Getting the most out of gaming

[Anonymous No.3370590]

So I know this is a wierd question, and I know I'm gonna get mocked here, but how do you really enjoy games?
I've been playing games all my life but now is the time in my life where I have a whole room only for gaming, everything is set up, CRT and all, shelves full of games and all that. Now the only thing is playing the games. But just playing them seems inappropriate with all the hassle creating a whole room dedicated to it.

So what are some tricks I can do to really experience the games I play? Is there a general "thing" I should be paying attention to (like the number of background layers or the like)?

I know I sound really pretentious, but a good comparison would be how you can just drink wine or you can experience it like at a wine tasting.

[Anonymous No.3370617]

hipster

[Anonymous No.3370631]

For fuck's sake dude. I don't even know how to answer a question like that.

I play "retro" games because these were the games I played growing up as a kid.

For me, it's NOSTALGIA.

I honestly don't know what millennials get from retro gaming. Is it the simplicity? The art? The test of skill?

I have no idea.

[Anonymous No.3370634]

>>3370590
>have wine cellar
>drink wine

>have gaming room
>FUCKING GAME

Tardboy.

[Anonymous No.3370635]

>>3370631
this

[Anonymous No.3370639]

Depends what you want out of gaming, OP. But since you've made a wine tasting comparison...

Start playing through complete series, or a developer's whole catalog, or all the works of a specific lead designer.

Start playing the games did something first before another game popularized it.

Start reading about specific developers, specific studios and publishers. Start learning about the people who made these games happen and the stories of their development.

As you do that you'll start to really get a feel for the DNA of gaming and how it's evolving. You'll be able to recognize influences between games more readily, and I almost guarantee that you'll develop a new different kind of appreciation for games - even for games that suck.

[Anonymous No.3370648]

>>3370631
And why did they zero in on video games? There's any number of old hobbies they could have adopted, like spray negro protestors with a fire hose.

[Anonymous No.3370650]

>>3370617
>>3370634
>>3370631
Shit boys I've been playing games for 20+ years now. I can't just play games all day anymore because of life stuff, and games I never played as a kid won't have the nostalgia bonus. So I wanna try to turn quantity into quality. I fear that just playing the game won't give me the satisfaction anymore.

But what >>3370639 suggested is actually really good advice.

[Anonymous No.3370660]

>>3370650
>I can't just play games all day anymore because of life stuff,
there's your problem
and mine
and this anon too.

instead of cataloging and "setting up", you should play the games.
now it's too late.
install steam, grab ONE blockbuster aaa that seems interesting and try to finish it.
seriously.

[Anonymous No.3370661]

I kinda envy OP. I wish I could be as passionate about anything again, there's a point in life when you just stop caring, everything feels uninteresting and you just play, watch and read because you're used to it, but don't really enjoy the act that much anymore.

[Anonymous No.3370669]

>>3370631
>For me, it's NOSTALGIA.
Fuck that

I genuinely like the games, and pick up plenty of 20+ year old games that are new to me any enjoy them all the same.

I like the mechanics, music, and the imagination put in to much of the art.

>>3370590
Who gives a shit OP how you play it. Can be cart or emulation. If you actually fucking cared you would just play the games and have fun. If you have to "trick" yourself in to it then you really need to find a new fucking hobby.

[Anonymous No.3370689]

>>3370660
>>3370669
>>3370661

"Just play the games" is what I did. For example I played Castlevania Bloodline for the first time a couple month ago. I just >played< it. It was great, but I feel that I missed so much, but I can't point my finger on it. And that's my feeling with most of the games I play today. I want to experience every possible facet of the game to really fully appreciate it. I feel like by just playing it I miss way too much.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not burned out on gaming, I'm still really passionate about it. And that's why I want to experience everything a game has to offer.

...or maybe I'm just looking for something that isn't there...

[Anonymous No.3370693]

>>3370689
>...or maybe I'm just looking for something that isn't there...
Bingo

[Anonymous No.3370695]

>>3370661

I hear that, I miss the days where everything gaming related just made me glow.

Now its like.. fucking life sucks, better buy more and more games just to get a bit of the old happy feel back.

[Anonymous No.3370696]

>>3370693
>>3370695

[Anonymous No.3370709]

>>3370696
Man. Just being honest with you, not even trying to be overtly mean.
I find I do stray away from hobbys I enjoy when I've got too much life shit going on. It may be fun(ish) for escape at those times but it doesn't make reality go away. The only time I really enjoy games is when all of my shit in life is straightened away. Its then when I can bring that "glow" back, because it's only then that I can enjoy them without having my mind drift to something I should be doing. Thats the secret man, videogames are a bottom priority.

[Anonymous No.3370713]

>>3370590
>smoke weed
>change into funny pijama
>get comfy blanket
>have pizza ready
>pretend life isn't shitty for that one evening.

