How often do you play?

it290 · Post by **it290** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 3:39 am

I was wondering, when you guys are seriously concentrating on a game, how often/how long do you tend to play it? I myself will usually play intensely for a while, perhaps an hour or two a day with longer stretches at times for a period of a week or two, but by then I will usually get bored or hit a plateau and not come back to the same game for a while. I have 1cc'd a few games this way, but many I don't end up clearing, probably from a lack of dedication. This kind of goes back to the whole 'talent vs. practice' thing - although my shmup skills certainly carry over from game to game, I can't say I'm good enough to clear anything without a reasonable amount of time invested. I don't want to sound like I'm praying to the shmup gods around here, but for example I haven't even gotten on my Mushi scoreboard for my last 30 or more plays, and although I enjoy the game a lot, I'm starting to wonder if a lack of practice is the only thing I'm missing here (I'm still stuck on stage 4). What say you?

Acid King · Post by **Acid King** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 3:48 am

I only play a few credits at a time. Most I'll sit and play straight is probably an hour and a half-two hours. If i hit a plateau, i'll usually ignore the game for a while, then play one credit every couple of days. It doesn't win me any high score comps (it took me almost a year to one credit Espgaluda doing this), but I can't play games like it's my job. I just don't care that much.

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 3:58 am

I'm with Acid King for the most part. I guess the longest I've played is 3 hours, but on average, it's like an hour or maybe an hour and a half. I find that after that, I play like a bag of dicks, so it's better to just quit.

it290 · Post by **it290** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 4:24 am

How about the overall length of time that you concentrate on a game, though (not just single session length)?

Acid King · Post by **Acid King** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 4:45 am

it290 wrote:How about the overall length of time that you concentrate on a game, though (not just single session length)?

I can usually only concentrate on one game for a couple weeks, tops. Usually, it's 2 weeks or so before it seems like I top off and get frustrated. Then off and on until I get sick of the game or achieve some sort of goal that renders the game boring and not fun anymore.

Rob · Post by **Rob** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 4:48 am

If I get really into a game I can manage 2-3 single hour games in a day for weeks (one month or more would be a rarity). Have to take a break every hour to hour and a half though.

For shooters in general I usually take a few months break between seriously playing any game.

How about the overall length of time that you concentrate on a game, though (not just single session length)?

http://shmups.system11.org/viewtopic.php?t=5181

TalkingOctopus · Post by **TalkingOctopus** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 4:50 am

I've been playing Mushihimesama almost once a day for the last few months. I can only play two games in a row without doing terribly. I can get to stage 5 pretty regularly now, but I don't think I will ever be able to 1 CC it because of the second form of the last boss. Generally, this is how I enjoy my shooters. I think I'll shelve Mushi soon in favor of Radirgy, Ibara or Homura -- most likely Ibara though.

neorichieb1971 · Post by **neorichieb1971** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 5:14 am

I play 3 credits at a time usually.

The Coop · Post by **The Coop** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 5:21 am

Since I don't go to arcades anymore (in part thanks to there not being one anywhere close to where I live), I don't have anything to say there. As for how long I play at home, it depends on the game type. A shmup that I haven't beaten yet, I'll play a few times and then take a break from it if I haven't won (I'm not the "Gotta beat it as soon as I get it!" type). An RPG on the other hand, I can sit there for a few hours if I have the chance (no work, school, etc.). If I'm in the mood, I don't have a problem with replaying a few games I've beaten scores of times (like TF3, TF4, M.U.S.H.A, etc.) in a row either.

kccttzj · Post by **kccttzj** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 6:35 am

If I'm playing for score or a 1cc I play for maybe an hour or so a day for a few weeks. I also tend to find that if I play any longer than that in one sitting I end up playing terribly. When I start getting to a point where I don't advance any I stop playing it all together for a while. It's always harder for me to go back to it, because I feel like since it's been a while I'm going to suck, but after the first few credits, I get back into it, and I usually do notice some improvements.

Triple Lei · Post by **Triple Lei** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 6:47 am

I try to squeeze in an hour a day on weekdays. On weekends (especially when I have more important things to do), I'll be playing three or four hours straight...

Ex_Mosquito · Post by **Ex_Mosquito** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 9:03 am

I only play about 2-3 hours a week now. I always find it hard starting a new game from scratch, it just takes too much effort for me these days, it almost seems like work. I dont like playing random games for fun, if i play i like to choose one and stick to it, much more rewarding this way i find.

