Hearthstone, OCD Ritual

I quit Hearthstone a few months ago, after years, because it was basically making me unhappy to play it.  I just returned, got the new mini-set, figuring I'd see if anything has changed.  It's just worse than it ever was, at least to me.

I'm not angry, just sad.  I remember when the game was interactive, people actually played minions and figured out strategies as the game went along.  Now, it's just people performing repetitive tasks until they win.  It finally occurred to me that I'm wasting my life sitting here watching unhappy people hyperactively perform OCD rituals, as if there's some sort of meaning in that.

Perform some sort of repetitive task until you win the game, or puke cards and go face.  It amazes me how people can find the game fulfilling.  I gain no pleasure from mindless puking a bunch of little cards.  I mean, what the point in winning a silly little game if you have to get a lobotomy to do it.  Or just perform the same sequence over and over, thinking that there's somehow value in performing an OCD ritual that gets you wins in a silly game.

I already have OCD.  It's not like I need to indulge it further by just performing rituals and calling it a game.  And it makes me sad to just sit there and watch someone just repeat the same sequence over and over, getting all hyper over repeating the same meaningless task again and again.

Where's the fun?  Where's the interaction?  People just seems so stressed and unhappy, and just behave so poorly and childishly.  I really get the feeling that so many people are unhappy and are just doing the same thing over and over without even knowing why or asking themselves if the game is a fun addition to their lives like it should be, or if it's just a stressful obsession.

I won't even go into the fact that Blizzard is a master of exploiting their customers' weaknesses in order to exploit the prevalence of OCD-related tendencies and get them dopamine-addicted.  I just see so little evidence that people are happy, with most people being poor losers, and, even more amazingly, extremely poor winners.

It just doesn't seem as if it's a game anymore, as opposed to just an obsession that brings out the worst in people.  I suppose exploiting OCD and inducing dopamine addiction is good for business, but the game just makes me sad at this point.

I watch people hyperactively cycle through their decks in casual and think great, I just wasted some time watching your perform an OCD ritual for no reason, and you just wasted some of your precious time on earth just performing the same sequence of meaningless actions for the hundredth time.  What fun.

People wonder why such an extraordinary percentage of young people are unhappy and feel their lives are meaningless.  People thrive on interaction, and it's bad enough, and unhealthy enough, that people are isolated on their phones and computers.  Hearthstone wasn't necessarily genuinely social even when gameplay was interactive, but, now, it's really just a parody of isolation, just perform your repetitive task and  toss a passive-aggressive emote at your opponent when you win because you don't even recognize him or her as being human.

I really only mean to comment on how mind-numbingly boring gameplay has become, but it's hard not to wonder why people just keep on playing and don't really seem to care that they're becoming automatons.  That's the problem with dopamine addiction and OCD, you get a charge like you accomplished something, but, actually, deep down, you know you've accomplished nothing.

Not that gaming is ever really a meaningful accomplishment in the overall scheme of things, but there's no harm in challenging yourself and having some fun.  I just don't see mindlessly performing repetitive tasks and puking cards as either.

Just a thought, and, of course, your mileage may vary.  But, if you feel depressed, quit petulantly every time you lose, am always getting angry over the game, need to be passive-aggressive and abusive to your opponent in order to feel something, etc., it's something to consider.

It's amazing how less-stressed and happier I was not playing the game for a few months.  The compulsion is still there, but it's gotten to the point, after taking time off, that it's just too obvious how unhappy the game makes me.  Not that dopamine and OCD doesn't induce you to ignore the fact that you're unhappy, but it's better to face the truth.

I hope I'm wrong and all of you people are happy and having genuine fun.  I know some people will inevitably say that some people don't care that they're not being interactive or that their deck is designed to minimize the difference between good and bad players and keep people spending money, that winning is what they enjoy.  It's amazing how much that sounds like an addict talking.  Don't care how I get my fix as long as I get it.

Maybe people should look at games like this the same way that they look at other addictions, don't indulge if you need it as opposed to want it.  Or just go ahead and repeat the same repetitive sequence for the thousandth time, as if you'll look back from your deathbed and think that was time well-spent.

Life is short.  Be happy.  Goodbye Hearthstone.

I tend to think this is simple - if you enjoy the game and find it time well spent, then great.

If you aren't enjoying it and it's a negative overall, take a break or stop playing.

Both are totally fine positions to take.

I try not to adopt a stance of judging the worth of something to other people.  Everyone is different and we all make choices that are hopefully right for us :)

I completely agree with your sentiments although I must admit I only read the first few paragraphs and scanned the rest 

The game being played in constructed has boiled down to complete netdecking of very boring decks that really include very little creativity. It wasn't so long ago that you still saw weird fun decks eeking out an existence and at least having some success. I don't see them now.

The last time I had fun in constructed was with a highlander mage deck that popped up the last expansion before the rotation. This deck was very enjoyable because it had a lot of discover and card generation so it really kept me on my toes making different decisions every game. Also it was competitive. Not a tier 1, but I could win. Losing is not fun. Hence the netdecking....

Since then I have netdecked dozens and dozens of decks that I see popular streamers playing or that I find on websites thinking, oh this looks like a shining beacon of fun in the otherwise stale meta. Every time after many attempts to learn and overcome... The same boring decks usually bear down on me barely winning with their ludicrous endgames.

But there's hope, my friend! It's called Arena. Arena is always fresh and every player is handcuffed the same as you are! Even when you lose to a momentous opponent where you basically had no chance winning against you can still hit that concede button knowing that could have easily have been you that got that lucky. And at least it isn't the same thing every time.

I personally keep a candle on the windowsill lit that one day constructed will be fun again but I know it won't be anytime soon. These new cards are promising in the fun factor but the old cards are just so powerful. Maybe after rotation it will be better?

Hold tight and until then enjoy Arena : D

"Just a thought, and, of course, your mileage may vary.  But, if you feel depressed, quit petulantly every time you lose, am always getting angry over the game, need to be passive-aggressive and abusive to your opponent in order to feel something, etc., it's something to consider."

I do not think this actually has anything to do with HS, and is more about your attitude.

"Maybe people should look at games like this the same way that they look at other addictions, don't indulge if you need it as opposed to want it.  Or just go ahead and repeat the same repetitive sequence for the thousandth time, as if you'll look back from your deathbed and think that was time well-spent."

I kind of feel like you are projecting here...

I do agree with you. If you are not having fun with a video game, you should not play it. 

In the end this is a really simple issue for me. You need to answer one question for yourself: Am I enjoying this game? If the answer is no, which is pretty clear in your case, then stop playing. No need to concern yourself with other people btw as you do as fun is entirely subjective. It does not matter if a game is grindy or full of what you call OCD rituals; if a person enjoys a game it is a good game. Everbody must be his / her own judge.

If you do not like it stop playing and dont look back. Do not think about previous investment and force yourself to play. You should never do so.