The only solution ^
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How to game as an adult?
- Thread starter BossLackey
- Start date
Kenneth Haight
Gold Member
I’m only joking I promise. We all need our downtime, don’t need to tell me about how difficult life is ffs, know all about it.
ChoosableOne
ChoosableAll
If you like multiplayer games, consider at least one kid. If you like Fifa, don't stop until you have a son.
BossLackey
Gold Member
Oh I know you are joking. I didn’t mean to come off hot. I’ve just heard this multiple times. It’s infuriating.
Northeastmonk
Gold Member
This isn’t pointed at you OP. This is what happen to me and made me take less PTO to enjoy a big release. Switching jobs and finding one that doesn’t hold you to a chair for hours on end. That did it did it for me. One of my bosses plays WoW during his down time. You can be productive and still play. You have to be an adult about it. Work hard and play hard.
Sometimes a game comes along and you just figure out time to play. It’s not hard. Sometimes a game comes out and real life doesn’t care. You have to make the best out of it. If you just give up then you really have nothing to complain about. People make time for shows and stuff. It just takes longer. Blasphemous 2 came out and the thread we had on it was basically dead before the first major patch came out. I beat it sometime thereafter. It had me thinking. There’s this drive to play while the people you can associate with online are playing. Some games keep going strong and you find something in the game to accomplish. It was worth whatever time you invested into it.
What’s getting to me, some games have been forgettable, but you couldn’t have told me that during the launch week. So I don’t honestly know what to say. It’s not like you can’t play, but you can’t sit there for 5-6 hours a day unless you have nothing else going on. Find a game that you’re happy with the first couple checkpoints. Lies of P has been a lot of fun for me because I can run around an area and just shut the game off. People take checkpoints and auto saves for granted.
Sometimes a game comes along and you just figure out time to play. It’s not hard. Sometimes a game comes out and real life doesn’t care. You have to make the best out of it. If you just give up then you really have nothing to complain about. People make time for shows and stuff. It just takes longer. Blasphemous 2 came out and the thread we had on it was basically dead before the first major patch came out. I beat it sometime thereafter. It had me thinking. There’s this drive to play while the people you can associate with online are playing. Some games keep going strong and you find something in the game to accomplish. It was worth whatever time you invested into it.
What’s getting to me, some games have been forgettable, but you couldn’t have told me that during the launch week. So I don’t honestly know what to say. It’s not like you can’t play, but you can’t sit there for 5-6 hours a day unless you have nothing else going on. Find a game that you’re happy with the first couple checkpoints. Lies of P has been a lot of fun for me because I can run around an area and just shut the game off. People take checkpoints and auto saves for granted.
Ozzy Onya A2Z
Member
Just do what I did, have kids and indoctrinate them to love gaming. Now you have coop buddies and someone to chat to about all the news that dropped on GAF.
Adjust your sleep pattern to 4-6 hours solid and one or two 20mins nap sessions arvo/evening. It takes a few weeks but your sleep cycle is perfectly happy with this sort of setup. Doesn't bother me in the least, for years/decades even. If you have babies/kids in the future this sort of sleep adaptation occurs pretty naturally.
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ByWatterson
Member
As a (39 y/o) husband, father, and professional, you have to balance:
- Kids
- Wife
- Job
- Fitness
- Games
- Sleep
The first four are non-negotiable. So to achieve the fifth, you'll need to get used to a little less of the sixth.
Get used to about 5.5 hours a night.
That's really my only advice.
- Kids
- Wife
- Job
- Fitness
- Games
- Sleep
The first four are non-negotiable. So to achieve the fifth, you'll need to get used to a little less of the sixth.
Get used to about 5.5 hours a night.
That's really my only advice.
Andrew Evenstar
Member
ignore kids
ignore wife (she's annoyingly loud anyways)
get some booze
get some food
turn up the surround sound
....it's STADIA time. (Elden Ring 4K port)
ignore wife (she's annoyingly loud anyways)
get some booze
get some food
turn up the surround sound
....it's STADIA time. (Elden Ring 4K port)
G-Bus
Banned
Ah man that hits close to home. Exactly what I do. Instead of 8 I'll settle for 6 hours of sleep. Sometimes less if it's a really good game.
I would say there are two parts to this. One being that games are designed to be bloated and take pointlessly long and the other is that many adults lack efficient routines and drive.
