How do you manage your real life and DayZ at the same time?

[blacklabel79 949]

 

I am thinking 29 years of age its really time for me to give up that good fight, get my degree, make some money, lose some weight and find a girl friend. I am just not sure all of this can be done same time while I play DayZ due to my addicted nature. I am also learning Unreal Engine 4 and developing a game on it, as such it requires deep knowledge of C++ programming etc and as such I think my time is better spent doing that which may help me make money in the future.

 

 

Ah, made another degree in IT with 30 and a 5 year plan afterwards and everything came to fruitation in those 5 years.

 

 

good luck op !

[john5220 15]

What you're describing is a inability to discipline yourself. There are two ways to deal with this. One is total avoidance which is what you have chosen by uninstalling dayz. The other is actually learning how to stop playing at appropriate times. By avoiding the game entirely your not learning to deal with your addictive tendencies. If your okay with that then that's fine. Just be aware this will always be a potential problem.

It sounds like you're a young adult going through what all adults go through. Which is learning how to force yourself to do what you might rather not be doing. Welcome to life sir.

If you're interested to know, i wake up 2 hours early every day so i can play whatever game before it's time to shower up and head to work.

 

thanks dude you are right. I did notice even after removing DayZ I did not become as productive as I would hope as I ended up spending times on otherwise non important things such as youtube etc.

 

I have come to the realization that the issue is indeed prioritizing my time. As such I have reinstalled the DayZ Mod as I feel it provides the best experience in being satisfied the fastest. You get vehicles and guns so fast there is far less time spent running and looking for food and weapons it provides an enjoyable experience in a short time. So i will stay with the MOD for now and leave off SA till it goes into beta or something.

 

I have also invested in a little alarm clock, which I set and allow myself a certain amount of time in dayZ. After that I promised myself not to waste anytime at all and do al lproductive tings that needs to be done. This is actually working out for me, I also started going to the park with my mountain bike and taking a 1 hour brisk walk everyday I feel a lot better now and it helps me manage my time and keep my mind a lot more focused.

 

This method I found has been working better for me than totally quitting DayZ. As i am on vacation till my next semester starts back, I am setting a little high time on DayZ but everyday I am gradually slowing it down, so far so good.

[alferret 45]

I'm 48, work around 60hrs a week and about 10hrs traveling week on that to, I'm married with grown up kids and if I want I can game 5hrs or more a night but choose not to.

I watch a lot of TV, and play about 10hrs a week, it's all about balance.

[sneakydudes 278]

Video games should be a hobby at best. Useful if you relax, and don't always wish to sit idol around a TV set.

 

A good balance of work, family and you will find some times for hobbies.

 

After 30 this is when I found it to be getting easier to relax. Except for this recession we just don't seem to get out of.

 

at 44 you don't have 24/7 time to game all night and day like when you where in college. 2 day stretches man........ those where the good ole diablo days.

[Irish. 4886]

How do I balance things?

 

Well, good question. I own my own business, can work mostly from home, and while doing that I typically have my 14 month old son to take care of also. I am married, dont get days off ever, and usually sleep 4-5 hours per night most days, then I finally hit a wall and sleep about 10 straight hours to catch up. My life is so damned full its silly. But I balance it all. Not well, that is for damn sure.. but I still juggle like a madman attempting to keep all of my balls in the air at once. I spend far too much time in front of the monitor and far too less time in front of the sun.. as in outside, with fresh air. But I grew up outdoors, never played much video games until around my 20's. So the way I look at it is, I got a late start on being a gamer and because of that I was offered the chance to get my life going before I got too caught up wasting it. ;)

 

Here is a typical balanced day for me:

 

1. Go to bed around 12am-3am

2. Wake up around 4am-5am to help my Son, usually go back to bed but not always, some times I stay up and thats how my day starts

3. Get up by 8am at the latest with my son, who by now is awake no matter what

4. Coffee, Coffee, and then a smoke

5. Turn on PC, turn on TV, put on disney movies for my Son after feeding him and playing with him for 1-2 hours

6. go to work, while multitasking the internet checking dayz, news, etc.

