The length to pleasure ratio.

Over the last 3 months, I've sunken 4 days that is 96 hours or so into leveling up my new Worgen Druid. I enjoyed the initial stages, but before too long I found myself on the leveling murder mill, killing ten of this or that. Unfortunately one of my personal failings is that despite my utter lack of enjoyment for the game, I know that I will stick it out with this character until I hit level 85, upon which I will feel sadly relieved and promptly quit.

Considering my compulsive tendencies and the fact that I only have about 30 hours to game each month, I'd like to put the following question to my fellow gamers: Consider this list of the games I would like to purchase or receive as gifts in the future and tell me from your play experiences which ones have the best ratio of enjoyable hours versus completion hours. Lets call it the "drag factor" and rate it from 0 (zero drag) to 4 (complete drag). I'm not asking for the whole list to be rated, but if you can point out some serious offenders (or stand-outs) from your play experiences it would be greatly appreciated.

Over the last 3 months, I've sunken 4 days that is 96 hours or so into leveling up my new Worgen Druid. I enjoyed the initial stages, but before too long I found myself on the leveling murder mill, killing ten of this or that. Unfortunately one of my personal failings is that despite my utter lack of enjoyment for the game, I know that I will stick it out with this character until I hit level 85, upon which I will feel sadly relieved and promptly quit.

Considering my compulsive tendencies and the fact that I only have about 30 hours to game each month, I'd like to put the following question to my fellow gamers: Consider this list of the games I would like to purchase or receive as gifts in the future and tell me from your play experiences which ones have the best ratio of enjoyable hours versus completion hours. Lets call it the "drag factor" and rate it from 0 (zero drag) to 4 (complete drag). I'm not asking for the whole list to be rated, but if you can point out some serious offenders (or stand-outs) from your play experiences it would be greatly appreciated.

Oh, I, nevermind.

Must admit, totally didn't think this was the subject matter at hand.

I was about to flag this thread so hard. But, yeah...carry on

Lets stop beating around the bush.

We all expected schlong talk.

Finally, a topic that we can all weigh in on!

... Oh.

Clever, punny title! The better part of me saw it coming, although the other part of me kinda wanted this discussion to get "totes inappropes."

Your wishlist is extremely long, but skimming down the list I noticed Catherine: depending on your perspective on the puzzle aspect, it can be a really huge drag if you just wanted to progress through the story.

Also, if you're prone to getting addicted to online games, you should handle those titles (I saw D3, GW2, and SC2) with extreme care since as fun as they might be as you play them, you might see them as a real drag in hindsight. (I feel that way about a lot of my experiences with online games when I sink so much time into them.)

... Lots of people interested in talking about each others dicks. 
Must gather more information for future topics but this could be, interesting, at least for a science project or something. 

I was honestly wondering why every reaction was so odd until I read this:

@NickL said:

Lets stop beating around the bush.

We all expected schlong talk.

Does this mean I'm pure as the driven snow?

In hindsight I don't know why it took me so long... It's so obvious.

@murse2008: Looking over your list I'll give some thoughts on a few games that jump out at me based on my own personal experiences: Your mileage may vary.

0 Drag:

• Orcs Must Die
• Bastion
• Journey

Lots of fun, these. Journey and Bastion are shorter games with not much in the way of downtime. I did burn myself out on Orcs Must Die a bit when I was trying to 5 star everything as that was tough and it got a touch annoying if you were replaying a mission for the 4th or 5th time or whatever... So there is that.

Shadow of the Colossus is a tricky case. There are slow moments, but it's all part of the experience. I really can't give it a grade.

Persona 3 Fes: if you've seen the endurance run you probably know fusion can be a bit of a drag, especially if you're very particular about what you want to fuse, skill wise. Also grinding out them school days can be a bit of a drag if you do a lot of them in a row. When I felt over-leveled at points I'd go 30 game calender days between fights, and just be banging out them social links and increasing main characters skills (courage, knowledge, etc) passing them days till the next new fight.

So for P3 Fes I'll say at times it felt like a 3 (my own fault for trying to get a real specific fusion over and over for way too long) or 2 but overall it was great.