I work, on average, 60-70 hours a week. A mix between actual job, chores, and studying for future career paths (slowly working towards a Med School as a Non-Trad student). I still am able to put in around 2-3 hours of gaming a night and maintain other hobbies like painting miniatures, reading books, and hanging out with friends.
Meanwhile I have friends who work 40 hours a week, aren't studying, and don't have families and they struggle to get 1 hour of gaming every few days. The major difference is that I cut out mindless wastes of time such as reddit, twitter (or X as it is now called? Dumb name), and only use GAF.
The trick is having a routine. Finding moments of space in that routine to do mundane chores (shopping, cleaning, kids, washing clothes, etc) and preventing distractions. For example, when I study I use the Pomodoro technique - 25 min studying, 5 minute break. Rinse and repeat. Within that 5 minute period, I can get a *lot* done. Load of laundry put in, taken out, or folded. Quick dusting of a room, vacuum, cleaning dishes, etc. This saves me time for later so when I want to sit down, relax and enjoy myself I can do so without any disruptions and focus whole-heartedly on the new fantastic adventure in front of me.
The other issue is that many games are just... bloated. Assassins' Creed Odyssey and Valhalla, Spider-Man, Horizon Forbidden West, Starfield, God of War Ragnarok, FarCry 6, and plenty more besides. Sometimes less is more and many games these days would benefit with having half the game removed to make something more focused, tightly paced, and overall more entertaining.
I also learned that if I am not having fun, I stop playing. If a game doesn't respect my time, I don't need to give it more. I will just sell it and move on. I would rather play a game I enjoy from start to finish than one that I enjoy moments of, but struggle to care for the remainder.
Trunx81
Member
I used to play video games with my son until my daughter arrived .. and now she’s old enough that we can enjoy games together. Currently hitting 93% in Lego City Undercover. Although buggy as hell, we have tons of fun.
My wife’s also very supportive sometimes (not always.. sometimes she wants to “talk”, uff.
) and I got to finish H:ZD.
But it’s also a lot of on-off phases. Sometimes I find a game I’m totally into from my backlog. And some times I am to bored to play and rather read a book (this now really sounded old…).
My wife’s also very supportive sometimes (not always.. sometimes she wants to “talk”, uff.
) and I got to finish H:ZD. But it’s also a lot of on-off phases. Sometimes I find a game I’m totally into from my backlog. And some times I am to bored to play and rather read a book (this now really sounded old…).
fart town usa
Gold Member
I'm nearly 39 and have been of the same mindset for quite some time now. Rarely can I get into a game that is 20+ hours, there is just so much bloat and filler BS in so many modern games, I just don't understand how this trend keeps going.
I grew up on JRPGs too but can't really get into them anymore. Thankfully the ones that are out don't appeal to me much at all so I just stick with Dragon Quest 11 if I want to grind.
What you describe though is why I enjoy VR so much. Yes the games are relatively simple and AAA production value is incredibly rare but the games are usually less than $30 and I can be done with them in under 10 hours easily. Great replay value for the games I really enjoy and it's just so much more engaging for me than something like Horizon for instance. I can appreciate Horizon for what it is but man, I just get so insanely bored with modern game design and I just don't even bother with 99% of the tent-pole releases these days.
VeganElduderino
Member
no kids! more time to play
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German Hops
GAF's Nicest Lunch Thief
Start a career on YouTube playing videogames for a living.
You've killed two birds with one stone.
You've killed two birds with one stone.
TerribleAtThisGame
Member
I flat-out don't buy certain genres and series anymore. There are VERY few exceptions, like Elden Ring recently, where I'm willing to commit to that type of time dump.
My most played games in the last 5+ years have all been ones where I can easily jump in and out for an hour session and not feel like all I did was watch some bullshit cutscenes and/or get icon vomit side quests and shit dumped on me. A lot of AAA gaming is just entirely too convoluted and "life substitute"-ish for me at this stage.
My most played games in the last 5+ years have all been ones where I can easily jump in and out for an hour session and not feel like all I did was watch some bullshit cutscenes and/or get icon vomit side quests and shit dumped on me. A lot of AAA gaming is just entirely too convoluted and "life substitute"-ish for me at this stage.
Rhazer Fusion
Member
My main problem is I buy and play a lot of games that I either have to really rush through them or throw them into the backlog. By the time I get to those backlog games, there are more new games out I want to play. This is one of the main reasons I typically prefer shorter, smaller games over huge, bloated games. Having Gamepass and PS Plus doesn’t exactly help either.
