Posible cause for my lack of emulator desire?

[hansolo77]

Hey guys!

So I'm sure we all get into the rut sometime.  You're playing games then all of a sudden you're like.. "I don't really want to play this".  So you go do something else.  Then you do something else again, and before you know it, you're months out from the last time you played something.  This is especially true of me right now.  I've been so caught up in trying to get my server up and running/stable and reading books, I've not really looked at gaming.  I haven't turned on my X-Box 360 in over 2 years (I know, because the X-Box One hadn't been released yet (all my friends were talking about getting it) and it came out November 22, 2013).  It's been a few months now since I even booted up GameEx.  I'm stuck in a rut. 

I'm thinking one reason why I don't really do much emulation anymore is because I've teased my interest too much with the work of reaching goals (Achievements on the XB, Trophies on the PS).  All my emulation gaming just seems drab and pointless.  There's no goals really to reach for other than just beating the game.  The High Score Competition we have here is a great influence in trying to get me to play more (and has actually gotten me to do just that, albeit for MAME) but our players are really good, to the point where I feel like "why bother even trying". 

Does anybody else feel this way?  Like, there's all these games we have at our fingertips now, but the desire to play them over something more recent is missing because of these extra things to work on getting while you play. 

Or am I just loony?

[Draco1962]

I can relate to the rut. Lots of things going on IRL that are demanding of my attention. Sure, I get a little creative here and there and generate a theme or  wheel images for PinballX once in a while, but I don't seem to have the energy or time to actually relax and play a solid game. Lately feeling like I am on auto-pilot and mindlessly going through the motions day in and out. So not loony, just in a rut.

[millerbrad]

Build a cab! Emulation is a heck of a lot more fun on an arcade cabinet than sitting at a desk.

And, like you said, competition helps. I'd have never played an ugly-looking game like Anteater without the High Score Competition. Once I got into it, it's pretty fun. And a lot of games that seem too hard to hit the top ten really just require a little practice. I don't expect to get a very good score without a couple hours of playtime.

[ClassicGMR]

I go through phases. There will be months I won't play anything emulation-wise then I suddenly want to again.

 

Like right now my entire gaming universe is EverQuest on the Progression server Phinigel. Since I work 3rd shift again I don't have a lot of time to spare. It's good to know, though, that it will be there when I want it again.

[tthurman]

Oh you're loony alright  (couldn't resist, that's what everyone would say to me if I made that comment)

For me it's cyclical, but I have to agree 100% with millerbrad, building a cab will suck you back into it big time.  With so much of this hobby being nostalgia, I think it's normal to step away and come back.  When I discovered PC gaming, everything took a back seat, and I thought I'd never look back.  The nostalgia factor however started drawing me back in a big way when I started seeing all this boxy cabinets being custom built by those looking to relive their teens.  

Arcade games, with their simplistic yet addictive designs have a sort of magical draw to them for me.  No inventory management, class build out, or leveling BS, just pure mindless fun.  At the same time I often still find the desire to go back to PC gaming, and just look at how many of us love old win98 games.  I find one of the biggest pluses really is the people, even if your're not playing, you can still enjoy interacting with friends, which in itself can draw you back.  Can't really say that about a lot of gaming communities, well unless you like listening to punks yelling and cursing while on the team speak server.  You're just in a gaming lull, you'll be back! 

[stigzler]

Ignore these clowns. DO NOT build a cab. It will suck out your eyes and devastate your soul. 

I always thought one of Adultery's lesser known plugins was a fantastic idea:

I'm not big on all the achievements business. My completer/finisher gaming habits finished with FFVII when I'd maxed out the game play time (1000 hours?) and done all that bloody chocobo digging thingy.... However - loved the idea of the above - introducing another 'new' concept to old games. That's my fave bit about all this - rejuvenating old genius. Wipeout 3 in HD - now that's what I'm talking about

I also reacon twitch style online play of old games could be good too. Love the idea of online collaborative/vs play on old systems - never really looked into it - but know it's been implemented in various emulators. Game of Spy Vs Spy on the C64 anyone? How about Head Over Heels?

[Draco1962]

@hansolo77 I believe you suffer from ED - Emulation Dysfunction, which is the inability to get and keep your interest long enough to play games. Having emulation trouble from time to time isn't necessarily a cause for concern. If emulation dysfunction is an ongoing issue, however, it can cause stress, affect your self-confidence and contribute to relationship problems. 

[hansolo77]

Lol.. so I should see a doctor about it eh?

Actually, I was thinking about checking up on the Retro Achievements scene, since I too was a big fan of the idea.  Not sure what's happened to it and if it's still in the works.  Would be brilliant if it could work with my pre-existing set up.  Though I don't know how that would be possible.  Like with the XB/PS, I'd need to some how map a button to bring up the achievements list while in game.  To me, that sounds like something that would require a special emulator so you could map that function.  Unless they're using some sort of launch-before to watch for the keypress, and it runs in the background to popup when triggered, then a launch-after to taskkill it. 

