Games and health.

[lord of the mark]

Okay, so I didnt actually get sick from gaming.

I DID get really into playing EU2, getting into the whole play for hours at a time thing, that I hadnt done in a couple of years, it seems. Since I got over my Civ2 addiction.

Not long after that I got a sinus infection - unrelated of course. But somehow it made even thinking about the hours spent at a PC, (on a non-ergonomic chair, im afraid) seem offputting, the way certain foods are offputting when youre sick. I went 3 weeks without touching a game, though I still used a PC at work.

Ive gone back to EU2, but for no more than an hour at a time or so. I really am more conscious that this is not something I want to do to my body.

Aside from wanting more exercise, Id also like to spend less of my passive relaxation time in a position thats so hard on back, eyes, etc.

Im not convinced to go become a Console player - (I cant think of any console games id prefer to reading) But I am thinking that as time goes on I might want to game on a laptop, that I can take to the couch, outside (but not on pollen season), etc.


How do y'all deal with these issues? Laptops? Ergonomic chairs? Consoles? Limits on gaming time?

[Spiffor]

My gaming rig has been a laptop since 1999, and I have never found a position more convenient than a straight table and chair.

This comes probably from the fact that my two laptops have been Dells, and Dells have heat issues. It's quickly very hot when you have the computer on your knees, and I don't want the comp to damage my bed's sheets or the couch.

Also, the laptop ersatzs for the mouse are really terrible for gaming. I have donce several Civ3 hours with the touchpad, and it's infinetely inferior to playing with the mouse.
Finally, when you seat on the ground, with the laptop on the ground, the position is much less comfortable than when you're sitting in front of a table. It's even worse for your back. Also, when you are lying on the ground / on the bed, you have to extend your arms to reach the controls, and you have to keep your head up to see the screen. During game marathons, it uickly becomes a taxing positon

In short: get a better chair

[child of Thor]

As an oldish timer i'd also add a good chair is a must - and you dont have to go for all the spaceage looking things either. Just something with good back support( i find i like to use a solid cushion to help me not slouch, i put it in the small of my back.) and arm rests on level with the desk surface i'll be using the mouse on.

But i'd also recomend going with your gut feeling of wanting more exercise. Keep yourself in good physical shape with regular exercise and you'll probably avoid the worst complaints of long time computer use.

And if it helps, i have to spend less time on a console because it encourages you to flop all over the place, something a good pc chair will not

I find proped up on the sofa i can manage about 8hrs in a sitting on my consoles max.

On the PC my last big session was 12hrs, but i could have gone on for longer if my gf hadn't pulled me away.

[Alex]

I'm not much into the exercise thing, mostly because it would waste a precious time that I could use for playing.

[DaveV]

... or, you can combine exercise and computer gaming. I have a treadmill in the basement with an old PC sitting in front of it. The keyboard fits nicely on the treadmill control shelf, and there's a little rectangular depression where my trackball can sit when I'm not holding it. The computer is too old for the kids' games, but it works fine for Civ II, MoM, MoO, etc.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Spiffor
My gaming rig has been a laptop since 1999, and I have never found a position more convenient than a straight table and chair.

This comes probably from the fact that my two laptops have been Dells, and Dells have heat issues. It's quickly very hot when you have the computer on your knees, and I don't want the comp to damage my bed's sheets or the couch.

Also, the laptop ersatzs for the mouse are really terrible for gaming. I have donce several Civ3 hours with the touchpad, and it's infinetely inferior to playing with the mouse.
Finally, when you seat on the ground, with the laptop on the ground, the position is much less comfortable than when you're sitting in front of a table. It's even worse for your back. Also, when you are lying on the ground / on the bed, you have to extend your arms to reach the controls, and you have to keep your head up to see the screen. During game marathons, it uickly becomes a taxing positon

In short: get a better chair

Good points Spiff, maybe a laptop wouldnt be the solution. (though for outdoor use i wasnt thinking on the ground, but on the picnic table we have in the backyard, or perhaps at an outdoor cafe - this aint Paris, but almost every suburban Starbucks has tables outside)

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by child of Thor
As an oldish timer i'd also add a good chair is a must - and you dont have to go for all the spaceage looking things either. Just something with good back support( i find i like to use a solid cushion to help me not slouch, i put it in the small of my back.) and arm rests on level with the desk surface i'll be using the mouse on.

But i'd also recomend going with your gut feeling of wanting more exercise. Keep yourself in good physical shape with regular exercise and you'll probably avoid the worst complaints of long time computer use.

And if it helps, i have to spend less time on a console because it encourages you to flop all over the place, something a good pc chair will not

I find proped up on the sofa i can manage about 8hrs in a sitting on my consoles max.

On the PC my last big session was 12hrs, but i could have gone on for longer if my gf hadn't pulled me away.

12 hours!!!!!! You must have a great chair, or be in better shape than me. Im thinking these days that 90 minutes is about as much as can stand. Or maybe my games just arent as absorbing

[DrSpike]

I've gamed for some outrageously long sessions, and I'm still fine, hic.

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by DrSpike
I've gamed for some outrageously long sessions, and I'm still fine, hic.

Yah, but youre a hardcore gamer, dude

[lord of the mark]

another question: some have said consoles are easier - but if you were using a console for strategy game like EU2, where you had to read small things on the screen, wouldnt you still be in the same situation?

[child of Thor]

You sound like you want a console !

When i first got my xbox i was using it on a portable tv in the bedroom! Action games were fine, but anything that required a bit of reading(like Morrowind for example) was very uncomfortable; the xbox quickly moved to the big tv and out the bedroom, and the text is fine to read now.

Still for long gaming sessions i find the upright armchair i use to be much more comfortable than the couch in the living room when using the xbox.

Sure its more relaxing and less effort to flop down in front of a console(while being fed pizza because the effort is too much ), but after a shorter period of time you will notice you back/arms feeling the rigours of that 'relaxed' gaming position.

I just find a good chair with padding/cushions in the right place that encourages you to sit up straight, much better for my well being - and its enabled me to do the odd +20hr marathon gaming sessions

[Verto]

Get a real gaming platform, ie the Xbox/360. Then you can play from your couch.

[Skanky Burns]

Look for a stim-pack.

[Sparrowhawk]

I had a cordless keyboard and mouse when I used to play Civ 2 much more then I do now, and used to sit on my couch with my Monitor on the desk next to the couch, it worked well, though I didn't have a great surface for the mouse, a trackball would have worked better for that I guess.

Now I no longer have the cordless keyboard and mouse, and like LotM, I am quite addicted to EU2 so I spend long hours at my computer in a chair that is not as comfortable as I would like

/me

[Vince278]

Civ has been linked to an increase in the divorce rate. Bug or feature?