Ajita al Tchar
Republic Military School Minmatar Republic
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Posted - 2012.02.23 21:29:00 -
[1] - Quote
Vincent Athena wrote:The main issue I have is PvP is draining, leaving me feeling horrid. Not something I want from a game. How do I prevent that from happening, other than total avoidance of PvP? The best explanation I have for why this happens is I do not get The Rush.
The Rush is a good felling one gets with and after a burst of adrenaline associated with an exciting experience, like PvP combat. Not everyone gets The Rush. Some get no pleasure from adrenaline, and some actually feel bad or sick from it. According to Dr. Drew Pinsky, the difference between these people is genetic. You are born to get The Rush, or you are not. The result is some players will not enjoy PvP and actively seek to avoid it. After all this is a game, people will tend to avoid game activities that make them sick.
But I also get the feeling that I would enjoy it if it was not for the above effect. What can I do to actually enjoy PvP?
The short answer is: don't let yourself feel that rush fully. The farther toward "homg adrenaline wheeeeee" the pendulum of neuro-chemical responses of the human body swings, the farther it will swing the other way, leaving you feeling godawful. This is true of a great many things, learning to achieve a more or less stable state is not easy, but very beneficial. You're right, it's probably genetic, but it's definitely something that you're hardwired to feel. Adrenaline makes some people sick, the goal is not to change the way it makes you feel (I don't think you can if it's bad enough), the goal is to control the adrenaline spikes.
The long answer full of my own thoughts, anecdotes and speculation is within this wall of text.
This is an interesting issue because it concerns the interface between stuff you do in game and how it affects your physical state. Confirming that this used to happen to me, and still does at times when I'm kind of zoning out and then SUDDENLY people that want to kill me (usually happens when hauling something many jumps through low/null, and jumping into a sea of red as I get into the personal autopilot groove of warping from gate to safe to gate). I get headaches from the adrenaline in these situations and it totally sounds ******** because I'm experiencing real life health effects from flying Internet Spaceships, but this is the way of things. The adrenaline kick makes for shaky hands and a hurting head, but it helps me think and make good decisions very quickly, has proved to be useful IRL Then comes the feeling of being drained which is common after an adrenaline rush. When it happens frequently, like daily or even more often, this can literally be bad for one's health, kind of like abuse of caffeine that can **** up adrenal gland function for years (speaking from experience), our bodies aren't meant to receive this "holy **** imma die emergency mode on" response too often, it really is a life-preservation emergency hormonal response reserved for running away from real things that want to eat you and the like.
I spent time learning to deal with it, not for the game though, had a real life incentive. First things first, don't blame yourself for feeling terribad after an adrenaline experience, stepping away from the screen is not ragequitting, it's doing a smart thing and calming yourself. Those who judge can **** right off. It's a perfectly normal response. Second, I suggest looking into learning about relaxation techniques, for muscles and your brain. Takes time to master them, but once you do you can learn to go from a state of stress to purposefully controlled calmness quickly. Controlling your breathing is very important, too. I'm not just bullshitting with some meditate to achieve nirvana or whatever. Relaxation techniques aren't bullcrap, they exist and they work, and it can seem like magic when you learn to get it right. And third, anticipate these situations, and practice dealing with them. Practice practice practice. When you know that you know what you're doing, it's a lot easier to stay calm. And practice a lot of introspection: what makes you feel a certain way, what helps you deal with it, etc. Be honest with yourself though Controlling your thinking, muscles and breathing controls your adrenal response, if adrenaline spikes make you sick, the goal is to learn to calm down very quickly and stop the pendulum from swinging too far. Some people find it easier to stay calm when they are drunk because dire situations can seem a lot less dire when you're feeling merry. When you do get hit by a sudden deadly Internet Spaceship surprise and you do get that spike of adrenaline and it's too late to try and keep it at bay, just take it in stride, it happens. Every person is different. But you'll find it a lot easier to deal with PvP when you go out looking for it and find it. |