Mass Effect 3 was a serious drag between story missions. Accomplishing or turning in sidequests and talking to your crew post mission requires some serious walking around, and because I wanted all the story bits I could get, and was trying to get as high a readiness number I could get, I was checking with all my dudes after every mission and that meant waking around 4 different area's on my ship, and 5 or 6 area's on the Citadel after every mission just to be sure I didn't miss anything. It was pretty bad and a total drag. The actual story missions were pretty great though.

@EquitasInvictus: I do wonder about Catherine. I like the fact that it tells a different type of story a lot and I actually do enjoy solving puzzles, but does the difficulty in terms of time pressure get crazy and do the puzzles get to be repetitive?

Girth and length.

I applaud you for your title trolling.

@murse2008: The puzzles start out fine and I had a bunch of fun with them. A little towards the end, though, they can get a little gnarly. For example, there was this one that required you to go behind the blocks and the camera doesn't follow you to that side of the puzzle so I had a frustrating time figuring my way out of that. I think that partly was due to me attempting to marathon it in one sitting, though, too.

It is definitely a satisfying experience when you've made it to the end, though!

Oh and Gemini Rue is the perfect ratio of length to pleasure. From what I've heard of Resonance, it's almost the same way. (Although one of the puzzles in Resonance got a little crazy from what I heard). If you're into point-and-click adventures you'll have a great time with both games.

After I read the OP I dont know what to say anymore......

@EquitasInvictus: I do wonder about Catherine. I like the fact that it tells a different type of story a lot and I actually do enjoy solving puzzles, but does the difficulty in terms of time pressure get crazy and do the puzzles get to be repetitive?

The title of this thread is fantastic.

Let's talk about Dicks

Am I in the minority for actually thinking about video games when I read the title? Something tells me I am and that is not a good thing.

Am I in the minority for actually thinking about video games when I read the title? Something tells me I am and that is not a good thing.

Because of a majority of everyone's reaction to the title, it could be classified as an anti-double entendre, in that the more obvious meaning of the title to most of the thread's posters was actually the risque one and the less obvious was video games. It's pretty mindblowing since we're a community for video games.

Oh and by the way OP, definitely play Persona 3: FES. That's another item on your wishlist I forgot to address earlier. Another perfect "length-to-pleasure" ratio. Also, Dragon Age: Origins. Neither of them drag on and both stay fresh in terms of both the gameplay and the story.

Persona 3: FES is probably one of my favorite games in terms of story, as well. DA:O is up there, too!

@ZeForgotten said:

@xyzygy said:

Am I in the minority for actually thinking about video games when I read the title? Something tells me I am and that is not a good thing.

No, currently I see three people in here(including me) who thought about games. I was thinking about EVE myself and that is why it kinda surprised me that so many people wanted to talk about other peoples dicks. Nothing wrong with that though, talk about whatever you enjoy!

Well we are definitely the minority. Whether that is a good thing I cannot say. Although I look forward to your study's findings @ZeForgotten:

@ZeForgotten said:

@xyzygy said:

Am I in the minority for actually thinking about video games when I read the title? Something tells me I am and that is not a good thing.

No, currently I see three people in here(including me) who thought about games. I was thinking about EVE myself and that is why it kinda surprised me that so many people wanted to talk about other peoples dicks. Nothing wrong with that though, talk about whatever you enjoy!

Well we are definitely the minority. Whether that is a good thing I cannot say. Although I look forward to your study's finidings @ZeForgotten:

@pyromagnestir said:

@ZeForgotten said:

@xyzygy said:

Am I in the minority for actually thinking about video games when I read the title? Something tells me I am and that is not a good thing.

No, currently I see three people in here(including me) who thought about games. I was thinking about EVE myself and that is why it kinda surprised me that so many people wanted to talk about other peoples dicks. Nothing wrong with that though, talk about whatever you enjoy!

Well we are definitely the minority. Whether that is a good thing I cannot say. Although I look forward to your study's finidings @ZeForgotten:

People are crazy but in a good way. That's basically all I could come up with, I even asked the guys down at the lab and they said the same thing!   All is still well in the world! 

