Dizzyness playing first and third person games

Question

I get dizzy and my head starts to hurt when playing games like:

hellgate london SW: jedi knights series third person rpgs like Risen first person view in fallout 3 some first person shooters, I remember getting pretty far in many fps games but also getting dizzy, i think some first person shooters, like hl2 and doom3/2/1 causes dizzyness but not as much as the games i named above.

I'm totally fine when playing Unreal tournament 2004, where i've logged several hundred hours on, as well as the mass effect and kotor series and the GTA series and Persona series.

I'm also fine on games like prince of persia where the camera isn't flying around based on the movement of the avatar.

I'm wondering if there's anything wrong with me? I'm pretty sure that it's the movement of the camera that's making me dizzy, in games that track the gait of the avatar, though I'm not sure on this.

Apologizes about the ineloquence, I wonder if I should get my brain checked or something?

Asked by Mark

Answer

One of the more common causes of dizziness from gaming is something known as Motion Sickness. This is the Wikipedia article, and from there are more useful links on actual medical data.

It is common for some people to experience this more frequently in a virtual environment, so it is not unheard of for people to suffer from motion sickness in certain video games but not in real life, if this is the case for you. I'm personally the opposite, I suffer motion sickness in the real world but never from video games no matter how tumultous they may be.

You might want to look into this question, which gives some advice on how you might be able to alleviate the symptoms. You'll also be able to see a decent gamut of people who also suffer from similar dizziness.

If you find yourself still worried after these readings, I suggest getting a check up with your standard physician. A diagnostic from a professional will be more accurate than personal readings, and is a better first step than trying to guess what specialist to see.

Answered by Grace Note

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How do I keep a healthy game-life balance? [closed]

Question

I have, in the *cough*past*cough*, found that games take over a significant portion of my life, and free time - and, like a troll that's been sitting in the basement for too long, that they are constantly hungry for more.

What can I do to make sure that I both have time for gaming, and don't end up affecting the rest of my life too negatively (ie, make sure I have time to work, eat, shower, meet girls and get drunk)?

Asked by blueberryfields

Answer

Really, it's a matter of discipline. I'm a married software architect with 5 kids. It can be difficult at times. But the main thing is to keep gaming at the lower priority.

Since gaming is a time of venting that doesn't make me money or advance my life in any way, it comes after work, time with kids, time with my wife, and all the "Honey-Do's" she has for me. My wife is also always able to interrupt me at any time I'm gaming. She takes the priority.

Now, if you start working the dream job for Game Informer or something where you get paid to do the stuff, then you're golden. {-o)

Answered by Boydski

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How do I limit my gaming?

Question

I love to play games, but being married now and going to school I find myself falling into the pit of spending too much time gaming. What are some good techniques to limiting my game-play so that I don't have an angry misses and actually get some things done around the house while still enjoying my games? Or are there any software solutions that can limit somehow my game-play?

Asked by KronoS

Answer

Be picky about which games you play, when you play, how long you'll play, and what you'll put up with.

When you're limiting the number of hours you play, you want to make those hours the best possible experience.

Don't play a game that is dumb or doesn't make you feel awesome.

Don't play when someone else needs your attention. They won't like it, you won't like it, and you won't enjoy the game as much.

If you're playing a multi-player game and can't find the right folks to play with, quit. If your friends aren't online, or you the people you want to play with are already engaged, or the people you find yourself playing with are assholes, quit.

Don't play instead of sleeping. Being well-rested has a big affect on patience, ability to learn, and motivation. Those will, in turn, affect your relationships, school work, quality of parenting, exercise, food choices, etc.

When my second & third kids were born (twins!) I was so very exhausted I couldn't cope. If I got a chance to sleep, I would get woken up 30 minutes later, which sucked. I played games instead, because being engaged in them made me not notice how tired I felt. But of course, this just made the problem worse. Watch out for that.

Answered by Jay Bazuzi

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How well do “gaming” computer glasses such as Gunnar Optiks work?

Question

I wore glasses to correct nearsightedness for over 20 years before having LASIK surgery a few years ago. I've loved the freedom of not having to wear corrective lenses all the time. That being said, due to the fact that glasses did the work for me, my eyes had never really had to work the muscles responsible for focusing much. Thus since having LASIK surgery, I've noticed that after an extended period of time concentrating on the computer screen with only small breaks that I would end up with headaches focused around my eyes. I spoke to my eye doctor about that and he prescribed a pair of "computer glasses" which were just normal reading glasses that had a minimal (.5 or less if I remember correctly) magnification so that when my eyes got tired I could wear them and reduce the strain on my eyes.

