Why I am an idiot and the real problem with PvE.

Unknown

I really wish this forum had "MPQ - A match-3 game for cellphones" written on the banner somewhere. So people could go

"How dare this guy dispute my well thought out Sentry build, I'm going to have to tell him what's what....oh yeah it's a cellphone game, nevermind"

IamTheDanger

ark123 wrote:

JCTthe3rd81 wrote:

ark123 wrote:

JCTthe3rd81 wrote:

I've mentioned on here before that I work in law enforcement, so let me tell you, right here, right now ...

IT IS NOT WORTH IT ! ! ! USING A PHONE WHILE DRIVING WILL NEVER BE WORTH A HUMAN LIFE ! ! !
[/b]

Wait but what if your shield is about to run out though

Then pull over and take 2 minutes to re-shield.

I believe you were just making a joke here, and I mean no offense, but after seeing the things I have, and dealing with the situations I've had to deal with, it's very difficult for me see any humor in things like this. We get called out to auto accidents more than anything else. The worst part is, most of them never should have happened.

Interesting. What are the ones that should have happened?

Sorry about that. I guess I worded that poorly. What I meant was that there are some accidents that are no ones fault, (a deer runs out of the trees, or a tire suddenly blows out). Things happen that no one can control.

BUT, there are those that could have been prevented. Like the ones that drive drunk, or just have to send that text. Accidents that happened because some one made a bad choice. That's what I meant by the ones that "never should have happened".

I apologize for my poor choice of wording. That did not come across like I meant. I have even seen people playing games while driving, (never seen anyone playing MPQ, but a lot of Candy Crush and Farm Heros). Those kind of accidents, IMO, should not have ever happened.

Unknown

JCTthe3rd81 wrote:

I've mentioned on here before that I work in law enforcement, so let me tell you, right here, right now ...

IT IS NOT WORTH IT ! ! ! USING A PHONE WHILE DRIVING WILL NEVER BE WORTH A HUMAN LIFE ! ! !

This is something I have been called out to respond to, and had to see more times than any one person should have to. To get the blood of a 4 year old child on your hands while trying to keep him alive because his 22 year old mother just had to answer that text will show any one that using a phone while driving is never okay.

Unfortunately, that is the world we live in. People depend far too much on technology these days. Far more than we should.


Was the OP an idiot, and a complete fool for doing what he did? Yes.
Does he get credit for admitting it? Yes. (The first step is admitting you have a problem)
Does the OP have a point about the PvE structure? Yes (though they are not to blame for his actions)

Technology has taken control of most people's lives whether they know it or not. If you doubt me, try it. Just try to go one day without using ANY technology of any kind. It's not easy. I tried it and only made it 11 hours. Not even half a day, (almost). I play more than I should, but not so much that I let it alter my life style. Im currently going back and forth between #1 and #2 rank in my main bracket for the PvE event. I can do this because I just happen to be off work this week. But if not, I probably would not be in top 25 or even 50. Because a cover is not worth it.

Does this excuse the OP's action's? No.
But it does illistrate how messed up the tech industry is, and how it takes advantage of pelple every day.

I will end by simply saying this: ....

Please, please, do NOT ever use your phone for anything while driving. A life is worth more than all the text messages and mobile games in the world. It is NOT worth it!

I couldn't have said it any better. You totally nailed everything I was attempting to get across. Thank you. I never wanted to put blame on the developers for my actions, but I hope that in the future, we can enjoy a game that does not encourage us to take unnecessary risks in real life to be competitive.

Adam12

I'm not sure why everyone is jumping down the OP's throat. The thread title starts with "Why I am an idiot," he's acknowledging that he did something stupid.

That said, it's clear to me that the way this game is structured is partially the cause. Optimal play in PvE demands playing for a certain amount of time every 2 and a half hours, or apparently every 3 hours in this PvE. Some people are always going to play optimally. I've won a number of PvE Events, and I know how serious that grind is. When you create a game that you have to change your sleep schedule to win, you're going to cause problems. OP may be the first person to cause an accident by actively playing MPQ while driving, but I guarantee that people have caused accidents due to tiredness from waking up in the middle of the night to clear a refresh or two.

IamTheDanger

pf-gdev wrote:

JCTthe3rd81 wrote:

I've mentioned on here before that I work in law enforcement, so let me tell you, right here, right now ...


I couldn't have said it any better. You totally nailed everything I was attempting to get across. Thank you. I never wanted to put blame on the developers for my actions, but I hope that in the future, we can enjoy a game that does not encourage us to take unnecessary risks in real life to be competitive.

