes in, it's the day of doing home stuff and then fill my evening with videogames/movies
Enjoying the memories and playing different genres instead, basically.
I somehow managed to put 80 hours in Dark Souls and Skyrim (I know, not a JRPG, I am referring to time investment here) though. But those games are easier for pick up and play at a random day off/weekend. JRPG's need to have my full attention for immersion.
I somehow managed to put 80 hours in Dark Souls and Skyrim (I know, not a JRPG, I am referring to time investment here) though. But those games are easier for pick up and play at a random day off/weekend. JRPG's need to have my full attention for immersion.
Been said many times but I try to only play one game (per platform) at a time. A while back, I had Ys: OiF, Chrono Trigger, FFT and Muramasa going on the Vita at once and instead of accomplishing anything I felt overwhelmed. I decided to work through one at a time and it's much better.
Also, don't be afraid to give up on a game if it doesn't grab you in the first 4-5 hours. I played Infinite Undiscovery for like 20 hours even though I hated it.
Also, don't be afraid to give up on a game if it doesn't grab you in the first 4-5 hours. I played Infinite Undiscovery for like 20 hours even though I hated it.
Yep. I tend to binge game. I pick a game, and I spend a ton of time playing it.
My wife and I (we usually play together, trading off tasks) start on a weekend when we have nothing to do, so we have a chance to really get into it. Then we play most nights during the week (stopping a few hours before bed, though, so the game isn't just running on a loop in my brain while I'm trying to fall asleep). Repeat playing through weekends/weeknights for another week or two until done.
Once I've finished a long game, I usually don't play much of anything for at least a month or two, so I can get other projects done in my spare time.
And, like BumRush said, don't be afraid to give up on games. If something doesn't grab you, it doesn't grab you -- even if everyone else says it's great.
Ploid 3.0
Member
I remember my first JRPG taking me over a year to finish (FF7). I was in High School. I haven't finished many JRPGs, I just play them until I forget about them or move on and I'm ok with that. The last one I finished the story to was FF12. I can probably count the JRPGs I finished on one hand. That said I haven't bought a JRPG in years, last one was P4.