Topic: Gaming Resolutions for the New Year 2024

@Th3solution oh so this is the thread I was looking. Thanks for bumping it! I’ve added you to my watchlist.

@Th3solution I can't believe you've not played Elden Ring or Baldur's Gate 3 yet, two game of the year games, and overall once in a generation games, and both that you would absolutely love 🫨🫨

I believe you said the September update would get you on to Baldur's Gate 3 though, so that is finally out, although it was a little delayed.

Come on, I want there to be new people to talk about that game with 😛 plus, it might urge me to play a bit more of my dark urge run that I'm just dipping my toe in to every so often.

Resolutions wise, what games have I completed this year? DD2, Miles Morales, AC Mirage, Jusant (I also went back and completed Ratchet and Clank, but have no idea when that actually was tbh it might have been last year) I 'completed' FC24 as if to say I deleted it. But unfortunately I then bought and installed FC25 😪

I will definitely finish Astro Bot, I'm just doing it at a casual pace. I love all the unique levels and playing the odd one or two every so often is blissful.

You can stick Star Wars Outlaws on the big pile of games I've left before the final act 😂 Although my reasoning this time is I stopped about a week before the Ubi+ sub restarted as I just didn't know whether I could be bothered, but I made sure I backed up my save to the cross save cloud and can buy and finish the game at a later date on PS5, I think. And on the pro it shouldn't have the annoying FSR glimmer that basically ruins the immersion of a game I was otherwise nicely immersed in.

Everything else I was looking forward to got delayed so my new resolution is to play A Plague Tale and The Last of Us, in a way to try and train my brain to be able to play Alan Wake 2 at the end of it, which in my mind makes sense haha... I don't play "horror" titles, even ones that are about as scary as a red sock in a load of crisp white washing, because when I have the controller I immerse myself to ridiculous levels and convince myself that jump scares are going to be a lot worse than they are, and thus anticipate them more and expect myself to be react badly, and thus create a bunch of stress out of nothing for myself. But mostly I'll be playing because I really want to play TLoU, even though I've seen pretty much the entire game being played, it's one I want to experience in my 'immersion mode' AW2 however, I know is built on 'cheap' jumpscares, and even if in the trailers and gameplay I've seen they are not really that effective at making me jump, I know when playing it I will be stressed as all heck, so hopefully a nice little intro into playing some slightly creepy/horror themed titles will break that cycle in my head 🤷‍♂️🤷‍♂️

I mean, I used to find wraiths and hags in claustrophobic caves in TW3 stressful enough 😂 but then I got good at the game and it lost its jeopardy.

@Ravix Yeah, I guess update 7 for BG3 finally dropped this week, so I can move it up the list of potential games. And Elden Ring is waiting more for me to finish the Dark Souls series first. I wasn’t thinking I could get to ER in 2024, but I did expect to at least start BG3. I’ve had less game time than I had expected this year, but there’s still a couple months left.

I am eager to read your thoughts on TLoU and APT when you get around to those. I’m a ‘fraidy cat when it comes to horror, so I completely understand. I’ve grown more tolerant of the scares over time and I agree — TLoU is a good ‘baby’s first horror game’ because it’s barely horror really, and is absolutely a human story, just in a horrific setting. I don’t think it uses any jump scares in the traditional sense. It’s been about 10 years since I played it so I don’t remember specifics.

@Th3solution it's a human skull splitting sim, basically, isn't it? 😅 I mean, I know pretty much everything that happens, just not in a concrete 'played it' way. Like, when you play a game it hits harder, runs deeper and gets ingrained in the memory more than simply seeing someone else play it, too.

There's a lot to be said for putting yourself in the shoes of the characters you play, I know we do that, and a lot of others immerse themselves like that too, and then some don't, they are mere observers and overseers to what is happening. Which is probably where the 'scaredy cat' element can creep in, too 😂😂 so crawling through a damp spore filled, flooded out and crumbling building I know when watching it is just... meh whatever. But playing it I will be thinking, don't die, is that shadow a clicker? stay alert, I must survive this ordeal!!! which will add a tension level to it. Even if we know there's probably nothing hidden around the corner when playing it, we have to assume there might be, for our survival instincts. So the more a game ramps up these elements, the less likely I am to play it, as I'm a fool to myself for making it worse than it is.

But then again, I wouldn't trade the way I play games to be an overseer type because then I wouldn't get the emotional pay offs that I've had from story telling in some of the best games I've played.

