I have a problem. /played

N0TPLAYER2

I’ve played eso since launch, but I took nearly a full year off around homestead until recently.

Today I looked at my 9 characters and added up my playtime. I realize I have a serious problem. How can this even be real? And this doesn’t even include the additional time of logging in and out because we all know that takes forever too.

Here’s the /played stats for my 9 characters

1 - 134 days 23 hours - 3239 Hours
2 - 35 days 11 hours - 851 Hours
3 - 23 days 16 hours - 568 Hours
4 - 10 days 13 Hours - 253 Hours
5 - 8 days 20 hours - 212 Hours
6 - 3 days 21 hours - 93 Hours
7 - 3 days 23 hours - 95 Hours
8 - 3 days 18 hours - 90 Hours
9 - 1 day 22 hours - 46 Hours

5219 total hours
217.5 full 24 hour days

What am I doing with my life.

But on the flip side, I do have nearly every achievement in the game, 5 and 1/2 master anglers, 25 million gold, well over 100-150 million in assets and spent gold (man I wish there was an overall gold earned counter) and then some.

So what’s you guys /played look like? I’m very curious.

PS - In case you didn’t know. You can type /played into the chat box and hit enter and it will tell you the amount of time played on that character.

JamieAubrey

See sig

Davor

I have resartitis. Sadly I am only level 30ish. My highest because I take breaks, loose the "feel" of my character and start over. No where near your hours.

Nothing to be ashamed of. After all lots of us do this watching TV or something else. As long as you are enjoying it, nothing wrong at all and it's not a problem, unless you are neglecting yourself or family/loved ones. Since you took a year off, you don't have a problem.

N0TPLAYER2

JamieAubrey wrote: »

See sig

Can’t on phone. What’s your total?

Waffennacht

24 days out of.... Let's see here 21,900 on the short end?

You'll probably end up spending way more time at red lights than playing ESO.

That fact alone should make ESO time well spent

Waffennacht

N0TPLAYER2 wrote: »

JamieAubrey wrote: »

See sig

Can’t on phone. What’s your total?

His total is roughly 170 days

Which is still less time than the average person spends at red lights during a lifetime

redspecter23

"You have played for 536 days, 1 hour, 24 minutes and 30 seconds."

Lightweights, all of you

N0TPLAYER2

redspecter23 wrote: »

"You have played for 536 days, 1 hour, 24 minutes and 30 seconds."

Lightweights, all of you

All on one guy? Or combined

redspecter23

N0TPLAYER2 wrote: »

redspecter23 wrote: »

"You have played for 536 days, 1 hour, 24 minutes and 30 seconds."

Lightweights, all of you

All on one guy? Or combined

Combined, I'm not that insane. 15 toons on PC/NA and 8 mostly new toons on PC/EU.

N0TPLAYER2

redspecter23 wrote: »

N0TPLAYER2 wrote: »

redspecter23 wrote: »

"You have played for 536 days, 1 hour, 24 minutes and 30 seconds."

Lightweights, all of you

All on one guy? Or combined

Combined, I'm not that insane. 15 toons on PC/NA and 8 mostly new toons on PC/EU.

Nice. That’s a ton! Keep the numbers coming in, very curious!

MrGarlic

In two years since I started playing I have made it to 6268 hours in total. (~261 days)

AlienatedGoat

If you spend too much time staring at your hours played...

...you'll be wasting the time you could be using to play those hours.

Wrecking_Blow_Spam

Is not so bad, ask yourself in that time what would you be doing?
If answer is watching TV, or playing other games then it's no big deal.

Like someone else said, so long as you take care of your health and any family/friends etc then it's up to how you spend your time.

Plus you taken a year off, so you cool.

I find one of the most niggly things with ESO are the daily writs/horse.
In the sense when you do writs on multiple characters, let's just say 6 for example, the rewards are so good and it's very efficient and almost addictive. This I realised over a year ago, I no longer do writs. When you do them religiously, you pretty much waste 30min-1 hour doing just that AND you always find a way to log on each day. For me, I'm already rich on eso so writs although very lucrative I don't do them for above reasons. Like I not logged in for 4 days, yet if was doing writs you'd probably log in on them days, if you understand what I'm saying.

madchuska83

You think you have a problem? Talk to they guy with all 3,500 books. He's got a problem.

Ectheliontnacil

I don't know what my /played is and honestly I don't want to know.

