The Thing About "Focus"

[pdub]

Wintertime is getting to us all, but we'll get through it. What do the kids say, "Power through it?"

I've got a stupid game on the computer, a space ship shoot 'em up game. It's meant for kids. I bought it about 10 or 12 years ago. Ancient technology. It doesn't matter what game it is, I'm not trying to promote the game. The thing is, the screen is very busy, lots of decisions to make. Quick reactions and strategy at the same time.

It's not random. It's the same thing over and over but it takes about the 45 minutes to play the game from start to finish. The thing is, One day last week I got determined to score 3 million points on that game.

Jaw stuck out, yes I did. To me, that applies to land speed or road courses or whatever, not just video games. Focus, just mean it when you are doing it. Focus and intent is everything, whatever we try to do. Dang, getting to 150 mph at land speed was a heck of a task and it took some hardware but it also took some focus.

Focus.

[RockJustRock]

I play Defense Grid. Graphics are all shoot 'em up but the gameplay is all strategy. I mastered all the "Super Grinder" levels but now I am exploring how little variations in how you start a game have big effects on how high you can run a score up.

[pdub]

I can say, video games keep one's mind sharper than just sitting and staring at the walls. And for me one time there was an actual advantage. I got onto an online racing league. I had the plastic steering wheel rig, the gas pedal and the brakes, the whole setup. And Road Atlanta was one of the tracks on the menu, before I had ever run Road Atlanta. That was my intent - Road Atlanta.

When I finally got to the real track with the real car I felt sort of like I had been there before. But I still got my doors blown off. And on the video game it's a whole lot easier to wreck yourself in the exit from Turn 7 than it actually is in real life. Folks DO wreck there frequently, but the game programmers exaggerated that probability.

[tedly]

I've been playing Civilization 5 for awhile. One game can take weeks or months, but it's very entertaining and addictive, lots of strategy. Kind of like a huge chess game. Helps pass the time while I'm mostly immobile. Civ 6 is out, but it's $60, where 5 was only $15.

[pdub]

tedly, PM sent!

[Deaf Bob]

I've been playing Civilization 5 for awhile. One game can take weeks or months, but it's very entertaining and addictive, lots of strategy. Kind of like a huge chess game. Helps pass the time while I'm mostly immobile. Civ 6 is out, but it's $60, where 5 was only $15.

Reeled you in with 5 and got you addicted..

[RockJustRock]

My endless gaming tip for closet gamers. Check out humblebundle.com where you can get real games for as cheap as 3 for $1 or free. Also gog.com for Good Old Games. Their accounts are free and unobtrusive and they throw you the occasional freebie.

[DanStokes]

I'm sort of fuzzy on this focus thing. (and I hate computer games - I'd MUCH rather make something in the shop.)

Dan

[Deaf Bob]

I'm sort of fuzzy on this focus thing. (and I hate computer games - I'd MUCH rather make something in the shop.)

Dan

Hearts and Words With Friends
Words I can keep tabs on mom, (87 yrs old). If there are no games to play, I drive over and make sure she is ok (7 miles out of town) If no games, she is sick..

[Shep48COE]

I like tower madness. There is a sandbox setting with unlimited funds to see how many waves you can get to.

[tedly]

I'm sort of fuzzy on this focus thing. (and I hate computer games - I'd MUCH rather make something in the shop.)

Dan

I like tinkering and working on stuff too, but games are like what most people use TV for to me, to relax and wind down. Besides, not at the point in recovery where I can play in the garage yet. I'm still having trouble doing dishes and cooking.

[silver_bullet]

I'm not much into video games anymore....I like to design hypothetical hot rods, and how to fit everything into the desired parameters and making it all work... I don't have the money to really build them, but i really can come up with some very unusual combinations!... gotta keep those brain cells busy... I never know when i will have another challenge like this last week when with the frigid Bipolar vortex, we honestly had a digital compressor control board literally freeze... I wound up putting a small ceramic heater in the control cabinet and waited for a few hours and voila, it started working! sometimes you have to step back to refocus!

[pdub]

Hey tedly, it's here! But now you've got me nearly afraid to install it.

[tedly]

Lol! All is good, Pdub, give it a whirl. If it's too much of a time soak, chuck it out the window.

[pdub]

Well, Civilization V, to finish the story, we're Weeville techno victims again. It won't load. I tried it to frustration and I finally got Sue Unit to try it, too. There's no way past the security requirements, no matter what you put in a hundred times over and over. My email junk box is full of authorization codes.

That's for sure a good thing, if it's all that addictive. A cheap thrill. A hopeless challenge. Dang, I really wanted to play that game. We're just stupid, I guess.