28.01.17

I'm starting to think I'm playing a MOBA slightly too much again. I was afraid it would happen, which is one of the reasons why I didn't want to pick one back up.

There's this constant struggle between instant satisfaction and long-term satisfaction. Generally the things that are the most fun at a given moment don't offer much over a longer period of time, while things that may be tedious or boring have much more satisfying effects further down. As examples:

• MOBAs have moment-to-moment action where every move could be decisive, which constantly keeps things exciting and on-edge. However once a match is over, you start from scratch. Worse still, looking back at that time spent, it's not very unique, which makes it less memorable. So if you spend an entire weekend playing, the weekend will feel wasted on Monday because you lack distinct memories which are needed to create the feeling that the events happened over a lengthy period of time.
• Then there's games you can complete from start to finish, which may not be as exciting when playing them, but they often leave you with a story or some new experiences or ideas. This of course very much varies depending on which genre or specific game you're playing, but they generally create a larger feeling of accomplishment once you're through. And looking back at them, maybe you'll feel like you've learned something along the way.
• And as far as games go, I guess the other end of the spectrum would be games like EVE. It's actually a semi-solid argument to ask why people are spending their time in a game such as that rather than doing some or any kind of work in real life, but over the course of days, weeks, or even months, the stories and tales that come together are really something different. Looking back at them, it's not just some experience or idea you've gained, it's often a story worth sharing. But comparing the moment-to-moment gameplay? It's completely dull and uninteresting.
• And stepping outside of playing games, I'd say the worst of all is learning. It's tedious, frustrating when you just can't seem to grasp something, and you're not producing anything in the process of learning. No matter how much you learn, you never have anything to show that actually represents how much you've gained. Only when you exert extra effort to further use that gained knowledge to create something can you really see the fruits of your labor. But that is definitely a great feeling. Because I'm sure you've looked at a drawing and thought "I wish I could draw that well." And the same goes for everything, from art to technology. Who wouldn't want to know how to make things, or understand precisely how they work? But the road to each of these is a struggle.