This week’s question comes from Jason Gimba, who feels he has wasted his time if he doesn’t finish a game.
I can see his point of view but the phrase “So many women, so little time” seems apt here.
If after the first chapter of a book, first few episodes of a TV show, first few levels of a game aren’t interesting I won’t continue. There are too many other great things to do to waste them on not so great things.
Sure, I could be missing out of some wonderful stuff later on, but I don’t see why I should have to play through crap to get to it.
That’s said, I do feel a strong need to finish a mod if I have to post it on the site. I feel that’s a different kind of responsibility.
My opinion is probably an extreme, but what about you?
The Poll
I can recall only a few games/mods that I’ve ever dropped (single player, that is). Other than that, it’s always finish for me.
I guess that’s partially because my financial situation forces me to make the most of every game I get and that attitude has extended to mods too.
I feel that by not finishing a game or mod, I am greatly insulting the producer(s) of said item. The only time I don’t finish games or mods is when I have severe problems either running it or with the mechanics of it.
Also, if I am getting any enjoyment out of it, I will see it through to its end. I don’t want to be left wondering what the conclusion of the story was, especially when I had the capability of finding out.
Is adictive!!! I have to learn to be more like phillip and measure my playing time, the worst it can happen is to have 2 or 3 maps or mods stacked there without playing, is an akward sensation!!!!; like a drug u need oh god, I think i’ll never get over of Half Life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, I allways end what I started!
I always like to finish a mod even if it is just to justify the time spent by the creator or team making it.
I, as just a player am amazed at the amount of effort required to make these mods and the time it takes to get them finished. So I do feel I should finish even the more chaotic maps, you know, the one’s where a bit of no clipping and map jumping are required!
I do feel a great sense of achievement finishing a long hard slog of a mod like, “Strider Mountain”, for example or even a good short one like, “Whoopservatory”. Even the bad ones often have interesting ideas or locations so they are worth finishing. I mean. You take all that effort to download and install a mod so you might as well finish it. Then you can judge it and bitch and moan if you hated it, or even praise its virtues! J
That said; I still have not finished HL2-Ep2 and I paid for that!
It’s important to me to finish, I don’t mod/map, but I feel each map/mod deserves a fair play no matter how lame they might be!! Anyway I’m retired! 😉
I have a personal commitment to ensure that I always complete something that I start and gaming is no exception. Of course, there are always things that get in the way of completion such as time constraints or the game/mod being unplayable, either because my computer can’t run it or the game/mod was broken/poorly optimised but they get completed eventually.
If I can’t play the game/mod straight away due to technical problems, I will generally come back to it later when it’s in a playable state or my computer can handle it. I did that with games like Oblivion and Crysis because my computer just could handle them when they released, even though I tried.
Because I finish everything I start, I need to research and make sure that I will probably enjoy the game/mod before I commit to playing it. Actually, come to think of it, I do that for pretty much everything I buy or invest time in.
I only don’t finish a game or mod if I can’t…ie: stuck and can’t get a walkthrough…or it’s just too hard and there’s no cheats…
Not important , if I dont like the game or the mod why not waste my time on it .
Sometines a mod like Minerva is good but then come mods like … well I dont know.
Lets just cut to the case by saying that I dont like doing 100% mods or games if I dont want to.
Since I play and like to review here, I’ve tried – really tried – to make sure that I do finish the mods and maps I download, in order to offer an appropriate review.
That said, when I *haven’t* been able or willing to finish a mod, there’s usually a compelling reason for it. I try to get as far as I can, then use whatever cheats are necessary. If I’m still *having fun* while using godmode or having to occasionally noclip to things, that’s one thing. But if I’m grinding through areas with noclip and god on *trying to figure out what to do* or *just to get to the end of the map*, that’s NOT fun, and NEVER leads to a positive review on my part.
I don’t feel particularly compelled to finish poorly-made mods. A good mapper or modder will put enough effort into their work that I enjoy seeing what they’ve made. Even if something is poorly executed, I’d still like to SEE what else is there- unless it’s so poorly put together that I can’t get past a portion/map/enemy.
I DO feel compelled to finish things *if possible*. Just because I have issues completing things myself, it’s refreshing to know that other people aren’t as sadly phobic of “being done” with something as I am. 🙂
If I like the game or mod I try to finish it… If I don’t or if it’s getting boring after some while I lose interest in it and move on to something else.
But eventually I always try to finish everything just to see how it end’s.
I am notoriously bad at finishing games I have started but this is a real test of a map or mods appeal. I tend to only play for short periods of time. As a result, map or mod has to be good enough that I actually remember to go back to it.
If its good enough I tend to make it to the end alas very few maps are that good.