Changes in gaming preference.

[Huw the Poo]

Hey Huw, any chance you're talking about Naval War: Arctic Circle - ?

Ha, good guess!  But nope - Spacecom.

[Anguille]

I haven't changed my tastes...still enjoy the same type of games. But it's clear that i won't be able to feel the same magic i did when i first played Master of Orion. Everything was new.  The other "problem" i see is that there as so many new games coming out and that we still can play most of the old games. In 1995, i had only Master of Orion as 4x in space. When Imperium Galactica came out, i had plenty of time just for that game. Now, when a new games comes out, it is in competition with so many other games.

[Grim.Reaper]

It’s not that I won’t devote substantial time to a game. We know that is not the case, I put 20 hours into Assassins Creed Odyssey over an approximately 2 week period or so. Same thing with Ghost Recon Wildlands...dozens of hours. I think the problem with RDR2 for me is that it just takes a lot longer to accomplish anything noteworthy in a single sitting. There are just too many distractions along the way. Too many people to talk to. Too many things in the environment to see and interact with and too much time to move from point A to point B. I find it draining for some reason...

yep, i can see that point of view...i am still pretty early in the game but do hope it opens up a bit where i can go nuts with my revolver and shoot a lot of stuff versus firmly embedded in a movie.  also things like having to pet your horse and such could see getting a bit tedious after awhile.

[W8taminute]

Love this thread, great idea. 

I'm seeing a lot of common themes here and many are similar to what I've been experiencing as I get older.  To further complicate things however I noticed another problem I'm having lately.

My game tastes have not changed since my youth but time, or lack thereof, is dictating what I should play at any given moment.  For example I find myself wanting to play a few rounds of an FPS because I can squeeze that gaming in even though I'd rather be playing a deep strategy game. 

Then I have this other complication.  I've got three really good board games I want to play [Twilight Imperium 4, Star Wars Rebellion, and War of the Ring] but every time I head for the table to begin setting up one of these games something inside me says "this is going to be too much effort, just jump on the computer and play something right now quickly!"  I feel like the 'game devil' is tempting me away from playing board games. 

[PanzersEast]

Love this thread, great idea. 

I'm seeing a lot of common themes here and many are similar to what I've been experiencing as I get older.  To further complicate things however I noticed another problem I'm having lately.

My game tastes have not changed since my youth but time, or lack thereof, is dictating what I should play at any given moment.  For example I find myself wanting to play a few rounds of an FPS because I can squeeze that gaming in even though I'd rather be playing a deep strategy game. 

Then I have this other complication.  I've got three really good board games I want to play [Twilight Imperium 4, Star Wars Rebellion, and War of the Ring] but every time I head for the table to begin setting up one of these games something inside me says "this is going to be too much effort, just jump on the computer and play something right now quickly!" I feel like the 'game devil' is tempting me away from playing board games.

Spot on how I feel as well.....

[ComradeP]

My preferences have changed as I've moved to different genres than the games I played as a teenager some 15 years ago, but I find that the main reasons for me not enjoying a game are either a) I've done it all before, in a similar or better game or b) the game hasn't really aged well in terms of functionality.

Sequels or copycat titles are, as others have mentioned, a good example of type a.

I have no issues with playing the games I grew up with again, as I am familiar with their flaws so they don't really bother me, but I really don't have the patience to dive into a new game with poor mechanics, be it a wargame or some other title. If, with several decades worth of game design knowledge being available, a developer can't create game with clear, functional and interesting mechanics, that studio won't be getting my money.

[MetalDog]

I have a very limited group of games: Civ IV BtS, M2TW (I don't play the battles and just empire build), Warlock I, ramping up/running pnp D&D.  That's it.  There's others that I will play, Age of Wonders 3 & Sovereignty: Crown of Kings got a lot of my time in the last four months or so.  And if the mood ever strikes, I would go back to Hearts of Iron 2 in a heartbeat.  I want to learn something Ageod, but the system escapes me.  The maps are simply gorgeous.  That's about the limit for me.  I would take the time to learn something involved, but, it would most likely have to be something MP.

A thought for those who express too much effort/too little time, specifically board games and flight sim configurers, when the mood hits, take advantage of it.  Go into it knowing you are only going to accomplish the set up.  Or learning one point of the rules that has you a little stuck so the next time you get back to the board, you can move forward.  Just my .02

[GroggyGrognard]

Great topic.

Since I was a teenager, I've always been interested in anything historical--whether it has been tabletop wargaming or console gaming. In my 20's and early 30's I played alot of console gaming, peppered with some tabletop wargaming. Starting in my mid 30's, I started to move away from console gaming, the majority type console games being FPS shooters, action games, or any other "twitch type" games. When I hit my 40's, my focus started to realign more towards tabletop wargaming and turn based strategy games on the PC. In a similar way to what others have mentioned in above posts, I've had a feeling of "been there, done that" with console gaming. I guess, despite the advancement of graphics and depth to console games, the novelty has worn off for me. Nowadays, I mostly play historical strategy/RPG turn based games on the PC and tabletop wargames. Once in awhile I will play some historical flavored action or RTS game on the PC.

I've always enjoyed The Gamers games.  Recently I tried to get back into the OCS (Operational Combat Series) games but after reading the rules and setting up a game of Smolensk: Barbarossa Derailed it just sat there unplayed.  Tried playing it but I spent more time fumbling through the rules than actually playing.  Tried switching to the BCS (Battalion Combat Series) but my eyes glazed over before even finishing my first pass through those rules.  So I went back to their SCS (Standard Combat Series) games.  Only 7 pages for the series rules and about that many pages in the Autumn for Barbarossa game specific rules.  The Germans took Vitebsk and Mogilev on turn 1 and I'm having a blast.   