Don't do that too often though, you'll get fat.

[Anonymous No.3370727]

>I actually care more about collecting games than playing them, and now I have a ton of games I can't get motivation to play
>better blogpost about it on /vr/
I'm honestly glad you aren't getting enjoyment out of it. Go have a mid-life crisis somewhere else.

[Anonymous No.3370728]

>>3370709
>The only time I really enjoy games is when all of my shit in life is straightened away
This. It doesn't help that I lost my job a few weeks ago and can't pay the rent.

>>3370713
>change into funny pijama
>get comfy blanket
>have pizza ready
>pretend life isn't shitty for that one evening.

This is the best feeling. While it lasts of course.

[Anonymous No.3370729]

You are doing it wrong.

Back in the days I was a fighting game predator, traveled around the arcades challenging everything, got my ass handed to me a couple of times, but it was fun.

Then I started to emulate and play more and more games.

It's always more fun if you can play with more people, I even play Lol from time to time to yell at the youth.

You can always go bigger just take a look at this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JpS1SVeBQ1M

Games are fun, and if they aren't just go outside, that big yellow thing is the sun it's harmless if you don't stare at it, or stand under it for too long.

[Anonymous No.3370737]

>>3370713
>smoke weed
do what he said without it.
have a next day free.
while you're playing, roll a slim one.
take a few tokes, see where evening takes you.
when you'll end up ditching the games for an amazing album on full blast on your headphones don't blame yourself.
check the fridge for another beer or irish whisky, bourbon, nice brandy
forget your purpose, have a bottle of cold water for tomorrow,

[Anonymous No.3370985]

>>3370631
I'm a millenial who had a second hand gameboy until I was 10 and bought my own PS2, then got a 360 in 2008. I like retro games because they remind me of being a kid having fun even though I didn't necessarily grow up with retro games. I've never even seen any console before the N64 in person, besides that Gameboy. I just like simple games that remind me of being a kid when games were still about just having fun.

[Anonymous No.3371024]

Not sure if this entire thread is bait or not, but just in case: Play a few 2-player games to whet your appetite. Can be a casual, hardcore, coworker, old friend, whatever. I was talking to another 30-something at a Christmas party about Disney's Magical Quest 3, invited him over to 2-player it with me. Fast forward a few weeks and we're having the best night ever. It doesn't have to be cringey, it doesn't have to be weird, and it'll honestly make that collection of yours come alive.

[Anonymous No.3371034]

Gaming is horrible, drop out while you can.

[Anonymous No.3371035]

>>3370590
I fell out of games in 2011 and only rarely play something that peakes my interest since. I just play roms on my mac when i have free time which sparse now that im in college and work

[Anonymous No.3371237]

>>3370728
>This. It doesn't help that I lost my job a few weeks ago and can't pay the rent.

I went from a NEET to a working in a low-stress salaried job several months ago, but I still can't enjoy video games now as much as I used to.

[Anonymous No.3371256]

>>3370709
I find it's the opposite, when I'm playing to escape from shitty reality then my brain gets most immersed in games. Good moods are for literature or something, this is escapism.

[Anonymous No.3371262]

Here's my experience, somewhat related:

I have a second SNES on my parents house. When I go visit them, I bring one or two games from my 70+ collection (not counting sd2snes), and before going to sleep, I play for awhile.

This is the moment I enjoy videogames the most. Being at that house gets me on the "simpler times" mood that makes videogames really enjoyable

Here at my own apartment, I have both a HDTV setup with Steam and a CRT TV setup with all my consoles, collections, and all that hoarded shit. All setup "just right". But its not the same, really, I rather watch the news or read a book when on my daily basis. When I do play, it soon feels like a chore. I play a lot with my brother and gamer friends when they come over, but when Im alone, I usually rather do something else.

I guess when I'm home I'm in reality mode, but when I'm in childhood mode focused on just one game for a short session back at my parents home is fucking magical

[Anonymous No.3371280]

OP needs a big assortment of gaming magazines from the past.

[Anonymous No.3371850]

>>3370650
>I fear that just playing the game won't give me the satisfaction anymore.

Then you've wasted a lot of money and a room in your house. You don't really like video games. You like the idea of video games and have some nostalgia for how they used to make you feel. What you want is that feeling back, but there was far more to it than the games.

If you don't enjoy sitting down to play something for a pure enjoyment of just doing that then you're pretty well just a dog chasing it's tail.

Go find something else you actually do enjoy.

[Anonymous No.3372007]

>>3371262
>When I do play, it soon feels like a chore. I play a lot with my brother and gamer friends when they come over, but when Im alone, I usually rather do something else.

I wonder how many other people with big collections end up feeling like this.

