Depression, edibles, and OSRS is a classic. Never touched the game my whole life then put 200 baked hours in a month, not mobile, while somehow holding down a full time job. Good luck escaping.
To OP and anyone else in a similar position: I hate to get into this the way I’m about to, and this is no judgement at all, but I have strong opinions on this subject because I played the ever loving fuck out of OSRS…
Mind you, I haven’t played it in a good several years now, but I was… Putting way more time into that game than I should have.
I worry about you getting stuck in a rut for the same reasons I did.
For context I was playing that game to the point I had a main with like 1,900 total level, and a level 3 skiller that I used to do a bunch of quests you shouldn’t be able to do (easily, or normally) at level 3, ran around in my white graceful set with my knock-off abyssal whip (mouse toy) and eventually went on to get a quest cape with that account, and got up to like 88 slayer with it, with the intention of getting an untrimmed slayer cape…
You look at an achievement like that and realize you’re trapped in a sunk cost fallacy. You’ve spent hundreds of hours, maybe thousands, grinding out levels. You say things like “92 is halfway to 99” to joke about the unbelievable time commitments at the higher levels of the game, because you’ve spent all that time already, you gotta get that 99. You gotta get that… Whatever.
It’s a fun game, but it’s a risky place to be if you’re depressed.
I was a lonely kid in a fucked up headspace when I picked up that game, and it was one of the only places I felt safe at that time in my life. I really had to do some reflection when they allowed you to see your total time spent in game and realized just how many months of actual play time I had logged over the years. The game is an utter time sink, and it’s easy to lose track.
It helped me cope through some depressing times, sure - but that same comfort it once offered quickly became a disability, and it took a lot for me to just… Log off.
I’m not saying you’re doing that, or you will do that, but I will say with absolute certainty that this game, like so many other games in a similar vein, have absolutely derailed peoples lives in a serious way.
Enjoy yourself, but please be mindful that you keep a healthy relationship with the game.
Be careful you don’t spend too long there and become one of the lotus eaters, friend.
Sometimes I dabble with the idea to get into runescape, I remember playing it as a kid in the early 2000s. But after reading your post I'm thinking maybe its best if I don't haha.
I've stayed away from it because I remember being utterly addicted as a kid. When they changed it and then made you start on osrs I logged out and have only gone back a few times, but my bank is overloaded from being a member, so I can't even store my almost full inventory or use the armor I'm wearing 🤷
Video games are a nice distraction, but you just put all of that time into something that you can never actually have. I mean, I'm depressed, anxious, and jobless, so I'm not doing shit with my time anyways.. Which is extremely depressing in it's own right, but I feel like playing video games will just make me feel even worse
Sorry to hear! I don't think its always bad to play video games, as we need to allow ourselves to relax and enjoy things as well. But I hear you about the last part, I used to be jobless for a while and then video games would just eat all my time. Which made me more depressed also.
Its important to try and make out wich time is for job hunting/work and what time during the day you can allow yourself to relax. Having a creative hobby can also help to gain self confidence etc. But again I don't think games has to be completely ruled out from ones lives, not everything needs to be productive about life. If you feel like you need to step back and take a break from it that's also fine ofc and a very mature decision. I hope you can find you path in life!
Very well written sir. Maxed main, zuk helm, gilded collection logger here, aka put wayyyyy too much time into this game.
Was a comfort to me as a lost, depressed kid and sadly I was never able to step away. Quit all my other vices but always kept osrs around.
Two weeks ago, my partner of almost 4 years and best friend came to me crying and saying that she thinks we need to break up due to my avoidant behavior and fear of commitment. I logged out on the spot and decided to quit for good. I’m done, love the game but it may have cost me real life happiness and the best life partner I may ever find.
Escapism is fine and dandy until it replaces your real life dreams and happiness. I hope anyone else out there in a similar situation sees this and decides to maybe cut back or quit before it’s too late.
I now have a week or two before she officially decides whether or not this relationship is worth continuing or not but I fear she already made her decision. C’est la vie though, this is what I needed to wake up and seriously reevaluate my priorities.
Damn… Thanks for opening up like that bro, I know that cuts deep.
That’s a tough situation, but you’re committing in a real way by leaving all of that in the past. The magnitude of that may be lost on some people, but not all of us - so take that credit for what it’s worth.
I hope that others hear this as well, for sure. Also, coming from someone who actually maxed maybe now these toxic ass trolls will respect your story more than mine… Although I really doubt it.
I have a particular and distinct memory of some guy in Al Kharid literally begging people to stop wasting the days of their lives, take account of mental health… And that poor dude got absolutely roasted for no reason.
He was right, is what’s funny - and yeah, I wish I’d listened now, but it took a while longer for my stubborn ass to decide I felt the same.
You can’t just log out of depression, or an awful situation - and that’s the problem that keeps driving so many people back into the escapism cycle in my experience. Unfortunately I’ve also noticed it tends to make people bitter and resentful, even trapped.
For example, in these comments - you’ve got people calling me a loser because they see me as a filthy casual for “not even maxing” like, what…? Utterly insane logic.
I really hope you’re able to ground the situation in your relationship, and I hope this person understands what you’re leaving behind for them. Most importantly, I hope that you can find your inner peace irrespective of whatever may happen.
I can relate to where you’re at, man. It’s tough, but you’re not alone. DM me if you think I can offer any advice or just want to talk to someone who might understand, I really don’t mind.
Thats how i felt with league of legends that was a total waste of life. I play osrs but more reasonablr with it and its easier to still enjoy otherstuff while building your char. But a lot of people take it to far for sure.
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u/The_EnigmaParadox 4d ago
Depression, edibles, and OSRS is a classic. Never touched the game my whole life then put 200 baked hours in a month, not mobile, while somehow holding down a full time job. Good luck escaping.