Am I the only idiot...

pavlovscat on 29/5/2008 at 15:39

I used to be able to find my way around easily enough without getting terribly lost, but MS has robbed me of my spatial awareness & sense of direction. If I don't have a compass, I'm in for a really long haul. This happens in RL as well. I've been known to wander around in circles lost in Wal-Mart until I call hubby to come find me! :laff:

Huckeye on 30/5/2008 at 13:38

Someone already beat me to it. I was going to add that this is an inherent trait typically found outside of video games as well. I suffer horribly from directions. I have to learn specific routes and often, if deviated from them, get horribly lost. My wife and I play UT2004 and I'll run circles 10 times before figuring something out. Typically I have to do play a map several times before I can remember how to get from one place to another.

This is one reason why thief was so much fun the first 10 times I played it:)

Hiatus on 4/6/2008 at 09:18

pavlovscat:

what is MS?

theBlackman on 4/6/2008 at 10:40

Multiple Sclerosis, a degenerative nerve disease.

pavlovscat on 5/6/2008 at 02:45

@Hiatus
When you have Multiple Sclerosis, your immune system attacks your central nervous system essentially creating short circuits in the brain and/or spinal cord. I have several of the most common symptoms including severe fatigue, depression, balance problems, poor short term memory, and sensitivity to heat. Other symptoms are determined by the location of the damage. My particular problems are lack of spatial sense and direction, problems multi-tasking, loss of organizational abilities and general cognitive function decline. TheBlackman is right that it is a degenerative disease. With medication & careful management, I have been able to minimize the progression of the disease, but it does progress. It can be frustrating not knowing what will be affected next, but, fortunately, I'm too ornery to just give up, so I will keep fighting as best I can! :cheeky:

nickie on 5/6/2008 at 06:51

Quote Posted by pavlovscat

. . . problems multi-tasking . . .

But since women are so darn good at multi-tasking, at least you start ahead of the game. ;)

I have an excellent sense of direction in real life and can always find my way wherever. But then getting lost in a foreign city when you're 4 certainly teaches you not to get lost again. In games though I'm not that good at all. A lot seems to depend on how involved I am in the game. If I'm in it, then it's not too bad but if I'm looking at it then I'm rubbish.

Neil_McCauley on 6/6/2008 at 19:56

This is an interesting topic. I just don't think of things in terms of Cardinal direction - it never helps me. In my mind, it's all about where something is in relation to something else. I have no trouble getting around where I live, but I have to explain to my mother-in-law, who lived in this city for many years, every time she's here, how to get around. Every time. I can tell that her sense of it is totally different from mine, and my wife is the same. I had no trouble getting around the twists and turns of Prague, but couldn't tell you which way was North. In a city like Prague, forget it. I need to be "street level" and walk the layout, and I'm fine.
Someone should design a game using the real-life Prague.

But, in Thief, particularly in the Shoalsgate level, I get totally lost in the city. Thieves Guild was a goddamn nightmare. I think the problem there is I can't get my bearings; too many twists and turns and can't see where one street is in relation to where I've just come from, I just see what is in front of me. Maybe widescreen will make it easier. That and everthing looks the same! That is why some levels in the original single-player Unreal drive me bananas.

TTK12G3 on 6/6/2008 at 20:26

Quote Posted by Neil_McCauley

That is why some levels in the original single-player Unreal drive me bananas.

That game did do a good job of having multiple inter-connected paths toward the next target. Good thing the maps were somewhat small. The only one to give me a good amount of trouble was the second stage aboard Teranix (sp?).

pavlovscat on 6/6/2008 at 22:02

Quote Posted by nickie

But since women are so darn good at multi-tasking, at least you start ahead of the game. ;)

Yep! Now I can only do 5 things at a time more than my hubby instead of 50! :rolleyes:

Given a map and compass, I can figure things out much easier. (You should see me walking around in Downtown Houston holding a map & using a compass to find the next bus stop. That usually gets a few chuckles & several people asking me where is XXX? :confused: ) I orient on where things are in relationship to where I am. I don't really have a concept of NSEW in relationship to a global direction, but when using a map, a compass will tell me which way next. Cardinal directions work fine when I think in 2D on a map. Putting things in 3D is tough.

My hubby tried to teach me where to look using time...where 3 is to my right, 6 is behind, 9 to the left & 12 straight ahead. (Like...a hot chick @ 8 O'clock means look over my left shoulder.) It took me a long time understand this system because 12 was straight up like a clock on the wall and by the time I oriented myself the item of interest was elsewhere. I finally thought of the clock like the Thief compass with myself standing in the center of the clock face. I got used to that idea so now I don't miss out on seeing anything ineteresting. Also, turning things clockwise or counter-clockwise I get, but left/right is frustrating to me because when you turn something half is going left and the other half is turning right. GAK! :sweat:

Now, all of you can line up to thank me for not getting behind the wheel of a car!! :eek:

TheGrimSmile on 10/6/2008 at 04:37

Pfft, I would've been a master (taffer) at that game if I knew where I was going.

Usually, if I really get stuck, I just start running around and let everyone follow me. While never stopping, I look for places to go. Nothing like sightseeing with a burrick on your tail!

Well, the method works well except for zombies. I hate zombies so I just kinda... skip them... Anyway, I don't know how I got through most of the game. I suppose after you walk around for a few hours, you recognise the places you've been and look for the places you haven't.

Plus, I keep all doors open and all bottles strewn wherever I go. It's those missions with no doors or kitchens that et me...