Checkpoints always help, and since Elden Ring I've chilled about the whole failing in a game element which probably plays a part. Although in that I would sometimes still sprint as fast as I could through caves if there were annoying little batc*nts and skellybobs jumping out at me all the time when I'm just trying to go and kill a super monstrosity of a boss. Give me the big monster bosses over these little jumpy out tw@s any day, thank youuuu 😂😂😂

Hey, if you play BG3 I could jump into your game and play my lute and help you out, and then maybe kill a person that is vital to a much later quest without you knowing 🫡😁

@Ravix Spot on about the difference between playing and watching. Despite Naughty Dog games being known for their cinematic quality and lighter on gameplay, there’s definitely going to be a difference being the one pushing the buttons and exploring around at your own pace vs watching. TLoU2 is heavier on the gameplay (more on that when you get there) but this basic approach is stealth survival action with a dash of skull/fungus splitting. 😄

And I’ll definitely post and tag you as I get into BG3. I’ll probably focus on horror this month, but if I’m able to complete Dark Souls 2 by end of Oct, then I should be heavily considering BG3 or one of the other listed games for Nov.

@Th3solution I finished reading your new year resolutions! Quite an engaging read and it gave me somewhat of a baseline for future brainstorming plans! Definitely more comprehensive and orderly. Side note: I meant add it (the topic) to my watchlist. Not add you. That was a simple typo since I rely on my silly phone like @Ravix would. I’m definitely not standing outside your house or psychotically specific like that.

My gaming resolution for 2024 is just to finish my build for Elden Ring in the most efficient and timely fashion possible. Then I can get on and actually play the game!

@BlAcK_Sw0rDsMaN seems quite doable.

@Yousef- Haha, I didn’t think anything of it. Not because I’m accustomed to being on a watchlist but because I figured you were saying “you” in the anthropomorphic sense, as if you were talking to the thread itself. 😅 Like when there’s one last chip at the bottom of the bag and I say, “Hey, little guy, how did I miss you?”

As for the goals, it’s probably an unhealthy preoccupation of mine. Specific plans and objectives have become part of my routine and now invade my hobbies! 😄 It’s even the way I usually play games — checking off lists of objectives in order.

@Th3solution I’m actually already modeling myself after you. I’m dividing my three month plan into being…. A three month plan…….. I swear this statement will make more sense with pics.

@Ralizah Chris Jericho… always a delight 😆 😂

@Th3solution you’re also giving me helping hand in finding a balance. A friend in need is a friend indeed.

You know me well enough to not be surprised I tried this before, but it didn’t go quite well. In 2022 and 2023. My issue? Too long of a planning period with no specific. The plan? Complete 50 games in one year. Sounds good? It is! But if you’re already forming a specific idea of what “50 games” entail, we have a problem. Because that number stops being impressive if you consider “25 games that are 1 hour long”. You may think I’m still completing 20 games anyways, you’d be correct.

But one problem ☝️
Bloat creates an illusion of progress, rather than being one. A concise and focused mission feels like a bigger deal, which would explain my sense of dissatisfaction with 2022, 2023 and early 2024 when I did this.

Solution? Or Th3solution, would be… take a break, contemplate my actions and strategize.
What I came up with? Hardlines.
Simply put, you have to draw a line in the sand.
My issue was the simple fact I was far too complacent with just any random games, irregardless of what they are. Didn’t care about the consequences, felt I’d be satisfied with it.
I wasn’t.
So what’s next? Learn Kung-fu to tackle such a challenge?
No, you don’t need martial arts. You need your HEAD, so go headbutt that list of games! And the answer, no, Th3answer, shall reveal itself.
What would that be, pray tell?
To quote a mediocre game that Foxy finished a few weeks ago, Size Matters.
The bigger the game, the more satisfaction is guaranteed.
That is my plan.

@Yousef- Sounds like a good plan for you is being developed. Hopefully this can help to direct your game time toward more satisfying ends.

When I make my goals/plans, I usually focus on looking for opportunities to push me slightly toward things that I might otherwise ignore. Humans tend to take the path of least resistance. Of course, gaming is merely a hobby to be enjoyed so it’s not something that should be made uncomfortable or a chore, but when there’s lots of options, it’s easy to look past something that would give greater enjoyment and diversity in place of something that’s comfortable, which usually leads to boredom and complacency. It’s a fine balance, to be sure.

@Th3solution fo sho fo sho! Organization is important for world domination! Err, I mean gaming. Forget that other bit.

But yeah, I myself like keeping things nice and tidy. I am addicted to overthinking, and this helps me manage this in a productive and healthy sense.