MAD 2: MADDEN'S MADDENING.

Hadoryu

Arbre said:

Why does getting away from this game improve my depression?

I'll probably get some hate for this, but ... It's very hard to make any sort of significant change happen in your life while you're an active Aetolia player.

Slyphe

I would consider that a pretty false statement to be honest, unless you're the type of person that can only give 100% of their time and energy to one thing, and you choose to make that one thing Aetolia. It's quite possible to make numerous significant changes in your life outside the game while still actively playing. 

Hadoryu

How much time do you spend on Aetolia every week?

Slyphe

These days it's approximately 15 hours or so a week, give or take time necessities due to attending classes, doing associated class work, helping to run an organization on campus, working part time, and spending time with my friends outside the game.

I see where you're going in that the time spent playing could be utilized for other things more significant than the game itself, but everybody likes to have something to do in their free time to relax. You could apply that argument to just about anything: This CEO isn't accomplishing anything significant while spending so much time playing golf. If he would take that time he spends playing golf and apply it to something else, he would undoubtedly be able to accomplish more.

...But just because he plays golf doesn't necessarily mean he's incapable of making any significant changes in his life, right?

Hadoryu

Don't get me wrong, everybody has the right to make that choice and wilfully decide that they want to use their time in this way. Not everybody wants to change their way to begin with - playing golf might well be the final achievement for the CEO.

But it really should be a sober decision. And it's really, really easy to forget that those 15 hours per week could be spent reading a new book every month, extending your life expectancy, starting a new lucrative career or learning a new miscellaneous skill.

Aetolia is escapism and a very time-intensive form of it at that. It is very easy to immerse yourself in the game to the point where you lose sight of the things you can actually do in the real world to change your life.

Slyphe

I don't want to derail this thread too badly, but your same argument could be applied to just about everything in life. If you wake up an hour earlier instead of sleeping in you get seven hours a week that you could spend on all of those things you mentioned. If I took a shortcut to work instead of the scenic way every day I'd save myself a quantitative amount of time I could use for other things, etc. etc.

As long as you're able to keep of the mindset that Aetolia is in fact just a game, and not allow it to dominate your life to the point that you're prioritizing it over what matters (frankly something not too terribly difficult to do) then it's not difficult whatsoever to balance active gaming with the pursuit of significant changes in your life. It would be no different than any other hobby.

You don't have to play for 15 hours a day to have a presence or influence on the game, which is one thing that I think makes Aetolia great. 

Jensen

Golf doesn't get mad when personal commitments pull you away from guild work a 9 hole Sunday

Hadoryu

Slyphe said:

You don't have to play for 15 hours a day week to have a presence or influence on the game, which is one thing that I think makes Aetolia great. 

To avoid derailing too far as well, I'll just address this point: In my experience, this statement is completely false. Taking the scenic route or even losing sleep doesn't cost you as much time or mindshare as does being an recognized entity in Aetolia.

Rivas

Both of you are totally derailing while trying to avoid derailing. @Slyphe is (understandably) defending the game that he volunteers for, and @Hadoryu is (understandably) bashing the game that he voluntarily stepped away from.

We get it. Let's move on.

Slyphe

I rage that I just got moderated by Rivas.

Iosyne

Time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.

Sarita

The forums keep randomly logging me out, which I won't realize until I'm at the beginning of a thread instead of the end. I feel like this has happened at least ten times since last night, and it's annoying.

Ingram

Same.

Setne

Waking up really early in the morning with my throat and nose sore/hurting, and then throwing up for a few minutes

Periluna

Having to get moved by Monday and SNOW AND ICE IS COVERING EVERYTHING! I live in the South for a reason, and this IS NOT IT! GO BACK UP NORTH YOU WINTERY WEATHER!

The fact that the storm came from the southwest is of no concern >.>

Toz

It flanked us. Clever girl...

Xavin

Toz said:

It flanked us. Clever girl...

And now you get devoured by a raptor, yes?

Haern

Getting out of my car to fill up on gas and putting my foot into a puddle of slush and mud up to my ankle. After a stressful (but not awful day at work)? Pretty much this:

PRETEND THIS LINKS TO CAMERON SCREAMING AND REVVING THE ENGINE.

Xiuhcoatl

My Levetron Mech5 is messing up like my Mech4 was. It was replaced by the manufacturer.  Now I'm looking for a similar one, and I found it the Cooler Master CM Mech, but I can't it in the keyswitch I want, Cherry MX Green. Even worse is I'm going to have to wait until all this snow storm business dies down before the shipping can happen. I hope my keyboard holds out until then. 

Also, it's incredibly hard to find a nice Cherry MX Black keyboard and there's so few Cherry MX Green. As someone that's a heavy typer, my fingers like smash through light key switches. Something I feel sticking out like a sore thumb with non-green/black keys.

Hadoryu

Xiuhcoatl said:

My Levetron Mech5 is messing up like my Mech4 was. It was replaced by the manufacturer.  Now I'm looking for a similar one, and I found it the Cooler Master CM Mech, but I can't it in the keyswitch I want, Cherry MX Green. Even worse is I'm going to have to wait until all this snow storm business dies down before the shipping can happen. I hope my keyboard holds out until then. 

Also, it's incredibly hard to find a nice Cherry MX Black keyboard and there's so few Cherry MX Green. As someone that's a heavy typer, my fingers like smash through light key switches. Something I feel sticking out like a sore thumb with non-green/black keys.

http://codekeyboards.com/

Xiuhcoatl

Too light and no wrist wrest. I'm extremely picky, but that's also because I know exactly what I like.

Thank you though, @Hadoryu. 

Macavity

oh yay!!  Guess whos coming back!?!?!!    yup!  ME!

I had to go buy a new laptop but its worth it, and well over due.  Now time to go through that crap of installing programs from my other laptop and transferring data and what not.   Oh joy!

oh yeah and more snow today, oh joy...  So. Over. It.!

Eleanor

ninite.com is wonderful for fresh installs.

Areka

I'm replacing appliances, the new ones come next week so my father helped me detach my current ones since I can't move the pieces on my own (especially the washer/dryer, I'm so short!). That part's dandy. But whoever designed this unit didn't put individual cut offs for the water from sink to dishwasher, so now when I forget I can't use hot water, it dumps water down into the floor because there's no unit there, and then the kitten runs in and gets all dirty. 

The wiring for the washer/dryer also wasn't to code (wired directly into the wall, so we had to put in an outlet), and just. Contractors. Facepalm. 

Macavity

Eleanor said:

ninite.com is wonderful for fresh installs.

oh wow, that is an awesome site!  Thanks!   That really does save some time!

Daskalos

Ninite is one of my favorite sites. Ever.

Arbre

Waiting on Ansnom to take a placement test. My phone isn't gonna last.

Setne

I was looking forward to playing Monaco when I first learned about it, because it looked interesting. I mentally squeed a bunch when I saw it was in the latest humble bundle, but after playing it, I'm kinda disappointed. It just hasn't lived up to my expectations as of yet.

Areka

bloody noses damn dry air. 

Arbre

Pollen.  Why is picking your nose in public considered bad manners?  I can't -breathe-.