7. nap time for my son comes about 3-4 hours after he gets up, that is usually when I do one of 2 things: turn on dayz, clean the house (house cleaning only 1 day per week tops)

8. Play dayz after getting work done for roughly 1-4 hours, while multitasking with work, answering phone, etc.. A ton of logging out, and sitting in outhouses/bushes happens during this time while playing dayz

9. I finally eat at some point, after skipping breakfast and lunch typically.. My eating habits are fucked from being too busy and not prioritizing myself over my wants

10. watch hockey if a flyers game is on

11. Wife gets home, spend time with her. Watch shows, talk, etc.

12. Dayz goes back on later in the night, sometimes.. like once a month I get lucky with the wife and dayz stays off until 11pm or midnight

13. play dayz, edit videos, jerkoff, go to bed.

 

Thats it in a nutshell, a typical dayz day. As you can see, balance is impossible. ;)

[gearjammer 97]

I'm 43, have a wife and two boys. I work about 55-60 hours a week under a tremendous amount of stress. I try to set a few hours aside each night to drink a metric shit-ton of beer and play Dayz. I find that the post-apoloyptic virtual world of DayZ is somehow much more relaxing than my current actual reality.

[Death By Crowbar 1213]

Guys I deleted DayZ after just 40 hours of play time. The reason being is I started University and I also want to be a Indie Game Developer which will take more work than say someone who just wanted to learn Mechanical Engineering. I decided on Computer Engineering here in the Caribbean so I can open my own business etc.

40 hours? ... that's barely getting off the coast. I have 900+ hours into DayZ with a full time job, 2 kids, and a wife to keep happy. In college I put somewhere around 200 days (not hours, days) into Everquest and still managed to be an RA, play varsity athletics, participate in Greek life, and graduate with a B average. Quitting with 40 hours is ... well it's like taking a sip of a coke and throwing it out complaining how you're concerned it will make you fat and give you diabetes and asking everyone else how they managed to survive a sip or more. Sheesh.

[Irish. 4886]

40 hours? ... that's barely getting off the coast. I have 900+ hours into DayZ with a full time job, 2 kids, and a wife to keep happy. In college I put somewhere around 200 days (not hours, days) into Everquest and still managed to be an RA, play varsity athletics, participate in Greek life, and graduate with a B average. Quitting with 40 hours is ... well it's like taking a sip of a coke and throwing it out complaining how you're concerned it will make you fat and give you diabetes and asking everyone else how they managed to survive a sip or more. Sheesh.

 

I didnt quite look at it like that.. I mean, unless it was over 2-4 days, then I dont see the point in quitting so quickly, blaming a dayz addiction and then you know.. having withdrawals and posting here about it.

 

Good point.  :|

[theevancat 94]

I'm trying not to get top attached to vidya. I get word from the military academies in March, so I might not be playing * any * DayZ for four years this June.

Other than that, I guess this naturally takes a backseat for me. I play a lot because my new school's classes are an absolute joke (thanks, Rhode Island public school!) with my three AP classes offering no actual homework. I dunno.

Just gotta balance.

[roguetrooper 201]

Try having a real life while playing EverQuest II hardcore - that's a real challenge!

[bfisher 561]

What kind of jobs are you guys after that they take away your free time that much? Are you living to work, or working to live?

 

A normal adult job takes 40+ hours a week, plus your commute time.  That's not "living to work".  That's just "having a job".

 

I'm 42 with a wife and 4 month old.  I'm in front of a display all day at work, so I also try to throw in working out or hanging out with friends / wife or other activities that aren't sedentary.  Typically, I get up earlier and go to be later than my wife, so I can devote a couple hours once the wife and baby go to bed or early Sat and Sun morning.  

 

Certainly don't have time to live in Cherno real time for days on end.

[therandomredstone 432]

Guys, guys, I will teach you how to manage your time between work and free time. So I am a 14 year old kid, my job consists of going to work 5 days a week, every week, besides breaks and holidays. I wake up at 6:00, get home at around 4:00 and play DayZ till around 12:00 at night. But on curtain days and sometimes weekends, I go out and socialize with the outside world. I am in every single extra curricular activity at my school, and even some that aren't in the books. My time is managed really well, so my advice to all of you who are in collage, or living with your parents *cough *cough admins *cough LoK ;).. Just set times mann. You got this. And if you still can't manage, then just read, "Peace Is Every Step - Edition 1" by Arnold Kotler, and Thich Nhat Hanh. It really makes everything seem so simple, and before you know it, you will be walking along the beach at sunset, just go with the flow, mann

[DeatHTaX 1217]

I always figured that the easiest solution is to be an adult and do the things you know you need to do first, then play later...at least that's how I learned it.