[Anonymous No.3372009]

Be drunk and play. Or play with mates. Or play with mates drunk.

I enjiy the games as they are though.

[Anonymous No.3372031]

ok your asked my opinion ok so this is my opinion ok and i hope u'll take it in the spirit in which it's intended ok but you got to have an el crappyo gaming setup mang so that it makes u appreciate the OLD TIMEY DAYS, like sell all your systems that you love and work well and your newfangled big ass pvms and frame meistors and all that EL JUNKYO and go to the pawn shop and buy a dirty old grubby butt OVERPRICED HUNK OF JUNK video game system that you dont even like that much, like some sega genesis model 3 or something, and hook it up with good old RF CONNECTOR to an old timey small as possible CRT tv from like the 70's which doesn't have rca jacks, and prolly doesn't have a coaxial jack it has them fugging two antannae screws which u must put a coaxial adapotr on there to PLUG IN YOUR GOOD OLD RF and the dumb thing is like black and white and the ol verticel hold is shot to tiddlywinks and you cant even afford any good games u have to get old primal rage and BALLS and old sonic the hegehot 2 and you have to be a poor slob livin in a one room DUMP thinking abot the good old days of yesteryore on a saturday nite and yoru blippin and bloopin and then you will be a real gamer and not some wussy baby photo op neckbaby modern retdro gamer ok that's my opinion on this site ok

[Anonymous No.3372041]

>>3370590
I feel like you've already abandoned your thread but as someone who I'm guessing has been living a similar lifestyle to yours for maybe even twice as long let me give you some additional advice beyond getting the vintage magazines.

>Separate your collecting from your gaming in your mind. In a smallish collection, discipline can get you to focus on just what you have but once the collecting develops into a full-blown hobby of its own you can feel the same crippling indecision that non-collectors feel when looking at romsets
>Be very aware of your genres and themes. If you've been gaming this long you should know what these are but the more deeply you understand what specific qualities make for fun gaming FOR YOU the easier it will be to play
>Always be looking to expand and refine your tastes. I could probably be using wine metaphors I realize but too late lol. If you find that you're getting sick of your go-to games, try other games in similar genres with different themes or games with similar themes in different genres
>Even better than the previous, and if you truly know what type of games you enjoy look for more obscure examples. Try out some platforms you were unfamiliar with or freshly translated games from Japan. I haven't even finished LeGrange point or Ys 5 yet and they've been out for over a year. Fresh translations are like new retro releases and they do come out normally - or you can learn to read Japanese.
>Find excitement! /vr/ used to be good for this before the /v/ (4chan in general) cynicism fully set in but one thing that can never be spoiled is the energy to be found in commercials, videos and magazines that actually date from the era. I posted a link to the second issue of Vidiot magazine in the VCS thread because it had brief reviews of about 40 2nd gen console games but it had a full review of VCS ET in it from when it was a new release. They called it a triple-A release sure to offer lots of fun despite a couple minor flaws. Imagine!

[Anonymous No.3372048]

Just play the games, if you don't enjoy them then do something else.

[Anonymous No.3372058]

>>3372048
So much this. This thread has convinced me that a lot of the people who come here, in particular those who collect don't actually seem to like playing video games. They're just caught up in nostalgia for them.

[Anonymous No.3372163]

>>3372041
>once the collecting develops into a full-blown hobby of its own you can feel the same crippling indecision that non-collectors feel when looking at romsets

I still never understood this. I love having thousands of roms I can browse through and play.

[Anonymous No.3372190]

>>3372007
As I said, it's a feeling i get when playing in front of the whole collection. There's some sort of anxiety to finish the current game asap so I can move on to the next one (because there's so many of them). So each game feels like part of a checklist instead of an experience in itself.

That's why focusing on a single game in a different enviroment works so well for me.

Some anon here hit the nail describing it as "when collecting becomes a hobby by itself". It's a good signal you should stop buying stuff (I already stopped). Now I guess I should put my collection somewhere else.

[Anonymous No.3372219]

>>3372190
Not him, but that sounds like ADD to be honest. But then I'm one of those weird people who is fine with huge libraries of roms. I don't look at games as beating them for a checklist though. I just play what I think is fun.

[Anonymous No.3372292]

>>3372190
>"when collecting becomes a hobby by itself"
Thirding. This is the death of gaming for me. I sort of wish I could just buy repros but I know I will always look at them differently.

