Trophies, drugs and dopamine - serious topic

[rockstarjazz]

**update**

time has passed since making the OP. having since completed my most recent plat, and reading replies here, i agree its time to take a break from gaming. both my mind and body are telling me to step away from it now. time to rest my fingers. the urge to game has suddenly gone. its like a weight has been lifted since that plat popped. i can move on now. from this recent experience trying to plat a very hard game, i have also learnt that maybe in future, to just plat easier games, and casually enjoy others. theres more to life than trophies. i even started selling some games i'm done with up on ebay now. time for a proper good refresh and detox.

 

i have other things in life to attend to now, such as planning my holiday and preparing for my driving test. with the sun out its also a good time to enjoy parks and walk. i can catch up on my books, dvds and arrange to get into conservation volunteering working with animals (something i always wanted to do).

 

time to enjoy life. thanks for the replies.

 

 

 

--

 

*original post below*

i am starting to feel that trophies is hijacking my enjoyment of gaming.

but like a drug addict, its become so addicting to me that i am finding it so hard to quit or stop.

 

i've been gaming for trophies for the past 7 years, and there have been some games where the grind became absolute torturous, i did not enjoy it but a part of me was hellbent on doing it for the trophy to pop at the end. 'come on, just get this done' was the thinking instead of 'wow this is fun'.

 

for example, right now i am playing the devil may cry series. i am on the verge of platinum 1 and 3. but for the first i am doing speedruns on normal just to stock up on items that will help me get through DMD. i get this sense of reluctance and even sickness of doing these things repeatedly. today i actually developed a stomach ache and asked myself, why am i doing all this. i actually began to felt physically sick at the thought of another playthrough. why am i doing yet another playthrough (5th or so) all for the sake of ultimately another trophy? this also applies to games that involves alot of repetition. it feels like my brain is being programmed. for example, playing one part of a game that if you die, the checkpoint is so far back you lose alot of progress. i have come to absolutely hate those types of games.

 

as you can see from my profile, i have an undertaker-style 'streak' going of plats. i consider myself a 'platinum hunter'. but i want to break away from trophies, but dont know how. i am intending to play devil may cry 4 and 5 and realistically i dont think i am capable of getting the platinums for those. that may break my streak and could change my mind on things. but the thought of seeing my profile with a game without platinum will bug me forever unless i address it and get it.

 

its as of this hellbent chase for trophies is driven by dopamine and satifaction. i have played some top games over the years but feel that the fun was ruined by my concern and obsession with trophies. its like a drug addict - i want to stop but am too addicted.

 

maybe after getting plat for these games i might create a second account and play for fun on that one, and maybe retire from this account. mind you, i bought some games from the playstation store from this account so i dunno how to play them on my secondary account on the same ps4 if anyone can advise (and for ps3)?

 

its gotten so bad that when i did make an effort to physically stop and walk away, for example going for a walk today and trying to relax in my local park and the sunshine, my mind was too locked into thinking about the next trophy and what to do. its as if i have literally lost my mind to this. i go out, but my mind is thinking on the lines of, get back home and do XYZ for that trophy. i feel i have wasted so much time on chasing trophies. its stupid. in the old days, one would play through a game and 'completing it' means finishing the story. i want to go back to that line of thinking. i dont want to play games 100 times over for stupid little tricks to unlock some trophy - but part of my head is now so metaphorically 'drugged' into chasing the trophy/platinum for satisfaction that its hard to stop.

 

i want to stop. the addicted part of me is saying to plat the games i'm playing now, DMC 4 and 5 (even if it could potentially mean vegetating for hours everyday for months to get the plat), then move to the resident evil series then little nightmares. it feels like its neverending. mind you, thats not to say i will plat any game - i am very picky in what to play, i tend to watch reviews on youtube and gather opinions and even watch some gameplay before i decide to dive into it, because i need to at least enjoy the game in itself.

