4 ms·

Simulator games are among my favourites, but totally agree that when I play Factorio, I often quit because I can't help but think "this itch can equally be scra

Simulator games are among my favourites, but totally agree that when I play Factorio, I often quit because I can't help but think "this itch can equally be scratched by working on the programming side-project you had in mind"

skinner927 3y ago
That’s horribly depressing and exactly how I feel.
- medstrom 3y ago
  Why depressing?
bilekas 3y ago
I'm not sure, but you say it like a bad thing, there is a weird few studies who've explored the game v work mentality before, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6829166/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6829166/ Not necessarily negative, but needs to be considered as a tool not a replacement. Wherever inspiration for a bit of "I need to scratch this itch" come from, personally I am the same and I love it. EDIT : Also, Factorio is top.
- jszymborski 3y ago
  You're absolutely right! I'm trying to beat out the "not productive = waste of time" mentality out of myself, and I'm getting much better about it! But Factorio somehow always brings it out of me :P A reminder to spend a goodly amount of your time on this Earth just basking in its pleasures, large and small, "productive" or otherwise.
dspillett 3y ago
You have more will power than I. I often think I should quit to do something more practically useful, but "I'll just do ... first" kicks in and I later feel crap for having not progressed the other things.
slothtrop 3y ago
This is why I can't even get started. "If I'm going to be creative, why not actually create?" Of course creativity's also a subject I pressure and criticize myself about, whereas with a game you may not hold yourself to those expectations.
TillE 3y ago
I had that reaction to Shenzhen I/O, which is literally just tinkering with microcontrollers and stuff, but fake. I've read enough real datasheets, thanks. I love Factorio though, it's much more about building and strategy than optimization and puzzle-solving. You can do the latter if you want to, or you can just play with trains.
- komadori 3y ago
  I also struggled to get into Shenzhen I/O, but I loved TIS-100 because the "fake hardware" is so distinctive and interesting compared to most real microprocessors.
fendy3002 3y ago
Yes for some. For others, it fulfills the programming feels without need to handle side effects and it's 100% reliable, unlike programming which always need to handle errors 70% of time. It's relaxing
- Macha 3y ago
  I don't know, my coding side projects don't run out of ammo and get devoured by giant bugs

skinner927 3y ago

That’s horribly depressing and exactly how I feel.

medstrom 3y ago
Why depressing?

bilekas 3y ago

I'm not sure, but you say it like a bad thing, there is a weird few studies who've explored the game v work mentality before, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6829166/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6829166/ Not necessarily negative, but needs to be considered as a tool not a replacement. Wherever inspiration for a bit of "I need to scratch this itch" come from, personally I am the same and I love it. EDIT : Also, Factorio is top.

jszymborski 3y ago
You're absolutely right! I'm trying to beat out the "not productive = waste of time" mentality out of myself, and I'm getting much better about it! But Factorio somehow always brings it out of me :P A reminder to spend a goodly amount of your time on this Earth just basking in its pleasures, large and small, "productive" or otherwise.

dspillett 3y ago

You have more will power than I. I often think I should quit to do something more practically useful, but "I'll just do ... first" kicks in and I later feel crap for having not progressed the other things.

slothtrop 3y ago

This is why I can't even get started. "If I'm going to be creative, why not actually create?" Of course creativity's also a subject I pressure and criticize myself about, whereas with a game you may not hold yourself to those expectations.

TillE 3y ago

I had that reaction to Shenzhen I/O, which is literally just tinkering with microcontrollers and stuff, but fake. I've read enough real datasheets, thanks. I love Factorio though, it's much more about building and strategy than optimization and puzzle-solving. You can do the latter if you want to, or you can just play with trains.

komadori 3y ago
I also struggled to get into Shenzhen I/O, but I loved TIS-100 because the "fake hardware" is so distinctive and interesting compared to most real microprocessors.

fendy3002 3y ago

Yes for some. For others, it fulfills the programming feels without need to handle side effects and it's 100% reliable, unlike programming which always need to handle errors 70% of time. It's relaxing

Macha 3y ago
I don't know, my coding side projects don't run out of ammo and get devoured by giant bugs