Do RTS games make your heart pound (not in a good way)

When I play Starcraft 2, C&C 3, or other RTS games for any length of time, I find that the constant micromangement and multitasking causes an actual physical reaction in me. I get jittery and my heart races for hours after stopping playing, to the point where I can't sleep for hours after playing if I play for an extended period. It almost feels like drinking a carafe of coffee--and not in a good way.

This doesn't happen with ANY other sort of game for me. RPG, FPS, flight sim, etc.

Does anyone else out there have this physiological reaction to games like SC2 that make you constantly manage dozens or hundreds of separate things at a hectic pace?

 

I wouldn't say my heart races, but RTS games make me nervous, much more so than FPSes or MMOs.

 

I'm guessing it's an adrenaline rush.

 

RTS's have very intense and strategic gameplay. There's tons of input with lots of on the fly decisions that can affect the outcome of the game. I don't play them much any more because of it. I like Sins of a Solar Empire or Civilization games because I can play slowly. Problem is that it can literally take hours to play, and with my free time chunks, that could mean a week or more for just one game.

 

Baka simply feels natural unless there's something riding on it like huge prize money ._.

Might just be because Baka's heartless

 

Only when I'm playing against my siblings. I must win, and they're surprisingly unpredictable.

 

To me it feels more like the massive adrenaline dump I get from narrowly avoiding being hit by a car, instead of the controlled adrenaline rush I get from playing sports. The latter feels good (and wears off in a half-hour or so so I can sleep); the former doesn't.

 

It seems to affect you much more than normal, you may have some sort of transient arrhythmia which is exacerbated by the excitement/adrenaline.. You might wanna tell your doctor.

Just a thought

 

The RTS genre is my favourite genre to play because it's like an art - one mistake can lead to defeat and I love the rush it gives me.

Prior to going to sleep, I always unwind with one episode (stream an episode/youtube for 30-45min) so it's never a problem. If I were to play a C&C match and go to sleep immediately after, I would probably lay there for an hour while unwinding.

I used to get an overwhelming "heart-pound" when I first began playing competitively, but over-time it's gone away. Now I'm used to the rush since I've been playing them for years.

 

For me I think it's more frustration than anything else. Not sure about adrenaline. Single player RTS is fine I guess, but MP is too much stress. I guess if you have your patterns down tried and true, then it's just a matter of executing them.

 

Never encountered such thing with RTS. Like WingNut I get frustrated more if I have to replay a big and long level all over again. But it goes for all game genres where I have to repeat a level.
FPS on the other hand yes. Originally when I started playing FPS, my first ever shooter was MOH. I was kinda afraid at times . But later on I got used to shooters and I don't get stressed while playing. The only game there my heart still pounds is Red Orchestra 2. Very easy to die there, so gotta be on my toes all the time. Surprisingly Alan Wake delivered some shocking moments too .
Also I used to get very nervous while playing MS Flight Simulator. Just before touchdown my heart would begin to race. This was before I learned to do a landing properly. Today I land my plane calm as a rock.

 

Yeah flight simulators are nerve racking. Two hours of flight only to be ruined by a crash landing, lol.

 

I can actually relate..

Long DotA2 games and insanely long LoL or back in the days WC3 games made my shake when playing for too long. A mix of adrenaline and pure excitement and nervousness made me a blood boiling machine. My heart pounded (still does if I hit 1+ games in LoL or DotA)

But unless you 60, this isn't something you should worry about body functions

 

You know how I feel...
Also I used a cool addon called FS Passengers for FSX. So here I am on 3 hour flight, passenger satisfaction is at 100%. And then some wind shifts, plane swings a bit and because I didn't give "fasten your seatbelts" command, passengers fly in the cabin (can hear the sound ). So.......passenger satisfaction drops to about 30% right away...
After landing you may raise it to about 50-60% (if made a veeeeeeeeery smooth touchdown) and get a report full of BS .

 

I'm no doctor, but I say it's just the good ol' trusty adrenaline rush.

 

It's sure as hell ain't lupus.

 

What's up House in da crib!

 

After losing at least 2 years of my life when running through Dead Space 2 the first time round I am not really bothered about an RTS.

Must write my will before DS3...

 

killkenny1: haha thank all that is holy that it's not lupus. If it we're lupus, I probably would've quit playing DotA or quit trying to learn SC2 a longgg time ago. ha

 

Do you play to unwind, like someone has said here, or to challenge yourself? Video games were meant to be, well, games but they have quickly become much more - a statement, an ego issue, a challenge, a point to prove and what not. Some good, some bad. If you do it as a challenge, then I suppose it is normal because I feel the same way during an exam or before an interview. If you do it to enjoy, then I'd suggest you stop because, well, you aren't enjoying.

 

I play games to unwind. I'm a litigation attorney by trade and I often use 30-60 minutes of gaming at night to get my mind off my day before I go to bed. Like you said, though, if it's not serving that purpose well, why do it at all? Probably should stick with Borderlands, Mass Effect, and Amalur...

 

I remember the first night I played Dead Space right before bed, couldn't fall asleep until 3am because of the rush

 

Rush? I was scared to death.. especially after I played the second night

 

I got Dead Space (Amazon gave it to me for free as a mea culpa for a quickly-fixed download issue that affected a lot of ME3 preorders like mine) but have never tried it. One of these days I will, but I'm kind of afraid of being up all night staring at the dark hallway

 

if a pc game causes you physical reactions then you need to go to the shrink.

 

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All people are different. Unfortunately for some of us, we aren't as tough as you are. I don't think I or OP needs to go see a psychiatrist or get professional help because of that.

 

That makes no sense. People get physical reactions from watching sports, so does that mean they need to go see a shrink too?

 

Really? I'm fine with pressure in nearly any other context. I'm a litigation attorney. I have two young children, one of whom is autistic. I fence competitively on a regional level. I don't need a shrink.

I have a very specific physical reaction to one particular genre of video games, and was wondering if others have something similar.

 

This is an incredibly ignorant comment.

A successful game taps into the players' emotions. Depending on the content of the game, it can lead to the player experiencing sadness, excitement, anxiety, fear, etc.

I get a rush when I play fast-paced game genres and so does everyone else I play with. Guess we all need to see shrinks, right?

 

I agree with you guys. If game scares you at some points, it means it was suppose to scare you and that why devs should get some kudos for doing a proper job.