Do you need something else running while you play "podcast" games?

Obviously for new games I keep the original sound on the 1st playthrough. But for "podcast" games, by that I mean games you repeatedly play where the sound isn't a crucial part, do you need something else running, either a podcast, music, or the television, while you game? Or can you play without any sound at all? For me I almost always need something else to accompany my gaming sessions. Any response is appreciated.

I wound up writing a response to the question "Do you listen to podcasts while playing games?", not "Do you need to be doing something else while playing games?" I sort of answered the latter, but to make things clear - if I'm playing a game where I "need to be doing something else" to enjoy it, then I'm often simply bored and feel the need/desire to do something else with my time. I'd much rather do one thing with my full attention than two things with half of my attention. I can't imagine feeling like I must be doing something else while playing games, that would suck.

My other answer is spoiler'd. Not deleting it, I wrote too bloody much for that, but it doesn't really answer the OP's specific question.

It's pretty rare that I don't have some sort of sound on and often that's music, a podcast, or a YouTube video where the visual is unimportant. I think mostly, with single player story-driven games, I have the sound on and I'm paying attention to that but things like WoW or Destiny or even Overwatch I prefer to turn that sound off and do my own thing.

I do it to the point where I start to associate the two in my memory. Like, I can't think about a certain game without remembering Stree Overlord.

I'm much more of a single player guy but having background noise is a good way to fill some of that space. I also think of it as a time-saving activity but I don't know how true that is.

I will never play a game without audio, and also pretty much always need something else in the background.

It's not always a podcast for me, for example I binged most of the new Doctor Who while leveling up in WoW, and have been watching TI while I've been playing Dead Cells lately

Not usually. If I'm working on something specifically in a game that I don't feel requires my whole attention, like a session in an RPG where I'm mopping up some fetch-quests or doing some crafting/inventory management, I might put on a podcast or GB video, but that's been less frequent as of late. I've been a little concerned about media multi-tasking recently, so I'm trying to dial that back.

What's a "podcast" game?

Maybe I'm overstimulated, but I find it difficult to just sit and watch something that isn't visually arresting (an intense movie or TV show, for instance), so there are a LOT of shows that I absolutely adore or enjoy, but that I use as background noise when playing a game where the audio isn't terribly interesting. A second playthrough of Bloodborne, for instance, where I'm engaged, but the audio isn't terribly interesting. I love Dead Cells, but I don't need to be engaged with the sound all that much. Something like Yakuza, on the other hand, where I need to both read AND hear what's being said for the story, or really any story-heavy game, is something I give a lot of attention to. But if I'm playing Sentinels of the Multiverse or Darkest Dungeon, I'll usually have some Youtube channel I enjoy on at the same time.

@ninjabrokenleg: A game that you play typically while listening to a podcast (although it may be whilst watching a video, listening to music or an audiobook) where the audio of the game is either reduced or muted in favour of listening to the podcast. Common examples include racing games, grinding in RPGs, MMORPGs and card games such as Hearthstone.

I never mix games with another medium, I need to be able to concentrate on the game 100%

@ninjabrokenleg: The way I see it, it’s a game you play not because it’s engaging and fun, but because it’s a time-killer that needs some form of distraction to be a bearable time-killer.

I reject this by doing more constructive things with my time. Even playing a fighting game, wrestling game, or other repeatable experience, I’m either into it, it I’m not.

I find multi-tasking entertainment super bizarre. I know it’s common, and if folks want to do it, that’s cool, but I don’t really understand it in any positive way.

If a game doesn't have a story (or doesn't have a story worth paying attention to) I will 99 times out of 100 put something else on in a different monitor or on my tablet or music player, be it a movie, show, GB video or podcast. I have increasingly limited time to consume entertainment so I try to make the most of the hours I can scrape together.

Unless I'm playing a multiplayer game or a game that has a story worth paying attention to I almost always listen or watch something else while playing.

