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Gaming & Depression, part 2: Roll with It!

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Oct 052011

Introduction

Last week I provided an overview of depression. This week I shall take a look at its connection with gaming. I’ve been gaming for fourteen years, and have had the opportunity to meet a lot of wonderful people – folks that I gladly call “friend.” And there is one thing that I have noticed about the gamer population compared to the general population. I believe that the rate of depression in gamers is higher than that of the general population.

Gamers & Depression

Why is that? Are depressed people drawn to gaming? Or does gaming make one more depressed? Or is it simply a coincidence, or faulty observation on my part?

We can eliminate that last question based on the proven fact that I am always right. (Which, by the way, is another source of my depression. It is an incredible burden to be right all the time 😀 .)

The second question seems counter-intuitive: How can something “fun,” like playing games, make you feel depressed? Sure, many of the games we play are competitive, and no one likes to lose; losing can put one in quite a funk. But at the same time we recognize that “it’s just a game,” so the prospect and experience of losing are not that emotionally traumatic. Furthermore, many games, especially RPG’s are cooperative, allowing everybody to “win.”

Therefore I’m brought back to the first question: Are depressed people drawn to gaming? I think that there is some solid evidence to indicate this probability.

First, depression makes it difficult to socialize with other people, but gaming provides a “bridge” to social interaction. It’s easier to address another person through the medium of a game, with its rules and structure, compared to trying to strike up a conversation with someone at “regular” party.

Second, it gives the depressed person something to do. Lack of activity and motivation are the most difficult parts of depression to deal with. Gaming, at the very least, is an activity to focus on and participate in. Thus gaming is the vehicle by which one can combat that lack of motivation and activity.

I’m sure there are other reasons (which a qualified sociologist or psychologist could explain) why gamers seem to have a higher rate of depression than the general population, but these two stand out strongest to me. Continue reading »

Revising Standard the Influence of Innistrad in Standard Part 2

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Oct 042011

Two days ago, I wrote about White and how it received some really great new creatures giving White Weenie a fighting chance again. Today, I am going to focus on Liliana of the Veil. She is pretty amazing. Being the other 3 drop planeswalker in the game I expect to see some great things from her. I was hoping that her +1 ability that forces each player to discard a card would be able to take advantage of Flashback. It seems that the best card to do that with is Unburial Rites. Which is not the best idea. It could work, but it would be difficult to make a good combo with the two in T2. Here ability to target player sacrifice a creature does have some promise though. The combination of hand control and and board control is an excellent representation of black and a better combination. Her last ability “-6: Separate all permanents target player controls into two piles. That player sacrifices all permanents in the pile of his or her choice.” is going to be used. It kind of reminds me of Fact or Fiction, but only because the player has to chose his pain.

Liliana is pretty wicked good. There is already a really good BUW control deck built around her and there will be more. here is a link to that deck list WUB. Since that is a really great deck I will focus on a simpler deck for a thirteen year old player.

3 Liliana of the Veil

4 Doomblade

4 Surgical Extraction

4 Distress

4 Despise

3 Black Sun’s Zenith

24 Swamps

My sideboard is yet to be determined

Now that I have built this deck I am thinking it might have too much hand disruption. What about you? Do you think it has too much? Here is what I like about this experiment. It has good creatures for a themed deck. It has a descent amount of control. Right from the start. There are just enough mechanics like , discarding, planeswalkers and Grave titan triggers to make this deck a good teaching deck. Wouldn’t be great if on the first turn you cast despise and surgical extraction? While it won’t win a PTQ it is a great deck for my son to have fun with at FNM.

Black has a lot more cards to offer from Innistraad. We will look at them tomorrow, along with some red cards. I am hoping to design a new version of Red Deck wins this week. Any ideas as to what I should play?

Revising Standard: Influence of Innistrad

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Oct 022011

Hey again, welcome to Revising Standard. In this set of articles we will always discuss the impact of the most recent set. The goal is to make this a living document that changes as the format matures. I will attempt to update each article by using the comments section of the blog.

The first installment of Revising Standard will discuss some of the impact Innistrad has on Magic the Gatherings standard or T2 format. More specifically we will start discussing how white is being influenced or becoming an influence.

White has long since been known for its one and two drop creatures. It also has a history of having one or two good reset buttons at any given time. White is often splashed or used as a support color. In fact blue and white have become a tradition among the deck archetypes of our day.

Challah Bread is so Wonderful with Video Demonstration

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Oct 022011

Challah bread is a traditional Jewish egg bread. Most of the time it is a braided bread, but you don’t have to braid it. There are a lot of eggs in this bread, that provides two things. First, a fuller richer flavor, and second a longer shelf life. I have left this bread out for as long as a week. When I say out, I mean uncovered. The presence of the eggs also help giving the bread a golden brown color.

Through Gamer Goggles to attend Con on the Cob

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Sep 292011

In two weeks time we at Through Gamer goggles will be coming off the web to bring you news From Hudson Ohio. Why? To bring you great coverage of Con on the Cob. CotC is a convention full of games, parties, art, and freaks. Yes, it is a four day invasion of minds altered by fantasy and science fiction.

What we will be doing is covering the convention. Our goal is to provide you with as much information as we can possibly bring you. We hope to interview every guest and post them here within 7 days of the event. Through Gamer Goggles has also planned a few events. Not to mention we plan on interviewing fellow gamers about their experiences.

Check back soon for more information like event descriptions.

In two weeks you should swing by and partake in the fun.