@Paul_Is_Drunk said:

@murse2008

@EquitasInvictus: I do wonder about Catherine. I like the fact that it tells a different type of story a lot and I actually do enjoy solving puzzles, but does the difficulty in terms of time pressure get crazy and do the puzzles get to be repetitive?

Time pressure. The puzzles have that, "Oh, of course!" quality after you finish them, but sometimes you have mere seconds to solve it before an evil baby eats you. Actually, on some of the later levels, I have no idea how I solved them in hindsight. The general consensus is that the frustration begins around the 6th night.

This description makes it sound fantastic, especially the bit where you say "Actually, on some of the later levels, I have no idea how I solved them in hindsight.", so it is it a case of being a good kind of frustrating or frustrating kind of frustrating?

Pleasure

@EquitasInvictus said:

Because of a majority of everyone's reaction to the title, it could be classified as an anti-double entendre, in that the more obvious meaning of the title to most of the thread's posters was actually the risque one and the less obvious was video games. It's pretty mindblowing since we're a community for video games.

Oh and by the way OP, definitely play Persona 3: FES. That's another item on your wishlist I forgot to address earlier. Another perfect "length-to-pleasure" ratio. Also, Dragon Age: Origins. Neither of them drag on and both stay fresh in terms of both the gameplay and the story.

Persona 3: FES is probably one of my favorite games in terms of story, as well. DA:O is up there, too!

I enjoyed Dragon Age: Origins a lot, even though it ran horribly on my laptop at that time. As far as Persona 3: FES is concerned, I'm going to go with your suggestion and boost it up the list. I have been burned by JRPGS before though. Final Fantasy IV on the DS was supposed to be this wonderful and (for its time) revolutionary RPG, but turned out to be a horrible drag when played in modern times. In terms of drag factor, JRPGs pose quite a risk unless the story remains wonderful throughout. I have no idea how I"m going to survive the voice acting agonies of Eternal Sonata that I own already.

@murse2008: That's rough; I wanted to love Eternal Sonata but then I tried the demo back before its release and couldn't.

Persona 3: FES is great, even as a JRPG it's a lot more straightforward and arguably a lot less grindy than one would expect. I practically marathoned it straight and had a blast! (Also I'd say it's a lot less grindy than most FF games.)

After seeing the thread title I assumed this was an innocent video game thread masked by a purposefully sneaky title. I was right!

When I came into this thread, I understood from the title perfectly what it'd be about. Didn't even think of the innuendo. Now that it was pointed out, I have no idea how I never saw it

Let's be honest- there is very little correlation between length and pleasure. Pleasure is a product of whether or not an experience rubs you the right way and pushes your buttons just so. There really isn't even a minimum length; some people like micro games, others are only into games that are so big you don't even know what to do with it.

After 7 I think there's significant diminished returns. So my answer is 7. 7 playthroughs of a game. At least that's what my girlfriend tells me. I don't have a girlfriend.

@Bocam said:

Let's talk about Dicks

@pyromagnestir said:

I was honestly wondering why every reaction was so odd until I read this:

@NickL said:

Lets stop beating around the bush.

We all expected schlong talk.

Does this mean I'm pure as the driven snow?

In hindsight I don't know why it took me so long... It's so obvious.

I got a bit confused over the first comment as well, but I had read an article about the lenght of games just yesterday so that was what I went in expecting.

@NickL said:

Lets stop beating around the bush.

We all expected schlong talk.

But it's how you use it that matters, right? RIGHT?! *starts crying like a little girl and runs off*

You guys just have dirty minds. I knew what he was talking about before entering. Plus, this is in the general discussion section, not off topic. So...games.

You can't name a thread that and not deliver. I am disappointed.

@ZeForgotten said:

@xyzygy said:

Am I in the minority for actually thinking about video games when I read the title? Something tells me I am and that is not a good thing.