I usually listen to gaming podcasts while gaming.

@nutter: I think that is kind of an oversimplification. As someone who off and on will multi task with a game and a podcast or, rewatch a show I wanted to rewatch but have done so a few times before so I don't need it to require my complete attention.

I think specifically though if you look at some games, some are way more aimed towards that. I know for me getting the Rogue Legacy and Spelunkey Plats would not of nearly been as easy if I was doing so without multi-tasking. Some games actually punish you for overfocusing. Having music in the background, or a comedy show, helps lessen the tension. Frustrated by a run? Take a quick second and focus on the show I have on in my headset in the background and have a quick laugh, or mellow out to a song.

It's pretty elitist to just presume that the only reason you'd multi task with a game is because the experience of playing the game is in and of itself rote, and just wasting time. Like yes, it often goes hand in hand with grinding, but grind is often required in games that have either end games that provide the type of engaging content you will spend your entire focus on, or in games that have high skill masters like platformers etc where you are just trying to get your skills at the game good enough to complete harder challenges. Having distractions if you have the capacity to multi task can actually be an aid in some of those situations.

@devise22: I’d grind games when I was a kid, but anything that requires grinding these days feels like either poor game design or a monetizating scheme that offers you a shit sandwhich with a chance to buy out of it with a booster pack.

Are there good games that involve significant chunks of grinding? Is the grinding aspect actually good, or some tollerable bullshit.

I remember grinding in my two weeks with Ultima Online. It was bullshit. I wrote a mouse-click macro to make my guy hit a dummy and trail his weapon skill. It climbed slower than real fighting, but i just let it run while I was at work or asleep. I thought it was ridiculous.

I loved Mass Effect and explored planets for next to no reason, but that was bullshit. Their mako replacement in Mass Effect 2 was scanning planets, which put me to sleep so I just stopped doing it. I think that mechanic was basically a feeder to get you into a mobile app that would get you materials.

Looking at something like Diablo, you can crank that difficulty up with a new character and BLOW through that game. Grinding is pretty fruitless as the default difficulties are so low.

Destiny 1 had a lot of grinding in the typical bullshit way, but the combat and movement itself was engaging.

I just think games that require external stimuli to be tollerated are doing something wrong. If you’re just screwing off on your phone during a movie, is it really something you’re invested in, or are you killing time?

There are days when I’m on my feet working 6am - 9pm or later. I get just wanting to turn your brain off and be awake while exerting zero energy to thought or movement. But the things I do to avoid all critical thought and movement would tend to be kinda dumb and/or bad.

@nutter: I think again your missing, that in some cases you are not just turning your brain off and being awake while exerting zero energy to thought. The MMO example is tough, because generally in an MMO your grinding to get to end game content, and the end game content itself (raids, group content, larger bosses) is all engaging and requires focus to be able to play effectively.

But such is the case with a litany of single player games. Having trouble on that Bloodborne boss? Go grind some souls, or fight another boss. Or better yet, beat Bloodborne already and wanna give it another go? Turn the volume off and listen to something else or watching something else. There is no implication there that you cannot tolerate what your doing without multi tasking. It's that the act of you desiring to do something that either has enough grinding it in that you don't have to focus entirely, or alternatively is something you've either done before or your skill level is to the point that your able to multi task.

Like I think your getting the impression that it's more of a "I have to multi task to this game no matter what." When it's more of a "I'm looking to multi task, and seeking out an experience that in this moment will allow me to do so."

Skill based, low key indy games, especially rogue likes where you only have one run at a time are a great example of this. As you progress further through the game, you put more focus on the content you haven't seen or that is harder to do. But if you die, you go through all the earlier tiers/levels again. And again. And again. It's the nature of the game. I'm sure your familiar with the genre. But redoing those early levels in rogue likes is often very much part of the experience. Especially when you revisit the game after putting it down for a day or two, or longer. You'll almost always die just cold going into a very hard boss or later stage in those types of games. Getting warmed up through those early levels is kind of part of the drill.