Gaming and Depression

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Sep 282011

Introduction

Well that sounds like a fun topic! I understand that most folks are uncomfortable discussing depression, it can be, well, depressing. So why bring it up at all? And what is depression’s relationship to gaming? First of all, I have depression. Second, I am a gamer and there is a clear correlation between my gaming and my particular level of depression. Third, knowing the symptoms of depression – both personally and professionally – and being familiar with many gamers, I have observed that many gamers may suffer from depression as well; perhaps at a higher percentage than the general population.

What Is “Depression”?

So, just what is depression? It is more than just temporary sadness. In fact, sometimes it is not even expressed or felt as “sadness.” The biggest expression is a feeling of “lack” – a lack of ambition, lack of desire, lack of appetite, lack of worth, lack of hope, lack of focus, lack of energy. We are all too aware of the tragic consequences of prolonged, untreated depression.

How do you know the difference between normal sadness and clinical depression? The key is the prolonged nature of depression. Sadness comes and goes, caused by particular events – from a tear-jerker movie to the loss of a loved one. Depression is always there – sometimes less pronounced, sometimes more so.

What Causes Depression?

What causes depression? The most recent research reveals a strong genetic, biological component. Social influences and particular experiences can exacerbate the underlying tendencies towards negative thoughts and feelings.

Is It Just Weakness?

Isn’t depression just laziness or being weak? No. Is someone with heart disease, cerebral palsy, allergies, acid reflux, or fibromyalgia lazy or weak? No. Can a person with acid reflux simply “will himself” to not feel pain when he eats jalapeño peppers? Can a person with heart disease simply “will” her heart to beat properly? So can we expect someone with depression to simply “will himself” to feel better, to be motivated, to love life? No.

How Do You Fix It?

So what do you do about it? Like so many diseases and disorders, depression is treatable though not curable. Like so many diseases and disorders, treating depression requires a combination of medication and therapy – cognitive, emotional and physical.

To Be Continued . . .

So what does all of this have to do with gaming? I will explore just that in the next part. Depression is a part of my life, and so is gaming. And I believe that gaming can both help, and hinder, one’s experience with depression. Furthermore, I believe that depression is not a death-sentence. Sure, sometimes it sucks; but there is hope, even fun. Join me next time and I promise fun will be had.

Innistrad Picks Part 6 Lands and Artifacts

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Sep 242011

Today we look at Lands and Artifacts. I won’t be discussing the new lands, because they are all good. I will primarily focus on artifacts. Most of the artifacts and multicolored cards. No, playing around onto the cards. Continue reading »

Innistrad Set Review White Picks Part 5

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Sep 232011

We are quickly approaching the end of this review. Just one day left, after today. Today we get to talk about White. It seems that White gets the most bang for its buck in Innistraad. Whit is full of card quality in both the constructed and limited environments. Since, this is only a small review I will only cover a handful of these cards.

Innistrad Set review Red Picks

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Sep 222011

It is day four of my set review. For those of you who have not read these daily reports yet, here is what I am doing. I am reviewing each color and sharing with you my top picks. I am not a pro player by any means, I am just a judge who enjoys writing and playing Magic the Gathering along with many other games.

On to the cards
Bloodcrazed Neonate 1r
Creature – Vampire Common
Bloodcrazed Neonate attacks each turn if able.

Whenever Bloodcrazed Neonate deals combat damage to a player, put a +1/+1 counter on it.
While elder vampires select their meals with care, the newly sired frenzy at the first whiff.
Illus. Cynthia Sheppard 2/1

This guy is not super, but he gets an honorable mention because he grows and he is common.

Curse of Stalked Prey
1r
Enchantment – Aura Curse Rare
Enchant player
Whenever a creature deals combat damage to enchanted player, put a +1/+1 counter on that creature.
“Innocent thorns can fill the air with your bloodscent. Don’t stray from the path.”
–Elmut, crossway watcher
Illus. Christopher Moeller #136/264

Will this card make it into constructed – yes. It will Goblins or red deck wins a boost in their speed. Oh and combine this with Bloodcrazed Neonate and you have a Vampiric nightmare.

Brimstone Volley 2r
Instant Common
Brimstone Volley deals 3 damage to target creature or player.
Morbid – Brimstone Volley deals 5 damage to that creature or player instead if a creature died this turn.
Illus. Eytan Zana #132/264

I like Brimstone volley because it will be fairly easy to deal 5 damage. Why because creatures die in Magic the Gathering.

Pitchburn Devil   4r
Creature – Devil    Common
When Pitchburn Devils dies, it deals 3 damage to target creature or player.
Illus. Johann Bodin #156/264   3/3

Our friend here is nothing special for a 3/3. But when he dies he becomes a lightning bolt. So he has potential. He might see play in constructed. I believe you will most certainly see him in limited. I expect him to be picked as early a the third pick in a draft. Really tough to say when a card will be pick but this guy brings some serious card quality to the limited format.

That is all for now. tomorrow we move on to White and everything it has in store for us.

Why We Make our Children’s Lunches

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Sep 222011

I find the school lunch program to be overpriced for what it is. Often school lunches give you child too much freedom over their diet. A child of preteen, or teen years should not be plagued with choices they are not mature enough to make or understand. The simple fact is that most school lunch plans allow children to eat off the standard menu. Even though this menu has a seemingly balanced meal plan, the portions are out whack. My children almost always cam home hungry. But that is not the big problem. The big problem are the choice you child has if they don’t pick a menu option. Many, schools offer an a la carte line of foods. This often includes choices like pizza, donuts, milkshakes, burgers, chips and ice cream. While some of these items are OK for your body once in a while they should not be entrees. Further, children who really do not know any better shouldn’t be put in a position to make a choice that forms their eating habits without supervision.

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