[Anonymous No.3372385]

>>3370590
I'd say that you should ignore the comments about you not really liking games. This is just something that happens when you get older and have a lot on your plate and lack a culture around the topic. I'd say one thing that does actually affect your immersion and appreciation for games will be your access to a larger number of games. One thing you can do is restrict that access. Even if you have a large library you should spend a period of devotion to a game to really embrace it and build up your relationship with it. It's too easy to play a game and get annoyed by a learning curve or get a hankering for another kind of game and jump about when you have so much at hand. However, if you emulate a scenario where you have to appreciate what you've got then you become much more forgiving and exploratory of a game. Give yourself one game a week or something depending on how much time you can allocate to gaming and how long the game you are trying is. Follow that up with magazines covering that game and context like others have suggested to help sink in to it and really find glitches, uniquities, and aspects that were ahead of their time, particularly good or bad elements and just find things you appreciate and find intolerable. Alcohol or smoking helps to get you to a place you are more affected and feeling focused like you did when you were a child- not a cure-all but helpful for getting you a leg up on getting into a game. It's not easy to find friends who tolerate old games but if you have one then it helps to have somebody to laugh with at the bad and awe at the good and generally even if you don't have anybody there you can pretend and just talk out-loud to yourself to really help build up your reactions to the game.

[Anonymous No.3372428]

OP here, I haven't abandoned the thread.

Most of your answers made me really depressed because of how true they were. But thanks to the few who gave honest advice.

[Anonymous No.3372441]

>>3372428
If it feels like gaming isn't really doing it for you, then look for something else that does. It looks like you're putting a lot on gaming to be as interesting and exciting as you found it when you were a kid. But life is very different now.

You should look at games as what they are, amusements. When you want to sit down and play something for fun they will always be there. But forcing it will only make you dislike it more. Go find a new hobby or get interested in something else, sooner or later you'll find yourself hankering to play something again and then it'll be good because you actually want it.

[Anonymous No.3372451]

>>3372428
So many people come back to "get drunk or high to make you feel like a kid again" before playing. That's what has made me the most sad reading the thread.

[Anonymous No.3372473]

>>3372385
>>3372451
Like I was saying in this post I wouldn't say it's necessary by any means but it sure can help. If you don't really participate in alterations then it's fine to abstain of course. I wouldn't be despondent about the prospects of getting to feel impressed by games again though. I tried to offer some things that help me in the above post because I suffer the same thing. Patience is one of the big elements I think. It's difficult to have and without alterations time is the only way to immerse yourself and gain appreciation for a game. It's too easy with all the other entertainment around to just let your whim jump you about.

[Anonymous No.3372481]

>>3372451
The other thing really is that it's easy to make it into a chore by setting aside the time and just dryly pushing through. It does help to have some cultural immersion and context. It also helps to just have somebody there or just be expressive to have more impact on what your reactions are with a game. It really helps to make an experience and not just simply push through the motions you've trained on yourself.

[Anonymous No.3372484]

>>3372473
Should you really be suffering and drinking just to enjoy what's supposed to be your favorite hobby though?

[Anonymous No.3372494]

>>3372481
That's the thing though... it's like you're doing everything to distract from the game itself. Reading magazines to get into the culture, having someone there so it doesn't feel like a chore... If actually playing the game on it's own feels like simply pushing through the motions we've trained on ourselves then why are we even doing it? Fuck!

[Anonymous No.3372998]

>>3372163
But you can't play thousands of roms, Anon.

[Anonymous No.3373007]

>>3372998
This is my biggest problem. I've been growing my collection and I love gaming so much I'm not sick of it at all....but life has gotten so crazy that I'm at the point where I will literally never have time to play every game I own and also provide for my family.
Growing up sucks

[Anonymous No.3373025]

>>3373007
...and that's what I was addressing with the post that guy was replying to >>3372041

[Anonymous No.3373653]

>>3372494
>>3372484
obviously, at some point it isn't suffering though. It's not that it's painful more than vacuous sometimes. It's important to realize that sometimes if fun to enjoy more than just the game and that for many people they do enjoy more. You shouldn't suppose that gaming is strictly just a dry enjoyment of the game itself or else you wouldn't be here with others helping to develop a culture around the topic. Often times it's more than just playing. The experience can be a big part. Imagination is fueled by nice concept art or ideas published and friends chatting about what's meant or knowing the idea behind a secret but inconsequential item hunt. All sorts of things add value to a game extrinsically. It is hardly confined to you and a controller lest you not be here.

[Anonymous No.3373664]

>>3373653
>helping to develop a culture
Totally, Man. That's what it felt like we used to do here and it was a good one relatively free of egotism and focused on real authenticity wherever possible without being exclusive.

OP seems to have skipped a step where he should have learned how to get his mind right before collecting a bunch of junk.

[Anonymous No.3373667]

>>3372031

is this pasta?

i literally loled irl

[Anonymous No.3373719]

I'm going to be honest. I don't really like video games all that much. The vast majority of video games are complete shit. They aren't challenging, they aren't creative, they aren't smart, NONE of them have stories that can match up to good books (and I'm not even a particularly well read person), the art direction itself is usually quite bad (the music can be pretty good though).

