So growing up, I never really did good in school. I went through a lot of emotional stress due to my parents expectations as well as bullying from other kids, so online gaming was my way of getting away from the world and having a good time.

My time spent online playing games like Graal Classic iPhone and other MMORPGs was absolutely amazing. I had a blast, I felt like I was accomplishing things(lead a top 10 tower capturing guild at the time),felt meaningful, and overall it was exciting. Gaming filled a void in my life that made it better.

Now I graduated highschool, have a job, attending college, and overall feel like I have things that make me feel purposeful. Playing games just isn't as fun anymore. Maybe its because I found other things in life, or maybe its just because I grew sick of games in general.

My addiction with Archeage led me to end up dropping 2 college classes due to falling behind in them. But I then focused on my remaining 2 classes, and ended the semester with a 4.0 GPA and received several rewards(ironically).

Back in highschool, when I grinded in an MMO, I felt like I was accomplishing things. Now, I feel like I'm wasting precious time that I'll never get back. There's still times I find games fun, mainly when new content is fresh(such as a new dungeon coming out or new MMO) but I burn out fast now. Each new MMO makes me hopeful, but I always get bored shortly after. Once you've played through all the content the game has to offer, it just gets repetitive-and game hopping isn't really that fun.

I feel like if I focus my time on my studies I might be able to maintain a 3.5+ GPA and feel a bit of self accomplishment. Also if I take an extended break, maybe other MMORPGs like Everquest Next and Black Desert will be more fun when they come out.

Thoughts?

tl;dr: Gaming isn't as fun for me anymore, feel like I don't need it as much, but I'm kind of addicted.  

You clearly make a case that playing MMO's has had a negative impact on your classes. You say playing them is fun for a while, you burn through the content and get bored.

But near the end of your post you're slipping back into your cycle of playing again. Whats going to happen? You're either going to play it and get bored OR you might actually stick with one of them, and you'll most likely continue to play them while you're still taking classes.

Notice either outcome your grades are going to suffer. Unless you develop some sort of self control out of nowhere.

MMO'S are the most addicting games. Constant progression is addicting, time consuming, and sometimes costly. It's just the nature of the game.

I think MMO's = bad. Especially while you're in school. It's just to easy for them to take up your time and set your priorities out of whack. I think you should try playing other games to satiate the desire to play....and if you get bored then put it down and do something else. It's not about quitting it's just knowing when to stop yourself.  

Dont quit but play a bit less if you have to.  

Stop playing MMORPGS. They're ****ing generic, time sinks, and a complete waste of effort. They're dull and mostly designed to reward people who need a sense of accomplishment outside of IRL.

Stick to competitive games if you really need to play multiplayer. MMORPGs put you in a perpetual world. Competitive games start and end, your only responsibility is to choose how many games you want to play.  

Mmorpgs are not good when your trying to improve your grades so try sticking with 1p games

less addicting and you can pick em up and play when you want.  

Just switch to more casual games. I don't know if Destiny counts as an MMO, but it sucked up a lot of my time earning and grinding for gear (thus why I don't play anymore). Like you, I'm also a college student, but I don't have a job. I spend a lot of my free time gaming and watching anime to relieve stress and have fun. I like games that allow me to compete online without having to spend hours on end to earn stuff to keep up with the other players, but I also love games with good single player campaigns.

Maybe you should take a break from gaming though. It might be more enjoyable if you come back after a period of not playing them.  

Play more games that you can pick up and play at any given time, and that isn't any MMORPG  

I don't think it's a matter of quitting video games altogether, but a matter of controlling your play-time.

Games aren't bad but like you said, they can end up eating up your time if you're not careful.  

Posted by Sardon

Dont quit but play a bit less if you have to.

This.

Recently I noticed that I was slacking in school and grades were dropping so I completely focused on school more than playing games.

You don't need to quit, just finish your homework, study for 1-2 hours a night, then you have your free time. I managed to keep near a 3.5 GPA after that.  

This is kinda my problem. I feel like I'm wasting time playing games like Gary's Mod and Super Smash Bros. So I don't play them but then sit around doing nothing as I wonder what to do instead lol.  

Learn to play for fun and to work hard play hard. I was/still are in the same boat as you but I know my priorities now, if I have a piece of work/other responsibilities that need to be done i'll do them, but if not i'm quite happy to do some rift runs/hearthstone games/towering.

I think, contrary to others on this thread, is that besides Graal, I only play other games now when someone asks me to, I don't like the idea of hopping onto an MMO and grinding life away.  

Quit MMORPGs, continue gaming different types of games.  

Taking a break from gaming? That's like taking a break from breathing! However, there are certain times that you dive underwater and have to hold that breath for a while. Take a break man, focus on the things that can get you ahead in life and once those things are over you can swim back up and catch your breath.  

Dude. From the way it sounds, is you suffer from introversion that nearly all of us deal with here on Graalians. Not the BAD type of introversion, but the kind where social interaction drains you and it order to recover you look towards gaming.

I completely understand this, it is basically the description of introversion- and there isn't much of a way to navigate around it. We require cool-downs based on how much social pressure we accumulate. It isn't a way of saying someone is awkward or likes to be alone- its just a way to say someone needs more time to themselves in order to function normally.

Introverts, like me, usually have specific things that make them feel refreshed and relaxed. Things done alone- but mentally stimulating. This is pretty much the exact description of your/our gaming habit.

List of common "refreshments" for introverts:
Reading
Art
TV (movies, anime, series, cartoons, ect)
Gaming
Internet exploring
Social Media
Listening to music, playing music
Writing
Working on projects
Taking walks
Exercising
ect
Hell, me typing and reading graalians is a form of mine. Right. Now.


So realize that you as a person require larger periods than others to recuperate from daily social pressure. Realize that gaming is one of them, so it isn't something you NEED to take a break from. However, relying on gaming too much can be unhealthy- and demand too much time or cause you too lack exercise and general health.

My recommendation is when gaming is to not stare close at the screen and to have a well lit room. This helps you subconsciously track time better and you will be less likely to drain several hours at a time on a game. Seriously try it.
Also if you have a nearby trails/park, try dedicating some time to walking/jogging and listening to music. I do this for 30 minutes most days and it is refreshing to me and its great to get some sun and fresh air. I find myself relying on gaming to refresh myself much less.

The best option here as it sounds you are lacking, is a job. Jobs are ways to force yourself to be active and not waste time while you actually get experience and make money. The more you work, the more you outgrow things like gaming and the more options in life become available. Also, most work is socially demanding so your mind will adapt into a more extroverted overall outlook which might be what you are looking for.

Good luck, this came from a lot of my experience- and I think you should consider a lot of what I said. Do what you want though I still love to play me some bf4 or graal from time to time  

Posted by Zazzi*

Quit MMORPGs, continue gaming different types of games.

Problem is raiding in MMORPGs is probably one of my favorite aspects of gaming, I love the problem solving, teamwork, and challenge aspect of it, no other genre provides that.

There's games like monster hunter where you team up to take down monsters and stuff, but there's very few games that involve teamwork and action to take down tough bosses that aren't MMORPGs with lots of grind.