Unfortunately, that is how most technology companies make money. By creating an addictive product and exploiting that addiction as much as they can. But we, as a society, have come to depend on it so much, that most people would be lost and unable to survive. And I'll admit that i am just as guilty. We live in a world where someone can get literally anything at the push of a button. That instant gratification has altered the human way of thinking so that things like sitting in slow moving traffic can become insanely slow. So turning to a mobile game is an expected reaction. (not a smart one, but very common). So while I think the OP made a bad decision, I also agree that he has been conditioned to do so by companies preying on addictive products. Like I said, I'm just as guilty. I admit that I'm addicted to this game. I play it and spend more money on it than I should. I have even blown off doing other things, just to get in a few more rounds. So while I know I'm addicted, I also know that there are far worse things in this world that I could be doing. Which is how the game companies make money.

To the OP, while you did make a mistake, I agree the game design is not exactly the best, also, I applaud you for recognizing that and admitting it. Maybe your post will be what the devs need to hear/read so that the game can change for the better.

Lystrata

Hulk11 wrote:

These forums wow...

First off, this guy did exactly what he was supposed to do to be a top level performer in this game.

First off, no. He didn't. Putting other people's lives at risk is absolutely not what you're supposed to do to perform well here. Even going slowly, damaging other people's property and causing them the hassle of needing to get their car fixed, is also not what you're supposed to do to perform well. Waiting half an hour to get home and play makes almost no difference in a 7 day event.

Hulk11 wrote:

Can anyone blasting him, say they are number one in this event? If so you can offer suggestions on how you're keeping the best overall score and not getting hurt, that is far more helpful to this person, not blaming him for doing the best he can to win.

Fair enough. I'm not #1, but #3 with 17,000 points over #10. And I can assure you I've done that without putting lives at risk, damaging someone else's property, or being distracted while operating heavy machinery.

I started an hour after my first sub opened. (See point above about 30 minutes making no tinykitty difference in the course of 7 days.) I played each refresh. I played twice before going to bed, and got 7 hours sleep. Rinse, repeat. At no point do I ever alter my sleep schedule around this game. At no point do I ever endanger other people for this game.

30 minutes was in no way going to stop him from getting Elektra covers. Which is why this is abominably stupid. It would be 'understandable' if it were the last 30 minutes of a PvP. I could see the logic (as tinykittied up as it is) there. But in 7 days of PvE, there is no reason why he needed to / should have done this.

As I originally stated, I am impressed he sees the error, and admitted it to a forum. But he certainly didn't do what he was 'supposed to do', and PvE certainly doesn't need that level of to-the-minute commitment.

Not to sound too mean... I am honestly just trying to point out why this was such a flawed decision, and show that there are other ways to be 'at the top' without that sort of drain to your life. It's completely unnecessary.

GothicKratos

"&#91 wrote: »

"]

Paintsville wrote:

My obvious reply is.....Seriously?

The game means so much to you that you would risk your life or the life of others? This post speaks more to your issues than the issues of PvE.

I mean, if it meant that much to you, at least take the next exit and hang out at a McDonalds or something. You were already planning on getting home late anyway.

Sorry if this offends you, or anyone for that matter. Just felt it needed to be said.

Everyone posting admonitions on here needs to step back. The guy already admitted the mistake and did so, at great personal embarrassment, in an attempt to point out the serious ramifications of this particular model.

If you, any of you, have a decent roster and claim you've never played this game when you probably should have been doing something else, I say you're a liar.

Additionally, as a societal standard, using your phone while driving is an "acceptable sin". I'll go as far as to say if you want to tell me you haven't made a call or texted your buddy or Googled the number for a pizza place or looked up the hours at a local bar while you're driving I will absolutely call you a liar (or tell you that you don't have your license). Furthermore, if you want to try and tell me that any Freemuim/P2W game doesn't prey on the addictive gene in human beings, I'll call you ill-educated and naive.

Yes, what OP did endangered the lives of other people, and he admits the folly of his actions, but it's one of those things that we don't really realize the side effects of doing it are until it's already too late (to some degree). Give him a break and let him shame himself, he's clearly doing so. Thankfully the end result of this folly was something trivial and not a tragedy.

That being said, OP, take care of yourself.

Mikaveus

"&#91 wrote: »

"]Everyone posting admonitions on here needs to step back. The guy already admitted the mistake and did so, at great personal embarrassment, in an attempt to point out the serious ramifications of this particular model.

If you, any of you, have a decent roster and claim you've never played this game when you probably should have been doing something else, I say you're a liar.

Well said. The game model dictates this level of commitment from its players in order to land top awards. It's getting out of hand and needs tweaking.

rbdragon

No one's perfect.

Just because something like playing MPQ while driving makes no sense logically, doesn't mean it doesn't occur. We all do things every day that don't make sense logically, yet for some reason we do them.

Why do happily married men/women cheat?
Why do "degenerate gamblers" spend their rent money at the casino?
Why do people walk behind cars backing out of a spot in a parking lot instead of waiting?
Why do people by a bag of chips at the gas station when the supermarket 50ft away sells them for half the price?

