I am an addict. (Long post warning)

Omega Blacc

Hey all,

I go by Omega Blacc here on the forum and the game as well.

I am addicted to MPQ.

I guess I'm functional. I handle all my responsibilities, but every waking idle moment I have is either playing MPQ or planning when I can play it next. I'd be in it for way more money than I am already, but I use a Google Survey Rewards app to fund my HP...so that's a positive I suppose.

I used to be this way with Call of Duty. Something about repetition calms my mind and coupling extreme repetition with progression rewards is a giant carrot that I can't stop chasing. I'm usually this way in my waking life - constantly setting a goal and then finding a new goal once I've reached the previous one. Except that's now stalled, because between my 2 jobs and family obligation, 90% percent of my free time is playing this game.

I wake up and play DDQ like clockwork...before I do anything else. I sometimes fall back asleep with the phone in my hand. I do the same before bed, falling asleep as I play also included.

In recent days I've begun to wean myself off the game. I decided not to play competitively in PvP OR PvE. I have enough characters at this point that casual play will yield me enough ISO to focus on maxing my roster. I'm far more relaxed and I can go longer without playing between sessions.

I was getting worried because they raised the Health Packs to 10. Anyone worth their salt hardly loses in this game (especially if you participate in Meta activities) and 10 packs is like Christmas. You can play forever. As I take a step back I can see both sides of the arguments we throw at the developers. They've made a hell of a game and it's fun to play, but I can see how it feeds into my tendencies to grind away.

It gives me everything my brain THINKS it wants: A time killer, my favorite comic characters, truly deep strategy at high levels, a deep sense of satisfaction when I Full Blast someone with Cyclops, aaaand rewards....

Wait....what are those rewards again? Did you say endless grinding for a CHANCE at good rewards?

Waitaminute....you mean I keep giving them money for a CHANCE to get the newest character?

And that newest character basically works like every other character?

Rinse and repeat, season after season, match after match.

This isn't a diss to D3P. This is a wake up call to myself and anyone else who gets super pissed when they lose points or miss out on a character. A wake up call for the people whose entire mood hinges upon seeing that gold card waiting behind the broken tokens.

It's not the game design...well, not fully anyway...it's us. It's the people like me who keep pushing and pushing for something that might be mentally rewarding, but really amounts to little of nothing in the end.

The game is meant to be a fun diversion and that's the way I must treat it going forward. I've leveled my characters almost as fast - faster even - by just grabbing rounds when it's convenient and focusing on one character and stacking ISO.

The way this game is going there will be multiple chances for that character you're missing to come back around to you with minimal effort. Don't fall under the spell of "Gottacatchem Allamentitus".

Be patient and prioritize real world things. I realize this is easier to do when you have played as long and hard as I have in the past and you have a 50 slot roster...but all things being relative, I hope even 2* transitioners will just take it easy.

The game isn't going anywhere. If anything it will get larger. It will expand faster than you can keep up. It's supposed to be that way.

puppychow

I'm an addict too. Been buying some steam games during the summer sale. But I'd admit that it's 99.999999% unlikely that I will play even one game I purchased recently, b/c MPQ has been and will continue to suck up all my game time. Oh woe is me!!!

Heartburn

my addiction hit its peak in the 2*-3* transition before DDQ was introduced, had to play each event as i needed each 3*. after maxing a few 3* i was able to break my habit, cause the new 4* aren't really worth it when nerfing them is a real possibility and makes me hesitant to invest significant resources into them. so i have been able to cruise on my maxed 3* which allowed me to break free. also the time investment was getting too crazy as i had 2 accounts. one mobile one steam. after back to back Ultron events on released, it destroyed my grinding potential( an adverse reaction or extreme burnout) while i was doing double duty. after that i stopped playing my steam account and been playing only ddp some of the time on my mobile. i hate grinding now. i tried a few times but i just feel like putting the game down when it gets grindy.

Unknown

acceptance is the first step to recovery

MarcusGraves

this is my 3rd time coming back to the game after a break, then I always regret breaking because I could have some of my 3*'s done from dailies or easy events.

Unknown

MarcusGraves wrote:

this is my 3rd time coming back to the game after a break, then I always regret breaking because I could have some of my 3*'s done from dailies or easy events.

there is nothing wrong with taking breaks, your life does not revolve around this game and this game is not paying your bills.

