Achievements Addiction?

ddrlenz

ddrlenz

CAGiversary!
I know this is going to sound stupid, but I just wanted to know if anyone else was experiencing this.

I am a completionist. I LOVE to 1000g a game and make an effort to do so. I have 100% about 37 Xbox games and just find an odd sense of satisfaction when I do so.

But I've come upon a new dilemma, and I've wondered if I'm an idiot. I've been hemming and hawing about which game I should do next. Fable 3, Assassin's Creed, or finishing Fallout 3 which I was about 1/3 through. But I find myself hesitant to do so due to wanting to 100% the game, but it seems like some of the cheevos will be a hassle.

This has even prevented me from starting games like Bioshock 1 because I see that it could be a headache to 100% it.

Am I complete tool or does anyone else experience this?
 
I used to feel this way. I don't anymore. Now I can enjoy my games a little bit more. That's not to say that I don't still try to get them if the opportunity presets itself. Cause if I can get it, I will.
 
[quote name='62t']It is not that hard to get 1000/1000 in Bioshock[/QUOTE]

Yeah, you can do it in one playthrough if you play on hard with vita-chambers disabled, don't kill any Little Sisters.

And honestly, Bioshock is a great game that shouldn't be missed.
 
I have a friend how 1000/1000 most of his games.

He's been at community college for 4 years now and I'm probably going to get my BS degree before he even transfers, if he even does transfer.

Take it for what it's worth...
 
I love the added addition of achievements because I feel a set of accomplishments while playing, but some games are very difficult to max out and I don't even think about it.
 
You're not a complete tool, but I wouldn't let it stop you from experiencing games. I like achievements fine, but it doesn't dictate what I play, nor do I rarely end up getting them all. 2 of the few games I have done so are actually Bioshock and Fallout 3. I enjoyed them so much that I played them enough times to actually do so. If I can get a 1000 on them, then anyone can.
 
Achievements give you some purpose to explore a game fully and replay games. Hell they have a bunch of 360achievement sites where people mainly talk about achievements.

I think it's more of an issue when people play games they don't like for gamerscore.
 
TrueAchievements gaming sessions. Problem solved.

I'm definitely a completionist (never playing you ever again, Hexic HD!), but I usually save the crappy grindy (usually multiplayer) achievements for last so I can enjoy the rest of the game first. I don't get games purely for achievements, so I don't get Disney games or anything unless I actually like/want them, but I enjoy the satisfaction of getting 100% in anything I get. It greatly extends the life of some games, but sometimes at the cost of one's sanity.

Ignore achievements when it comes to what you feel like playing next, unless you know certain achievements will become unobtainable (looking at you, EA sports games I never buy). The games aren't going anywhere, so you can come back to them later.

Addiction, you say? Stallion83 knows a thing or two about that.
 
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I know someone IRL that has a GS of 171421. He'd play absolute garbage to rack up more cheese mints. I'll keep a game's achievements in mind when playing but I typically give up as soon as I notice I'm grinding some boring task just to get an achievement. The only exception to this was The Saboteur where I was just 25 pts shy of getting 100% after I beat it. Last 10 pts? Kissing 50 women. Oh the irony.
 
There's nothing wrong with liking achievements. There is something wrong if this prevents you from experiencing the best that gaming has to offer just because of a little OCD completionist obsession. If you absolutely need 1000/1000, then just play the games that you have no intention of completing on another Gamertag . Find some other alternative. Quality is better than quantity as far as I'm concerned with achievements (hooray for trueachievements).
 
[quote name='UrAllVirgins']I have a friend how 1000/1000 most of his games.

He's been at community college for 4 years now and I'm probably going to get my BS degree before he even transfers, if he even does transfer.

Take it for what it's worth...[/QUOTE]


Do they teach correlations at your school?
 
I use to enjoy going for achievements that was until I realized I wasn't getting the joy out of the games like I should... And was buying games solely for achievements. So now I'm back to enjoyin' a game and if I get the achievements it's an added bonus. But I do generally check the achievements out becuz some are fun to obtain and that *pop* noise can get addictin'... :drool:
 
I actually enjoy games more when I realize I won't be able to/won't bother trying to S-Rank it (i.e. most games that make you beat it on Hard or higher difficulty), then I just take what I get and play through the game without the worry.

I don't put off a game because of the achievements, but I will play something in front of it if I intend on getting them all.
 
[quote name='nnthomas']i can stop any time i want[/quote]

:d

You'll need to stop at 900, then 800, then 700.......

Easier than trying to go cold turkey.
 
Most games I don't even have a third of the achievements. Yes, i like unlocking them, but don't actively go out of my way to unlock them. I've had my Xbox since launch and have only gotten 100% on two games.

You really shouldn't let achievements get in the way of playing games...
 
I use to play and crave the achievements. It made me put off playing some really great games becasue I wouldn't get "enough points". I'm past this now. Right now I'm mainly playing PSP and PS2 games which don't even have any sort of "ding" wtih them. Don't let it kill your enjoyment.
 