 

it doesnt help also that i dont have any other real hobbies. to provide context for my situation - my life is shit, to be honest. i am 38 years old. still no kids of my own yet. no partner. no house of my own. i have a dead end admin job and thats the best i can get as jobs are hard to get these days. but in this job i been working from home for the past year and in times when i dont have much to do, i switch on my ps3 or ps4 and get going with games. i dont have any real friends and the only other thing i do is go out walking and trying to find respite in nature, for example feeding the ducks. a few times last year i secretly cried in my room at the sorry state of myself. i even have trouble sleeping. there are nights where i just cant sleep. i barely spend time with my family anymore. some games where the grinding gets so intense that i can still 'hear' the background game music playing in my head long into the night. i am starting to wonder if gaming is bad for my health but i dont want to quit just yet as i want to see through the platinums for the DMC, RE and little nightmare series <-- but saying this sentence is aking to a drug addict saying they want to stop but not just yet.

 

i dont mind gaming for the sake of enjoying the games and not the trophies, like it was in the old days on the ps2.

 

can anyone relate to what i am going through? if so care to share how you broke out of this trophy addiction that i find akin to drugs and dopamine - no offence to those who enjoy trophy hunting - but for me, its gotten to the point that i feel its affecting my mental health and wellbeing.

 

thank you

Edited June 5, 2021 by rockstarjazz
including more info

[Sarsky]

try playing retro games, i always mix in old shcool games when trophy hunting to make the experience more fun and enjoyable, i also read books, comics and even just watch movies to help balance in breaks, i get that it can sometimes feel unproductive especially with a massive backlog however its important to balance out grinding with relx times.

a lot of people tend to get to focused on trophies and dont give themselves necersary breaks or time to do other things, thats why retro gaming can be fun and relaxing especially jrpgs and shooters, also try listening to music or watching tv shows/movies on phone or laptop to make grind less tedious too.

[rockstarjazz]

thanks for those suggestions.

i actually want to try and engage a hobby that does not involve consuming media - i.e. away from the games, films, music and books. i also want to try and spend less time staring into screens. if its not my playstation, its the laptop, or iphone, or work laptop. i stare into screens nearly all darn day.

 

to add to my first post - while i am aware it may be a good idea to disable trophy notifications, or abandon my account and make a secondary one - i know that when playing a game the thought of trophies will reside in my mind. i cant seem to shake it off. so even doing these things, a part of my mind will think, 'well what about the platinum, lets just see what trophies i got'...

 

my mind has become my own worst enemy!

 

edit: i am wondering if maybe breaking my platinum 'streak' will help. the plats for DMC4 and 5 are so intense that i might reach a point where i say i yeild and simply cannot get them. maybe devil may cry is a blessing in disguise? strange also it was the very first game series i played when i bought my first ever playstation console back in my uni days...!

Edited May 14, 2021 by rockstarjazz

[ObsiEez]

I feel similar but not to the degree you feel. I also feel like trophies has ruined my sense of enjoyment when playing video games as games with more tedious grindy trophies like the Yakuza series for example, make me hate the game no matter how much I love it. I don't even feel satisfaction or happiness anymore when earning platinums & feels like it has become something more of a job where I feel like I HAVE to earn platinums. I'm 22, unemployed, only ever had an online girlfriend, only 1 friend, still love at home with my mom, no other hobbies. I feel like my life isn't even my own to lead & it's just the platinums dragging me along through life as hunting platinums is all I really do. I have been forcing myself to go back to play some more old school games that I missed out on growing up in order to break away from feeling trapped by it, the most recent game being Persona 3 FES, which was great. The game I'm going through right now, Splinter Cell Pandora's Tomorrow, I have not been enjoying at all but have been pushing myself to platinum it just so I can finish all platinums in the Splinter Cell series. From the moment I booted the game up I knew I was really only playing it for the platinum & that really hindered my enjoyment right from the get go & it just feels like it's never ending & that I'm just a husk sitting there watching the game fly by me.

Addiction comes in all forms & sadly, the reality is, anything can be addictive & can ruin your life, no matter how small or stupid the addiction may seem or how people may say "well just stop playing games" or "Just don't hunt trophies anymore & play for fun". It's never that easy as you can't just rewire your brain on the fly. I can't tell you how many times I've talked about my addiction to someone for them to shut me down saying that I'm stupid & it's not a real addiction & to just get over it. It really is a shame that people don't take gaming addictions as serious as other addictions, because all addictions are serious, no matter the context.