Despite this, some of them manage to be pretty good. There are probably only 40 or so video games that are worth investing decent time into based on their own merits. More if you want to appreciate some historical context but you won't really have 'fun' playing them.

My advice, when you try a game give it a fair shot, but if you aren't having fun after an hour and a half drop it to the fucking curb and don't waste your time or try and force yourself to like it.

[Anonymous No.3373996]

Get your ass kicked by a game and watch yourself slowly get better at it each time. Then BEAT IT.. This is the mecha of true classic gaming.

[Anonymous No.3374009]

>>3373653
>You shouldn't suppose that gaming is strictly just a dry enjoyment of the game itself or else you wouldn't be here with others helping to develop a culture around the topic.

I guess we come at this from completely different perspectives. I don't see having fun with the game for itself anything close to "dry enjoyment". And I'm not here to try and develop a culture around retro games. I'm just here to discuss them because I like playing them.

I think needing to immerse yourself in a specific culture or mindset (magazines/drinking/drugs) just to enjoy the actual game is really kind of sad to be honest. All I hear when you say that is that the games aren't enough, at least anymore, to make just plain playing them worthwhile.

>>3372998
I don't see that as a problem, I see it as a bonus. I know I may never play through every single game I have access to, but I love being able to try different ones and see what's most interesting to play. There's almost nothing I like more than booting up some ROM I've never even heard of and discovering a weird new experience.

[Anonymous No.3374030]

>>3374009
You started this thread because you're in a rut and don't know where to go from here and yet you're defending the mindsets that are keeping you in the rut.

If you were aspiring to be a wine aficionado you would sample wines that don't necessarily appeal to you in order to discover elements and motes that might individually appeal to you leading you to discover actual wines you would enjoy but an underdeveloped pallet might not even be able to detect and differentiate the individual elements of flavor.

So when it comes to developing taste in retro games you need to learn to appreciate games on their individual merits if you ever want to delve deeper without wasting your time. You need to be able to follow winding paths around styles, themes and aesthetics and consciously choose which branch to follow at which time as well as knowing what forks you may have regretted taking to backtrack.

Randomly combing through thousands of games is not how one accomplishes this and is a guaranteed map to the doldrums you're currently stuck in but whatever. Eventually people like you will sell off your collections cheap to real enthusiasts even if it's just to keep it out of the hands of resellers.

[Anonymous No.3374035]

>>3374030
>You started this thread because you're in a rut and don't know where to go from here and yet you're defending the mindsets that are keeping you in the rut.

I didn't start this thread and I'm in no rut at all. I still love gaming maybe even more than I did in the old days. I think it's weird and sad some people have to go to such lengths to enjoy them.

The irony of the wine tasting is that's a little how I look at ROMs. There are tons of games that never got released outside of their regions or that I only ever read about in Newtype and the like. There are even more I never even heard of. Playing those is like being able to taste thousands of different wines at my leisure, discovering new tastes I never knew about.

Most of the rest of what you're saying doesn't really relate to me at all. Except the part about selling off my physical collection, but I did that many years ago with no regrets. Just keep a few cool nick nacks around and a Saturn because emulation is still shit, but I look forward to ditching it and the TV I keep around for it soon.

[Anonymous No.3374052]

>>3374035
I can tell just from your picture that you're not the kind of person OP is.

He's the kind of person who's struggling with his time for gaming becoming increasingly valuable and it forcing him to be more critical about how he's spending it.

You seem to be still at a point in your life where you have all the free time in the world and are more looking for ways to endlessly fill it.

This is an interesting dichotomy of gamers to be found here on /vr/ and my advice to people still enjoying the latter lifestyle is to endeavor to have something to show for that time you've invested when you decide to take the p,unge into real responsibility of one kind or another even if it's just knowledge - that pretty much comes around to what we've been trying to tell you about cultural appreciation and developing your tastes. I realize this is lost on you, but perhaps not on OP should he still be around and/or other lurkers.

[Anonymous No.3374065]

>>3374052
>You seem to be still at a point in your life where you have all the free time in the world and are more looking for ways to endlessly fill it.

The opposite is true actually. I work full time, married, in my 40s and gaming time is far rarer than it was when I was young. But that makes me enjoy it all the more when I do get to it.

I was here trying to help OP and understand where this need some people have here to find other things to distract them from the games they are playing.

[Anonymous No.3374072]

>>3374065
I guess that must be your son's long ass thumbnail and dirty bowl perched in front of that clutter then.

[Anonymous No.3374085]

>>3374072
That picture was taken over 10 years ago when I had my own place and tended to be messy. I still keep my thumbnails long, but I find that's better for gaming. Sorry they offend you?

