Have some of the usual members left Racketboy forums ?

[nightrnr]

Part of me envies the ambition to give up the whole gaming thing. I may reach that state one day. I also totally (more or less) understand life taking someone in different directions.

As for me, the whole point of gaming is to escape the mundane. Much of life just isn't that interesting to me, or becomes intolerable as the days clump together.
I need this ever-present passion (if not mild obsession) to take me away from the real.
About life passing me by, I should be so lucky. I made it to my 30's without severe psychotic trauma and I think I'm okay (even if I'm not exactly). The pursuit of games helped get me here. If I get through another 30+ years in decent shape, gaming or not, I'll count it well lived.

That said, I am mature enough to drop games when necessary (this Holiday Season I'm not gaming too much actually, as I'm quite busy). So I think I'm well adjusted enough.

Now, as for actively posting, I'm just not that social I guess, or just quiet by nature. Plus it doesn't take a lot going on in said "real life" to really kill motivation for everything else, even if it's just posting. But I'll try to be more active when time and circumstance permits.

In any case, this is the best all around forum I have come across in my cyber-travels. I don't think I'll ever really leave until the internet apocalypse bans us all.

[mas]

I love being here on Racketboy. Because of this site I have gotten to have a very good friends here. If I ever needed advice I know any one of them I can email and they can give me thier input.
I tried to leave. I did give up on gaming for a little bit. But I have had it in my life for so long I didn't know what other hobbies to get into. For me gaming experience is a way for me to relax from life and bills and stress. See for me retro gaming is like my own time machine.
Today and reality sucks with all the hate, and violence, in this world,and as we get older and times go by our childhood neighborhoods, places we used to go or stores or businesses that once were disappear it hurts and saddens me. But when I put on the nes, or Genesis, or the ps1, or the snes, the games are still there in full form. Nothing has changed. The controllers are the same as they were when I was a kid. The games are as fun as when I played them back in the day. It's a retreat for me.
I do miss a couple of people here and I'm sure some will come back.

[Exhuminator]

Is dunpeal2064 still alive?

I miss that guy.

Part of me envies the ambition to give up the whole gaming thing.

Why?

[TSTR]

Is dunpeal2064 still alive?

I miss that guy.

+1 miss u bb

[Ivo]

I actually missed this post the first time around, but see it now thanks to Irixith.

Due to work and personal life I have been using my time in other activities, reading about other topics. In many cases, having a blast with it.
I haven't played many games lately, and I posted very sporadically here, but I still really like (retro and other) games.

Many of the regulars here that have been posting less seem to be top notch people that I would like to meet in person.

[nightrnr]

Part of me envies the ambition to give up the whole gaming thing.

Why?

I don't know, it would be kind of liberating. Giving up an obsession opens up your world to new possibilities.
Plus there's that whole philosophy that your possessions can end up owning you.
But even with that mentality, I like choosing what I am enslaved to (games really aren't that bad a way to go, if you keep them in check ).

Many of the regulars here that have been posting less seem to be top notch people that I would like to meet in person.

Same sentiments here

[Exhuminator]

Giving up an obsession opens up your world to new possibilities.

Like becoming obsessed instead with a different hobby? Obsessive people gonna obsess.

[Key-Glyph]

I'm really interested in the dichotomy people put forward with video games on one side and "real life" on the other; they're so often referred to as opposing forces.

Do people have thoughts as to why video games might be seen in this light more than books, movies, and perhaps other hobbies? The only thing I see talked about in a similar way is employment -- the struggle of balancing work vs. life.

I'm seriously curious to hear people's takes on this. Ponder away, folks!

[MrPopo]

I'm really interested in the dichotomy people put forward with video games on one side and "real life" on the other; they're so often referred to as opposing forces.

Do people have thoughts as to why video games might be seen in this light more than books, movies, and perhaps other hobbies? The only thing I see talked about in a similar way is employment -- the struggle of balancing work vs. life.

I'm seriously curious to hear people's takes on this. Ponder away, folks!

It's something I don't personally understand. It could be the interactive nature makes it a large form of escapism than enjoying the story of a book or a movie. I suppose you could see a similar level of escapism in some of the hardcore modeling hobbies, but those have a similar level of stigma. And culturally we are only just starting to admit that yes, video games are not just a kid's toy. There's always been a general stigma to the notion of "childish" things, which is dumb. When you're a kid jumping on a trampoline is fun. Then you get older and you don't do it anymore. But it's still fun; I've done it as an adult (though it's surprisingly more physical than I remembered). We learn to appreciate more nuanced things as adults but that shouldn't mean we automatically abandon that which we enjoyed when we are younger.

A related hobby is comics. The stories have gained a lot of mainstream appeal thanks to the MCU and the other strong superhero movies that came before. But I suspect the actual collecting of comics is still considered to be an adolescent activity to be abandoned by stodgy adults.

Life is what you do. That usually involves work, some kind of social interaction, and then activities. No activity is more or less worthy than another. It's all about what's important to you. If you like fishing then go fish. If you like video games go play. If you enjoy volunteering at the theater then go do that. As long as you enjoy it then it's a valuable use of your time, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

[Ivo]

I don't know if Key's question was partly aimed at me, I wrote "personal life" rather than "real life", maybe it is nitpicking.

I think there is only real life, and video games are part of my life as books, exercise, and so on.

With "personal life" in my case I was referring to relationships with other people I care about (family and friends), which to some extent have limited my "free time" (another nebulous concept, we all have the same 24 hours a day).

Video games still have a chunk of stigma, compared e.g. to books. Which is a bit illogical. Certain video games are much better at teaching certain concepts than many books. And this is with books having many years of "experience" in teaching, whereas video games are relatively recent (although games in general have been around).

If you go not even that many years ago, reading books also had a certain stigma (and probably still has a little bit). Bookworm as an insult and so on. Nerdy/geeky hobbies in general have had some stigma, before books were common there was probably something in the middle ages that had a similar stigma if you were a bit different or, worse, smarter than the average person in the village and didn't hide it.

Related: I still jump on trampolines (it is one of the reasons I have not had as much time for video games).
Usually if I see a free swing, I go swing on it as well. Still loads of fun (a shame that most of them are kid sized, so they hang really close to the ground).

It helps not caring about what other people think, unfortunately some of those other people can screw you up with regards to employment opportunities and such so it is harmful not caring at all.