Honestly the only advice I can give to you, from someone in a similar boat, is to try & find a secondary hobby to try & take your mind off the thoughts. Like watching a TV show or a movie. There are plenty of resources available as well for people looking to hang out as well to find friends to hang out with & hopefully branch off from there. Hang in there brother & hopefully someday, people will someday take this sort of addiction seriously

[Guest]

Wow. This was from 0 to 100 in the blink of an eye, I will try to speak separately about each topic covered by you.

First of all, I'm sorry that things have reached this point. I had a little doubt about halfway through the text, but then I was sure. You are deeply ill and seek comfort in this hobby, so you have given yourself over to it in such an obsessive and irrational way that it has started to harm you. I'm not a psychologist or anything, but it is clear that you need help; most likely you are going through a depression or something. So, please seek professional help, talk to your family, say how you feel, I'm sure there are people who love you and can hug you right now.

About the trophy journey, I identified a lot, just yesterday I posted here on the forum that I find myself playing things that I don't want to play to meet goals, that most of the time I find myself prioritizing boosts and games that don't provide me with real entertainment, so trophy hunting in a way is a dark way if you’re not careful. Today I spent the whole day doing what you described, repetitive and mechanized actions in an online game for the ultimate function of unlocking a pixelated online image, which one day may cease to exist, and which one day may be of no use. I also really want to police myself, but it really is difficult, I just can't help winning the trophies of these games lol, it is an obsession that has damaged my personal life, at the end of 2020 I spent a fortune on games, money that could be spent on so many more things in life, but obsession and addiction do that. My advice in this area of video games is to gradually start hunting for nice trophies; single player games that don't cause stress, fun gameplay, or funny games, or things that cause some real distraction in your mind. I believe that it is possible to hunt trophies in a fun and natural way: you can hunt trophies in a game that you like a lot, for example, but once the trophies start to stress, don't insist on it, just go play or do something else. Make a casual account, you don't have to tell yourself that you will never return to this current account; just take a break, take a vacation. eventually you can go back and finish this game. Also look for new things to do, watch interesting movies or channels on YouTube, start studying some topic that you think is cool, study on your own, learn new things, try to learn a new language, try to eat better, sleep better and also organize better your day. have schedules, do not spend your free time doing the same thing without stopping like endlessly scrolling the cell phone feed. listen to good music, look for guided meditation or mindfulness. avoid stressing yourself too much with politics and social media, like twitter or reddit for example. if necessary make new accounts for this. good luck buddy!

Edited May 14, 2021 by kevao97

[Helyx]

I tried to cut trophies cold turkey, but now I enjoy them in moderation thanks to drugs.

[EverythingOnFire]

I would recommend talking to a mental health professional. Looks like you're in the UK, so it should be free under the NHS. If I understand correctly, you don't even need a referral from your general practitioner, since it's addiction related. Seriously, go talk to someone. Don't let them pump you full of drugs though, unless it becomes clear that they are absolutely necessary.

 

I'm right around your age, and I'm an alcoholic. Been sober for 7+ years now. When I finally decided to quit, I knew I'd have to leave every aspect of that life behind. Couldn't go out to the same places, and I definitely couldn't hang out with the same people. Major parts of my life had to change, and I made sure they did, otherwise I would have died. It was that bad. If you can find some type of balance with your gaming, that would be great, but be prepared to quit if necessary. If you want to have a better life, it may very well come to that.

 

I'm not a professional, but I think it's fair to assume that the excessive gaming/trophy hunting isn't a cause of your problems, but rather a symptom of something bigger, most likely anxiety and/or depression. It can be a big scary step to take, but you should seriously talk to a professional ASAP. Go with someone around your age if possible, as it's likely that they'll have more awareness & understanding of video game addiction. I wish you well.