I'm actually feeling too like there's SO MUCH to play, I don't know WHAT to play.  The random feature of GameEx is nice, but a lot of time it's pulling up stuff I don't want to play (like games in a foreign language). I know the solution to that, go in and filter those games out, or completely remove their ROMs from my console emulators.  Trouble with that is, I'm OCD on wanting everything so I can't bring myself to spend all that time to filter.  So when it comes time for me to say "I think I'll play something", I'm usually drawn to just my favorites list, which consists of games I've owned in the past and would want to relive.  Finding new stuff to play is difficult for me.

My biggest hurdle though is just getting to the "I want to play" mode.  Since I have a seedbox and no cable tv, I do a lot of TV show downloading.  I keep it legal though, only getting broadcast stuff and not stuff that would have been bought (like a DVD or BluRay).  Trouble is, I'm stuck in another rut here where I do so much downloading and putting it onto my server, I'm finding myself doing THAT instead of actually watching it.  LOL.  So what good is it doing me?  I do the same thing with eBooks/Audiobooks, and Music.  I've just about finished ripping all my CD's to FLAC, and have digital copies of nearly every book I own.  So I'm spending more time acquiring than I am utilizing.  eBooks/Audiobooks I'm slowly getting into again, because I have a Kindle Fire now and spend a few hours reading before bed (when it's too late to watch TV).  I keep telling myself that I'm doing it all in an effort to prepare myself for when I finally move out because I won't have cable and probably won't have internet.  Once that happens, I'll be stuck with using what I have.

I guess I'll just have to live with it and see where it goes.  I'd really like to build a cab machine.  But I think honestly I'd build a pinball cab first because I like pinball a lot more than those arcade games.  Trouble is, they're probably more expensive too because of the displays.  So money is a block for me too.  <sigh>  It's probably all coming down to my depression, causing me to lose interest in things I once loved (like that little bouncing head guy in the Zoloft? commercials..).

[nullPointer]

A friend of mine (or maybe he's just an acquaintance and I like to pretend we're buddies) from the Racketboy forums wrote an interesting series of blog posts dealing with just this sort of gaming burnout (well not specifically emulation burnout I guess, but really just gaming burnout in general).  These days I really try to put some conscious effort into mixing up my game selections in terms of genre, platform, and era.  This tends to help keep things fresh, and as a result makes my gaming time feel more enjoyable and productive (to the extent that gaming time can really be productive I guess ).  Any hoo, they're interesting articles, and he generally has some interesting perspectives and insights on gaming (whether you agree with his premises or not).  They're definitely worth a read if you're interested and have a few minutes to spare.

The Dispassion Of Diversity - Part I
The Dispassion Of Diversity - Part II

[stigzler]

Some people have the same interest all their life; others switch regularly to different things. The world and history is full of lifelong-obsessives (Einstein) and wonderful factotums (De Vinci for e.g.). Your depression could partly be your 'chi' telling you it's time for something different. If you don't want to stray too far from home - get yourself a new scene related project. Collecting's all well and good, but creating rocks  Maybe merge the two.

Manuals collections. Game music collections. Game adverts (maybe buying up old mags off ebay + scanning them in yourself). etc etc etc - just some ideas. 

"Han's xxxxx Collection"  could one day be as famous as circo's game video collection or the GameEx database.

How about updating the mame 3D model collection? 

[Draco1962]

Since I acquired a VirtuaPin Mini cab, I have found myself playing it much more as of late. I have acquired most of the video images I could find for the tables and back glasses and DMDs and created my own wheel images and it feels good to have a dedicated machine for the cause. Right now I just have Pinball FX2 and Pinball Arcade tables, and will probably venture into the Visual Pinball tables next that are not part of Pinball Arcade. 

Not that I have lost interest in GameEx,  just needed to switch things up a bit during the times when I have a minute to breathe. 

I wouldn't sweat it. Some times you can get in a rut by having too many things you want to dive into and get confuzzled with what to do first. I find myself going from OCD to ADHD in 60 seconds or less if I think about it too much.  Sometimes it is best to just do before you talk yourself into do not. 

[Kustom Kid]

I go in spurts as well. In the last year, after I got my console emulators set up how I liked them I moved on to learning MAME. Once I got that dialed in I built a CP. When that was done I started messing around with Pinball FX2. That spawned into messing around with VP and FP, which then led to Pinball X. Now I've rebuilt my CP to include buttons on the side for pinball and a trackball (which I still haven't ordered yet) because Centipede and Missile Command. This was after not touching any games besides Minecraft with my son and Metroid Prime Trilogy for most of the last 3 years.

I'm sure lack of spare time won't allow for much gaming coming into the summer and fall, so when winter comes I'll probably be back at something again. Building a cab is the next logical step. Hopefully I'll be in a big enough house by then. Collecting achievements is fun and all, but I'm old school in that getting a high score, or simple beating a game is enough for me.

This guy is a big reason for churching everything up as well. Otherwise I'd be happy just using an Xbox 360 controller for most everything.

[tthurman]

To me, that is what it's all about, you've pretty much spawned another generation of gamer's, and spend quality time sharing it with him.  Some of my fondest memories are of Shakey's Pizza, playing Space Invaders and Atari Football with my dad as my mom watched with amazement.    Completely awesome Kustom Kid! 

