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Chris

Idle Weekend January 16, 2017: What to Play

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Idle Weekend January 16, 2017:

Idle Weekend January 16, 2017


What to Play
There's a lot of existential dread in the world right now, and I think we're all feeling it. It even seeps into our favorite escape, in the form of choice paralysis and gaming guilt. Things get REAL in this episode, about our lives, the place of games, fear of mortality and over-exertion. But don't worry, we also get to fun synth-singing, our favorite games, and our mutual love of sports in other media.

Discussed: The Witcher 3, Mafia 3, Battlefield 1, Star Wars, Yowamushi Pedal, The Natural, Pitch, Creed, Halt and Catch Fire, Hadyn

 

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R & D,

 

Choice paralysis is such a HUGE bummer when it comes to entertainment. I've spent the last year and a bit working through the feelings you describe at the beginning of this episode and I think it really tarnished my gaming / movie time. 

 

My solution? Self Imposed constraints. A while ago I deleted all the games I wasn't 100% in on and set my library to show installed only. My library now only shows Total War: Warhammer, Darkest Dungeon, and Oxenfree, the three games I am currently playing. This has HUGELY improved my gaming experience. By limiting my choice I am more content to spend time with what is installed instead of trying to pick the perfect title for my mood. Every so often I open my entire game library and scroll through it to see if there is anything I want to install and then I make changes accordingly.

 

I know I have Dishonored 2 waiting for me in my Steam Library but I won't install it until I'm finished with one of the three games I have installed right now. If it was Installed I would hesitate and wonder if I was making the right choice every time I open of Total Warhammer and I'm still having a great time with those campaigns.

 

Netflix is by far the worst offender. I work long hours, study for a professional designation in my spare time, and have social/ familial obligations just like everyone else. When I get my movie or TV time later on in the night the last thing I want to do is scroll Netflix trying to pick the best option. It's pretty upsetting if you really think about what you're doing. Sometimes you can find something good but usually you watch the best of what's available soon after they update the selection. 

 

Our brains aren't wired to deal with too much choice and once we commit to something our minds will work to convince us that we have made the right decision. Try imposing some constraints on the amount of choice available to you, even if it is superficial like my example above, it will make a huge difference. There's a great Episode of NPR's Hidden Brain about this, check it out. Episode 42: Decide Already. The first half deals with too much choice.

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The realest podcast. Life is short, and if you're not having the optimal experience, you're missing out. Choice paralysis is the bane of my free time, and it's not just entertainment that's a problem.

 

I recently decided I needed a new toaster as my current one is several years old and is beyond ugly now. Its yellowing, brittle plastic clashes with the sleek modern kitchen in my apartment. It had to go. A quick search on Amazon brought up over 1000 results. Choice paralysis started to seep in - did this one have the features I needed? Was it really the best looking one? Could I get a cheaper model? How would I know, I hadn't seen them all! Hours had elapsed and I'm still looking, trying to optimise the toasting experience, I have to find the perfect one. Then when I thought I'd settled on one, I started to read the reviews. Big mistake, guys. For something as cheap and replaceable as a toaster, do not read the reviews.

 

Entertainment's worse - all you really have to go on are the reviews. But recommendations are subjective, and depend on the opinions, worldview, and background of the reviewer. It's hard to pick up these factors that inform an opinion on a work just from a review/blog/tweet. Sometimes people are going to shove hot garbage at you because they can't see the flaws in it, but thanks to your differing backgound, to you it's obvious. We're also stuck in a stupid culture war where people recommend media based on their politics, where quality of a work is less important than whether it agrees with you.

 

So What? Well, life is short and media isn't free. All that's happened is that I mistrust recommendations (unless both Tumblr progressives and Reddit alt-righters are loving a work, in which case it's probably good - but reading around costs time!). R&D have mentioned before that it's difficult to give an objective review, and there have been some self-aware reflections on liking trash just because it has themes or characters that appeal to them personally. I appreciate the fact that they're up-front about what they like and why - it does make it easier to grasp whether a work would appeal personally. So maybe that's the answer - curate a list of people you trust to give honest suggestions. Have a "good enough" experience, let go of the notion of a perfect option and just do it.

 

 

...but I still haven't bought that fucking toaster.

 

 

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On 1/16/2017 at 10:06 PM, Pearlmania said:

My solution? Self Imposed constraints. A while ago I deleted all the games I wasn't 100% in on and set my library to show installed only.

 

Yup, this. I try to only have 2 or 3 games on my plate at a time, and if I wanna play something else I gotta either finish or discard a current one(uninstalling and putting in the "Done", or "Discarded" Steam-folders). At the moment it's Satellite Reign and The Long Dark for me.

 

And yes, Netflix. I do end up with choice paralysis there. Maybe I need to work out a system for that too. I keep adding things to My List, which then never get watched. I've had The friggin Lincoln Lawyer on there for years now.

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