Not that this is a particularly new or innovative topic, but I find the ever-present backlog issue to be particularly challenging for groggy games, because of the combination of the fact that a) most of the good ones are highly repayable and have tons of scenarios, and b) pur target demographic (i.e. us) usually has, you know, jobs and real life and stuff.
B) isn't unique to wargames, but with a) I often find myself thinking that if you were to leave me with, say, DCS or IL-2 or Graviteam and absolutely no other game on the desert island for all eternity, I'd probably be just fine. But of course, there's a hundred other games out there that might be just good that that philosophy would stop me from ever getting to.
So I suppose the question can be posed as: how do you manage your backlog in a genre of extremely replayable, meaty games in a context in which you're probably highly time-constrained to begin with? How do you decide when to switch games knowing that you'll always be leaving a ton of great content behind?
I already wasted the money on the games, why would I waste the time, too? :)
Quote from: Redwolf on September 16, 2023, 09:06:28 AMI already wasted the money on the games, why would I waste the time, too? :)
You just captured my gaming life :laugh:
I remember back when I had a schedule of not buying a new game until I had put at least ten hours into at least five of my backlog (or alternately I played enough I realized I didn't care about the game after all).
That worked. For a while. :HideEyes: :HideEyes: :HideEyes: :HideEyes: :HideEyes: :HideEyes: :HideEyes:
Quote from: CaptainKoloth on September 16, 2023, 09:01:17 AMSo I suppose the question can be posed as: how do you manage your backlog in a genre of extremely replayable, meaty games in a context in which you're probably highly time-constrained to begin with? How do you decide when to switch games knowing that you'll always be leaving a ton of great content behind?
I wish I had the discipline to "manage" my backlog.
But a lifetime of exposure to the modern 'way of the consumer' means that I am programmed to 'forget' anything i purchased more than six months ago. No memory, no backlog; it's that simple... :HideEyes:
Fortunately, Steam remembers what I purchased more than six months ago and keeps me from buying games twice... :ThumbsUp:
Most of the time I don't manage it...
...but when I do...I slog through it very slowly.
I will never get to the end.
I buy more games and then keep playing the same ones I am addicted to.
Buying a game causes me discomfort because I know there are 30 other games I should be playing. If I manage to sit down and play one game for a day or two my other games feel guilty and make me stop playing, then the guilt resides and the other 29 games start yelling ... "play me play me"; It is too overwhelming so I just can't play any of them for a reasonable amount of time.
Finally got around to Odyssey and about 30 hours in to it Mius Front started yelling at me ... "How come you don't play me for 30 hours?" I told it because I have 30 others games in front of it, see now I can't play any of them; They did it again!
oh well - Guess it's time to start looking for something new on Steam.
I don't "tackle" the backlog.
I stroke its hair gently. Tell it "It's ok". It doesn't have to be alone.
I give it more companions.
It becomes my menagerie, my...collection.
You judge me Clarise. But should you? I know you hear the scream of the lambs.
Quote from: Redwolf on September 16, 2023, 09:06:28 AMI already wasted the money on the games, why would I waste the time, too? :)
Legendary reply.
What's a backlog? I just have a bunch of games I'm never gonna play.
I need help because I have the same problem with CD's, DVD's, Blu-ray's, magazine subscriptions, ...
And I don't need these because I also have Deezer, Netflix, Disney, Amazon Prime Video, ... :hair:
I've convinced myself this is a good thing because this way I support performers, artists and other content creators :Dreamer: .
Wtf is Deezer?
Quote from: Gusington on September 17, 2023, 10:22:26 AMWtf is Deezer?
An alternative to Spotify based in France.
Would have been better if it was a monthly subscription nut delivery service.
Or the Grogheads version: Geezer
I'm retired and I still can't deal with my backlog. Sometimes I tell myself not to buy any games for six months in the hopes I'll make some progress. Then I pull out some old game (MTW2, Advanced Tactics Gold) and spend several weeks on them. Occasionally I will update my unplayed games to the latest version so when the urge hits, I can start them right up. Rarely works.
I blame you all here. If you didn't make all the new games sound so good, I'd still be happily working my way through Rome Total War...the first one I mean. I know it's not really your fault, but it's better than admitting I have a problem. :Hug:
Quote from: ArizonaTank on September 16, 2023, 12:48:20 PMFortunately, Steam remembers what I purchased more than six months ago and keeps me from buying games twice... :ThumbsUp:
Unfortunately, GoG also exists. And Gamersgate. And Humblebundle. And Fanatical... :HideEyes: :HideEyes: :HideEyes: :HideEyes:
........and physical media...
Quote from: JasonPratt on September 18, 2023, 11:55:39 AMQuote from: ArizonaTank on September 16, 2023, 12:48:20 PMFortunately, Steam remembers what I purchased more than six months ago and keeps me from buying games twice... :ThumbsUp:
Unfortunately, GoG also exists. And Gamersgate. And Humblebundle. And Fanatical... :HideEyes: :HideEyes: :HideEyes: :HideEyes:
I have a folder on my PC with a shortcut to every game I own (16 TB of HD and SSD's :HideEyes: ) .
Before I buy a game I do a search in this folder and more than once a game pops up I forgot about.
I also have Excel files that contain every CD, DVD or Blu-ray I own.
I don't think its OCD but it could be close :embarrassed: .
Quote from: Pete Dero on September 18, 2023, 12:42:13 PMQuote from: JasonPratt on September 18, 2023, 11:55:39 AMQuote from: ArizonaTank on September 16, 2023, 12:48:20 PMFortunately, Steam remembers what I purchased more than six months ago and keeps me from buying games twice... :ThumbsUp:
Unfortunately, GoG also exists. And Gamersgate. And Humblebundle. And Fanatical... :HideEyes: :HideEyes: :HideEyes: :HideEyes:
I have a folder on my PC with a shortcut to every game I own (16 TB of HD and SSD's :HideEyes: ) .
Before I buy a game I do a search in this folder and more than once a game pops up I forgot about.
I also have Excel files that contain every CD, DVD or Blu-ray I own.
I don't think its OCD but it could be close :embarrassed: .
This is not all that far off from me.
Me too. Sometimes I can't remember if I still have, 'that old game I just remembered I never finished' on the current computer or the last one???
Quote from: solops on September 16, 2023, 11:24:48 PMI buy more games and then keep playing the same ones I am addicted to.
This. I reckon that my expenditure evens itself out in terms of £/hr of play. However, I do still feel guilty about the "good" games that I own that I don't play (eg watched about 40 hours of WitE2 tutorials but haven't actually started a game).
Also, I have a backlog at work, so I REFUSE to have one at home.
Quote from: Father Ted on September 19, 2023, 01:32:53 PMThis. I reckon that my expenditure evens itself out in terms of £/hr of play. However, I do still feel guilty about the "good" games that I own that I don't play (eg watched about 40 hours of WitE2 tutorials but haven't actually started a game).
Also, I have a backlog at work, so I REFUSE to have one at home.
That's why I retired. Now I don't have to feel guilty about having a game backlog at home. :ROFL:
Now you have to deal with all the people who ask you, "So whatta you do with all your time now that you're retired"? :hair:
I used to keep an Excel sheet with the games i planned to play and keeping track of which game i had completed or not. It has 3 columns for strategy games, Real-time and City-builders. So one game of each type per month. I usually gave each game 3 months. Obviously, i played some games longer than that. I probably did this for about 10 years but i haven't been using it for the last 2-3 years now. I usually try to play the games at least the number of hours i played the game for. If i pay a game 40, my goal is to play at least 40 hours.
In Soviet Russia, the backlog tackle YOU!