Looking For Relief
I've been on a quest for something for a while.
I am constantly trying to find something that will effectively replace the roll that Doomscrolling fills in my life.
Doomscrolling does two things for me.
First, Doomscrolling is simply a distraction. It's cheap dopamine that at times is more enticing than what I'm currently doing or need to be doing.
Distractions aren't something I'm fond of, really. If I get rid of Doomscrolling, the distractions won't be something I miss.
However, Doomscrolling does something else. Doomscrolling is also a nice way to relax at the end of the day. When I'm tapped out and don't have the mental capacity to do anything, it's nice to have something to focus on that doesn't require much effort.
There's also another element of relaxation that Doomscrolling gives. Sometimes it's not that I'm tired, sometimes it's the opposite and my mind is stuck in overdrive. In those times, Doomscrolling gives me something to narrow in on and quiet the rest of my swirling mind.
So, while I want to get rid of the distracting elements of Doomscrolling, I'd like something that can replace the relaxive benefits it brings.
Finding something to replace exhaustion related relaxation is kind of easy. I need to simply do nothing. I need to learn to listen to my body and just rest when I'm exhausted. In those times, what I need to do is close my eyes and either take a break. Whether that means a full on nap, or just some meditation, what I need is to stop and rest and not keep doing something.
Finding something that can quiet my mind when it's overactive is a bit trickier.
There are some work and side project things I could do, but the point of relaxing is to not do work stuff. Video games are also an option, but they tend to feel too close to Doomscrolling or don't last. Once I accomplish the main tasks of a game, I tend to lose interest and go back to Doomscrolling.
If I were to use a game to fill the Doomscrolling void, it'd need to be quick and easy to pick up, and have near infinite content/ replayability. It would also need to have goals that keep progressing and don't get too monotonous. Arcade games seem to fit, but the goal of just getting new high scores isn't engaging enough. Though, community based score challenges might be enough. If I had people I was vaguely competing with, that might be enough motivation.
But, while I'd settle for a video game based solution, I'd much rather find something that isn't digital.
My ideal solution is something physical that I can focus on to quiet my mind.
I need a fucking hobby.
But, I'm too cheap to spend money trying a bunch of things that might not work. I'm also too cheap to really even do any expensive hobbies.
...
You know... I just took my fingers off the keys and took a step back to think.
I was thinking of Lego as something that seems like a good solution, but too expensive for me to want to pursue. I then thought about Minecraft and how it used to scratch the itch. I then began thinking about what other things have scratched the itch in the past. I was reminded of Hearthstone and other TCGs. I then thought about what went wrong with them and why I stopped playing them. Ultimately, I stopped playing TCGs because they are either really expensive, or really grindy.
When it comes to TCGs, I really like deck building and the quick, competitive aspect. I really hate the collection aspect, though.
The collection aspect does give the slow drip feel of progression, but eventually it gets old, and you feel bad not being competitive because you don't have this one card.
You know what, I think I'm getting somewhere.
I want a TCG that does away with the artificial collection aspect, but has a solid drafting format.
I wonder if this is a thing I can find, or will have to make myself.
I think the totality of my idea is something that doesn't exist.
I highly doubt there's a fully open source TCG that give players full access to the card pool and allows for custom additions and rulesets. It'd also have a digital client as well as a physical version that can be bought or printed.
That sounds like a lot of work.
Is it possible that MTG is my answer?
Despite playing most popular TCGs, I've never fallen fully down the MTG rabbit hole. Any time I've tried, it seems too expensive and like I'm too far behind to have a chance of being competitive. (I started Hearthstone and LoR when they were in beta) But, MTG is vast enough, that there may be a format that fits my needs and abilities.
I think pirate MTG is a thing that exists to remove the annoying collection stuff. From that, it seems trivial to have a draft format, since I'm pretty sure MTG already has a draft format.
Okay, I'm done rambling for today.
It's time to get to work and later think about and research a TCG that can help me replace Doomscrolling.
~ V