So yes, somewhat sadly, my love of great detailed "simulations" has given way to the reality that I just don't have what it takes to play them anymore.  Thankfully there are alternatives.

The Gamers games are fantastic. There have been only a handful of times I've tried the OCS series with a friend of mine, but we've always defaulted back to the SCS games because they are much more accessible and easier to learn. I've sworn to myself I would get back into the OCS series games when I retire, but who knows.

[W8taminute]

...A thought for those who express too much effort/too little time, specifically board games and flight sim configurers, when the mood hits, take advantage of it.  Go into it knowing you are only going to accomplish the set up.  Or learning one point of the rules that has you a little stuck so the next time you get back to the board, you can move forward.  Just my .02

That is an excellent piece of advice MetalDog!  The more I think about it the more I like it.  So what you're saying is go ahead and setup the board game.  It will probably take about 30 to 45 minutes after which I'll be 'exhausted' and stop.  At least the itch was scratched so to speak.  Maybe I can take that one step further and when I get tired after the setup I'll walk away and leave the game on the table as is.  (Now that I have a half done man-cave I can afford to do this without fear of someone disturbing my game.)

Then the next time I get the itch all I have to do is start playing since the board has already been setup.   

[Barthheart]

...A thought for those who express too much effort/too little time, specifically board games and flight sim configurers, when the mood hits, take advantage of it.  Go into it knowing you are only going to accomplish the set up.  Or learning one point of the rules that has you a little stuck so the next time you get back to the board, you can move forward.  Just my .02

That is an excellent piece of advice MetalDog!  The more I think about it the more I like it.  So what you're saying is go ahead and setup the board game.  It will probably take about 30 to 45 minutes after which I'll be 'exhausted' and stop.  At least the itch was scratched so to speak.  Maybe I can take that one step further and when I get tired after the setup I'll walk away and leave the game on the table as is.  (Now that I have a half done man-cave I can afford to do this without fear of someone disturbing my game.)

Then the next time I get the itch all I have to do is start playing since the board has already been setup.   

This is how most of my table gaming gets done. But you do need a place you can set up for the long haul....

[MetalDog]

Glad it struck a chord, W8!  I hope it spurs you forward 

[W8taminute]

This is how most of my table gaming gets done. But you do need a place you can set up for the long haul....

Indeed I do.  Well maybe the space is not ideal for long term but I need to test how secure my area is so why not start now? 

Glad it struck a chord, W8!  I hope it spurs you forward 

I'll keep you posted for sure.  l plan on starting this weekend.  Let's see how it goes.

[Redwolf]

I always needed "efficient" wargames.

Games that allow you to quickly express to the game (tell units) what you want units to do. The time spent on mechanics to express your thoughts should not be more than thinking about real-world-like tactics.

TacOps and CMx1 were very good at those. TOAW is OK.

Games with lots of useless icons graphics are bad. Dialog boxes with limited scope are bad.

Unfortunately game very developed in the direction of what I need. CMx2 is not efficient. The majority of "new" wargames are actually going toward being more like boardgame - transparent in mechanics but need a lot of clicking.

[jomni]

I always needed "efficient" wargames.

Games that allow you to quickly express to the game (tell units) what you want units to do. The time spent on mechanics to express your thoughts should not be more than thinking about real-world-like tactics.

TacOps and CMx1 were very good at those. TOAW is OK.

Games with lots of useless icons graphics are bad. Dialog boxes with limited scope are bad.

Unfortunately game very developed in the direction of what I need. CMx2 is not efficient. The majority of "new" wargames are actually going toward being more like boardgame - transparent in mechanics but need a lot of clicking.

Have you played Greaviteam games. It’s more top down than CMx2. Some say it plays itself and don’t like it.

[MikeGER]

late to the party  ...and here you already see a symptom i have developed

In the past years i have become a seasonal gamer and kind of a meta-gamer (occupied with the topic but not active) 

I just cant sit in front of a screen when the weather outside is clear and warm. (and this year we had the summer of a century in Germany)
and late night i am to tired and rather watch a Let's play or telly

In the past years i have developed a habit that came with checking out new games (most got the news of its upcoming existence here from the Grogs) to not read text previews or AAR anymore.
i look for a preview and at YT those by my favorite Letsplayers and these often turn into a longer Let's-play series that i follow.... summed up, these are many hours of time diverted from active gaming
(for example i liked to watch Xcom2 stuff by Christopher Odd then starting my one campaign, also i like some previews of  DasTactic and German Writing Bull, esp when it was about his Civilisation series)   
   
 so when i am on the fence about a game i often stick with those Let's-play series and don't get the game at all ...or sometime get it later when on sale, fire it it up once, but don't play it much. the itch seems to had been scratched already with following the Let's Play ...but i still want to have it in the Steam collection for when the itch may come back.
so at the end of the day/month i didn't play as much as before

age issue: eyesight
yeah there are glasses but its not working completely and so i can read small print in games but it is a burden and don't comes naturally like it was in the past. I like Stelaris but the text is often just a bit to small for my comfort.

age issue: mood swings
i cant stick to a game as long as i should and as long as it deserves.
and my game topic (and impulse purchases) are often stimulated by an impulse from the outside.
Watched a documentation about Nam, in the mood for Nam, seen the latest StarWars , in the mood for StarWars... reports about Stan, now its Stan  ...but all that fade rather fast when the itch got scratched.       

next issue: immersion
i have a problem to immerse myself in a game as deep as in the past. maybe there are to may RL problems and sorrows plus the interdictions that are nagging at my nerves to just let go.

but, today the first rainy weekend since maybe April and so interest in active gaming are coming back.
and found time to write a piece about habits for the forum