Sleepy Gaming

I'm really tired, and I don't know why, but that brought me to the thought of gaming while tired. I don't think I'll have much to say here, but I'll see what I can post up.

It happens to everyone. You're playing and it's going great, and then you look at the time. 1:30 AM. Whether or not you actually have to wake up that day, it's still not a great sight to see. At that point too, skills begin to decline and reflexes slow, reactions are less frequent and frustration levels begin to rise, compounding the problem.

The obvious solution is to go to sleep, but some gamers feel like they can "go all night," and so they do. The problems with this I've already stated, but there is a phenomenon I experience that I think requires expanding on.

I'll make no lies about my own obsession with games. I've posted at 4:00 AM some nights. But what I find interesting is that the last game I play in the wee hours of the morning is often the best of the night. Whereas I'll barely be breaking even in K/D and sit comfortably in the center of the scoreboard. I've contributed, but not enough for it to be noteworthy. Then, for some reason, my playstyle changes and I go on a rampage, taking point after point, saving allies and killing enemies like it's something I do regularly with no effort. I cannot say I know why this is happening.

The one explanation I have is this. At some point in the session, prior to my late night tear, I had a great game. A game you only have once a week or less. I say to myself that I need to stop and go to sleep, but I do not. I keep playing, and I suffer for it. Then the night grows frustrating and my pride goes up on the line. So I keep going, and I finally stop with a second good game. The guy who played Morpheus in The Matrix said it best on CSI the other night. Basically, I was chasing that good feeling, the feeling of success and accomplishment, but, when I didn't get it, the chase grew harder, and I lost ground. It is only when the mind begins to shut down and calm to restore itself in the early morning that I can pull it all together for one last game. It is only then that I find it in my power to stop and go to sleep.

It's funny, I guess, but not hard to understand. I feel good once, I want it a second time. When I get it, I'm satisfied.

I know, though, that it isn't good for my health, and now, at 11:45, I'm going to bed. The earliest in weeks.

Thanks for reading,
Xiant