The Psychology of Defcon

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How long do you mentally replay your last Defcon game?

I do not mentally review my last game - on to other matters
3
17%
I can/do recall the game for under an hour.
5
28%
I can/do recall the game for less than a day.
3
17%
I can/do recall the game over any number of days.
4
22%
I can/do recall games, but I don't "feel" anything, and Tobias is crazy.
3
17%
 
Total votes: 18
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- Tobias -
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The Psychology of Defcon

Postby - Tobias - » Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:13 pm

I am sure there are multiple aspects to the Psychology of Playing Defcon, but here is one that I'd like to explore.

How long does the emotional feeling of the last game played stay with you? I worded the Poll question a bit differently because, for me at least, I must first mentally recall the last game, and then the emotional feeling of that game (result) is more-or-less automatic. For example: I think of my last game (I played well, we won), I feel good.

For me, this "emotional feeling" (of the last game played) seems to last only 12-18 hours, never longer. Thus, I am never quite satisfied with Defcon. I need another fix to adjust my brain chemicals.

OK, it is possible I am somewhat odd in this respect, but I am just wondering if anyone else "feels" the game results as I do.
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Postby Ace Rimmer » Fri Jun 26, 2009 8:56 pm

I voted "any number of days" as I can recall specif games in which I "feel" bad because of silly mistakes (and a resulting defeat) and games about which if "feel" good because of something special. Ordinary wins don't really provide any kind of "fix".

Great games I can recall... my first encounter with rus|Mike (never finished), 1st/2nd game with Samurai (remember him?), several games with Feud, the first time I tried my current practice of attacking an ally in Diplomacy (with that as the starting point for the entire game, not just willy-nilly ally engagement), a couple of tourney games with Mojo (damn his Indian advance while I was too far south!!!), I'll never ever forget the double silo launch (with rus|Mike) against Senator/Why :twisted: ) and many others. :P

Edit: I don't feel anything other than "that went"; like crap (I/they sucked), meh, average, good, great, near perfect!. There is no emotional attachment to the millions of Defcon citizens, 'cause they're just points. :P
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Postby Mogwai » Fri Jun 26, 2009 9:22 pm

I voted an hour. Becouse usually i just check the replay and see what i could have avoided or done better. After that's i consider it history.
Althou i have a couple of matches i consider personal milestone marks in my defcon career, i do not reflect nor think about them.
Defcon for me is in the moment, when it actually happens.

Cheers!
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Postby Cobra Commander » Fri Jun 26, 2009 9:35 pm

You're all basket cases and are obsessed with this game!

$250 dollars plus Californian state tax!

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Postby - Tobias - » Fri Jun 26, 2009 11:14 pm

Ace Rimmer wrote:Great games I can recall...


True, but these memories, while lasting, have lost their vivacity and don't give me the emotional charge I'm looking for.

Ace Rimmer wrote: they're just points.


Really? I feel it is intense mental combat with a scheming opponent who has designs on raping and pillaging my citizens. But curiously, I must kill his citizens to defend my own. To the ramparts!

Cobra Commander wrote:You're all basket cases and are obsessed with this game!

$250 dollars plus Californian state tax!


:) So what's your cure, doc?

Mogwai wrote:Defcon for me is in the moment, when it actually happens.


I can't seem to get my head around this, a seemingly healthier attitude. OK. Off to re-charge.
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Postby Forrest Krunk » Sat Jun 27, 2009 2:12 am

Can do recall over a number of days, why do the losses stick with you more than the wins do?
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Postby Why? » Sat Jun 27, 2009 5:24 am

People get so sucked into video games that their brains create a dopamine reward system for it. You get excited over them, and feel good when you do well.

I don't dwell on losses too much, but I definitely analyze, and remember, the mistakes that lead to the loss. The wildest thing I've noticed, is how fast my heart beats during a match that I deem important. During WarCup, and a few 2v2 tourney matches; my heartbeat would double(120+bpm) at the beginning, and taper off, back to normal. For the first 15 mins, it was as if I was jogging, but I was sitting in a chair, barely moving.
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Postby - Tobias - » Sat Jun 27, 2009 5:39 am

Why? wrote:People get so sucked into video games that their brains create a dopamine reward system for it. ... The wildest thing I've noticed, is how fast my heart beats during a match ...


So, you're saying that we've created a dopamine generating system of sorts? Am such a lab rat that I crave this?

And, honestly, my heart races, I sweat profusely, and I exhibit all the other symptoms typical of an adrenaline rush. So, is it the adrenaline rush I crave or the dopamine reward?

In any case, the "dopamine reward" (re-generated, so-to-speak, upon reflection) becomes impossible to obtain (for me) after 12-18 hours. I need a recent event to get a sufficient dosage.
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Postby Wasgood » Sat Jun 27, 2009 7:38 am

I only get that when i'm vsing people I know.
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Postby Why? » Sat Jun 27, 2009 8:26 am

- Tobias - wrote:
Why? wrote:People get so sucked into video games that their brains create a dopamine reward system for it. ... The wildest thing I've noticed, is how fast my heart beats during a match ...