Like I totally get it if this type of multi tasking isn't for you. But again your basically just outright assuming that every type of experience regardless of the game or what your watching is absolutely tainted. Like you don't strike me as the type of person who rewatches many things. If i'm screwing on a mobile game on my phone during a movie or a show, it's something I've seen likely more than twice already. Or something that it's good background fodder to look up at. Some streams and features can be like that, the GB video podcast can be like that. I'd general give a movie or a show my full attention on a first watch, but those wouldn't be put into my "multi task media" category until after, if I wished to rewatch them.

@devise22: Every example I’ve experienced aside from grinding for Souls (I want to hear and see everything so I don’t lose the souls I’ve grabbed) still strikes me as not a great use of time. That’s just my opinion. I lived through early JRPGs and CRPGs of the 80s and found grinding pretty thoughtless and chorey. It’s the kind of thing where someone would get stuck with the controller while someone else got to stretch their legs and find some food.

I think Souls gameplay has enough skilled combat, risk/reward, etc. that I’m not going to divert my attention. Even some low level stuff can take you down and take your souls if you’re distracted. If it was running in circles farming Spin Metal in Destiny, I’d say that’s shit design where Bungie didn’t make enough content to properly support progression. Yeah, I did some of that in Destiny, but I stopped pretty quickly (and then they fixed that shit a great deal with Taken King).

I’ll rewatch movies if they captivate me. I’m sure as hell not rewatching something that was kinda-sorta good unless someone wants me there with them. In that case, I’ll pay attention out of respect to my friend/kid/wife.

To each their own. It’s just not a way I’d choose to spend my free time.

Only for sports games, because the commentary will get repetitive really quick. But other than that, I can't imagine not listening to the game audio.

For something like No Man's Sky or Minecraft, I don't need something playing but I usually put something on. Podcast or longer Youtube series tend to be my pick. That said, I still end up focusing on the game and only having a vague idea of what's said in the podcast/video. It's just nice to have something in the background for them. I do keep the game audio on though, even the music, but it usually never overpowers the other thing playing.

If it's a multiplayer focused game i.e Titanfall, Rocket League, etc... Once I feel I've hit some plateau of skill I will often put music on to jam out while playing. When playing WoW, or EvE mining was always podcast time.

I cannot sit still to listen, I have to be excertsing, taking a bus, or doing a chore. If I just sit and listen I always think, "gee I'd rather be watching a video or doing something else". I need to make a podcast just the thing in my ears or I go nuts.

Yuuup. Warframe, FFXIV (and nearly every MMO in general), Stardew Valley, Harvest Moon, Path of Exile are the kinds of games where I absolutely need something on in the background if I'm playing for more than 10 minutes. Every once in a while, I'll play without any background noise, but the rest of the time those games just feel so eerily quiet and lonely that it makes it hard to concentrate without something to take my concentration off the game funnily enough.

I've noticed that if I'm playing a game standing up (now that I have a standing desk) I tend to not have another audio source on unless I'm playing a grind-heavy game like an MMO or something like that. If I sit down I usually have a podcast or music on even when I'm playing a game like Rise of the Tomb Raider (just finished it) where I pause the podcast or video during cutscenes.

I don't listen to a ton of podcasts with games these days, but the ones I might do (the likes of Monster Hunter, Dead Cells, Breath of the Wild) I will occasionally put music on instead - but also I'm perfectly content to just turn the game music back up and listen to that.

@nutter: I can understand your perspective, but for me I have definitely replayed Soulsborne games whilst listening to podcasts. I don't turn the game sound off, because as you say it can be important. But there isn't any dialogue to be listening to (on a repeat playthrough, in particular) so that part of my brain is free to take in a podcast I want to check out but might not otherwise have time for.

I play podcast games while hanging out with my kid. They let me listen to my kid without getting angry about the petty and repetitive nature of kids. It's great.