To beat an addiction, first you must admit that you are addicted.
Early last week, whilst repairing some elses phone connection, a BT engineer shut the line that leads to my house in the door of the junction box only a few hundred metres from my door. Instantly we lost internet and phone access. For an internet-addicted geek like me that was traumatic. No more blog-reading. No more working on DWARF. Did I go out and play in the sunshine for a few days? Nope. I started playing a (free) computer game: Battle for Wesnoth. Gah! Even now my internet is back, it’s still sucking up huge amounts of my time.
If someone asked me. “Do you spend much time playing computer games?”. I’d usually say no, but it’s very sporadic. I don’t play anything for a few months then for one reason or another I start and that’s it – no free time for a week or two.
I don’t know if you’ll ever read this but my friend, you are not alone. My Wesnoth addiction has the potential to completely ruin my life. Sounds ridiculous doesn’t it, but I think you know what I mean. When the bug bites I’ll play it solidly for 10-15 before sleeping for a few, then playing some more. Insane. That Radiohead song is spinning in my head at the moment: “you do it to yourself – and that’s what really hurts.” My most recent stint has been:
Thur 11pm-4:30am
Fri 4pm-4am
Sat 10am-3am
So just a few hours, then, no harm ;)
Anyway, I’m only writing this now as I’ve just done the standard ‘delete everything, pledge to never play it again’ thing. I’ve been here before. But like yourself, months can pass when I don’t even think about it (or any computer game), and then suddenly, the pernicious little thought creeps in: ‘how about a little Wesnoth? I’ll control it this time….”
Anyway, I gotta believe my pledge this time, so no more Wesnoth for me. I dread to think what the people who actually program it are like….
So, good luck, and here’s hoping you haven’t even though about Wesnoth since you posted this 18 months ago (God, I hope I haven’t reminded you of its charms – don’t do it man!).
All the best
Steve