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What's the longest you've voluntarily abstained from gaming?

CryomatrixCryomatrix Member EpicPosts: 3,223
So yesterday, I actually had a "day off" from work which means i'm still on-call but I didn't have to go in and I played Civ 5 for like 7+ hours or so. [I've worked about 8.5 weeks straight with one true day off]

But I felt disgusted with myself because I did nothing productive, if I work for like a few hours a day, I don't feel bad for gaming, nonetheless. I'm going to abstain from gaming starting today (April 15), I want to see how long I can go. It'll be the most tough when I'm on my computer working on my novel (85k words baby) or something else. But I'll give it a go. My goal is to go until May 1st. My stretch goal is May 15. My ultra reach break through goal is until the new PoE season starts. The likelihood of failure is like 99%. I think I'll go until 4/17 before I crack, but we'll see. 

How long have you voluntarily not played games for? (vacations and times where you couldn't play doesn't count). Take guesses to see when I'll crack. 

Cryomatrix
p.s. no phone games either, I only play chess on the phone and that's to kill time, so i'll abstain from that too. 

p.s. It is the right time for me, my path of exile char died, I'll wait until Conan Exiles launches, and Civ 5 isn't all that attention grabbing for me, it is more of a filler game. It isn't football season, so I won't feel the need to play Madden and I play nothing else on xbox. 

Catch me streaming at twitch.tv/cryomatrix
You can see my sci-fi/WW2 book recommendations. 
When will I crack
  1. When will I play a game next?32 votes
    1. Tonight
      40.63%
    2. By Tuesday 4/17
      12.50%
    3. 4/22 - 4/31
      18.75%
    4. 5/1 to 5/14
        6.25%
    5. 5/15 to Next season of PoE
        3.13%
    6. Start of next season of PoE
        3.13%
    7. After start of PoE
        0.00%
    8. 2019
      15.63%
«1

Comments

  • dougha1dougha1 Member UncommonPosts: 152
    Wow, I think voting worked.  :o  Shock and surprise.  So yeah, I voted Tuesday. :D
    This forum is broken. It is time to move to proboards, because they're broken.
  • EldurianEldurian Member EpicPosts: 2,736
    4/17 because that's the limit you set for yourself.

    I think the longest I ever abstained was a few months because I was with a girl who really hated it. Eventually I came to the realization that I am a gamer and it's not worth it to change who I am to please someone else. So from then on I made it a priority to find girls who shared my passion and now I've happily been with another gamer for about 4 years.

    There was also a period where I was a single 18/19 year old guy living in college dorms. Had a lot of friends including many who were cute girls. For that whole school year I was really mainly just a social gamer meaning like 90% of my gaming I did with friends who were in the same room.

    That I actually enjoyed and it made me realize I actually use gaming as a time filler for when there aren't more enjoyable activities available to me. There isn't always interesting things happening though and I think gaming is a lot more productive then just watching TV which most people who disparage gamers do A LOT of.
    Gdemami
  • JeffSpicoliJeffSpicoli Member EpicPosts: 2,849
    Forget the poll what is your novel about?
    MadFrenchieQuizzicalAnOldFartRueTheWhirl
    • Aloha Mr Hand ! 

  • KyarraKyarra Member UncommonPosts: 789
    Only when I am on vacation do I not play any games. Though lately with all the boring MMO's that are out I find I am not playing as much as I used to which is a good thing.
    BruceYee
  • bonzoso21bonzoso21 Member UncommonPosts: 380
    Gaming is a hobby I enjoy along with playing instruments, listening to music/going to live shows, watching TV/movies, or reading, and it exposes me to a lot of interesting stories and characters just as those other hobbies do, so I have never felt a need to abstain from it. I don't play much during the week and can regularly go days or weeks without playing because there is other stuff going on, but I wouldn't ever say it was because I was consciously choosing not to play because they were having a negative impact on my life or something. 
    [Deleted User]
  • craftseekercraftseeker Member RarePosts: 1,740
    Eighteen months and counting. Stopped playing Everquest 2 because it had changed too much (and for the worse IMHO) tried the Everquest emulator for a while, bu the graphics just aren't good enough anymore. Thought about going back to other games but the magic isn't there. Have hopes for Pantheon, but not high hopes.
  • CryomatrixCryomatrix Member EpicPosts: 3,223
    edited April 2018
    @thunderC asked about my novel

    Well, i'm at the part where i'm doing a climactic fight, but the main character is a minstrel (a.k.a a bard like character with buffs basically) who gets caught up in shit. She is joined by other characters in the first scene. It will be a bit reminiscent of LOTRO but where magic users actually use their magic . . . 