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Gamerguy84
Member
Well I'm in the same boat. I'm hoping PS Portal will help with that somewhat.
If I can just pick it up and play without it being some big thing or someone needing me I can get more time in.
In anticipation of FF7 I wanted to play through the original but I'm going to YT it instead. I'll be able to play rebirth though and SM2.
I just have so many projects going on I'm either working on them or the wife needs me or my kid needs a ride. It's always something.
If I can just pick it up and play without it being some big thing or someone needing me I can get more time in.
In anticipation of FF7 I wanted to play through the original but I'm going to YT it instead. I'll be able to play rebirth though and SM2.
I just have so many projects going on I'm either working on them or the wife needs me or my kid needs a ride. It's always something.
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Ozzy Onya A2Z
Member
Solid point about finding those moments of space in your routine. In between Apex/Halo matchmaking I'll be up doing some push ups/curls or emptying the dishwasher or folding clothes etc. Just fit things in where they go and you don't have to do one task to completion A-Z, let them overlap each other and at the end of 30-60mins you've had gaming time and gotten your house work done. I find I'm more engaged if I have multiple things going.
Awesome follow up point about letting bloated games go and focus on what is fun and engaging. Perfect example, Starfield (don't love it but like it a lot), where I don't grind 40 hours in a week on it. I play a few hours here and there, push past things I don't enjoy and get to the "good bits" I do enjoy (total Starfield time so far approx 25 hours). It's also why I don't play Ass Creed games, I have no interest in 200 points on a map like an itinerary or occupation, especially when they're super repetitive.
Humdinger
Member
I agree completely. However, the problem is, if developers do that, then people complain that the game is too short for the asking price. "$70 for a 15 or 20 hour game? No way. I'll rent/wait for GP/wait for a price drop." So, in order to justify the price tag, developers pad out the content with hours of cinematics and truckloads of "content." Now the game is 60 hours. Now it seems worth the asking price (I guess?).
It's a trap gaming is stuck in. We want tightly paced, well-edited games that respect our time and don't overstay their welcome. And yet we complain when games are "too short" for the $60 and now $70 price tag. So developers pad out the length, and then we complain about bloated games. Round and round we go.
Personally, I'd be okay with paying $70 for a good, taut 20-hour game, but most people aren't like me. So, we have lots of bloated, poorly edited, overstuffed games that disrespect people's time (in fact, some of them are engineered to waste it).
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Come On Tars
Member
I got 3 young boys. Bedtime is 7:30 and 8:30 for them. Watch some tv with wife and then squeeze a little gaming after that. I am an entrepreneur so I could play anytime but it doesn't make me happy, gotta earn it. Small doses are where it's at.
also steam deck in bed is sweet.
also steam deck in bed is sweet.
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farmerboy
Member
We're mostly in the same boat. My biggest problem is I'll load up a game and all these systems and rules and powerups just make my eyes glaze over. I really don't want to have to learn anything, my minds too frazzled for that
Days like these...
Have a Blessed Day
You don't there's no time plus the Dreacast is dead why even would you want to?
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Days like these...
Have a Blessed Day
What about other genders?
Fredrik
Member
I’ll sleep in another life.
Best recommendation I have that won’t ruin your health is to play games the kids can watch you play. I play Zelda, No Man’s Sky, Metroid, Ratchet, Ori, etc. Means I can play during daytime after dinner etc instead of at the nights.
It also helps that my wife like games too and understand that I may want to play more around a big release.
Best recommendation I have that won’t ruin your health is to play games the kids can watch you play. I play Zelda, No Man’s Sky, Metroid, Ratchet, Ori, etc. Means I can play during daytime after dinner etc instead of at the nights.
It also helps that my wife like games too and understand that I may want to play more around a big release.
Braag
Member
I'm 35, no kids. Between a full time job, girlfriend and working out, I've noticed that the only way I make time for games is to cut my sleep from 8 hours to like 6.
I don't play nearly every game I want to and it takes me a very long time to finally finish games. I've grown to appreciate shorter games a lot more.
I try to avoid live service games as much as possible since they are time sinks.
I don't play nearly every game I want to and it takes me a very long time to finally finish games. I've grown to appreciate shorter games a lot more.
I try to avoid live service games as much as possible since they are time sinks.