With the context set, I am looking at something that might work a bit better for both fatigue associated with computer usage primarily when gaming. I have heard pretty good reviews for glasses by Gunar Optiks (primarily the AMbeR series). Ars Technica had a decent review of them.

I am curious though if anyone here has used glasses such as those and what their experience was - did it reduce fatigue? Did it add or take away from the gaming experience?

Answer

These glasses are great. They're light, and they really do work. Some colours aren't as bright/clear but it makes gaming marathons easier on the eyes. The lenses make it easier to read text due to magnification.

Hope I've helped.

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Does playing racing games with a wheel and pedals affect your real-world driving?

Question

I am worried that if I got used to pulling the 'stunts' one would pull in videogames with the same physical interface of a real car, that could lead me to bringing the same 'stunts' on real streets. Ugh.

Is there any research on this topic? Do you have experiences to share? Please bring more to the table than just your opinion.

Answer

Having done a lot of driving various racing games with a wheel and pedals, I'd say "it depends".

Pro:

• The game can give you experience in scenarios that are rare in real life, but where a split-second decision can mean the difference between walking or driving away - or worse. For example, Grand Prix Legends gave me experience and confidence that I could then apply to winter driving. The "natural" reaction in a skid or slide is to hit the brakes, which only makes things worse. Instead, a gentle counter-steer and judicious use of the throttle (and maybe a touch of trail-braking - but just dragging the pads, not stomping on it!) will keep you on the arc of the corner and in control of the vehicle. (See "four-wheel drift")
• In general, the games will teach you to anticipate and "look ahead" for trouble. A common problem with most real-life drivers is that they only look at the car in front of them. Instead, you should be looking as much as 1/4 to 1/2 mile down the road - through the car in front of you. This is especially crucial at higher speeds.

Con:

• Things will normally happen a lot faster and with greater intensity in the game than in real life. The problem comes when you start to crave or seek that intensity.
• Related to the previous point, in most games the goal is to drive as fast as you can and there are no significant consequences for the minute mistakes that such speed is bound to produce. In real life the consequences are much more dire and there's no "Restart" option.

I'd say that, if you find yourself starting down the path toward problems - driving aggressively, regularly exceeding the speed limit, etc., you need to take a careful look at yourself. In my personal opinion, racing games have made me a better driver. But then, I don't text or talk on the phone (except with a hands-free setup), drive at excessive speeds, etc. The influence of the games has been on my observation and anticipation of trouble ahead, and knowing with some degree of confidence how to handle that trouble.

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Does playing racing games with a wheel and pedals affect your afk driving?

Question

I am worried that if I got used to pulling the 'stunts' one would pull in videogames with the same physical interface of a real car, that could lead me to bringing the same 'stunts' on real streets. Ugh.

Is there any research on this topic? Do you have experiences to share? Please bring more to the table than just your opinion.

Answer

Having done a lot of driving various racing games with a wheel and pedals, I'd say "it depends".

Pro:

• The game can give you experience in scenarios that are rare in real life, but where a split-second decision can mean the difference between walking or driving away - or worse. For example, Grand Prix Legends gave me experience and confidence that I could then apply to winter driving. The "natural" reaction in a skid or slide is to hit the brakes, which only makes things worse. Instead, a gentle counter-steer and judicious use of the throttle (and maybe a touch of trail-braking - but just dragging the pads, not stomping on it!) will keep you on the arc of the corner and in control of the vehicle. (See "four-wheel drift")
• In general, the games will teach you to anticipate and "look ahead" for trouble. A common problem with most real-life drivers is that they only look at the car in front of them. Instead, you should be looking as much as 1/4 to 1/2 mile down the road - through the car in front of you. This is especially crucial at higher speeds.

Con:

• Things will normally happen a lot faster and with greater intensity in the game than in real life. The problem comes when you start to crave or seek that intensity.
• Related to the previous point, in most games the goal is to drive as fast as you can and there are no significant consequences for the minute mistakes that such speed is bound to produce. In real life the consequences are much more dire and there's no "Restart" option.

