New member question: How do you deal with your backlog?

[Fluent]

Hey, thanks for the question! I play several RPGs at the same time. No rhyme or reason, just a handful of RPGs that are different from each other, interesting to play and games I'm in the mood for at that given time. I may not finish them at that time, I might put them on hiatus 3 or 4 weeks later and start new again, but eventually I'll go back to finish. It's my way of playing a multitude of RPGs and just enjoying the process. Plus it's just fun, and that's why I do it. Cheers! <3

 

[Desiderius]

Buy moar gamez

 

[octavius]

I used just replay my favourites over and over.
But inspired by the CRPG Addict I decided to finally clear out my backlog and in addition play all those games I couldn't afford or that weren't available before GOG and abandonware sites, and play them chronologically.
At the time (2010-11) the quality of new games were at an all time low, which also helped.
I've now played most of the games that appeal to me (from the FPS, TBS and CRPGs genres) from 1981 (Wizardry 1) to mid 2001.
My physical backlog stops at 2006, I think. I may have got there already if I didn't spend so much time on user made content for games like Thief, HoMM and Age of Wonders.

 

[MajorMace]

This testimony by OP is a bit of a proof that M&MX impact on crpg incline was more positive than negative. Checkmate, haters.

 

[volklore]

Just play games that you feel like playing until they aren't fun anymore. I used to finish every game I started even the shitty ones, back when I had more time. Now I am way more selective with the games I play, and if they stop being fun, I don't bother finishing them.

 

[Thac0]

I don't really make a conscious effort to clean my backlog, but I have implemented something lately which aids that goal aswell. I only keep 10 games which can be finished at once on my hard drive. Games with open ends a la Battle Brothers and Multiplayer does not count.
I do not buy or install a new game while those 10 spots are full. For a new game to be started I need to either drop and uninstall one of those 10, or complete one.
This has lead to a better experience for gaming, as I finish more games and no longer dart around in playthroughs of 50 games at once, which I complete in the span of years. I know newtmonkey is even more extreme with the same technique, and only keeps 3 or so games installed at once.
Also it slashed my expenses quite a lot, as I no longer pick up random garbage at 5€ for the backlog just because it is cheap.

 

[DaveO]

Play through the backlog at my own pace. It's not like there is anything out right now that I care for much. I don't expect that to change for quite some time.

 

[Chippy]

I hear donating to Oxfam or the Clintons may help. Failing any monetary donation, just ensure democrats remain in power.

Hey now, I want to fund middle eastern kids dying, not them getting raped by Bill Clinton

Petition Islamic State to kickstart an RPG?. Developer turnover would be quite high, but I'm sure they'd finish it. I can just imagine a leader in the middle east passing over the final product to another world leader (Isreal?), like the Polish president gave W2 to Obama...

 

[newtmonkey]

Thanks for mentioning me Thac0
Just to clarify, I do keep more than 3 or so games installed, but I do try to play only a maximum of 3 games at once, as it's easy to lose focus and stop playing the minute I get bored/frustrated if I'm playing any more than that. I sort of enforce this by limiting how many favorites I set in Steam at one time (or limiting the number of game shortcut icons I put on my desktop). Like you, I don't include games that I constantly play or replay or that are "endless" in the total (I always have Doom and Blood installed, for instance).

Having said that, I do switch games out now and then if I get bored/frustrated, but I almost always will go back and finish any game that I put significant time into.

---

As for the topic, I don't really have a "backlog" for games. One of the fun things about games for me is finishing a game and then looking through my Steam library (or HD full of DOS games, or rom carts full of console games, etc.) to decide what to play next. I think keeping a list of things to eventually play would really sap all the fun out of it for me.

 

[Adenocaulon]

Thank you very much for your responses,

A limit of 3 current rpgs instaled (of different types) would be a the best idea for me, not adding a new game until I beat one or just decide to give up on it.