IlMrm · Post by **IlMrm** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 9:31 am

I've been playing Strikers 1999 once a week on Saturdays, about three hours each time. Usually by the second hour I am playing like shit. And during the week some of the techniques are temporarily forgotten and I have to spend a couple of credits each time to warm up.

I play the most on weekends. Not much time to play during weekdays.

Post by **system11** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 10:30 am

I don't seriously concentrate on arcade games. I play them for a quick blast of intense fun. I don't like playing through level 1 each time I die over a sustained period. I put more effort into modern games to be honest, as you don't have to replay the same section as often. I get most dedicated to online games. Midnight Club 3 and Rainbow Six 3:BA between them ate well over a thousand hours of my life. And I was fucking good at both of them

Ed Oscuro · Post by **Ed Oscuro** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 10:51 am

I'll play however well I can. I'm not terribly consistent in my ability - sometimes I'll play games well, other times I won't. I had a day yesterday where I played Super Contra something like three times in a row, took a few hours' break, then played it three times in a row again, and I improved every time.

With shooters that I think are crap, I'll just try to credit my way through just to see stuff. That's actually not too bad an idea with arcade shooters when you're starting out; you might as well start getting an idea how to beat later bosses (unless you don't like 'spoiling' the game, eh, it's not an issue for me). Shooters I enjoy I'll make a decent effort to beat, but MAME makes it a bit difficult to be disciplined :lol: For my money, the only shooter I've truly played "right" was Gradius on the original Game Boy (playing the Konami GB Collection cart again), though that'll change eventually.

Skyline · Post by **Skyline** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 10:55 am

Whenever time allows. Usually for a handful of plays at a time.

I would however like to sit down and grind out one of those 4-hour+ sessions of Trizeal again...would like to break at least 4 million on that. Also wouldn't mind clearing Shienryu, now that I got my tate monitor back up.

Needless to say, my collection of games that haven't even been played yet is growing. -_-;

umi · Post by **umi** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 11:13 am

Err, I play it pretty much incessantly until I beat it on hard, or if I can't beat it on hard, until I feel it's time to devote time to other things (like RL) :P And if it's a game I love, I will doubtless come back to it another day. Manics (with unlimited credits) I will credit feed through repeatedly.

Damocles · Post by **Damocles** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 2:10 pm

When I seriously concentrate on a game, either to clear it or just to get better at it, I tend to play a couple of hours in a sitting, multiple times a day. Honestly though, the few games that immediately spring to mind are the Shikis and Donpachi. Other than that, it's mostly just a "Hey, let's randomly play X game" affair. You'd be amazed how many 1cc's are just one-offs.

theevilfunkster · Post by **theevilfunkster** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 2:50 pm

No more than an hour or 2. More of a comfort thing than anything else. Playing sitting up, using an arcade stick does my back in after a while.

CIT · Post by **CIT** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 3:12 pm

As I get older => more disposable income => more games => BUT also: less time

Most games I just play for fun, just to mess around a bit.

I generally play 1 1/2 hour of anything a day (not just shooters).

If I find that a shooter really grabs me, I'll stick with it, and come back to it again and again for many months. I need to take breaks though, to come back with a fresh set of ideas. Xexex and Soukyuugurentai are the most recent examples. I think I will be able to beat them sometime by next year.

In the arcades here I usually play Under Defeat - couple of credits every two weeks or so. I can't wait to get the DC version. I think I will be playing this one for a long time, although I'm not sure I'll be able to beat it though. The later levels are hard as hell.

Xexyz · Post by **Xexyz** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 3:22 pm

A typical shmup session from me rarely lasts an hour. Generally 30-45 minutes is a shmup session for me, although I'll sometimes have two shmup sessions in a day. As much as I love the genre, I just can't stay focused enough on one game for a long enough time to 1CC it. So far, my closest effort has been Mushi, which has managed to hold my attention for 4 straight months so far (and I'm still not growing tired of it yet!). However, I'm not very consistent with it, generally only reaching the stage 3 boss on one credit in both Origional & Manic Mode.

But I must say, I still enjoy the genre immensly. My suckage will not keep me from enjoying a good romp through a good genre, misunderstood by the masses.

Blade · Post by **Blade** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 3:45 pm

Considering how much time I spend in classes, usually I'll play some big sessions on the weekends.

howmuchkeefe · Post by **howmuchkeefe** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 4:42 pm

When I'm into a game, I usually put one to three hours into it a night, and maybe eight to twelve in over the weekend.