Obviously no videos from my days, but of the few Shakey's still remaining....this pretty much sums it up......

 

 

[Kustom Kid]

Thanks, tt. I love that he appreciates, and enjoys playing, old games. Shakey's looks pretty awesome. Is it me, the video, or do they run their games fast as hell?

[RIP-Felix]

I often get like this too. I call it PPD (Post Project Depression). After a big accomplishment, like after building my cab or when I finishing my theme, I lost the motivation to continue ironing out little kinks. Or I just needed a break from the whole scene for awhile and do something else. As for the games themselves, I will confide that the last game I played was during the summer (last summer). I've been busy with work, other projects ranging from installing a new front door and dealing with minor household disasters, to building a rift worthy HTPC and configuring Kodi to finally replace media center so I can upgrade to win 10, and you know...other grown up BS.

A warning about Depression: An important message but skip if you don't want to read some dark.

 

I lost my job in 2013 and went back to school to finish my degree, which I did last spring. Then I got my old job back plus more work, and...well, you can see how that can throw a monkey wrench into a persons interests, not to mention emotions and pocketbook!  I've had more than my share of ups and downs the past few years from the deadlines and stress of it all. What can you do but keep on keeping on? Depression is a serious and insidious biochemical condition, so don't underestimate that enemy! Motivation to do what you used to enjoy is one of the early signs of emotional burnout. Emotional instability is next and could lead to full on depression, which is not simply feeling down..Besides a daily B-vitamin complex and D-vitamin supplement (My happy pills

), a good exercise regime has greatly stabilized my emotional state and helped me to stave off burnout, through brute force I rid my mind of daily troubles...well, I try at least. Sometimes I can't even manage that. I'm loosing weight, which should help as well. Still, I've thought about seeing a Dr. about it if it gets much worse. I've weathered the storm a bit, things have calmed down on the job/school front. The stress has been cut down considerably, but I still need to be aware of the early signs of burnout and take time to relax. Half the battle is knowing what to look for and taking good care of yourself when there is still time to do so. Still, there may not be time for that and things pile up, same with stress and negative emotions. Just hang in somehow and take time as needed to weather the storm. things will get easier at some point. So look forward to then and do what you need to maintain in the mean time, even if that means the hospital for some nitroglycerine! I've had friends need to do this. One of my friends was hospitalized for 6 days last month! So this is nothing to be trifled with for sure! Keep an eye on your emotional state my friends, stay on top of it, and take care of yourself. AND NEVER GIVE IN! My uncle did, and believe me when I tell you that you cannot do this to your friends and family no matter what family problems you've had. It tor my family apart and wounded them forever, that experience haunted my upbringing and every bad day was met with the utmost scrutiny from those afraid I might do the same. I knew that it wasn't that serious, but they had that memory fresh in mind and were terrified not to let it happen again (even though it was not their fault). I saw what suicide does, and I know it is not a way out. It is simply not an option.

 

This is where retro gaming has come back to fill a need. The games from my childhood fill that emotional and cognitive need for the familiar and fun experience. It's like comfort food, but without the weight gain! I can unwind playing a game I've played a million times, just to relive a classic and throw some water on the flames of my day. Super Mario 64, Crash Bandicoot 2, TLOZ Ocarina of Time, Final Fantasy 7, 8, & 9, NFL Blitz... I don't get the same from new games, and even from the older classics. It calls to my childhood in the 90's. For you it could be anything. It doesn't even need to be games, it could be music, movies, activities. For me its the above games, music like tool & korn, activities like skiing, rock hunting, and fishing. I've lost a lot of this over the years, due to time, life, and mass. Now, I'm determined to lose the mass, roll back the clock, and dammit...I'm gonna .live! I'm gonna relive my childhood favorites, listen to my old music and get into shape so I can relive the activities I love. When I start loosing interest again, I'm gonna take it easy and work on myself again, because I'm worth it, life's worth it, and friends/family are worth it. They deserve the best of me and so do I!

And you know what? Sometimes your interest will change and relapse. There is nothing wrong with it. Take a break, and come back to it when the urge hits or do what you need to if your loosing interest in lots of things you used to enjoy, because that can be a sign of a more serious problem than simply periodically loosing interest in something.

[Draco1962]

Felix, very wise words, my friend! 

[hansolo77]

In a mature bromance sort of way.. I love you guys.  We get along so well, we all lived life through similar experiences, have the same interests, and can truly relate with one another.  I'm so glad I'm still a welcome member and participant in these forums.  You guys are great. 

[RIP-Felix]

12 hours ago, hansolo77 said:

In a mature bromance sort of way.. I love you guys.  We get along so well, we all lived life through similar experiences, have the same interests, and can truly relate with one another.  I'm so glad I'm still a welcome member and participant in these forums.  You guys are great. 

I'm getting this all warm and fuzzy feeling inside.

Hmm...

Now that I think about it, maybe its from that weird cat and his bag of tricks I ate earlier (May he Rest In Peace).