It varies from game to game, but I usually do the following:
1. Play through the game on Normal, not trying for achievements.
2. If I liked the game, I'll play through it again, picking up the achievements I think aren't too much of a hassle to get.
3. If I REALLY liked the game and getting 100% isn't too hard, I'll go through it again and pick up the remaining achievements.

I've never gotten 1000/1000, but I've gotten a couple of platinums on PS3 (3 of which were on PS3 exclusives). I've come really close to 1000 on 360 a few times, but I HATE the "collect all 200 of this item" type of achievements, especially if it's in an open-world game.
 
I don't let it stop me from paying great games (my backlog does that :razz:). But I've found myself playing a game longer at times to try and wrap up more achievements before moving on to the next.

Although some games will always remain in the 150s area (I'm looking at you GH/RB).
 
I just focus on having fun when gaming. If an achievement pops, cool, but I'm not going to hunt for them. You won't find me looking for 100 hidden packages in Liberty City (or worse, referring to a guide or YouTube videos) for 50 more valueless points next to my gamertag.

I think I've hit 100% on three games in my collection, two of which are arcade titles. That said, I have plenty of retail games sitting at like 80-90%. I'm not gonna let that last bunch of pain in the ass achievements kill my weekends :)
 
I was an achievement hunter. As the gamer score grew I started caring less for them, and got back to the root of gaming. Still trying to go back and beat a lot of stuff that got set aside for newer games.
 
Meh, if I really love a game I try to get all of them or get as much achievements as possible. However, if it's a game I don't enjoy as much then I won't bother.

All I just have fun with the game first, finish the game, then I'll go after those achivements I've missed or if I feel like getting a 1000/1000 on a game I really enjoy.
 
There are certain blockbuster games I will get achievement or not (Halo 4, MW3, Mass Effect 3, Forza 4, etc.)

and then...

There are games I only get because of achievements

I think I could have saved money if there were no achievements
 
I don't aim for 100% unless I think it's obtainable, but the 50-70% range is fair for me. There are games I won't get there because I just want to beat it and get rid of it (Alan Wake) but there's also games I have no issue continuing after beating the story to attempt to get most of the achievements (Assassin's Creed 2, Red Dead Redemption). Of course I also have a bunch of games I still own that I have like 2% of the achievements since I started them, played for 15 minutes and shelved it "for now."

To me, the achievements add additional gameplay, more bang for the money. I won't spend 10 hours extra to gain any achievements, though, unless it's something like multiplayer I'm enjoying anyway.
 
I love achievements and get a lot of satisfaction from 1000'ing a game (everybody come friend me on TrueAchievements! :) ). However, I hope I never become the sort of person to play something crappy just for achievements, or skip something good because I'm worried about my completion percentage.

That said, per the question in your OP, Fable III is a pretty simple 1250/1250. Play on!
 
I go through phases of achievement whoring but it's probably stopped for good now. Going through Assasin's Creed 1 a few months ago I decided I wasn't going to collect all the flags, that tedious shit I can't tolerate anymore. Then there is also games like Legendary, Turok, and Frontlines. Legendary had a bug that prevented some from unlocking, and all three games have tedious multiplayer achievements that aren't worth boosting for.
 
I love achievements but I won't go crazy to get one.... but I will go out of my way. For example, I got most of the achievements in Portal 2 (I need 2 more hugs for 1000) but I went out of my way completely to get some of the achievements... which extended my time with a game I love.
 
[quote name='ddrlenz']Does Trueachievements.com have the best step-by-step achievement guides?[/QUOTE]

I'm going to reiterate: do not let achievements dictate your gaming hobby in its entirety. That said, no. Trueachievements has pretty good user guides per achievement, but walkthroughs are generally done better on the XBox360Achievements.org forums.

The reason I like Trueachievements is because it gives you more points for more difficult achievements... which makes sense. That's always bothered me about the Achievement system in general. I shouldn't get 10 points for using a health item, and 10 points for being the game with an S-rank.
 
It's just something else to do in addition of enjoying the game, if the achievement is just not worth the effort I won't bother or care if I can't get it. While achievements do give some replayability to old games, if they're just not fun to attempt...then move on to something that is fun.

i.e. logging 24 hours of play time w/each MK9 character is something that I will never get or care to try...and then there's the broken Konami DDR3 which you actually cannot 100% let alone understand who the heck can actually beat this game on the highest difficulty.
 
I can't get rid of a game until I unlock all of the Achievements. Strangely, with Trophies I'm fine letting it go so long as I have the Platinum for it. It's pathetic, but I hate getting rid of a game when I feel I haven't completed it, even when I know I won't unlock certain achievements.

I know I'll never get certain GTA4 online achievements, but won't get rid of the game, either.

What I really wonder is if these achievements will even carry over to next generation consoles. If not, that will truly make my waste of time an actual waste of time.
 
[quote name='GuardianE']I'm going to reiterate: do not let achievements dictate your gaming hobby in its entirety. That said, no. Trueachievements has pretty good user guides per achievement, but walkthroughs are generally done better on the XBox360Achievements.org forums.[/QUOTE]
I agree with this. TA is great because it automatically reads achievements off of your gamertag and has all kinds of cool stat-tracking tools. But X360A is usually better for actual guides and discussion.
 
if the achievements don't carry over to the next gen console, I won't lose any sleep....really. Look at the PS2...even when the next gen consoles arrive, there will still be a lot of if not more ppl still playing the current ones for a long time.
 
