30-05-2005 02:37									#61
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quote: Originally posted by child of Thor I think the key ingredients that got me hooked to gaming in 1980 were: 1.Fun 2.Educational/(sharpens the mind) 3.Interactive 4.You could make them yourself Are gamers geeks(ref pathetic lives)? well i certainly know a few that fit that sterotype, but its not an exclusive requirement imho. Balance is probably a good thing to aim for, somehow i managed to fit in a social life around my heavy gaming habits, but i did loose a girlfriend once - so gaming is not an easy ship to sail in I find the exercise of the mind the most useful thing that games have brought to me, its a good way to simulate and solve problems. On the physical side they definately are a bad thing so you need to compensate for this by making sure you give yourself time to do something active.

that's why I masturbate to stay active.

	30-05-2005 03:11									#62
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quote: Originally posted by lord of the mark Trebizond from EU2. Or actually from a SHWI what if based on EU2, one of the things that really got me interested in that game.

[All-these-new-abbreviations-are-killing-me-mode]SHWI?[/All-these-new-abbreviations-are-killing-me-mode]

Carolus

	30-05-2005 03:14									#63
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quote: Originally posted by Dissident that's why I masturbate to stay active.

Adding pains to that poor mouse arm?

Carolus

	30-05-2005 06:14									#64
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He uses his keyboard-hand.

	30-05-2005 10:16									#65
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quote: Originally posted by Carolus Rex [All-these-new-abbreviations-are-killing-me-mode]SHWI?[/All-these-new-abbreviations-are-killing-me-mode] Carolus

Soc.history.what-if

Actually a usenet newsgroup, one of the last such to still be useful. Definitely one of the best, most rigourous alternative history discussions on the internet. NOT a games site, but games come up every now and then, and when they do the site is pretty insightful.

Go to Google, groups, and search on Shwi.

	30-05-2005 17:40									#66
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Takes away gaming time though.

	30-05-2005 18:14									#67
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Playing games or talking about games. Such a harsh trade-off.

	31-05-2005 15:24									#68
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quote: Originally posted by Skanky Burns Playing games or talking about games. Such a harsh trade-off.

At work i talk about it(on poly) - at home i play

And Dis, just make sure to alternate between both hands from time to time, to avoid any wear and tear to vital computer playing extremities

	31-05-2005 15:39									#69
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quote: Originally posted by child of Thor And Dis, just make sure to alternate between both hands from time to time, to avoid any wear and tear to vital computer playing extremities

Or, better yet, find someone else who does it for you!

Back on-topic... I'm currently on a Deus Ex trip that illuminates the negative relationship between gaming and health (both physical and pshycological)...

I play late and do not sleep well... I stay away from work to play (today) and when at work I do nothing useful... Just think about going home and continue playing... This starts to wear on me...

Carolus

	31-05-2005 23:46									#70
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Welcome to gaming addiction.

	01-06-2005 02:24									#71
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Thanks...

Actually, I'm nowhere near my Civ 2 addiction... Don't know if I should put a or a to accompany that last sentence, though...

Carolus

	01-06-2005 03:18									#72
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Both.

	01-06-2005 14:01									#73
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quote: Originally posted by Carolus Rex edit....... I play late and do not sleep well... I stay away from work to play (today) and when at work I do nothing useful... Just think about going home and continue playing... This starts to wear on me... Carolus

Yes its one of the banes of growing up and needing to work - it gets in the way of gaming

Still, if your lucky you can find yourself a much more flexible job and avoid taking days off(i've found this can be a slippery slope that leads to firing!).

My one-sitting gaming sessions are mostly pretty weak these days, maybe 5hrs at a time or so.
Still in a full working week i can fit in 30hrs quite comfortably, which is nearly enough to cover all the games i'm currently playing; while not being so much that i can't find time for RL stuff i need to do.

And with my cycling to work and weekend runs in the park, i can stay healthy to carry on gaming into my OAP years

	01-06-2005 14:14									#74
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You manage 30 hrs?

These days with work and living with my gf I manage around 15 per week.

	01-06-2005 16:55									#75
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quote: Originally posted by DrSpike These days with work and living with my gf I manage around 15 per week.