If I'm playing a game just to beat it so I can move on to other video games, I'm likely to only put an hour or so in every other night, with maybe a three to four hour binge on the weekend, if I can find the motivation.

I don't know why I can't just put a game I'm getting sick of on the back burner for a while and move onto another, fresher game. I usually play my games serially, often playing through two or three concurrently until I've beaten them before moving on to the next game.

I feel guilty when I break this pattern. Heh.

Post by **Dave_K.** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 4:49 pm

An interesting observation. I fall in the latter group.

Younger age = less committment = less money = more time gaming, but with fewer games

Older age = more committment = more money = less time gaming, but with more games

it290 · Post by **it290** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 5:16 pm

bloodflowers wrote: I don't like playing through level 1 each time I die over a sustained period.

I'm the same way to an extent- I don't mind replaying the same sections as long as I'm making progress, but once I hit a barrier it's like 'ugh-not level 1 again'. Cave games are particularly bad this way -- for the most part, they all seem to have the difficulty ramp up a lot around level 4. I'll die at the same point over and over again, and for some reason I'm often unable to discern how exactly I should proceed.

Ed Oscuro wrote: With shooters that I think are crap, I'll just try to credit my way through just to see stuff. That's actually not too bad an idea with arcade shooters when you're starting out; you might as well start getting an idea how to beat later bosses (unless you don't like 'spoiling' the game, eh, it's not an issue for me).

Yes, I've done this more than once, especially before I really got into shooters (I remember credit-feeding Tatsujin 2 and thinking it was just IMPOSSIBLY HARD -- and in fact I still have no desire to tackle that game). I find that I don't really learn anything from credit-feeding, though; gotta have the fear of death, otherwise you don't remember your mistakes.

Dave_K. wrote: Older age = more committment = more money = less time gaming, but with more games

I'm in this category too, but I feel shooters are ideal for it since they can be played in quick bursts. Of course, I can't really complain about a lack of time for shooters since I plan on purchasing the next Elder Scrolls game, for example.

dai jou bu · Post by **dai jou bu** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 5:34 pm

Depends on how far back I'm in the server queue for World of Warcraft.

LSU · Post by **LSU** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 6:15 pm

Dave_K. wrote:Older age = more committment = more money = less time gaming, but with more games

Yep, that pretty much sums it up for me too. Gone are the days when I could sit and play for a whole evening, there are simply far too many work and family commitments now. But in a way, it makes those opportunities when you do get a nice amount of free time to play, all the more special.

professor ganson · Post by **professor ganson** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 6:17 pm

Little time to spend on gaming, unfortunately. I'm happy to have half of an hour a day. But this usually doesn't happen. During the week I often get less than that; during the weekend I sometimes get more.

So my high scores suck for two reasons. Because I'm not very good at shmups, and because I have no time.

FRO · Post by **FRO** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 7:11 pm

Since my wife likes to hog the TV either for her shows or to play Harvest Moon I don't get much time in

For quite some time I've been in a slump where I'll play a game no more than 15-20 minutes at a time, but I've recently begun to pull out of that. I spent more than half an hour the other night with Chaos Field: Expanded, & last night I clocked more than an hour with Gradius V (though I still suck & can't get past stage 2 - I'm using Type 2 weapons). If it's a more involved game (like Syphon Filter or the Lunar games, for example) I dedicate a couple hours at a time. That's generally because you get more out of it if you dedicate the length in one sitting.

Frederik · Post by **Frederik** » Wed Mar 01, 2006 8:00 pm

Strangely, I seem to spend WAY more time looking for things shooter-related (like browsing through this forum for two hours or staring at superplays) than playing actually PLAYING them.

Maybe I am just fascinated by their aesthetics - at this time mostly IBARA: watching vids of it makes it seem so incredibly stunning to me, the rock music, the rose theme, the scattering debris, the lilac bullets - but I believe I would start to HATE it if I would start playing it. Same for Radiant Silvergun.

The most time I spent in a shmups was definitely IKARUGA - as its "time spent = credits earned" mechanic coupled with myself getting better at it. But once I saw it all - I dropped it.

If I had some sort of credit-feeding-blocker for MAME, I would play a LOT more. But this way, most time spent gaming goes to Castlevania. Even though I emotionally LOVE shmups. But its a very strange love.

How often do you play?

How often do you play?

Re: How often do you play?