I'd say that, if you find yourself starting down the path toward problems - driving aggressively, regularly exceeding the speed limit, etc., you need to take a careful look at yourself. In my personal opinion, racing games have made me a better driver. But then, I don't text or talk on the phone (except with a hands-free setup), drive at excessive speeds, etc. The influence of the games has been on my observation and anticipation of trouble ahead, and knowing with some degree of confidence how to handle that trouble.

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Hand exercises after a gaming session?

Question

I hope this is not off-topic, but this is important for me, and I assume to many other gamers as well.

Unlike most other computer applications, many PC games make liberal use of the mouse for most actions, often requiring fast and / or prolonged movement. Sometimes games may leave my mouse hand aching for a bit.

Other than taking a break (and visiting this site meanwhile =D ), does anyone have any good tips for preventing or alleviating the pain? Exercises maybe?

Answer

check out carpal tunnel exercises online like bending your wrist up and gently flexing it a few times, then doing the same but bending it down. also, you may want to look into a comfortable mouse if it isnt already, and a wrist lift for your mouse pad.

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Is a trackball good for playing games?

Question

I toy with the idea of purshasing a trackball, because I've heard it will greatly reduce the strain of the hand, that normally occurs when using a mouse. But I have some doubts if it will fit all my needs, because I would use it for a lot of working and playing games.

How well does a trackball go with working and playing games (like Minecraft) where you have to move a lot? What are your experiences? Can you recommend me an ergonomic model?

Answer

I use a trackball for my computer and am an avid gamer. I play many different games (a lot of minecraft, lots of FPS games, lots of RTS games, etc) and feel that I am just as good with the trackball as I used to be with a mouse. I'm also a software engineer, so I use my computer a very large amount of time every day.

Making the switch to a trackball is definitely something you can do and still successfully game. Not everyone likes trackballs, though, so you may regret your purchase. One thing I would stress is that you should try to force yourself to adjust to the trackball if you want to learn to use it. Unplug your mouse and put it away. Make it so your only option is to learn how to use your trackball or don't use your computer. You WILL have to spend some time adjusting, and during that time you WON'T be as good at games as you had been. Don't fret - just keep trying. I'd say I was back to the same skill level within about 2 weeks, but it may be longer or shorter, depending on how well you adjust.

As far as recommendations, I've only ever used one model, the Logitech Trackman Wheel. You may have better luck going into a B&M store and trying out different models and find one that suits your hand shape.

Either way, I'd highly recommend attempting to switch if you're considering it. I haven't regretted my decision in the slightest.

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How can I prevent Gaming Sickness?

Question

Some gamers call me a wimp, but games like Spyro send me reeling and running for the bathroom in a matter of minutes. I get a massive headache, nausea, and sick to my stomach. I can play Portal, Ape Escape, Ico, Shadow of the Collosseus for longer. I think the problem has to do with the free-floating (or controllable) camera.

Is there a way to still play these games and not get sick?

Answer

Among other things, you may be sensitive to:

• frame rate
• strobing or shifting colors
• sensation of movement
• disparity between visual and other sensory input

Depending on your platform and environment you probably don't have much control over these. You can try the following, but as David said you should probably consult with your doctor also.

• Don't play in a dark room - leave a lamp or other soft light on
• Position your chair and screen so that you're sitting comfortably and looking directly ahead at the screen
• Play with whatever visual settings are available to maximize frame rate and minimize visual strobing
• Back up a bit so that the screen doesn't dominate your vision. This has two effects - it minimizes the sensory conflict, and also minimizes your awareness of screen refresh/frame rate

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Is there any way to play Hammerfight with a gamepad?

Question

Hammerfight, while being a great game, is also excellent at annihilating your wrist, as controlling the game is done by performing circular motions with the mouse almost constantly.

When I first got the game, I looked for a way to translate gamepad input to mouse input so that I could play the game without inflicting physical harm on myself. The results I came up with were far from satisfactory, however (I found some way to turn my PS3's controller input into mouse input, but it was very sluggish and simply wouldn't do at all).

This site didn't exist back then, so I ask you, has anyone managed to set up a gamepad to work with this game in a way that doesn't feel like you are sacrificing control for convenience?

Answer

Well, erm, I'm not exactly sure how to tell you this, but... Hammerfight supports gamepads out of the box.

I just booted it up with my wireless Xbox 360 gamepad plugged in, and it picked it up immediately. The only thing you have to do is disable multy-mouse in the settings.

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