So, you're saying that we've created a dopamine generating system of sorts? Am such a lab rat that I crave this?

And, honestly, my heart races, I sweat profusely, and I exhibit all the other symptoms typical of an adrenaline rush. So, is it the adrenaline rush I crave or the dopamine reward?

In any case, the "dopamine reward" (re-generated, so-to-speak, upon reflection) becomes impossible to obtain (for me) after 12-18 hours. I need a recent event to get a sufficient dosage.



Researchers have found that people's dopamine levels increase when they're playing video games that they find interesting. Dopamine plays many important roles, on many different parts of the brain; so it's still not clear what it all means. However, it's the chemical precursor to adrenaline and it's believed to be the root of various behavioral and chemical addictions.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dopamine
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Postby LadySnowhitepink » Sat Jun 27, 2009 10:42 am

ok you are talking know what happens during a match.
yep and there is a difference between a tourney game and a normal game.

if we think it will be hard to resist the vegetatives nervensystem (autonomic nervous system)
and especially the Sympathikus (sympathetic nervous system) begins to work heavily.
means heartbeat, muscletension, concentration, perspiration, reaction rate .... increases.
so we are ready to fight and we are playing better then in normal matches.
the Parasympathikus (parasympathetic nervous system) works on the other side, he decreases our vegetative symptoms.
if we got to mutch of that sympathicus influence (could also mean too mutch fear :D ) we can have a blackout.
and we are not able to react.

hard opponent = sympathikus mode
noobish opponent = parasympathikus mode
and newplayer opponent = sympathikus on waiting loop

to the question of Tobias
How long does the emotional feeling of the last game.....?
- for some games not longer as the blink of an eye
- other i never forget (my first defcongame the told me to do the tutorial :roll: )
- reflecting a game could last one our or a day

i voted for ".... over any number of days"
but there is a difference between rembering, reflecting, recalling, analysing a game.
im ready with reflecting and analysing when i found the reason for my fail and a solution.
impressive games i can remember for a long time and i can recall them and also the emotional feeling belonging to that game.

blah blah blah....
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Postby iRadiated » Sun Jun 28, 2009 12:21 am

I never give a game a seconds thought after I've played it.
That goes for whether I win or lose
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Postby (MOR) » Sun Jun 28, 2009 1:54 am

There is many aspect of "how you act to a game" that depand each person and it's vision to it


First we have to forget about this word "a game" and use "an activity" like any activity "working, studing, reading, watching, fishing.." Because the word "game" always give a poor value to this "Game-activity", like something not important to do.

But here the question "Why you play it if it's not important to do ?" The most answer is "To have fun!"

Lets determine this "To have fun".. Is to feel good ? To feel happy ? To feel like a fool ?...
So in any case the game has an effect on you. But what is this effect? Is to be angry at the game to be happy to be sad to be proud...
As an conclusion "you act to a game exactly like you act to any other activity on you real life". The game can make you happy as it can make you sad, but that "don't stay for a long time"

So "the effect of a game have a short time", but not for all.


Lets now talk about the online game DEFCON.
Hummm online ? Yep online "is to play with a humain and not a CPU" So we have not a game between a person and a CPU but between persons, and as a conclusion we have a "Social Game"

Here "the effect of a game have a short time." turned to "the effect of a game have a short time, but we keep on our minds the special moments" (as Ace Rimmer said already).

But why we don't keep those "special moments" with a CPU ? Simply because he stay a CPU.


So like we keep special moments with the others on our real social-life we keep them on this "virtual social" mean "an online game"
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Postby Cobra Commander » Sun Jun 28, 2009 12:07 pm

(MOR) wrote:There is many aspect of "how you act to a game" that depand each person and it's vision to it


First we have to forget about this word "a game" and use "an activity" like any activity "working, studing, reading, watching, fishing.." Because the word "game" always give a poor value to this "Game-activity", like something not important to do.

But here the question "Why you play it if it's not important to do ?" The most answer is "To have fun!"

Lets determine this "To have fun".. Is to feel good ? To feel happy ? To feel like a fool ?...
So in any case the game has an effect on you. But what is this effect? Is to be angry at the game to be happy to be sad to be proud...
As an conclusion "you act to a game exactly like you act to any other activity on you real life". The game can make you happy as it can make you sad, but that "don't stay for a long time"

So "the effect of a game have a short time", but not for all.


Lets now talk about the online game DEFCON.
Hummm online ? Yep online "is to play with a humain and not a CPU" So we have not a game between a person and a CPU but between persons, and as a conclusion we have a "Social Game"

Here "the effect of a game have a short time." turned to "the effect of a game have a short time, but we keep on our minds the special moments" (as Ace Rimmer said already).

But why we don't keep those "special moments" with a CPU ? Simply because he stay a CPU.


So like we keep special moments with the others on our real social-life we keep them on this "virtual social" mean "an online game"


Genuine lol! :lol:

A chilling insight into the Moraccan psyche!

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Postby - Tobias - » Sun Jun 28, 2009 8:08 pm

(MOR) wrote:So in any case the [activity] has an effect on you.


Damn. I think I actually understood this. Thank you MOR. You have a poets heart and an assassins brain.

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