Drizzlehell
Banned
Live a solitary lifestyle. Become a true sigma male. Sleep, eat, work, play video games. Everything else is just a distraction.
pennythoughts
Member
Don't neglect your sleep to play videogames. Everyone who has posted about being fine with 4-5 hours of sleep is significantly more likely to develop serious health issues as they age and die prematurely.
Gaelyon
Gold Member
Don't neglect your sleep. Quality of life over quantity mean you'll live longer and happier.
Stop buying games while having already so many to play in backlog.
Play the good games you already have and enjoy each one at your own pace.
You don't need to play every hype game like you don't need to see every movie, read every book etc.
Work at home and use the time saved from transport to get a few solid hours of game time
Stop buying games while having already so many to play in backlog.
Play the good games you already have and enjoy each one at your own pace.
You don't need to play every hype game like you don't need to see every movie, read every book etc.
Work at home and use the time saved from transport to get a few solid hours of game time
Easy. Find your wife a hobby she enjoys and can do from the sofa (oh and hope she likes games before getting married). Then get home from work, sit on sofa, turn on PlayStation. Done. You get to spend time together, and you get to play PlayStation for hours every night.
Don’t have kids. Get cats.
Don’t have kids. Get cats.
FunkMiller
Gold Member
Try being in a well paid, self employed job, with no kids, and having a partner who doesn't want kids either. Minimise the responsibilities the world demands you have, and embrace a lifestyle you actually want.
Yes. I can almost taste the smugness dripping off that statement as well.
Yes. I can almost taste the smugness dripping off that statement as well.
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Ozzy Onya A2Z
Member
Not true. There are a number of different sleep patterns -
- A monophasic sleep pattern is when an individual sleeps once per day, typically for 8 or so hours a night.
- A biphasic sleep pattern is when someone sleeps twice per day, sometimes referred to as a siesta sleeping pattern.
- A polyphasic sleep pattern is when a person sleeps for periods of time throughout the day.
Age is factor as well, segmented sleep isn't for kids younger than 18 for example. When you're 45+ old you don't need that 10 hours straight every night.
ozz ex machina
Member
I have a kid. It's fine as long as they go to bed at a normal time. You then have most of the evening. The issue really is a lot of guys seem to be whipped by their wives. From experience most women I know are incapable of having hobbies or filling their own free time. Their idea of fun is sitting next to you, being on their phone and making sure you can't have too much fun yourself by making you watch some shit tv show which they aren't even watching themselves. To some people this seems to give themselves the illusion that they are "spending time with their partner" - when really it's wasting each others time doing fuck all.
Set boundaries early in the relationship is my tip. I still spend time with my wive OBVIOUSLY - but when it's time to whack some dross on TV - I'm off to the other room. Is she texting other men? Probably...haha.
Smugness? This reads like an utterly miserable existence. I have a high paying job and me and my wife had a few years doing whatever we wanted without kids. After a while I found it to be an unfullfilling existence and having a child has been the absolute best thing to ever happen in my life and truly highlighted what a sad existence we'd have had without having a child. Each to our own of course but that advice will not work for most people. We are biologically designed to procreate and going against that has massive downsides for most well rounded human beings who come from a healthy family background without any previous trauma.
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42 years old here. dont have kids but do have a wife.
during the week i usually play after dinner , if a game i really want to play just came out wife usually lets me take the tv and play , if not sometimes only play 1-2 hours at night (usually from 10pm to midnight when she falls asleep on the couch) .
during the weekends i play a lot , it helps that my wife also likes gaming so she will play something on switch (currently playing disney valley) and i have the tv to myself.
during the week i usually play after dinner , if a game i really want to play just came out wife usually lets me take the tv and play , if not sometimes only play 1-2 hours at night (usually from 10pm to midnight when she falls asleep on the couch) .
during the weekends i play a lot , it helps that my wife also likes gaming so she will play something on switch (currently playing disney valley) and i have the tv to myself.
Certinty
Member
I'm 28 and single but I work a fair but so don't really have much time to play on weekdays.
But that's exactly why I gave up on the likes of Final Fantasy XVI and Starfield recently. Games just far too long for my liking.
Whenever I do play I prefer games I can complete in 20 hours or less. Had a blast recently playing through Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty, Resident Evil 4 and its DLC Separate Ways and have now moved onto Assassin's Creed Mirage. All good lengths to make good use of my time and not a boring grindfest of repetitiveness.