Also or all your smugness you're the one saying you need drinking, reading magazines and preferably other people around just to get into the right zone where you feel like you're really enjoying these games again. That's most of what I'm reacting to here, because it seems so bizarre to me.

I could see if you were a young person trying to get into a culture you think you missed out on, but the way you write it doesn't seem like that's the case. So really I just don't get it at all. I've always loved playing video games for the game part of them.

[Anonymous No.3374148]

>>3370631
You're the lowest of the low. I despise people like you. You are scum.

I do not suffer from Nostalgia. I enjoy good games from any decade because they are good, not because they are old or new.

[Anonymous No.3374153]

>>3370650
>>3370639
Yeah, read some old reviews, watch some old trailers if there are any, look at game art and most importantly read the fucking manual.

So many people don't do it because you don't have to for modern games, fuck, it's gotten to the point where most modern games don't even have proper manuals anymore.

But it used to be that manuals had valuable information in them that would never be explained while you are playing and that you miss if you don't accidentally discover the mechanic.

[Anonymous No.3374158]

>>3370689
Buy some sweets, order a pizza, gulp down some coke. Basically, do what you did as a kid when you were playing vidya.

[Anonymous No.3374206]

>>3374158
Did your parents really feed you coke and pizza every time you played games? No wonder people are so fucking fat these days.

[Anonymous No.3374223]

>>3374206
No, of course not. Just on the weekends and not every weekend either. But that's also when you'd be allowed to rent some new games from the video store.

Did your parents force you to eat broccoli and drink carrot juice on the weekends? Is that why you now have a six pack and generally look like a greek god?

[Anonymous No.3374225]

>>3374223
No joke I like broccoli and carrot juice far more than pizza and cola.

[Anonymous No.3374230]

>>3374225
Fresh carrot juice is high tier but the pasteurized crap in a bottle is shit. I don't dislike broccoli either but a good pizza beats it easily.

Ice cold coke out of a glass bottle and without HFCS is fucking elder god tier though.

[Anonymous No.3374231]

>>3374085
Well I do love drinking, smoking weed, spending time with certain friends, reading old magazines and playing videogames both singularly and in combinations.

See, I was contributing to OPs thread on how he might escape his rut through deeper appreciation of games and the culture surrounding them. Your advice boils down to "OP is a fag he should just enjoy them like me which is easy because I'm so awesome"

[Anonymous No.3374236]

>>3374230
Drinking nearly straight sugar is gross whether it's made from cane or corn.

[Anonymous No.3374241]

>>3374231
>"OP is a fag he should just enjoy them like me which is easy because I'm so awesome"

Please tell me where I said that.

[Anonymous No.3374245]

>>3374241
Every one of your responses is "You guys suck for needing [blank] to enjoy games. I just enjoy games for games because games"

[Anonymous No.3374271]

>>3374009
There is a difference between necessary and sufficient. Nobody said it was necessary to enjoy games this way. It's only a suggestion for a person who has a problem that you don't have. These things can help a person get a running start on enjoying a game. It can allow you to enjoy generally bad games even where you wouldn't be inclined to play them in other circumstances. The point is many game are recognized by OP and others as having potential to be fun but they feel they are missing out on actualizing the potential that they know they have felt for games in the past similarly. It's not even necessary that these people find playing completely unenjoyable but might simply feel that there is more to be had. These suggestions are meant to help with that. It should be clear that they don't have to play games if it truly is unpleasant anymore so that advice is simply insipid and offers nothing to help with their question.

Also when you say you come here to discuss games that is precisely partaking in the culture that surrounds games and deriving pleasure from it.

[Anonymous No.3374287]

OP is back.

Man this thread turned into some kind of existential discussion.

I didn't say it at first, but you all are interpreting my question wrong. It was not meant as how I can make the experience AROUND playing games better. I meant it more like how can I get more out of a single game and possibly apply that to other games.

For example, I played Ranger X for the first time a few months ago. I can see that it is a georgeous game and I had fun playing it. For most thet would suffice, but I'm trying to find more in that specific game: how many layers of scrolling, how is transparency handled, are there 3D illusions, is there sprite rotation, how many layers does the music have, is the pacing good and so on. Really dissecting the game and experiencing what is so great about it, like with art.

Like some suggested, watching trailers, developer interviews, reading the manual, wathing reviews and such is the right way. But what should I look out for while in game? What is stuff that I can see if I'm not just playing it?

[Anonymous No.3374296]

>>3374245
I'm just coming at this as someone who's always liked games. So it's really surreal to hear people saying that they need to get drunk and high and read old magazine articles to get into them.

[Anonymous No.3374304]

>>3374287
Wow that sounds completely different from your original post.