[treetop82 59]

Guys I deleted DayZ after just 40 hours of play time. The reason being is I started University and I also want to be a Indie Game Developer which will take more work than say someone who just wanted to learn Mechanical Engineering. I decided on Computer Engineering here in the Caribbean so I can open my own business etc.

 

However the addiction in DayZ the days passing by like minutes, the constant running very long distances etc looking for food to survive it became an issue of surviving in both a video game and real world where I simply could not warrant doing it anymore, the addiction became too strong.

 

I am wondering what do you guys do for a living? how do you manage time with DayZ? what would happen when you die starting all over again and putting in the time to acquire the items to die yet again and lose it all?

 

I have since stuck to Black Ops 2 and Counter Strike GO for a casual experience.

 

Its hard for me to see anyone playing DayZ unless they are in middle school etc like age 13 years or so, maybe long summer vacation would allow for the time to play it?'

Maybe someone collecting disability or pension Dayz would be great for them they would have all the time in the world

Or are you guys capable of just playing a couple hours a week and stopping?

 

For me its so hard when I get pulled into an experience like DayZ I cannot let go and I keep telling myself yeah tomorrow I will get the work done and that tomorrow turns into another tomorrow into weeks and months. I want to reinstall DayZ but I am thinking its going to be a bad idea

 

I am thinking 29 years of age its really time for me to give up that good fight, get my degree, make some money, lose some weight and find a girl friend. I am just not sure all of this can be done same time while I play DayZ due to my addicted nature. I am also learning Unreal Engine 4 and developing a game on it, as such it requires deep knowledge of C++ programming etc and as such I think my time is better spent doing that which may help me make money in the future.

 

Bold move, but necessary. I have hit 400+ hours of DayZ and only play it because a) my wife is ok with it b) I have a job c) I have a degree d) you get the point. There was a time where I had to work on all of those, but that time has passed. There are always things IRL you can do to improve yourself so configuring the best work/life/play balance is important. Good luck with your degree.

[StayAlive (DayZ) 169]

it's possible to work 7.5 hours and play 7.5 hours each day and still have time for

other stuff. Cut down on sleep and you get even more hours to play!:)

[blunce 991]

Wake up: 7:30am

 

Work: 8:30am

 

Commute home: 5:30pm

 

Dinner: 6pm

 

Socialize with friends: 6:30pm

 

DayZ: 9:30pm

 

Bed: between 12am & 1am

 

Repeat 5 days a week.

 

Weekend.

 

I've got it down to a science.

[sachad 1016]

Wake up: 7:30am

 

Work: 8:30am

 

Commute home: 5:30pm

 

Dinner: 6pm

 

Socialize with friends: 6:30pm

 

DayZ: 9:30pm

 

Bed: between 12am & 1am

 

Repeat 5 days a week.

 

Weekend.

 

I've got it down to a science.

 

Have you accounted for Shomer Shabbos though? 

[Cap'n (DayZ) 1827]

Just need some good balance.

 

I can't really say much as I'm in my Junior year of high school, but I still have to manage my time. Between homework, time with friends, and time with girlfriend (this one is a big sink), I've just got to find a good balance. I'm not helluva an active guy, bar shooting team, but thats only 3 or so months out the year and on Saturdays. Also in the summer, I usually work somewhere. And with all that I've still managed to dump 650 hours into the game.

[blunce 991]

Have you accounted for Shomer Shabbos though? 

 

Had to look it up, & by Wikipedia's definition:

 

people who observe the mitzvot (commandments) associated with Judaism's Shabbat ("Sabbath", dusk on Friday until sunset, Saturday.)

 

If you're referring to this timeframe > (dusk on Friday until sunset, Saturday), that's when there is no order or balance in my life & I go where ever the music takes me.  B) 

Edited January 2, 2015 by blunce

[sachad 1016]

Had to look it up, & by Wikipedia's definition:

 

people who observe the mitzvot (commandments) associated with Judaism's Shabbat ("Sabbath", dusk on Friday until sunset, Saturday.)