It is true that you have a problem and so do I along with countless others. Many of us have spent hours or years even, playing video games or binge watching youtube/netflix. There's no excuse for this, it isn't normal and it isn't just "doing something you enjoy". We're running away from reality but there is no escaping life, addiction will not solve any problems.

Procrastination is a growing trend in our society. I am honestly worried that we might all devolve into useless layabouts. Games and youtube videos are addicting to an extent that is unparalleled and it is the worst kind of addiction there is. Being addicted to substances makes you crave them to briefly relieve the negative effects from withdrawal. Being addicted to video games however paralises and poisons your mind, all your thoughts revolve around gaming and this alternate reality steals your every waking minute.

My life hasn't been destroyed by gaming (yet) but I am afraid that it might be. I am a student of law at university and so far I have managed to pass tests etc. but I feel that I'm starting to slip. I am spending an ever increasing amount of time in eso. I am content with mediocrity even though I was once determined to achieve excellence. Already it sickens me to think of all the time I have wasted in pursuit of this "hobby"...the opportunities I missed and the friends I lost. I have been trying to quit for a while now but I am weak and keep coming back.

I have come to despise video game companies, they should face worse scrutiny than cigarette companies. Every game released (MMOs especially) has the potential to ruin thousands of lives. Streamers and platforms that promote gaming are equally guilty, one might even hold them responsible for the genocidal (targeted at gamers) effect of video games. In the end one can only blame oneself though... you're doing it to yourself!

Eso is quite literally cancer and it's high time that we all view it as such, it's not harmless but very dangerous.

I wish everyone dealing with video game addiction the best of luck, you will need it!

Ocelot9x

200+ days and only 10k in my inventory, I think I've some problems with money management

Voxicity

836557 days played

I'm not ashamed

Wrecking_Blow_Spam

Ectheliontnacil wrote: »

I don't know what my /played is and honestly I don't want to know.

It is true that you have a problem and so do I along with countless others. Many of us have spent hours or years even, playing video games or binge watching youtube/netflix. There's no excuse for this, it isn't normal and it isn't just "doing something you enjoy". We're running away from reality but there is no escaping life, addiction will not solve any problems.

Procrastination is a growing trend in our society. I am honestly worried that we might all devolve into useless layabouts. Games and youtube videos are addicting to an extent that is unparalleled and it is the worst kind of addiction there is. Being addicted to substances makes you crave them to briefly relieve the negative effects from withdrawal. Being addicted to video games however paralises and poisons your mind, all your thoughts revolve around gaming and this alternate reality steals your every waking minute.

My life hasn't been destroyed by gaming (yet) but I am afraid that it might be. I am a student of law at university and so far I have managed to pass tests etc. but I feel that I'm starting to slip. I am spending an ever increasing amount of time in eso. I am content with mediocrity even though I was once determined to achieve excellence. Already it sickens me to think of all the time I have wated in pursuit of this "hobby"...the opportunities I missed and the friends I lost. I have been trying to quit for a while now but I am weak and keep coming back.

I have come to despise video game companies, they should face worse scrutiny than cigarette companies. Every game released (MMOs especially) has the potential to ruin thousands of lives. Streamers and platforms that promote gaming are equally guilty, one might even hold them responsible for the genocidal (targeted at gamers) effect of video games. In the end one can only blame oneself though... you're doing it to yourself!

Eso is quite literally cancer and it's high time that we all view it as such, it's not harmless but very dangerous.

I wish everyone dealing with video game addiction the best of luck, you will need it!

@Ectheliontnacil nice post, some what you say is true although not sure if you're being sarcastic or not in parts.

Some points like you saying it's not okay to play this, let me say this: a conventional and known social outing in place of eso is not equally great.
Let's say you're a regular at a local bar and you go there for couple hours everyday with your mates to hang out, play pool, watch sports etc. Ask yourself why is this considered healthier?
If you find both fun, on games you can still social interact with people (usually not in person), then to me I don't see the problem in this scenario.

However how you describe it, well I think it's okay to play in moderation. Get your life back on track, do other things you enjoy, take care of your health... And once that's all in order, if you still want to play eso then you can! Just in moderation.

Hope this helps somehow

freespirit

Last time I looked I was around 500 days over all characters......

I hope my husband never sees my /played stats ...... it would be divorce fodder for sure!!

FakeFox

I have close to 4000h I think. But what does it matter? As long as you have fun it's not wasted time.

