Internal monologue – Whilst playing a RPG
Midnight
“Just one more quest. That level up is so close I can taste it. Shoot Super Mutant in the head, collect quest note from corpse, fast travel back and give note to NPC and there I’m done…
12.20am
I’ll just use these experience points and pick a perk and then that’s it, I’m off to bed. I’ve gotta be up for work at six…
12.35am
Mmm, I can become a cannibal now. That might be cool; maybe I’ll try that for a little while. I’ll get a few kills and then I’m out…
1.15am
Shit, there’s got to be pure awesome at the bottom of this vault?
2.00am
Just one more quest. That level up is so close…”
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Being driven to achieve sounds like a business mantra you’d find on a career-climber’s resume. But for gamers the dangling carrots of achievements, experience points and perks drives a different type of achievement seeking. It’s the kind that produces no tangible results, but has very real impacts on how we play games and how long we play for.
This blog, part one of a series, looks at how achievements (for the purpose of this blog we’ll lump any perks, experience points, achievements, trophies, new skills, avatars etc into the one word) effect gamers. It’ll touch on the extreme cases of addiction in gaming, but for the most part focuses on what draws the ‘average gamer’ to play for extended periods.
Before I get into it, some background about why I wanted to write this blog. I’ve got an addictive personality. It’s not just confined to gaming, but with games there’s a stat-driven, completion-focused quality to my play that makes me want to complete mundane tasks for that little flash on the screen that tells me my Gamerscore (insert) is growing or that my character is now fitter, happier and more productive.
For the most part there’s nothing wrong with this. I’ve been co-oping Left 4 Dead 2 over the last few weeks and had real elation when I boarded the boat on the Swamplands campaign to be the only survivor and sole recipient of the achievement points – comparably I was screaming abuse when he left me to be mauled by zombies, even after I defribbed the bastard, on the next campaign.
When an achievement challenges you to do something real or when it occurs as validation for playing the game with skill or in ‘the right way’, then it is a worthy part of the gaming experience.
But I’ve found achievement seeking does have a downside. I’m around 50 hours deep in Fallout: New Vegas. I’m near the end of the main quest, but have delayed finishing it so I can explore more (read all) that the Mojave wasteland has to offer. At the moment, my life consists of necessary tasks (work, family, eating and sleeping) and New Vegas, to the point where I’m playing 3-4 hours a night.
Now this would be fine if I loved this game, but the truth is I don’t (see my blog on Time Sucking in Fallout: New Vegas for my thoughts on the game). My character has maxed out on experience points, I’ve got no active quests other than the main story and my exploration is sending me to caverns, hideouts and shacks that have me shooting and plundering. Which I do over-and-over-and-over again.
Rationally, I know that my enjoyment of the experience is not equal to the amount of time I’m putting into the game. But I will continue to do this until every location is uncovered. I will do this at the expense of all the other options for my disposable time, this includes playing L4D2 online – which I’ve done a few times and loved.
Why do it? I’ve got my hunches and I’m going to use a series of blogs to air them out.
How do you game? Do you find yourself achievement seeking? And if you do is it an experience you enjoy?
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