[TalalHmd]

I completely get it. I made a thread about feeling burned out a couple of days ago. trophies have taken the fun out of gaming for many of us, maybe we have addictive personalities, or something, I don't know, but I think if you feel bad about it, and if you don't have someone you can talk to in real life, professional help isn't a bad idea at all 

 

I think taking a break is a solid idea only if you're burned out or just just losing the passion for games. but if you're feeling physically sick, and feelijng bad about your life in general. I'd personally do something "drastic" about it. maybe 'taint' your profile? add games that you can't platinum or better yet unplattible games lol (I'm sure you cringed just by the thought, but this put this streak out of your hand at least)

  

also if you want to spend your time on something other than consuming media, how about learning a coding skill? maybe this would open new doors for you job wise. 

 

again, everything suggested in this thread is easier said than done, so don't feel bad if you can't do them now, or feel too anxious and pressured

[Jelly Soup]

Well since whoever decided to delete my joke reply to a joke post above without saying anything, I guess I can take the time to give the super serious answer we're all clamoring for.

 

Achievements have become an easy way to track progress and completion of a given game, not just mark obtuse challenges like back in the early days. And if you're really deep into getting the most out of your purchase, it's natural you'd first use the list as a tracking mechanic for the basics and then as a means to reach that sweet, savory point of completion we all love. I'm pretty susceptible to sunk cost fallacy myself, so I fall into this trap far too often. It's really easy become addicted to this, or maybe just used to approaching a game with the 'this is how we progress' checklist mindset. This starts to pile up, on top of the addiction, starts to feel more like a job than something you're doing for fun. You remember you're playing/hunting for fun, right? I'm not trying to condescend, I honestly find that it's really helpful to say that to myself, out loud, when a thing I'm enjoying becomes too much. You don't have to do it all now, the only real time limit for completion is the heat death of the universe, it'll all likely be there waiting for you after some decompression time.

 

I mirror what others have said above. If you feel that this is breaking down your ability to enjoy a hobby you love, there's no harm in taking a long break. Or maybe dipping into retro games from the pre-achievement days. That's kind of the fun thing about looking back, there are entire libraries of games out there that want nothing more from you than to play until you're done. It's very liberating. Another good idea would be to move on to another hobby for a bit. Try model building/painting. I've found that it leads to that same satisfaction I get from completing a game, but activates different areas of the brain (also, leaning a new skill is always enjoyable).

[AJ_Radio]

Interesting discussion.

 

I'm definitely not going as fast as I did last year. Losing my job and then being forced to quarantine due to COVID-19 had me covering a lot of ground in terms of what games I wanted to finish. With the situation being not quite as dire but still a concern, I've been going out more and therefore, haven't had as much time to game as I did just a year ago.

 

What sort of gets me though is you're 38 years old. Now I know people are going to tell me "Age is just a number", "Older people have just as much to play and enjoy as younger people", yadda yadda yadda. But like someone said earlier here, I definitely suggest seeking a mental health professional. I had to seek one several years ago and he really changed my perspective on life.

 

I think it's safe to say a lot of us here who have been trophy hunting for years and have a giant collection on our profiles have little to no friends, are autistic in nature, generally don't socialize at all outside of some rare occasions. Many of us well in our 30s have had down periods in our lives, sometimes it just comes. We can't have everything we want, so we have to make due with what we have. Life throws us a curveball here and there that may take us away from our favorite hobby for a while, whether it was intentional or unintentional.

 

What I like to do to keep my mind off of gaming and trophies is doing other hobbies. Walking, bike riding, doing some exercise, learning some new cooking recipes. There are times where I don't feel like gaming at all, so I look up whatever interests me on Netflix or Amazon Prime and watch it. I've been doing some landscaping in my area these past couple weeks and it's really put me in a more positive mood. Being able to go outside on a sunny day and enjoy the outdoors is far more healthy than being cooped up in a bedroom playing games non-stop, worrying about trophy addicting taking over your mental well being.