[Anonymous No.3374314]

>>3374287
Didn't you just answer your own question there? If you can't notice those things during the game despite being aware of them, I don't know what to tell you except just play more games. The more I focus on something, the more time I spend with it, the more analytical my brain becomes and my flow of consciousness just starts dissecting things on it's own.

[Anonymous No.3374315]

>>3374304
I agree. That's some shit he should be researching generally about technical capabilities of retro consoles. That's not the same way you would discuss art though. The medium itself is only a small portion.

[Anonymous No.3374317]

>>3374296
You don't understand. Some people like getting drunk, some people like reading old magazines and because they like doing these things they enhance their mood and ultimately their gaming experience.

[Anonymous No.3374334]

>>3374317
Still sounds sad to me, but whatever. Do what you have to do to enjoy your hobby I guess.

[Anonymous No.3374348]

>>3374296
Once again "need to" is not the same as it can help you to notice or appreciate things you might not otherwise. I don't think there are many or even any here saying they need to be drunk to enjoy games. The idea is that if you want to delve into a game being affected can give you some insights you might not have otherwise. Go read Mr. X by Carl Sagan and you might get the idea.

[Anonymous No.3374354]

>>3374334
Don't look down on me you arrogant piece of shit.

I don't have to do anything, asshole. I'm not OP, I can pop in any game I like and just enjoy it but I like reading old magazines and I also like to drink. Combing good things can make them even better.

I pity you if you can't enjoy a tasty alcoholic beverage. But, hey you live however you have to. I still think it's sad to be a complete asshole like you.

[Anonymous No.3374364]

>>3372428
>>3374287
So, is this you?

[Anonymous No.3374381]

>>3374354
I like alcohol, I've just never seen a need to use it in order to enjoy games which is what a lot of this thread sounds like.

They talk about how it's difficult to have the patience to gain an appreciation >>3372473 and that it's easy for just playing games on their own to become a chore you're just dryly pushing through >>3372481 Or as we've discussed, drinking and talking to yourself to simulate someone else in the room.

I'm sorry if this came off as condescending, but that honestly sounds awful to me. It sounds like you have to go to quite some lengths just to enjoy them. I just don't understand it because to me that sounds like someone trying to force themselves to like playing games.

But whatever, now that the swearing and name calling has come in full force I can see this has all been pointless. Do whatever you like, I hope it works out for you.

[Anonymous No.3374385]

>>3370590
The only trick is realizing that most games are shit. Old games are no exception.

Super Metroid is shit.
Ocarina of Time is shit.
Donkey Kong Country is shit.
Chrono Trigger is shit.
Commander Keen is shit.
Metal Gear Solid is shit.

Nostalgia is no excuse for playing bad games. But hidden in that mountain of shit, there are some good games. Quake is good. DoDonPachi is good. F-Zero X is good. Robotron is good. The only thing you need to do to enjoy good games is avoiding credit feeding/cheats/savestates (once you've cleared the game it's ok for training purposes to improve your skill).

[Anonymous No.3374389]

>>3370590

Make a game

I'm serious. Download gamemaker and spend two weeks making a simple game. Not a clone, but a game of your own design. Do the music, sprites, sound effects etc. yourself.

You'll appreciate games in a whole different way.

[Anonymous No.3374391]

>>3374381
You just come across as a giant asshole, even when you are apologizing for coming across as a giant asshole, you still come across as a giant, gaping, slimy asshole while doing so.

[Anonymous No.3374393]

>>3374385
>Super Metroid is shit.
wow
>Ocarina of Time is shit.
agreed
>Donkey Kong Country is shit.
wow
>Chrono Trigger is shit.
wow
>Commander Keen is shit.
agreed
>Metal Gear Solid is shit.
wow

[Anonymous No.3374396]

>>3374389
I can agree with this.
Bonus points if you can make a homebrew/non-PC game.

[Anonymous No.3374401]

>>3374391
Sorry if I upset you, but this is all genuinely surreal to me and the combination of talking about playing games being like building a pallet for drinking wine and then also

>if you don't have anybody there you can pretend and just talk out-loud to yourself to really help build up your reactions to the game.

Is just this very bizarre combination of sad and hilarious.

[Anonymous No.3374417]

>>3374401
It is but that's one guy who said that and you were talking to at least three. I was just giving the poor fuck some advice on what might help him and you come out of the blue pitying for me as if I had the exact same affection.

I don't have any problems enjoying games and I don't talk to myself or pretend to have imaginary friends.

Out of curiosity, you've never played games drunk? You can't see how some games might be more enjoyable while under the influence? Are you one of those guys who just can't hold their liquor and just goes from normal to hammered instead of getting a buzz going and being able to nurture and maintain it over the course of an evening?