But that's exactly why I gave up on the likes of Final Fantasy XVI and Starfield recently. Games just far too long for my liking.
Whenever I do play I prefer games I can complete in 20 hours or less. Had a blast recently playing through Cyberpunk 2077 Phantom Liberty, Resident Evil 4 and its DLC Separate Ways and have now moved onto Assassin's Creed Mirage. All good lengths to make good use of my time and not a boring grindfest of repetitiveness.
Banjo64
cumsessed
Not smugness, just very naive if you think 90% of people who have children are doing so not because they want to but because the world demands it of them.
There’s nothing wrong with wanting children but also wanting advice on how to juggle your time.
dreamstation
Member
Wear condoms!
I'm 38, work 50-60 hours a week, have a partner with two kids. Doesn't leave much time for gaming unfortunately. I'm trying to think if I've even finished any game this year? Diablo IV I guess but most of that was on my annual leave. Can't think of anything else.
I'm 38, work 50-60 hours a week, have a partner with two kids. Doesn't leave much time for gaming unfortunately. I'm trying to think if I've even finished any game this year? Diablo IV I guess but most of that was on my annual leave. Can't think of anything else.
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Kenneth Haight
Gold Member
But on my gravestone I can put how many platinum trophies I achieved. That counts for something……right…….RIGHT?
GrayDock
Member
I only play at night, and 2 hours at most if that. On weekends I got to play more, but not always, social life gets priority.
I play only one single player game at time, sometimes for months, only the ones that I really want.
Sometimes I keep a multiplayer game on the side, actually SF6.
The only problem is avoiding spoilers for the single player games, I have to be very careful on the net when a game that I will eventually play is released... but that's life.
I play only one single player game at time, sometimes for months, only the ones that I really want.
Sometimes I keep a multiplayer game on the side, actually SF6.
The only problem is avoiding spoilers for the single player games, I have to be very careful on the net when a game that I will eventually play is released... but that's life.
Ass of Can Whooping
Member
Fuck me guys.
Just dump your kids. They're not worth it
Just dump your kids. They're not worth it
Brother, my favorite genre used to be Paradox games like Europa Universalis. Those just don’t fit into my life any more with wife and kids and work.
I hit a very low point in gaming time when the kids were small, but now I’m starting to recapture it. They’re big enough to play games too so I can enjoy some stuff with them or play while they’re occupied.
But if you don’t even have kids, don’t know what to tell you. Gotta get disciplined with your downtime. Eliminate randomly scrolling through Reddit, that was a big time waster for me.
I hit a very low point in gaming time when the kids were small, but now I’m starting to recapture it. They’re big enough to play games too so I can enjoy some stuff with them or play while they’re occupied.
But if you don’t even have kids, don’t know what to tell you. Gotta get disciplined with your downtime. Eliminate randomly scrolling through Reddit, that was a big time waster for me.
Fortunately my wife likes the same shows as me (mostly...those I don't like she'll watch before I get up if she's up early etc). Like most people now, sure we spend a fair chunk also glued to our phones. She took up crochet and really likes building stuff in lego etc, and reading, and likes hearing/half paying attention to game stories. So it works well. Every so often she'll play a game too, but rarely AAA, usually some Indies. Last big game she played was Harry Potter, so we'd switch accounts every few hours and share. Its worked well for over a decade.
But yeah many friends who get married etc, their wives do not appreciate their gaming hobbies and most pretty much just cease to play.
gaming_again
Member
Here lies a man who finished Elden Ring at RL1. He shall not be missed.But on my gravestone I can put how many platinum trophies I achieved. That counts for something……right…….RIGHT?
Humdinger
Member
Back when I was really busy like that, I found that I didn't want to game much. I wanted a relaxing escape, and instead gaming provided yet another challenge. I didn't want a challenge. I was spent. I wanted to relax my brain and unwind. I wanted an escape. At that time in my life, I found browsing gaming forums more enjoyable than playing games. It took less mental effort, and it still felt like an escape.
Oh, btw, I think that's another fault of modern gaming. It is less escapist than it used to be. You get the "messages" all the time, sandwiched in the stories. Get that shit out of my games. If I wanted that, I'd watch the news.
Oh, btw, I think that's another fault of modern gaming. It is less escapist than it used to be. You get the "messages" all the time, sandwiched in the stories. Get that shit out of my games. If I wanted that, I'd watch the news.
The Cockatrice
Gold Member
Avoid any gender that acts as a woman.