 

[PalaceOfLove706]

I guess for me, I try to have the best of both worlds. I mix in trophy hunting while maintaining my family and work life, because I tend to play games now that are shorter and require less time commitment. So working in a one-two hour game session with my brother most days a week is enough, and then I carry on. Because of the current gaming market, there are so many cheap games to feed one’s “addiction” but don’t have to take over one’s life.

 

That said, the addiction may be tough to tame, as you’re describing, and I feel for you there. Things will get better though if you act now, take it one step at a time.

 

Also glad to see so many people here extending their support and advice from a place of caring. 

[GoldTrophyBoy]

@rockstarjazz Yo chin up bruh. This shit is meant to be all about havin fun so dont stress over it too much. I decided to take a break from all the bigger games due to burnout like you and im havin a ball just poppin gold trophies on my new acc. If you ever wanna chat you can always DM on here. Peace

[rockstarjazz]

i have reached the point where i feel my streak is about to come to an end - by the series that got my into playstation gaming in the first place, 16 years ago.

devil may cry 4 (presumably 5 too).

 

i been busting my backside trying for the s rank trophies but i just cant do it. its impossible.

 

i feel like giving up the platinum. the logical side of me is saying to let it go, dont let your life be seized by this one game.

 

but theres another part of me hell bent on wanting to plat the entire series because i like the games. now my mind and thinking is locked, or 'trapped'....give up the platinum but knowing that feeling of unsatisfaction/incompleteness will never go away.

 

its actually quite bad. i feel i am mentally imprisoned by this trophy shit now. its actually starting to frighten me in real life.

 

all goes back to that line a drug user might say 'i want to stop but i cant'.

 

dunno what the hell to do. i dont have anything else going in my life (no kids/house/family of my own) and gaming is all i have. maybe if i burn myself out from the games eventually/hopefully i will lose the willpower to load it up ever again.

 

I FUCKING HATE TROPHIES. they have truly ruined my enjoyment of gaming but at the same time the plats for games i like have become like crack, i cant get off them nomatter how hard i try. what the hell is wrong with me.

looking at my profile i have played some good adventure games over the years but i feel my enjoyment of the story and overall experience was seized by the trophies - everything from the last of us to the resident evil series.

 

FUCK TROPHIES FOR RUINING MY GAMING FUN!!

Edited May 25, 2021 by rockstarjazz

[AJ_Radio]

I advise you to quit trophy hunting. You will feel better and maybe you will discover some new hobbies. If the addiction is this bad, the best thing for you to do is to quit and walk away from it.

[DrBloodmoney]

As an addict (alcoholic,) I have to say, if you believe this has genuinely elevate to a level where it is negatively affecting your daily life and social relationships, then I'd have to agree with @AJ_Radio - walking away from gaming entierly (or at least trophy/achievement gaming) is really the only feasible option. 

 

For some people, trophy compulsion can be a minor issue and simply cause them to enjoy gaming less - it has a negative impact on their hobby, but not necessarily their life, and in those cases, coming up with some moderation techniques (for example, specifically choosing to play only brutally difficult, or impossible platinums for a while to break a cycle,) can be appropriate, but if it is affecting more than just the hobby, then moderation is not really likely to work.

 

As an alcoholic, there is no option for me to decide to drink occasionally, or in moderation. I have been sober for almost 12 years now, and there are plenty of people who can't understand why I don't have a couple of drinks at a wedding, or New Years or Christmas or whatever, but they miss the real issue. 

I am an alcoholic.

I don't want a couple of drinks. I want ten drinks.

I don't want to enjoy a sip, I want the whole bottle - and so the only way to 'moderate' is to keep all the sips and all the bottles away. 

 

Is that sometimes a drag?

Sure - I'd love to be able to have a dram with my black-bun on Hogmanay, or to wet the head of a new child when my friends celebrate a birth, or to toast someones nuptials, but sobriety is the cost of doing business when addiction is involved.

 

If you see trophies as a true addiction, you can't keep playing games with trophies at all.

 

Get a PC, or a Switch.

Delete your profile maybe - go into the password and change it to some random string you could never guess - or ask this site to ban your profile.