[Anonymous No.3374419]

>>3374401
I don't think that it's sad to exercise some self awareness. Also you again misrepresent those posts. It doesn't say alcohol is required to gain patience nor required at all. You are completely misrepresenting what was said and you even linked to the posts. It's easy to see that they say no such thing. All of those things are individual suggestions as clear as day and not in tandem as you remark as well. Remarking out loud to yourself can help fortify your reactions and cause you to think on them and it's not sad but good advice if you are trying to pick out aspects of a game that are, get the etymologic point here, remarkable.

[Anonymous No.3374426]

>>3374401
If you are really trying to draw out what you notice for comment and review and enjoyment and analysis of games as OP is seemingly wanting this is actually helpful. Why would it be sad?

[Anonymous No.3374428]

>>3374419
>>3374426
No, I actually agree on that with the rude asshole. That is pretty weird. Why do you need to say it out loud?

[Anonymous No.3374450]

>>3374428
Seriously, what is with everybody's use of "need" and other words related to necessity. These posts are about advice to OP on analyzing games and building up a better awareness of the games being played and things thought to help with that effort. If you have a reaction to a game and you actually remark on it then it helps for review recall and to build up a running analysis on theme or whatnot that you have that reaction to. You build up pieces of reaction and stitch them into an overall impression. If you want to review games and make notes that you can build a comprehensive position and analysis of the game it can help to do things like this.

[Anonymous No.3374452]

>>3374417
>Out of curiosity, you've never played games drunk?

Yeah, it felt like a waste of both. I don't like doing things that require concentration and timing when I drink. I just like to enjoy the buzz. But also it's rare that I do and usually it's at social events. Don't bother with it much otherwise.

[Anonymous No.3374454]

>>3374428
There is no indication that these suggestions are requirements by any means. You are straw manning those posts by saying things like that. They are made out as things to try not all together but a series of different suggestions. Making it out to be some sort of fucking ritual is that has to be done is ridiculous. Let's move on.

[Anonymous No.3374464]

>>3374354
>>3374428
Wait so is this you? And now you're shitting on a single suggestion from somebody else? Worse now under the pretense that they're just sitting drunk talking to themselves to enjoy games? That's a very charitable interpretation there from somebody awful touchy about another person criticizing their own preferences on how they enjoy games lol

[Anonymous No.3374469]

>>3374464
I'm sorry if I upset you. I just find it curious what the use (is that better than need?) it would be to talk to yourself aloud whne you alone as opposed to just thinking inside your head. Anon explained it, though I think it would make more sense if you actually had a tap recorder running if your memory is so bad and you want to write a review. Still though, just for enjoying a game more it is very weird to me.

Cat ladies and senile old people talk to themselves, not really great company, I guess.

[Anonymous No.3374475]

Why not just put a mirror in the room and then it looks like someone else is there too. If you get high enough you might even think they're real.

[Anonymous No.3374484]

>>3370590
>I know I sound really pretentious, but a good comparison would be how you can just drink wine or you can experience it like at a wine tasting.

If you want to get authentic about it, play games on a crt and original consoles only.

As for me, I play vidya on my pc with emulators, mostly because I still live with my family and they always hog the tv. Once I move out I may begin collecting, but as for now im fine with emulation.

[Anonymous No.3374496]

>Remarking out loud to yourself can help fortify your reactions and cause you to think on them and it's not sad but good advice if you are trying to pick out aspects of a game that are, get the etymologic point here, remarkable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdtehRUfzWc

[Anonymous No.3374504]

Do what I did. Get your friends to each make a few recordings for you. Just saying simple things like "nice one!" and "ohh so close!" Then make a playlist so when you're playing if something happens you can press a button and hear them say something. If they're more dedicated/better friends you can get them to do more game specific ones but generic works well too.

It really helps with the immersion and sinking yourself back into the real culture of the game. It helps a lot when just trying to play it normally starts to really feel like a dry slog.

[Anonymous No.3374507]

>>3374504
Please be kidding. I can't tell anymore.

[Anonymous No.3374509]

>>3374507
Don't look down on me you arrogant piece of shit.

[Anonymous No.3374515]

>>3374504
what the fuck am I reading

[Anonymous No.3374524]

>>3370590
you simply can't force yourself down to it. there are many variables, like music. There are bands I listened when I was younger I can't listen to anymore as there were bands I couldn't but now I can. There are songs I couldn't listen depending on my mood and there are songs that I learned to enjoy after listening to them a few times.

[Anonymous No.3374535]

>>3374509
Sorry if I upset you.

[Anonymous No.3374546]

>>3374504
Alternatively, if you don't want to be...just sad, you can listen to podcasts.

[Anonymous No.3374738]

holy shit this thread

[Anonymous No.3374786]

>>3370713
DUDE

[Anonymous No.3375215]

>>3374786

DUDE!