No, currently I see three people in here(including me) who thought about games. I was thinking about EVE myself and that is why it kinda surprised me that so many people wanted to talk about other peoples dicks. Nothing wrong with that though, talk about whatever you enjoy!

Count me in. The first thought I had was "Oh, video games" and didn't think of the unfortunate wording until after I'd clicked on it but before it finished loading.

Anyhoo, most of the games that @murse2008 listed are less than 30 hours, though I can hardly confirm that all of them are.

@Spoonman671 said:

Avoid:
- Dragon Age- It's a good game, but there are plenty of time-sinks in there. If you have to have an RPG, this is probably the best choice on that list.
- Arkham City- The open world does nothing for this game, except make it take longer to get around.
- Catherine- Box puzzles, dude. Box puzzles.
- Dragon's Dogma- You have to walk EVERYWHERE. No significant fast travel. You'll waste a lot of time.

Unavoid:
- Journey- Get this. It's about two hours of pleasure.
- God of War II- If you like to kill things, this is a solid 10 or so hours of doing that. Very little filler in this game.
- Mortal Kombat- There's a ton of kontent in here and it is pretty much the best presentation in any fighter ever.
- Vanquish- Again, no filler. You slide around on rocket knees shooting robots and seeing awesome space ships and stuff.

Thanks for the suggestions. I've rearranged the list accordingly. I actually played and finished Dragon Age long ago, but for some reason the list retains it as its thumbnail image. I think the first game you add to a list determines its picture going forward.

Yeah, leveling in WoW sucks. But, I still have fun raiding. 

@ColinWright said:

Yeah, leveling in WoW sucks. But, I still have fun raiding.

So I've been told. I guess I'll see if I ever make it to that or decide to let it go at 85.

@Tackchevy: nicely done sir (or maam)

I was going to recommend Arkham City and Catherine and then I saw the post someone made just a couple above me!

But, well here are my opinions on the two anyway.

Arkham City wasn't a drag for me at all. 0 on that.

Catherine wasn't the first time but by the third I was skipping through the puzzles (you need to get gold on the puzzle to enable that). Which is an awesome thing you can do, especially if like me you like seeing a variety of different story lines and endings. =]

Heya, I'll weigh in on what I've played.

Journey - Definitely a 0 for me. Doesn't overstay its welcome, and is enjoyable from start to finish. You can beat this, and have a great time doing it, in one sitting.

Bastion- Maybe a 1, but it's a very well-paced game. The story doesn't drag much, and you're constantly unlocking new weapons and upgrades to play around with.

God of War II - Depends on your tolerance for an older game. If you've already played God of War 3, then you're going to find this to be a 2, or maybe a 3. Otherwise, it's not too bad.

Vanquish - This isn't that long of a game, and the sheer amount of craziness on-screen at any given time keeps you pretty involved. I'd give it a 1.

Mortal Kombat - The single-player campaign is a bit drawn out, but it's arguably the best in the genre. It provides ample challenge and a lot of character variety. I'd give it a 1, maybe a 2 if you don't love fighters.

Shadow of the Colossus - One of my favourites, so maybe I'm a bit biased. I think this game is near-perfect, so a 0.

Mass Effect 3 - For ME3, it's really up to you. If you don't care about sidequests, then you can ignore them and finish the main story relatively quickly. Personally, I was pretty invested in the characters and universe, and sank a lot of time into the side stuff. This can be a 0 if you want it to be.

Batman: Arkham City - I can imagine that most people would disagree with me, but I thought this one kind of dragged over time. I thought Asylum was much better paced, and this one didn't really rope me in. It's a great game, but kind of loses its lustre over time. A 2 for me.

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - If you've already experienced Among Thieves, then this one won't enthral you that much. By no means a bad game--it's an excellent one--but I'd have to give it a 2.

Catherine - This was actually a 0 for me; it never felt like a chore to return to this game and put a few more hours into the campaign. I loved this game more than most, I think, but the story really pulled me in. The gameplay isn't amazing, but that's not really the reason you play.

Trine 2 - A 3 for me. Kind of a bore.