 

At the very least, maybe try playing only non-trophy games for a good long while - a year or two - and only then test the waters - though if that helps you feel better in life, I would still caution strongly against testing the waters again regardless of the duration of your sobriety.

Addiction is not a cold or the flu. It's herpes. Just because the sores are gone, doesn't mean the virus has left you.

It's always in there, waiting to surface, and if you give it an inch, it'll take a mile.

Edited May 25, 2021 by DrBloodmoney

[LoveInHell]

This was very sad to read. I'm sorry about your situation. It sounds like you need professional help, gaming addiction is a thing. You need someone to help you out and get your life together. It's good that you're aware that things aren't going great and admitting you're addicted to trophy hunting is already a big step.

 

This is bad. It could help to make a list, write down what you need to work on, what you need to change in your life. Hang that list on a wall or put it on your desk, look at it daily and be determined that you have to change in order to be happy. This is something therapists give to their clients and it really helps. If you seek out professional help and then show the list you wrote down, they can help you overcome certain things. I really hope you get out of this mess, you have to think positively and hope for the best.

 

Good luck.

[rockstarjazz]

i been going to professional help for 10 years, for other things too. it doesnt help at all.

 

while i can physically stop playing and walk away, the urge and OCD is still there. its mental. THATS what i'm fighting here.

 

i seriously wish they never made trophies, or at least they should make them fun and not a grind/impossible to get.

 

waking up today, instead of work all i'm thinking about are how to get those trophies eluding me. i'm starting to admit to myself that i dont have the skill, and face my limitations. maybe get the trophies i can realistically get and forget the rest and move on to the next game.

 

but the OCD part of me will say 'its not completed yet' and the completionist tendency will nag at me. the logical and rational part of me is saying to step away from it all as its taking over your life. i have two sides of me conflicting with each other.

Edited May 25, 2021 by rockstarjazz

[rockstarjazz]

1 hour ago, LoveInHell said:

This was very sad to read. I'm sorry about your situation. It sounds like you need professional help, gaming addiction is a thing. You need someone to help you out and get your life together. It's good that you're aware that things aren't going great and admitting you're addicted to trophy hunting is already a big step.

 

This is bad. It could help to make a list, write down what you need to work on, what you need to change in your life. Hang that list on a wall or put it on your desk, look at it daily and be determined that you have to change in order to be happy. This is something therapists give to their clients and it really helps. If you seek out professional help and then show the list you wrote down, they can help you overcome certain things. I really hope you get out of this mess, you have to think positively and hope for the best.

 

Good luck.

in addition to my post above this one, it seems i am not the only one with this serious problem.

video of someone else:

 

 

[LoveInHell]

14 minutes ago, rockstarjazz said:

i been going to professional help for 10 years, for other things too. it doesnt help at all.

 

while i can physically stop playing and walk away, the urge and OCD is still there. its mental. THATS what i'm fighting here.

 

i seriously wish they never made trophies, or at least they should make them fun and not a grind/impossible to get.

 

waking up today, instead of work all i'm thinking about are how to get those trophies eluding me. i'm starting to admit to myself that i dont have the skill, and face my limitations. maybe get the trophies i can realistically get and forget the rest and move on to the next game.

 

but the OCD part of me will say 'its not completed yet' and the completionist tendency will nag at me. the logical and rational part of me is saying to step away from it all as its taking over your life. i have two sides of me conflicting with each other.

While having gone to professional help for 10 years, do you rely on them to get yourself better or do you put in effort and believe it all comes down to you? The thing with professional help is, it all comes down to the client. You can't rely on them to make you better, they're just there to guide you. 

 

If you were diagnosed with OCD, there are many people who have this and know ways to cope with it. Unfortunately OCD can't be "fixed" but it can definitely be helped. Do you have any other interests to keep you occupied? Such as watching movies, shows, reading.

 

Also, I can imagine it is hard to find friends at that age but it is not impossible. Have you considered downloading an app to find people? A lot of people who seek friendship online, via those apps, are introvert and don't know how to make contact in real. That's an option.

[scemopagliaccioh]

Alright, hold it, you and I have the same age-ish, and first thing I need to tell you is: don’t fucking start Devil may Cry 5.