I don't think problematic behaviour can be measured in time. Your motivation and goals behind it and what you sacrifice in order to be able to spent all that time playing a video game is what really matters. If you play video games 10h a day, but don't give up work, social life, hygiene, education, etc. for it I honestly don't see a problem.

Ectheliontnacil

@Wrecking_Blow_Spam

Wrecking_Blow_Spam wrote: »

Ectheliontnacil wrote: »

I don't know what my /played is and honestly I don't want to know.

It is true that you have a problem and so do I along with countless others. Many of us have spent hours or years even, playing video games or binge watching youtube/netflix. There's no excuse for this, it isn't normal and it isn't just "doing something you enjoy". We're running away from reality but there is no escaping life, addiction will not solve any problems.

Procrastination is a growing trend in our society. I am honestly worried that we might all devolve into useless layabouts. Games and youtube videos are addicting to an extent that is unparalleled and it is the worst kind of addiction there is. Being addicted to substances makes you crave them to briefly relieve the negative effects from withdrawal. Being addicted to video games however paralises and poisons your mind, all your thoughts revolve around gaming and this alternate reality steals your every waking minute.

My life hasn't been destroyed by gaming (yet) but I am afraid that it might be. I am a student of law at university and so far I have managed to pass tests etc. but I feel that I'm starting to slip. I am spending an ever increasing amount of time in eso. I am content with mediocrity even though I was once determined to achieve excellence. Already it sickens me to think of all the time I have wated in pursuit of this "hobby"...the opportunities I missed and the friends I lost. I have been trying to quit for a while now but I am weak and keep coming back.

I have come to despise video game companies, they should face worse scrutiny than cigarette companies. Every game released (MMOs especially) has the potential to ruin thousands of lives. Streamers and platforms that promote gaming are equally guilty, one might even hold them responsible for the genocidal (targeted at gamers) effect of video games. In the end one can only blame oneself though... you're doing it to yourself!

Eso is quite literally cancer and it's high time that we all view it as such, it's not harmless but very dangerous.

I wish everyone dealing with video game addiction the best of luck, you will need it!

@Ectheliontnacil nice post, some what you say is true although not sure if you're being sarcastic or not in parts.

Some points like you saying it's not okay to play this, let me say this: a conventional and known social outing in place of eso is not equally great.
Let's say you're a regular at a local bar and you go there for couple hours everyday with your mates to hang out, play pool, watch sports etc. Ask yourself why is this considered healthier?
If you find both fun, on games you can still social interact with people (usually not in person), then to me I don't see the problem in this scenario.

However how you describe it, well I think it's okay to play in moderation. Get your life back on track, do other things you enjoy, take care of your health... And once that's all in order, if you still want to play eso then you can! Just in moderation.

Hope this helps somehow

I wasn't being sarcastic although I do tend to exaggerate. ^^

You say it's like being a regular at a bar and pllaying in moderation is ok. Well perhaps you're right but I would disagree. No matter how often you play, gaming is useless, it serves no purpose whatsoever. Humanity and yourself do not profit from gaming, even though you may enjoy it. And even by playing an hour every two weeks, you put yourself at risk of becoming addicted. Many people play moderately at first, but become addicted over time (sometimes because of RL events).

I myself play "moderately", probably. During the week I play at irregular intervals and on weekends too I don't play when I have other plans. I don't play 20hrs/day like others. However the time I spend theoricrafting new builds and the ever increasing amount of effort I invest in the game is worrying. The fact that I am unable to wuit terrifies me. And I know I'm not alone, so many others suffer from this addiction.

I will tell this to anyone who asks me: Don't ever play eso or any other game for that matter. It's dangerous beyond your wildest dreams.

I don't mean to say that you don't have some valid points. I am sure there's people out there who can play one a month, have fun for a coue hours and then quit again . But look at twitch, lool at how many children underperform in school due to addiction and look at all those who ruin their social life, so they can get perfected asylum inferno staves... there's no denying the fact that gaming is a major problem.

Mic1007

@MyNameIsElias I wonder what his playtime total is, considering all that time spent fishing.

AlienatedGoat

Ectheliontnacil wrote: »

Eso is quite literally cancer and it's high time that we all view it as such, it's not harmless but very dangerous.

Literally cancer? Not even close.

Potential for abuse? Yes, but to be fair so can everything else.

Ectheliontnacil

@Phage

https://youtu.be/oVK4PAwT9fc

Look at that video. That guy lost over 10 years of his life basically and there's countless people in the eso community that (will) share his fate.

Wrecking_Blow_Spam

@Ectheliontnacil

Fair points, however I'd like to mention this quote.

