How much gaming is too much?

[Numion]

For people with normal lives, like with daily jobs, once a week seems about right. I'm a student, so the optimum for me might be twice a week. One long session on weekend and one shorter on a weekday. It all depends, I guess. For a friend who just had a baby zero times a week is about right

 

[Buttercup]

If you are worried that maybe you should cut back, then you have answered your own question. As for what you should do with your free time, how about doing your dishes or laundry, running the vacuum cleaner, or mopping the kitchen floor? Boring, but necessary.

Or you could do something really wacky, like going to a museum, starting an exercise program, learning a new skill, or dating.

 

[Tsyr]

I'm currently gaming once or twice a week.

Taking my time that I can't (realisticly) do anything about is college and a two-night-a-week job at the library.

Taking my time that I could free up, but choose not to, is:

My love of reading books (I have entire WALLS in my house COVERED in books... 95% of them read, the ones that aren't only because I keep going back and re-reading a few favorites over and over again... and I'm ALWAYS buying a bag of books at the used bookstore, or a new one now and then.) Reading is an obsession with me. Not just fiction either... numerous mythology (Ok, that's fiction, but... you know what I mean), history, cultural, art, etc books also make up my collection. RPG books too, of course

My love of anime is just about as encompassing as my love of books. Anime... manga (Maybe that should go in books, I dunno)... etc.

If I dropped those two, I would probably be gaming every night a week. But I can't enjoy ANYTHING that much. I'd get burned out inside of a month. And burnout is not a good thing.

My "limit" for gaming would probably be three nights a week, and only if I DMed one of those.

As for how a S/O can effect it... Well... I've been lucky. My GF is sorta like a female clone of me. Except alot more attractive . Thus, two of our hobbies can be shared anyhow... as for reading, well... thats "private time" stuff. The gamers I know with S/Os around here GENERALY don't have to cut back on gaming as a result... and a lot of people have been led into gaming because of that, in my area. I don't think that's quite as true everywhere, though.

Should you cut back? If you even START to get the "ho hum... might as well game, nothing better to do" attitude, YES. Burnout hurts, and can last YEARS, if you recover at all. Otherwise? Game on, man.

 

[Painfully]

It all started with just a short Wednesday night session. Some guy named Wulf Ratbane was hunkered down behind the DM screen that night. Then, after the first EN World Gameday, it was every other Saturday with Mark from CMG. Before I knew it, I had joined a group in Mt. Prospect, which later consolidated with another group, and moved to Mondays in Wheaton--come to find out that DM is writing a couple supplements for Kenzer & Co. now. Then my fellow employees were asking around, and they required my services as DM so they could learn the game. So I commute an extra 2 1/2 hours on Thursday nights so I can break them into this whole D&D thing.

But I still have one night free--anybody got a game in Chicagoland on Tuesday nights? I'm kidding! I'm kidding! (But if you've got an opening send me an email anyway!)

 

[SemperJase]

I also spend 20 or more hours per week playing online roleplaying games.

This seems to be the first place to cut back. I have a buddy who has played EQ for the last 3 years every night. The isolation can't be healthy. He is also single, not a coincidence I'm sure.

One solution, if you work for a company that has tuition assistance, take advantage of it. Not only will you get a cheap/possibly free education (undergrad or graduate) it is a great place to meet people. Twenty hours a week on CRPG's shows that time isn't an issue.

I like the suggestion that you are spending too much time at it if you can't converse about anything but gaming.

Diversify your interests. My favorite magazines are Dragon and Fortune (as in business not fortune telling )
Do other things. A round of golf won't kill you.
Good luck.

 

[Sir Edgar]

Is there a group for addicted gamers?

 

[Crothian]

Is there a group for addicted gamers?

Hi, my name is Crothian. And I'm a Gamer. It's been six days since my last Game. I don't know if I can keep it up. My friends are getting together to game Sunday, and they have all these cool dice and books and I'm just not strong enough to stay away.

 

[Creamsteak]

Hi, my name is Crothian. And I'm a Gamer. It's been six days since my last Game. I don't know if I can keep it up. My friends are getting together to game Sunday, and they have all these cool dice and books and I'm just not strong enough to stay away.

I'm in. 8*5 hours every week at school. 6*7 hours every day asleep. 1*5 hours a day in travel and doing simple tasks including eating. The rest of my time? Either DMing, Playing, Preparing myself ot DM, preparing myself to play, or writing my final fantasy tactics conversion.

 

[CRGreathouse]

6*7 hours every day asleep.

Wow, I wish *I* had 42 hours each day to sleep.

 

[hong]

Wow, I wish *I* had 42 hours each day to sleep.

Well, it's not that hard. Think of daylight saving. Every year, they take 1 hour out of your life, and that of everyone else in the world. WHERE DO ALL THOSE HOURS GO? And what would _you_ do if you had access to them?

Tch.