Radiant Historia - JRPGs tend to drag quicker than most games, even if they have good combat systems and stories. Radiant Historia does well in both categories, but I'd still have to give it a 2. Definitely best played in short intervals.

Resident Evil 5 - You might be a bit disappointed if you've played RE4, but this is a very fun action game. The story is pretty forgettable, though, so maybe a 1.

Hope that helps!

Rawr!

@Zenogiasu said:

Heya, I'll weigh in on what I've played.

Journey - Definitely a 0 for me. Doesn't overstay its welcome, and is enjoyable from start to finish. You can beat this, and have a great time doing it, in one sitting.

Bastion- Maybe a 1, but it's a very well-paced game. The story doesn't drag much, and you're constantly unlocking new weapons and upgrades to play around with.

God of War II - Depends on your tolerance for an older game. If you've already played God of War 3, then you're going to find this to be a 2, or maybe a 3. Otherwise, it's not too bad.

Vanquish - This isn't that long of a game, and the sheer amount of craziness on-screen at any given time keeps you pretty involved. I'd give it a 1.

Mortal Kombat - The single-player campaign is a bit drawn out, but it's arguably the best in the genre. It provides ample challenge and a lot of character variety. I'd give it a 1, maybe a 2 if you don't love fighters.

Shadow of the Colossus - One of my favourites, so maybe I'm a bit biased. I think this game is near-perfect, so a 0.

Mass Effect 3 - For ME3, it's really up to you. If you don't care about sidequests, then you can ignore them and finish the main story relatively quickly. Personally, I was pretty invested in the characters and universe, and sank a lot of time into the side stuff. This can be a 0 if you want it to be.

Batman: Arkham City - I can imagine that most people would disagree with me, but I thought this one kind of dragged over time. I thought Asylum was much better paced, and this one didn't really rope me in. It's a great game, but kind of loses its lustre over time. A 2 for me.

Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception - If you've already experienced Among Thieves, then this one won't enthral you that much. By no means a bad game--it's an excellent one--but I'd have to give it a 2.

Catherine - This was actually a 0 for me; it never felt like a chore to return to this game and put a few more hours into the campaign. I loved this game more than most, I think, but the story really pulled me in. The gameplay isn't amazing, but that's not really the reason you play.

Trine 2 - A 3 for me. Kind of a bore.

Radiant Historia - JRPGs tend to drag quicker than most games, even if they have good combat systems and stories. Radiant Historia does well in both categories, but I'd still have to give it a 2. Definitely best played in short intervals.

Resident Evil 5 - You might be a bit disappointed if you've played RE4, but this is a very fun action game. The story is pretty forgettable, though, so maybe a 1.

Hope that helps!

Thanks for the in-depth feedback. By this metric I've heard good things abou Journey, Bastion, GoW II, and Vanquish so far. With Mass Effect 3, I"m likely to play it in a style where I try to do every single thing that is available. It is this approach that made me not like ME2 that much as it resulted in hours of the planet scanning mechanic and highlighted some of the games structural problems.

You are the second person to point out that Arkham City gets to drag a little. The first commenter pointing out that the open world actually doesn't help in this regard. I'm also amazed by the differing opinions on Catherine. It seems to be a very polarizing game. I guess I just have to get it for myself and find out. I did enjoy the demo.

Once again, thank you for the feedback. I'll shuffle the list accordingly.

@murse2008

1 drag on Spec Ops: The Line. Worth the journey just for one of the greatest narratives in a shooter that contextualises the mass killing you usually do in such games, and the deterioration of a typical male "hero" protagonist to the utter brink. Great backdrops and atmosphere. The best method of doing moral choices in games, temporary and not very rewarding in that grey kind of way. Oh, and multiple endings.

The 1 drag accounts for the bad checkpointing. Took me 10 hours on second hardest difficulty, had a lot of fun. Short game but worth replaying to notice the more subtle story beats and explanation of the major twist. Punchy shooting, limited ammo so invites improvisation, good squad AI which is a rarity in most games, sand elements are cool, sandstorm sequences are crazy, and throwing sticky grenades to see enemies kamikaze into each other is morbidly satisfying.