    It also focuses on crafting, so I have very magical weapons in the book that are very rare and unique and that are only possible being "crafted mainly", 

    See, I couldn't make an MMO game because of funds. It's like WoW went:

    Game --> Books --> Movie. I can't do the game of course

    But I hope to do Book ---> Movie ---> Game. So it will be in a way that is very portable to an MMO. Of course, the likelihood, I self-publish and no one reads it is very high, but it is really fun anyway. You never know too. 

    I just need to stop playing games and focus on it, it's just after work, the last thing i want to do is use mental power to write, so I play games. I started the book august 2012 :) Also, i'm about 2 weeks away from becoming a franchisee :) in addition to my current job. All about the passive income baby. 

    Cryomatrix
    p.s. I won't reveal the franchise until I have it running, then i'll say it and share what happens. 
    Tsiya
    Catch me streaming at twitch.tv/cryomatrix
    You can see my sci-fi/WW2 book recommendations. 
  • AlbatroesAlbatroes Member LegendaryPosts: 7,671
    It might be better to ask "How long have you voluntarily abstained from a game?" Would be interesting to see how long people have stopped playing mmorpgs like WoW/AA/etc
  • KyleranKyleran Member LegendaryPosts: 43,435
    edited April 2018
    About 2 weeks, earlier this year, I was really bored with gaming and just quit for a few.

    I own a gaming laptop so I can bring it on vacation with me to play.


    ;)

    "True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde 

    "I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant

    Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm

    Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV

    Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™

    "This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon






  • TheocritusTheocritus Member LegendaryPosts: 9,739
    I have stretches of a week or two when I go out of town where I dont play anything...Its a nice change really.
  • RosenborgRosenborg Member UncommonPosts: 162
    @thunderC asked about my novel

    Well, i'm at the part where i'm doing a climactic fight, but the main character is a minstrel (a.k.a a bard like character with buffs basically) who gets caught up in shit. She is joined by other characters in the first scene. It will be a bit reminiscent of LOTRO but where magic users actually use their magic . . . 

    It also focuses on crafting, so I have very magical weapons in the book that are very rare and unique and that are only possible being "crafted mainly", 

    See, I couldn't make an MMO game because of funds. It's like WoW went:

    Game --> Books --> Movie. I can't do the game of course

    But I hope to do Book ---> Movie ---> Game. So it will be in a way that is very portable to an MMO. Of course, the likelihood, I self-publish and no one reads it is very high, but it is really fun anyway. You never know too. 

    I just need to stop playing games and focus on it, it's just after work, the last thing i want to do is use mental power to write, so I play games. I started the book august 2012 :) Also, i'm about 2 weeks away from becoming a franchisee :) in addition to my current job. All about the passive income baby. 

    Cryomatrix
    p.s. I won't reveal the franchise until I have it running, then i'll say it and share what happens. 
    True, you never know.

    I remember watching The Expanse and felt like, this world is made for MMORPG. After watching the whole show, fired up google and found out it actually was.

    https://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-fantasy/the-evolution-of-james-s-a-coreys-space-epic-the-expanse/?st=AFF&SID=Barnes+&+Noble+-+Top+100:+Book+Bestsellers&2sid=Skimlinks_5431261_NA&sourceId=AFFSkimlinks
  • QuizzicalQuizzical Member LegendaryPosts: 25,347
    Trying to focus on not playing games really won't work very well.  What does work is finding something else that you want to do instead of playing games.
    Scotimmodium
  • postlarvalpostlarval Member EpicPosts: 2,003
    I've had stretches of around six months where I play no games.

    However, I don't play that often anyway. Maybe 6 hours a week, mostly on weekends.