You need to solve this now, or at least circumventing the situation, or it’ll follow you in other facets of life.

Now, let’s get to DMC 4, you can do it, trust me, my reflexes aren’t the best, and I managed to quite easily,  use Lady/Trish for S ranking all games,  if you bought the  special edition you should also have the super modes for Dante, Vergil and Nero (though it’s better to use normal Nero in BP for health regen during DT), for the palace, otherwise just run through Dante Must Die mode with each of them.

It’s a long grind, so maybe do something else whenever you reach/fail an objective in order to have breathing room, for example, I did  weight lifting in Injustice 2  whenever a character levelled up in order to not lose  my sanity with it.

Get DMC 4 done, then let’s solve your OCD thing, stop starting games in your account, or you’ll forever have this problem coming back, create a “guest” account you can use for playing games without  having them go into your main account, if you manage to finish them, THEN you may link them up with your account, this way, if you can’t be bothered to finish something, no big deal, as that game will never appear in your list to torment your OCD, if you complete it, synch it, and carry on.

Don’t let any burden stop you from doing what you like, if you like games, play them regardless of age, if you want a completionist profile, use methods to avoid losing your sanity in the process.

Regarding personal life, it’s disheartening, and honestly I doubt a psychologist can help, but I do agree with your take, you require some hobbies outside of staring at a screen, potentially meeting new people, whether it’s from church, or various passions.

Edited May 25, 2021 by scemopagliaccioh

[elpoko]

I've had a love/hate relationship with trophies over the years and I do think thst sometimes they can suck all the joy out of gaming but over the last year with all the lockdowns I found my gaming hobby invaluable.

As for the situation at hand here the thread starter really does seem to be in a bad place and cold turkey is probably his best option.

I would like to recommend volunteer work, a couple of years I felt that I was wasting a lot of my time gaming and not really contributing to anything when my wife or kids weren't home so I went to my local volunteer centre and they set me up with something that really suits me.

It lets me feel that I am helping out, contributing my time to a local charity and I also met lots of new people and the truth is I get way more out of it than I thought I would.

I would recommend it to the thread starter and anybody else that feels that maybe they game a little too much or would like to feel a little better about themselves.

[rockstarjazz]

3 hours ago, scemopagliaccioh said:

Now, let’s get to DMC 4, you can do it, trust me, my reflexes aren’t the best, and I managed to quite easily,  use Lady/Trish for S ranking all games,  if you bought the  special edition you should also have the super modes for Dante, Vergil and Nero (though it’s better to use normal Nero in BP for health regen during DT), for the palace, otherwise just run through Dante Must Die mode with each of them.

i gave it another go and the game just made me so angry again i can feel the heat inside my head.

tried vergil yesterday on LDK - hes fucking useless.

tried vergil today on SOS - couldnt get past the agnus fight. fkn hopeless he is.

might have to just do HOH with vergil and get his trophy.

 

then i need to find a way to cheese it the best way to s rank all missions which seems impossible. i might have to resort to using the women for that, because vergil is absolute FUCKING DOGSHIT, and nero and dante it takes ages to get their rank to sss.

 

i fucking hate the devs who made this stupid game and not even tested it.

 

i've grown to hate this game now all because of the fkn trophies. i feel i can do it but the game knocks me back and just now i rage quit again and nearly broke my trusted controller i've had for nearly 6 years. the frosts piss me off and dont get me started on the blitz the only way to beat them is using holy waters nothing else works.

 

i was literally on my chair bouncing up and down saying no no no like a child thank god my parents arent in. i'm working from home

Edited May 25, 2021 by rockstarjazz

[DrBloodmoney]

6 hours ago, rockstarjazz said:

i have two sides of me conflicting with each other.

That’s called the Human condition - and it affects everyone, but if you are an addict, you don’t have the luxury of simply acknowledging that and moving on - you have to do something about it.

 

Stop gaming.

 

this...

 

23 minutes ago, rockstarjazz said:

i gave it another go and the game just made me so angry again i can feel the heat inside my head.