What do you refer to decline or incline in rpgs? I have been reading the terms often in the forum, but I am not sure. Maybe decline is when western rpgs started to get simplified for being also released in consoles? incline would be the revival of more classical types of rpgs (like dungeon crawlers or isometric turn based games) by indie developers and medium sized developers with kickstarter projects?

 

[MajorMace]

Incline/decline are go-to terms when it comes to giving a one-word judgement over whether you consider a game to be a proper/good/interesting crpg or consider it an abomination/shit design etc etc. It varies greatly from poster to poster but the idea remains that decline started at some point in this industry and had several nasty effects :
- Fewer crpgs like the days of old (blobbers for instance)
- More 'pseudo-rpgs' which are actually story driven linear games, shooters, platformers and whatnot featuring one or two elements from the crpg formula (inventory, character sheet, levels, c&c)
- As a side effect, the most vilified behaviour of considering 'good rpgs' games that aren't rpgs at all (or judged not to be so). Or games that got so far from the formula that they're barely rpgs. Most iconic example was 2006' Oblivion.

Basically put, decline is the steady and perfidious process by which the label 'rpg' is defiled and its noble and prestigious representants shunned if not forgotten by the newer generations.
It's a matter of civilisation, to utter a word.

By opposition, Incline came after, and was a cute way to refer to recent crpgs which proved more or less worthy of praise or attention (an example would be Grimoire for blobbers enthusiasts).

De Gaulle once said that there was a two-times decennial pact between the grandeur of crpgs and peace in the world.

 

[Bloodeyes]

I don't. It just gets longer and longer. I'm in my mid 30s and I'm belatedly turning into a proper adult. It's gradually dawning on me that being super busy isn't just a tough period I need to get though but my life now. Unless I live to see retirement I wouldn't be surprised if I only complete 10 or 20 more games in my lifetime.

Edit: Someone rated this despair. No need for that. I'll just be careful to spend my time only on masterpieces. Playing 20 or 30 masterpieces to completion is better than playing 200 pieces of shit.

 

[Verylittlefishes]

It's gradually dawning on me that being super busy isn't just a tough period I need to get though but my life now.

I'm crying right now.

 

[Maxie]

Honestly I stopped playing games. That's 20-40hrs per week I can use to do stuff that's roughly just as rewarding but also more relaxing and/or more productive.

Yeah, games can be great, but all in all they're not worth it.

good job joining a fucking gaming forum then idiot

 

[octavius]

Honestly I stopped playing games. That's 20-40hrs per week I can use to do stuff that's roughly just as rewarding but also more relaxing and/or more productive.

Yeah, games can be great, but all in all they're not worth it.

good job joining a fucking gaming forum then idiot

Probably just waiting for access to the cesspools General Discussion and Politics.

Joined:
May 28, 2020

 

[Valdetiosi]

I have had hard time dealing with games I have but never played to end - situation, especially more so when I was too heavily obsessed over completing achievements.
Few friends of mine snapped me out of that completionist mindset, and it did give me realization that I can start some games, but propably never finish them, be it either due to length or interest fading.

So I've to go with that mentality "if game doesn't catch your interest in few hours, don't bother", and ultimately, it made me appreciate more of my time, and games that do stick with me.

 

[fantadomat]

By not having one lol,just play anything i am interested in.

 

[curds]

You should only be obliged to complete games if you are a games journalist reviewing them. Ironically, everyone knows that these days games journos don't complete games.

 

[Ladonna]

You should only be obliged to complete games if you are a games journalist reviewing them. Ironically, everyone knows that these days games journos don't complete games.

Most them didn't back in the day either, with the exceptions of people like Scorpia. In fact, many reviews from the 80's/90's magazines make me question whether they even booted the game.

 

[octavius]

I think most Amiga reviewers just booted the game, looked at the graphics and then decided on the score.

 

[HoboForEternity]

even if i retire and dedicate my life fully to gaming I will never clear the backlog. the only way if I die then spend eternity playing games in the afterlife