I think I finally realized what is ruining PC gaming for me...

[CurseTheSky]

It's not DLC. It's not consoles. It's not MMOs, or watered-down RPGs or piss-poor FPS's. It's not even DRM. It's.... the Internet!

I'm being overly dramatic of course. However, I was recently looking through my "to be finished" list of games, including STALKER: SOC, Mass Effect, Bioshock, Metro 2033, Dead Space, and many, many others.

Some of them have been left unfinished simply because I lost interest, and others for other various reasons (such as the controls in Dead Space). However, for a number of the games like Mass Effect and Metro 2033, I fell into the trap of looking up guides online. Looking up one simple guide turns into a hunt for all of the secrets in a specific place or level, which them turns into a hunt to complete every square inch of the known game universe. By the end, it turns into a chore rather than fun.

There was a certain charming aspect of not having something as powerful as the Internet at your disposal. Sure, it sucked when you got really stuck one something, but it also meant that when you found a secret area, it gave you a real sense of satisfaction.

I really just found it funny that I put down a great game like Mass Effect simply because there were too many planets to scan / explore, and I wanted to find EVERYTHING. Moving forward, I'm just going to forget guides altogether and play games just to have fun.

Has anyone else fallen into a similar trap?

 

[fatpat268]

Are you new to the internet? None of that is particularly new... or even specific to PC gaming.

 

[MustangSVT]

Are you new to the internet? None of that is particularly new... or even specific to PC gaming.

don't spoil it for him!

 

[Fanatical Meat]

Funny I had a similar thought about EQ1 how it was kind of charming trying to piece together maps and writing down quests because alt-tab could crash the game.

 

[paperfist]

I think you're right about the Internet, but for other reasons. On the Internet if you think too much about a game ie read reviews both pro and amateur, scan forums about games both official and non-official and read devs blogs I've come to the conclusion you'll never play a PC game again. It's all so negative that even the smallest of problems turns a game into a non-buy.

Hell 3-4 years ago Secure ROM was no big deal, but now a days everyone blows it up to proportions of epic size that you'd think you're whole system will blow up if you install a game with *ANY* form of copy protection.

I wish politics had this same problem because at least I think the US would be a better place

 

[stahlhart]

Looking up one simple guide turns into a hunt for all of the secrets in a specific place or level, which them turns into a hunt to complete every square inch of the known game universe. By the end, it turns into a chore rather than fun.

I fell into this trap with some of the achievements for HL2 series -- it only became a chore in a couple of spots, though, both in EP2: finding all of the antlion grubs, and carrying that silly gnome to the rocket. Both of those achievements completely detracted from the game's entertainment value. But then others were fun, because they challenged your skill level (stealing a Zombine's grenade, taking out an Elite with his own energy shot, etc.).

 

[Rifter]

This is why i NEVER look up anything but reviews of games untill after i beat them the first time. Then if it was a good game i might go back and play it a few years later using a walkthrough and laugh at all the stuff i missed the first time though. Only when i get really stuck will i look up the way around it online but stop searching as soon as i find the answer to my original issue and dont go beyond that, and i usually look for forum posts to answer the question as opposed to reading through a walkthrough to find it cause at that point you are screwed..

 

[Barfo]

So stop doing it?

 

[SaDiZTiKStyLeZ]

Only things that put a hamper on pc gaming for me:
Carpal Tunnel can make games nearly unbearable to play.
A system that is 5 years old. Well outdated.
Not enough games fully utilize controller. There are alot of games that would otherwise be great on controller but they half-ass or botch it. Mouse+KB is not necessary when I don't require precision aim.

Also I'd really like to get into recording let's plays, but I can't record with any acceptable frame rates. Even on way older games, or emulators. So that's another turn off.

 

[shortylickens]

 

[StinkyPinky]

But the internet has been around since the 90s for most of us. You could have said the same thing in 1999 and the late 90s was the golden age of gaming for me.

 

[Mike Gayner]

So stop doing it?

Yeah this. I fail to see the actual problem here. You're like a compulsive eater that says supermarkets are ruining your life.

 

[The Boston Dangler]

 

[brblx]

most of us realized cheats weren't fun by the time doom came out.

but we all iddqd'd anyway,

but then we learned our lesson. reading walkthroughs ruins games in much the same way (unless you're 'collecting' something or doing some kind of 100% FC thing. might as well cheat to accomplish something worthless)

edit: more worthless, anyway. obviously it's pretty unproductive to play GTA missions, but to spend an equal amount of time looking for 400 hidden rooftop dildos or something seems just a bit moreso.

 

[lupi]

i've got games from the early 90's still in shrink wrap if that makes you feel better.

 

[drizek]

Before the internet, I had these things called friends, and we would do pretty much the same thing, just on a smaller scale.

Thankfully, computers are cheap enough now that they don't have to be shared anymore. The internet gives you all the benefits of some annoying guy going "I bet you don't know about the secret passageway in the next room" in Doom, without you having to actually interact physically with said annoying guy.

 

[reallyscrued]

Before the internet, I had these things called friends

Holy shit, I used to have those!

 

[samantha89]

Uh, I think that since I have internet connection, I rarely play single player games. And you are right, fishing for guides and hidden content just ruins the fun in the end, and makes the game seem like a chore instead of it relaxing me.

Ah well, at least we have MMOs, they can be fun if I don't abuse the time I spend with them

 

[Maximilian]

Holy shit, I used to have those!

I think these "friends" were before my time. Anyone care to explain?

 

[TakeNoPrisoners]

Ignorance is bliss right? Just because you don't know the solution to the next puzzle doesn't make it less fun. I just want to see the world they crafted for me to explore in. Thats the fun in itself.

 

[Barfo]

I've always wondered about the people that write the FAQs, walkthroughs and 100% completion guides, especially for games like San Andreas. And I thought that I had no life.

 

[shortylickens]

I've always wondered about the people that write the FAQs, walkthroughs and 100% completion guides, especially for games like San Andreas. And I thought that I had no life.

I wanted to write a quick start guide for TDU and got bored after half an hour.

 

[imaheadcase]

Once in a blue moon my internet goes out for some reason. I get a lot of stuff done that I would normally never think about doing. Like laundry.

 

[Arg Clin]

I do see the trap, but I think I've dodged it with both Dragon Age and Mass Effect. Yes there is (probably a lot) of unexplored space or game that I didn't see. But that's what makes these games great - that it's not a linear presentation of content/story, but rather what you get out of it.

Still I see the temptation in knowing there is more..

 

[Bonesdad]

Yeah this. I fail to see the actual problem here. You're like a compulsive eater that says supermarkets are ruining your life.

this this...and an lol to boot