Ah, work and girlfriend... The gamer's worst enemies... (Apologies to those who have neither, but seek both )

I suspect that the nails in the coffin are spelled c-h-i-l-d-r-e-n... But then again, once they reach gaming age... Daddy will buy all the latest hard- and software and set up a family LAN... Maybe that's why it's called the "second age"...

Have you left Academia and have a job in the real world?

child of Tor,

I have a very flexible "job"... That's part of the problem, though, as my discipline is so weak... Presently I game too much and work too little (heresy!) and I can't reverse the trend...

Carolus

	01-06-2005 17:14									#76
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@Dr.Spike - well you know how to get around the gf issue(convert her into a serious gamer). That should add atleast 10hrs per week onto your ration

@ Carlos - kids won't get in the way, they'll no doubt be beging me to get of their PS6/Xbox5's(although with most console games it probably wont take that long ).

And you can never game too much, only too little


EDIT: I wonder if LotM has found a way to physicaly spend longer in front of his computer?

	01-06-2005 17:42									#77
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quote: Originally posted by Carolus Rex Have you left Academia and have a job in the real world?

Yeah, if I was still there I'd make 30 posts per day and still have time to get in 25 hours of gaming a week.

The real world sucks.

	01-06-2005 17:44									#78
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quote: Originally posted by child of Thor @Dr.Spike - well you know how to get around the gf issue(convert her into a serious gamer). That should add atleast 10hrs per week onto your ration

I have had some limited successes. We played through the 2 expansions to NWN together, and are currently playing some Guild Wars together. I'm pretty sure she will lose interest before me though.

Currently it adds up to 5 hours per week to the 15 standard, so I hope it continues for a while.

	01-06-2005 18:58									#79
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quote: Originally posted by DrSpike Yeah, if I was still there I'd make 30 posts per day and still have time to get in 25 hours of gaming a week. The real world sucks.

So, generally speaking, what kind of job do you have (if you don't mind me poking)?

Second question, do the things you've learnt in the PhD program have any use out there in real life?

Carolus

	01-06-2005 19:15									#80
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Not at all, though I'll struggle to relate it to gaming and health.

I am an economic adviser to the UK government on labour market issues, and yes, my Ph.D training has come in useful. If nothing else it makes people listen to my views before they rubbish them.

	01-06-2005 20:32									#81
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quote: Originally posted by DrSpike I am an economic adviser to the UK government on labour market issues, and yes, my Ph.D training has come in useful. If nothing else it makes people listen to my views before they rubbish them.

Heh, heh!

But do you use the more technical aspects of your education like, say, econometric estimation techniques?

Carolus

	01-06-2005 21:04									#82
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quote: Originally posted by child of Thor EDIT: I wonder if LotM has found a way to physicaly spend longer in front of his computer?

generally ive settled into just playing more limited blocs of time, no more than 90 minutes or so every other day. Though this past holdiday weekend i played rather more than that.

Im not sure I WANT to play more. Not that ive outgrown gaming, but I want to keep things in balance.

	01-06-2005 21:53									#83
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quote: Originally posted by Carolus Rex Heh, heh! But do you use the more technical aspects of your education like, say, econometric estimation techniques? Carolus

Sometimes, when there is time to do proper analysis.

	01-06-2005 21:54									#84
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quote: Originally posted by lord of the mark Im not sure I WANT to play more. Not that ive outgrown gaming, but I want to keep things in balance.

Heathen!

	02-06-2005 02:14									#85
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quote: Originally posted by DrSpike Heathen!

Actually its the heathen that are the problem. Ive finally got 3 provinces in South America converted to Catholicism, and its just so hard to leave the game when it wont be long before I have enough funds to send a missionary to yet ANOTHER province.

	02-06-2005 15:50									#86
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When you play games you lose vitality points!

	02-06-2005 23:39									#87
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quote: Originally posted by lord of the mark generally ive settled into just playing more limited blocs of time, no more than 90 minutes or so every other day. Though this past holdiday weekend i played rather more than that. Im not sure I WANT to play more. Not that ive outgrown gaming, but I want to keep things in balance.

Well good for you RL can be just as fun as gaming, and when the revolution comes we will need 'real' people to destroy skynet