I think it comes and goes in phases for me too. Although I have never bought or played a game purely for achievements, I will admit to suffering through some pretty tedious/bad gameplay to 100% a game (such as Borderlands Mad Moxxi or pizza farming in the Claptrap DLC). Lately I have started to back away from that though, the "drive 1000 miles" achievement in Mafia II DLC is just ridiculous and I really won't bother going to finish it.

Usually what I'll do is before starting a game, look at the xbox360achievements.org and look at the achievement guide which has good info like minimum # of playthroughs to get 100%, or missable achievements. If it's possible to get 100% in one playthrough and is not too much hassle, I will usually give it a go. Typically I won't 100% a game if it requires multiple playthroughs but knowing what ones are missable, I will make sure to pick those up on my way through the game.

Also since I'm mostly a single player gamer, games with a lot of MP achievements I just don't really care about 100%, because I know I will never get there anyways because in general I never play with random people online.

But the achievements for me can be a lot of fun, and the challenge of getting them can be a rewarding addition to the gameplay experience. They help me get the most bang for my gameplay buck by making me explore or play a lot of aspects of the game I might not otherwise have done. For example I probably would never have beaten Crawmerax in Borderlands if there was not an achievement for getting it. Sometimes not getting the achievements is okay too though like the one in RDR where you have to kill one of every animal because I refuse to shoot a buffalo :).

Ruahrc
 
Quite frankly I wish you could turn them off. I can't stand having to look at a ugly list of achievements I'm never going to unlock. I hate it when I try a game and don't like it, but there's an achievement for pressing start and now it's on my console forever. I'd kill to be able to delete that crap.
 
I dont bohter unless it's a game i really enjoy playing a lot. light a fighting game, you got to be pretty badass to get a 1000 in it :)
 
[quote name='ddrlenz']Does Trueachievements.com have the best step-by-step achievement guides?[/QUOTE]
Whether it's the best is determined by user submissions, but I think the site itself much better quality purely because it's all user content, which itself is user rated and moderated. There aren't a whole lot of walkthroughs, but I think they're decent.
It's not like xb360a where you have to hope your achievement guide/road map/solution gets chosen, then wait forever until it actually gets posted to the game's guide page.
 
With a family now and limited video game time I usually just play games to beat them, I feel content with that. I might go out of my way to get the simplier ones, but those difficult nerd points I usually leave alone.

I think the most fun I had getting achievements was Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection. Most were pretty easy, just playing each game for 10-15 minutes usually popped it. Good ol' Genesis fun. I wish we had more collections similar to this.
 
For me, achievements give me new ways to play a game. This theory was discussed on a podcast or two (Player One Podcast perhaps?) IIRC it was regarding Singularity. They were talking about some achievements popping when you got a certain number of kills with a specific weapon.

This made part of their (and my) gameplay include using a gun they (and I) would have never touched otherwise. It's in this way that I really find the most enjoyment with them.

Doing something agonizing for more than 1/2 hour that you wouldn't want to do otherwise just for 10 cheevos? You better be going for 1,000 on the game in that scenario.

And yes, OP, I think 1,000 is a great accomplishment for gamers, it means you fully met the expectations and challenges of the game's creators but it shouldn't hinder you from playing ones you just want to play through.
 
I have never even come close to any of my games to get the 1000/1000 perfect score. I see it's appeal to complete them but I didn't get bitten by that bug.
 
So far it seems like most people like getting them, but aren't hell bent on them like I seem to be. Maybe I'm just OCD about it.

But I suppose it is also fair to bring up that many reviews, such as Shipwreck's, seem to emphasis how many cheevos or trophies he gets in a run through. I'm kinda curious how he feels about them...
 
i cant even get past the first enemy in bioshock on hard, my bullets miss (aim is hard) and the wrench just pinches him while he hits me twice and i die..
 
[quote name='Dr.Zoidberg']I have never even come close to any of my games to get the 1000/1000 perfect score. I see it's appeal to complete them but I didn't get bitten by that bug.[/QUOTE]

I agree with this.

Maybe I'm the only one who remembers how perfectly fine and fun games were before these stupid things existed. I understand why a developer would want to convince you of another way to "maximize" the value of a game (instead of just beating it), but for me they make the game a chore instead of a relaxing, fun experience.

No offense to the OP, but I believe that people who obsess over achievements (especially to the point of not wanting to even play a game if you can't get 1000/1000) aren't true gamers. I mean I view it as some form of competition completely separate from normal gaming. I can't really explain it.
 
I am fully hardcore addicted to achievements, i will buy any game if i see it 10 bucks of less just for achievements. I rent games (shitty games from redbox) just for achievements. I have my text message sound as achievement unlocked and I even say achievement unlocked in real life situations. ACHIIIIEEEEVVVVVVE!!!

I am a tool.

EDIT: I also do not complete every game, i cant commit to that, i play so many games. (own of 400 xbox 360 games) I cant dedicate the time or patience to beat them 100%
 
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