No matter how often you play, gaming is useless, it serves no purpose whatsoever. Humanity and yourself do not profit from gaming, even though you may enjoy it.

This kind of outlook sadly can be applied to pretty much everything in the world. It can get deep when you think to much on it.
Most recreational things can be applied to this, in the grand scheme it's all not gunna make a difference to the world....

But it does make a difference to your world - the people you interact with, meet, love, learn from. And maybe your argument is that video games isolates genuine social interaction, which it does.
But my view on this is, you should enjoy your time on the earth and if you genuinely enjoy playing games as a hobby then I don't see the big problem.

Yes, video games don't help society, most things don't though. If everyone wanted to better the world, then it'd be a great place but that's just not the reality unfortunately. It still can be great in parts though

Vast majority of people don't like working, it's an endless grind, majority of times their job doesn't better the world, escaping this reality in games can really help people. Although it can also be a hindrance for them to make meaningful change.

FakeFox

Ectheliontnacil wrote: »

No matter how often you play, gaming is useless, it serves no purpose whatsoever. Humanity and yourself do not profit from gaming, even though you may enjoy it.

Gaming clearly serves a purpose as everything does. This purpose may vary from person to person and you might not put a lot of value into the purpose that gaming servers for you, but there is a purpose, otherwise you wouldn't be doing it. Purpose is a completely subjective thing and even if gaming is nothing more then fun or a way to pass the time this never the less is a purpose. I guess how much you value those things depends heavily on your belief system. Apart from that there are many other things you can learn from gaming in my opinion. I personally have learned a great deal about leadership and conflict management from particularly raiding and it helped me a great deal in my university studies and work.
I don't want to deny that there are people that have addiction problems and/or ruined their lives with gaming, but that does not make it generally bad.

Ectheliontnacil

@Wrecking_Blow_Spam

You're absolutely right. Most of what we do isn't really beneficial to anyone. Even your job, is most likely the product of a disfunctioning society.

Most of our lives are ultimately meaningless. Very few among us have the privilege to create something for which they will be remembered. The overwhelming majority of us will one day come to rest in an unmarked grave and will be forgotten within a generation or two. I struggle with this realisation, it makes me profoundly sad. But even if you will not go down in history, I still think you can give your life meaning by being kind and by cultivating friendships, thus helping humanity (even if it's just a little bit).

But you have a strong argument as well. If life is pointless, why not enjoy it? And if video games make you happ, I don't want to deny anyone that pleasure .

Note: I know this sounds pseudo-philosophical and very cliché...but I can't explain it any better.

Lysette

Well, the notion that video gaming would not have a purpose in the real world is just plain wrong. Without that industry we wouldn't have those computers we have now, we wouldn't have that fast GPUs, which are as well used for other computation than just video games, we wouldn't not have smart phones and most of the essentials, we take for granted nowadays. Most of that is based on fast computation and we wouldn't have it like that if it would not be about the video gaming industry. It creates countless jobs for people, not just in gaming companies, but as well in research, in production all over the world.

Video game addiction is bad, no doubt about that, but you can't say, that it is not having a purpose in the real world. It does!

smacx250

Well, I have a number of long-time (35+ years) and short time (6yo now) video gamer's among my friends and family (and some I'd call addicted). Compared to the deaths and other severe issues caused by nicotine and alcohol addiction in that same group, the video game thing stacks up to pretty much nothing. Sure, you could cherry pick a few examples, but overall, it's either very ignorant or viciously deceptive to equate them.

Edit: Just checked - 145 days played since PC launch!

Reverb

PC players can get the Played All add-on that will add up the /played totals across all toons. Not including time on PTS or character's I've deleted, I've played for 314 days, 14 hours, 46min and 55 seconds. Let's make it 50min by the time I finish typing this.

Seems like a lot, but I also got engaged then married, and finished my MBA then got promoted, and bought a home in that time. So i feel ok about how much time I spend gaming.

Waffennacht

Damn, here I was thinking I was lucky that I even can play video games. Ya know, I have all my limbs, not dying of starvation, not being enslaved by the new local warlord after barely making it past the genocide. Lucky that I have food and shelter and electricity, lucky I'm in a building with heat.

Damn, didn't know I had it so bad.......................


What could life have been?

Could be in that car wreck with 6 dead friends
Could be ODed at that concert
Could be shot in Afghanistan
Could be .... Could be... Could be...

We all got it pretty good if we are even able to game