 

If you're referring to this timeframe > (dusk on Friday until sunset, Saturday), that's when there is no order or balance in my life & I go where ever the music takes me.  B) 

 

You... you had to look it up?

 

You're out of your element!

[blunce 991]

You... you had to look it up?

 

You're out of your element!

 

You were once unknowledgeable as well.  ;)

[blackberrygoo 1416]

50 hours a week at work , martial arts training every day, weight lifting , family , and I still have 1,145 hours on dayz .. Ya I don't know if this is a serious thread or not lol , keep going on that game developing mate cuz by the sounds of it you just want to develop games and not play them , that's awesome and never a waste of time ... but honestly asking people questions like this seems more of an attack towards the game seeing as only "13 year olds on summer break" can play this game in your opinion, so next time I'd word it less aggressively :) ... How's the Caribbean by the way you lucky bastard ?

[xalienax 621]

 One reason I try to avoid games like WOW, I did play one MMORPG. There kind of taxing on time.

truest words ever spoken. If you know anyone who has gotten anywhere in Eve Online that game basically lays it out from the start: Surrender your life or be a pleb forever.

 

I made the mistake of getting into that game long ago, and to this day it eats 5 hrs or more of my life daily. more then once i have skipped an entire nights sleep and been late to work because of alliance ops >.<

[CJFlint 357]

truest words ever spoken. If you know anyone who has gotten anywhere in Eve Online that game basically lays it out from the start: Surrender your life or be a pleb forever.

I made the mistake of getting into that game long ago, and to this day it eats 5 hrs or more of my life daily. more then once i have skipped an entire nights sleep and been late to work because of alliance ops >.<

I used to play Pirates of the Burning Sea, which had a completely ran player economy. The pvp, group missions ect were pretty taxing. Once I got into economy it was like having second job. I had 3 characters on there, all doing economy so I could a rich pig in game. Then I formed my own group...too much time. At the time I worked at night. So that's all there was too when got off. EvE heard is really time consuming as well

DayZ I think what takes time is gearing and getting to point a to b. Losing everything can take a split second. Dayz for me is kind of taxing on time, but not as bad as a full on MMORPG. I find if can keep my avatar alive, and geared halfway decent for a long period of time...that in it self saves time. Then its really just travel time in game to meet friends or explore and topping off food. It kind of becomes easy, until I get shot or fall off a ladder. But I really don't feel like I'm losing out by not playing for a couple days like I did when I played POTBS. When you log out you log out.

Edited January 2, 2015 by CJFlint

[xalienax 621]

I used to play Pirates of the Burning Sea, which had a completely player economy. The pvp, group missions ect were pretty taxing. Once I got into economy it was like having second job. I had 3 characters on there, all doing economy so I could a rich pig in game. Then I formed my own group...too much time. At the time I worked at night. So that's all there was too when got off.

DayZ I think what takes time is gearing and getting to point a to b. Losing everything can take a split second. Dayz for me is kind of taxing on time, but not as bad as a full on MMORPG. I find if can keep my avatar alive, and geared halfway decent for a long period of time...that in it self saves time. Then its really just travel time in game and topping off food.

EVE Online is the same way. full player driven economy (literally everything from the biggest ship to the smallest single unit of ammunition is sold by players)  On top of that, you level skills in real time rather then an XP system tied to activities. some ships take half a year to be able to simply SIT in, and not even be able to do anything useful with it. they are so expensive that it would take a player even boxing with multiple accounts MONTHS of playing the markets or hardcore PVE to make back the (in-Game) money to replace them.

 

I don't know. it's both the best and worst part of the game. Knowing that the ship im flying into a massive battle has real value. that its a HUGE (time) investment on the line raises the intensity to a level no other game has ever been able to offer me. Months of hard work could die right here and now.. or if we win, months of the other side's hard work could be destroyed instead. There's nothing more exiting to me then being On-Field in a super-capital during a fleet fight.

 

The very nature of all of this also drives a sizable contingent who take the game extremely seriously. it IS our second job. Im on field in a 70-billion + Ship, i expect ****ing perfection from the people who are expected to keep me alive.