Problems in video games. Again.

Okay. So, um, I am yet again having difficulty trying to get enjoyment out of my video games. This time, however, I have been able to come up with two reasons for that:

1. I do not set myself any objectives beyond "win". This ultimately leaves me extremely unfulfilled because "win" is usually an objective that can only be attained after weeks, maybe months of practice; it's the endpoint of a very long journey. (i.e. in an arcade game, it's "beat the game, and don't continue") Ultimately, this lack of fulfillment also kills my focus, which brings me to:
2. I have a generalized focusing problem. It's not just in video games; it's in everything I do. However, it's less pronounced in video games as while playing them my mind doesn't usually drift away from the task in question, but I still don't feel fully concentrated in what I'm doing. This lack of focus kills my motiation because I end up unfulfilled, as per the first item.

With that said, I gotta ask a couple of questions:

• In games that don't have clear-cut progress objectives (i.e. a fighting game's multiplayer component, in my case, Touhou Hisoutensoku's netplay), how can I establish myself smaller objectives to serve as stepping stones to a major goal? This is not just for this game, it's for any game.
• Are there any techniques I can do to improve my focus?

Thank you for your attention.^note Should you actually be interested in another part of my recent plight, click here to view a post I've made in the Lunatic Red forums about my problems.

edited 25th Nov '12 4:04:23 PM by AngelG55th

If you find yourself desperately wanting to enjoy videogames but are unable to, it may just be that you're burnt out on the games you're playing or on games in general. If the former, try poking into a different genre or two. If the latter, have some time off from games overall.

What do you think was the last video game you played that you really enjoyed?

edited 25th Nov '12 7:53:38 PM by DrStarky

Put me in motion, drink the potion, use the lotion, drain the ocean, cause commotion, fake devotion, entertain a notion, be Nova Scotian

Focus wise, if it's a serious problem in your general life and not just games go see a psychiatrist. They can help and not just with drugs. I'm not a fan of fighting games but I think the point is the fight itself not so much the outcome. There's pleasure in beating your opponent not just in advancing the story. As for stepping stones, maybe mastering new moves? That question seems like it's specific to what game you're talking about.

I have a hard time focusing on games without a story. I recently beat Assassin's Creed 3 and even though I have a bunch of extra stuff to do it seems pointless if it doesn't advance any plot. So, according to you, did I win? Or is it the 100% that makes you win?

It would also help if you said what kind of games you play.

Mario Kart Wii. Played during the latter half of 2009 and the entirety of 2010. In it I would actually manage to enjoy most of my games since talking to other players was a regularity, thanks to Skype. This talking would actually carry over into another game of mine - Mod Nation Racers, a game I've played from early 2011 to August 2012. It wouldn't last all the way through that game, though. My PS 3 headset eventually broke and from there on it was hell for me. Mostly action/arcade/racing games, probably due to their straightforwardness fitting my short attention span and inability to focus. I would have kept on going until I completed the game 100%, so it would be that that would make me win. Basically, only examples of total victory tend to be my "win" objective.

edited 26th Nov '12 3:38:26 AM by AngelG55th

And now you've lost me. So you want to learn how to enjoy and beat videogames, yet don't want to win because it would make you lose focus on your goals? What exactly ARE you looking for then?

Games without win conditions, maybe? How's your opinion of games like Tetris?

It's not the winning that makes me lose focus. It's the lack of winning that makes me feel empty, unfulfilled inside, and that ultimately ruins my motivation. Even when they don't have clear-cut win conditions, I always manage somehow to find a way to compare myself to others. In that case, I'd compare my score to the scores or lines cleared of others, and proceed to earn a feeling of inferiority if I do get beaten in such counts. I also have focusing problems in endless games, which manifests itself in me sometimes quitting out of the game before it actually ends, for one.

edited 26th Nov '12 4:51:44 AM by AngelG55th

You have strange demands for a videogame to meet, that's for sure. Just out of curiousity: what do you think of games like Fallout or Skyrim? Both of them have definite endings that can be reached fairly quick if you follow the Main Quests and do nothing else. But the real treasure of them is to go off the beaten path and find loot, vistas, and quests to do. Neither are infinite though: after some point, you'll reach the maximum level, find every hidden nook and cranny, and collect everything. I know the first point wouldn't bother you, but how would you react to the rest of what they offer?

The few open-world games I've played I actually enjoyed, but unless the game clearly shows me the sidequests and such that you can do (e.g. Saints Row 3) or I use a 100% guide as a checklist (as I did for the three GTA games of the III era) I run the significant list of getting lost in the world's activities, trying to find a way to organize how to do all the tasks.

Well you shouldn't be too worried, then. Most open-world games these days have percentages or "x out of y" lists to help you understand what you've accomplished and what is yet to be done. But since you mentioned that, you might want to avoid Skyrim and Fallout. Both of those rely upon the player making different character builds each playthrough, and a lot of the entertainment comes from getting lost and finding new areas and things to do by stumbling upon them, not by being assigned.