    And now I play MMOs even less because I discovered Last Day on Earth on the iPad. I prefer to play that when I get time.
    ______________________________________________________________________
    ~~ postlarval ~~

  • DarkswormDarksworm Member RarePosts: 1,081
    I don't need to.  I'm responsible with my priorities and how I spend my time.  If I have more important things to do, or need to regulate my sleep better, then gaming is a non-priority.

    Abstaining is only a consideration when you have an issue properly prioritizing gaming vs. more important things in life.
  • TheScavengerTheScavenger Member EpicPosts: 3,321
    The real question...

    Whats the longest you've abstained from watching porn?

    ScotIselin

    My Skyrim, Fallout 4, Starbound and WoW + other game mods at MODDB: 

    https://www.moddb.com/mods/skyrim-anime-overhaul



  • CryomatrixCryomatrix Member EpicPosts: 3,223
    edited April 2018
    The real question...

    Whats the longest you've abstained from watching porn?






    ________________________________________
    Aren't you the one who insists that watching porn makes a person rape or something?

    Also your agrees-to-wtf ratio approaches 1.
    Catch me streaming at twitch.tv/cryomatrix
    You can see my sci-fi/WW2 book recommendations. 
  • ScotScot Member LegendaryPosts: 22,824
    About the same time I have abstained from eating, that is not very long. :)
    [Deleted User]
  • immodiumimmodium Member RarePosts: 2,610
    Just under 4 Years. A few months after SWG released and returned December 2007 when my brother bought me a copy of Lotro for Xmas.

    Completely burnt out.

    image
  • PhryPhry Member LegendaryPosts: 11,004
    Thursday, i think that was the last time i abstained from gaming, it lasted several hours! :p
  • SirAgravaineSirAgravaine Member RarePosts: 520
    edited April 2018
    I volunteered to join the military, so I would say about three months (basic+ a bit of tech school until I got my hands back on WoW BC). Not including my childhood when I didn't really track it and just did whatever I wanted.
  • FrodoFraginsFrodoFragins Member EpicPosts: 5,898
    weeks
  • cameltosiscameltosis Member LegendaryPosts: 3,703
    I regularly take breaks from gaming, but not because I want to take breaks, just because no game happens to be catching my fancy. 

    So, at the moment, I haven't gamed since last Saturday, so an 8 day break. During the week, I tend not to get home from work until 8pm, by the time I've cooked and eaten it's 9.30, then it's time for a spliff. It often means that during the week I can only spare 30mins to 1hr for gaming, but with the sorts of games I play that's not enough to have fun so I don't bother. 


    Longest extended break was 2.5 years. When I went to uni, I basically stopped gaming. I just had so much on the go, combined with a lack of money. The only gaming I did during this period was social couch coop. It was generally just playing mario kart on the n64 whilst really baked. 


    LotRO was the game that got me back into gaming again. 
  • kitaradkitarad Member LegendaryPosts: 7,885
    A few hours may be.

  • KyleranKyleran Member LegendaryPosts: 43,435
    Quizzical said:
    Trying to focus on not playing games really won't work very well.  What does work is finding something else that you want to do instead of playing games.
    Well I wanted to buy a Harley but my wife said no (some concern about killing myself) so I have to stick with gaming.

    B)
    blastermasterScotAlBQuirkyTsiya

    "True friends stab you in the front." | Oscar Wilde 

    "I need to finish" - Christian Wolff: The Accountant

    Just trying to live long enough to play a new, released MMORPG, playing New Worlds atm

    Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions. Pvbs 18:2, NIV

    Don't just play games, inhabit virtual worlds™

    "This is the most intelligent, well qualified and articulate response to a post I have ever seen on these forums. It's a shame most people here won't have the attention span to read past the second line." - Anon






  • ScotScot Member LegendaryPosts: 22,824
    Kyleran said:
    Quizzical said:
    Trying to focus on not playing games really won't work very well.  What does work is finding something else that you want to do instead of playing games.
    Well I wanted to buy a Harley but my wife said no (some concern about killing myself) so I have to stick with gaming.

    B)
    Putting concern about risking your life above your enjoyment, where do they get off? :)
    Kyleran
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