Logic isn't a good enough reason for why to do/not do something...maybe it should be, but it isn't. We all have our vices/quirks...

I am a grinder in PVE...I was extremely angry this morning when I realized a doctor appointment I had was right in the middle of the final refresh of the previous nodes. The only thing that kept me from calling to change the time was I knew there wouldn't be another available appointment. I considered cancelling, but ultimately went, and was frustrated that it cost me about half the points I would have otherwise gotten - jeopardizing my top 5 status. Addicted? Clearly...but I've put all this time/"effort" into it so far that something interfering with achieving my ultimate goal would ruin my day for sure.....even for a cover that I kinda feel "meh" about....the collector in me won't allow me to not have it....

The point is - almost everyone agrees the current PVE refresh model is broken - there's no need to attack the OP because of their vice. They weren't looking for sympathy - they were looking for positive change.

Konman

First, I am dubious as to the veracity of the story. However, if it is true, what the hell is wrong with you? Distracted drivers wreck and die everyday, there is a huge public awareness campaign in the US about this with regards to texting and driving, and surely playing a game would be more distracting than trying to text someone. Just wow.

Konman

Mikaveus wrote:

"&#91 wrote: »

"]Everyone posting admonitions on here needs to step back. The guy already admitted the mistake and did so, at great personal embarrassment, in an attempt to point out the serious ramifications of this particular model.

If you, any of you, have a decent roster and claim you've never played this game when you probably should have been doing something else, I say you're a liar.

Well said. The game model dictates this level of commitment from its players in order to land top awards. It's getting out of hand and needs tweaking.

I think this has very little, if anything, to do with the game. It has to do with people that need some maturing, need to be responsible for their actions, and get a firmer grip on reality and what's actually important. MPQ is a freaking game. The take away from this story is that, at least for awhile, one player elevated a game above pretty much everything else.

_RiO_

Konman wrote:

Mikaveus wrote:

"&#91 wrote: »

"]Everyone posting admonitions on here needs to step back. The guy already admitted the mistake and did so, at great personal embarrassment, in an attempt to point out the serious ramifications of this particular model.

If you, any of you, have a decent roster and claim you've never played this game when you probably should have been doing something else, I say you're a liar.

Well said. The game model dictates this level of commitment from its players in order to land top awards. It's getting out of hand and needs tweaking.

I think this has very little, if anything, to do with the game. It has to do with people that need some maturing, need to be responsible for their actions, and get a firmer grip on reality and what's actually important. MPQ is a freaking game. The take away from this story is that, at least for awhile, one player elevated a game above pretty much everything else.

^ THIS

Drivers that consciously choose to not place their attention on the road where it should be deserve to smash headlong into a tree. At best it will give them an extremely rude wake-up call. At worst it will permanently remove from the equation the possibility of their behavior leading to the loss of someone else's life in traffic. (Invert those two depending on how much you believe in karma or eye-for-an-eye, if you want.)

People that are going to go onto a forum with a sob story that they caused an accident and then try to shift blame onto a video game that "made them do it" are, honestly, worse.

AxeVirtuoso

OP, no offense, but you really need to stop playing this match-three cellphone game. Yes, that's what it is. It,is not the centre of your life, but a match-three game on your cellphone. Stop playing or you'll end in therapy, or even worse.

MojoWild

I wasn't going to say anything after all this, because in a way, I started feeling sorry for the OP for everyone ganging up on him. But then I remembered, he's not the victim here and MPQ is not culpable for his actions. It is not an unreasonable expectation that people should play the game safely and... I can't believe I'm even typing this sentence.

If he'd simply confessed to what he did and made this a PSA about the dangers of distracted driving, that would be one thing, but he goes on to turn himself into the victim of this terrible, malicious game.

This is ludicrous. Think of it this way: if he were on trial for vehicular homicide, and his only defense was to put the game on trial, how far would that go with a jury? Anything short of a D3 employee putting a gun to his head, forcing him to download the app onto his phone, making him drive and then playing the game, would not go far to garner sympathy, especially after the family of the deceased reads their statements. Because this is what could have happened, thank goodness it didn't. And just because he confessed shouldn't cut him any slack. Would you tell the deceased's family, "well, yes he killed your child, but he confessed to it, so you know... all good"?

Whatever reward would have been won would not have been worth it. Whatever reward was lost, will be available again. It's not a life or death thing so don't make it one.

This is why companies have to put all sorts of odd labels on things like "Don't operate a motor vehicle while playing MPQ".

In the end, I should thank the OP for being "that guy". Now, when my girlfriend says I'm playing MPQ too much, I can say, "Well, at least I'm not that guy."

Please be safe out there.

Unknown

Any time you start feeling any sympathy for OP, please consider how he could easily have run someone over.

GothicKratos

I'm going to go ahead and lock this, mainly because it's going from away from the original intent of the poster. If the OP wants me to re-open the thread, he can drop me a PM.