 

Quote

I fucking hate the devs

 

Quote

just now i rage quit again and nearly broke my trusted controller i've had for nearly 6 years.

 

Quote

i was literally on my chair bouncing up and down saying no no no like a child thank god my parents arent in. i'm working from home

 

...is no good mate.

 

You can’t keep doing this to yourself - it will not end well.

 

Please don’t keep going at the game if these posts are genuine - I’m saying this as someone who understands addiction.

 

You have to stop.

Bin the game. Hell, bin the console if you need to, but don’t continue down this path. It has no end. Even if you get the trophies - there will always be more out there to get.

You can’t win. 
If all you are chasing is the dopamine hit, then there is no lasting victory - just a long, slow defeat. 
 

 

Edited May 25, 2021 by DrBloodmoney

[rockstarjazz]

18 minutes ago, DrBloodmoney said:

 

 

my confidant told me that stress kills. with the amount of anger, rage, screaming and explosions i had these past couple of days i can literally feel the years taken off me. 2 days in a row i am shaking with so much anger. i screamed with all my might in a pillow and got dizzy from it out of despair and frustration.

 

all because of this fucking game and the fucking trophies. its never been this bad before.

why do they have to make it like this.

if trophies didnt exist i would have finished all my games long ago and moved on from gaming possibly by now.

i remember many times when trophies pop in the past i dont even get pleasure from it anymore, but knownig its just done and checking it off my list.

 

i might pay someone to get the trophies for me, or download a file and pop them that way. i've had enough. i admit - i cant do it.

 

its not worth it.

 

fuck this game to hell.

 

I AM DONE!!!

Edited May 25, 2021 by rockstarjazz

[DrBloodmoney]

27 minutes ago, rockstarjazz said:

 

my confidant told me that stress kills. with the amount of anger, rage, screaming and explosions i had these past couple of days i can literally feel the years taken off me.

 

all because of this fucking game and the fucking trophies. its never been this bad before.

why do they have to make it like this.

if trophies didnt exist i would have finished all my games long ago and moved on from gaming possibly by now.

i remember many times when trophies pop in the past i dont even get pleasure from it anymore, but knownig its just done and checking it off my list.

 

i might pay someone to get the trophies for me, or download a file and pop them that way. i've had enough.

 

its not worth it.

 

fuck this game to hell.

Okay - well, the first step here (and I acknowledge that it can be a painful and difficult one to take,) is to stop blaming the trophies.

 

It is not the fault of trophies as a concept, or of this game in particular.

 

In much the same way as I cannot blame the existence or availability of alcohol for my alcoholism, you need to stop blaming the existence of trophies for the problems here - as that is a crutch that allows you to avoid the problem.

 

You have to accept that the issue is you, not the addicting substance.

 

There is a something wrong inside you - with your pleasure and dopamine response  - and no outside influence is to blame.
 

Your internal chemistry is not the same as everyone else’s, and as a result, what is a fun pass time for some, is a dangerous addiction for you.

 

As a result - you are responsible for managing how you navigate the world around you. It’s hard, and there is support out there, and admitting it is an issue will often bring out the best in your support network, but ultimately, it is up to you.

 

It may be tempting to say “if it wasn’t for trophies in games, I wouldn’t be addicted, therefore it is the developers fault for implementing trophies” -  as much as I might say “if it wasn’t for alcohol in drinks, I wouldn’t be addicted, therefore it is the distillery’s fault” -  but that is both immaterial and incorrect.

 

If you were not addicted to trophies, your inherent chemical imbalance would likely have manifested in some other way - as mine might have.

 

Also, doing that is just shifting fault away from yourself - and that makes taking the first step of admitting you are the problem more difficult.

You have to accept that the problem is you, before any real progress can be made.

 

It is not your fault - you didn’t cause it, any more than you chose which hand you write with or the colour of your eyes -  but it is inside you anyway, and it always will be.

 

It is yours to deal with - and you need to, or else it will consume all the other parts of you.

 

 

Edited May 25, 2021 by DrBloodmoney