Playing the "what if" game in your head about what you could have earned is unhealthy.

bdksni1

This topic's title says it all.
Hello my ign is bdksni1 and i am an addict.
As many have said previously this game should be (maybe it already is) a case study. How on earth is it possible for a mobile game to mess with peepz minds so much, leading them to neglect almost everything else in favour of a MPQ 'fix'.
Unfortunately i am on this boat too, i just can't help it. it's the first thing i do after waking up and the last before going to sleep ( not everyday but most of the times if you know what i mean..).
It used to be worse when i was transitioning due to the need of constant pve grinding(3hr refreshes remember?).
I stopped counting the times my Mrs. rants at me for being constantly playing or managing MPQ and MPQ related stuff -am i right alliance commanders?- a long ago..
In the end i get a major headache, endless leisure -and work- hours wasted and the cold shoulder from my other half, and all of that for a -small- sense of accomplishment which lasts only until next event starts..
I'm NOT complaining i'm just stating facts. If this wasn't worth it to my delusional mind i wouldn't be here anymore.
Yet here i am so congrats Devs you are doing a good job i just can't stop playing.

MarcusGraves

raisinbman wrote:

Playing the "what if" game in your head about what you could have earned is unhealthy.

yeah but of all things I regret not taking 5-10 min to do my dailies since that would of been a lot of 3* covers for me and at the same time advancing my daily login rewards.

GuntherBlobel

Hi Omega. Thanks for the very honest commentary.

I used to get very disturbed by the addictive design of MPQ, but I've recently come to accept it. Virtually the entire mobile F2P industry uses psychological tricks to get impulse IAPs and I don't see that changing anytime soon. For some people, these addictive games lead to a harmless $5 purchase now and then; for others, it leads to a serious addiction. Sadly, many developers gleefully promote their game as "addictive," as if that's a good thing.

I think the most important thing is to recognize is that these games are addictive, because lets face it, addictive products are everywhere and we have to manage those too. I've certainly had my issues with MPQ addiction. Still, it's a fun game despite all the psychological tricks. I enjoy it for all the reasons that you do. And I'm learning how to be responsible with F2P games, just as I am with other addictive things.

If you don't mind, I'll offer a few observations that might help. Here as some of the things that I've identified that make the game more addictive for me. In my own life, I've limited these when I feel like I'm getting too sucked in for my own good.

1) Forum lurking at work.
I can't play at work but I can browse the internet. Frequent Forum visits keep me thinking about MPQ even when I can't play, which feeds the addiction.
2) Reward greed.
Winning 3 covers requires far, far more effort and time to than a single cover does. Scheduling your life around 8 hr refreshes keeps you thinking about the game even when you aren't playing, which feeds the addiction. You might be surprised to see how easy T100 is in PvE if you have previously been aiming for T10.
3) Cell phone App.
I have an iPad at home, so I don't have to have it on my cell phone. I've deleted the App from my phone on a couple of occasions, particularly when I noticed that I was opening the game out of habit even though I opened my phone for other reasons.

Good luck! You are definitely not alone.

Malcrof

I am an addict, know how i know? i would get sincerely angry when i got the no connection **** before R78 fixed it.. I set my alarm clock 20 minutes earlier then i used to, just to get DDQ done before i leave for work.....

I play at work on breaks.. and at night when watching tv with my wife.

i even take breaks to play while at Sea World, Aquatica, Busch Gardens, etc..... and my wife is an enabler! She will sit and play the game herself alongside me.... at theme parks!!!!

I am not going to stop playing... this is a much healthier addiction than Diablo 3.. although the wife and I still play D3 at times, at least with this, we can watch TV or a movie, or even take a walk (yes we play while excercising..lol).

Unknown

MarcusGraves wrote:

raisinbman wrote:

Playing the "what if" game in your head about what you could have earned is unhealthy.

yeah but of all things I regret not taking 5-10 min to do my dailies since that would of been a lot of 3* covers for me and at the same time advancing my daily login rewards.

you can't live in the past.....millions of things happen with every choice we make.

You decided to NOT do dailies, and I hope whatever you did do was worth it.

It's just a silly phone game.