Okay, not literally, but I'm relatively new to going /out/ and I wanted to share my thoughts. I've just started going on my first overnights and I've loved it each time. I had this thought during my last camping trip while running around in the snow in the pitch darkness with my headlamp collecting firewood and I can honestly say, despite how simple it was, no video game had ever brought me so much fun and excitement, and I was just picking up sticks.Now, as I prepare for my first solo backpacking trip, I downloaded a GPS app and its offline maps. Due to the limitation of the one I went with, I have to manually map my trail. It was then I realized the potential fun I could have using this app. I loved Breath of the Wild, especially the exploration aspect, and my plan during my next backpacking trip is to look out for edible mushrooms (of all kinds) and mark them on my map. I also plan to take photos of landmarks and points of interest to mark on my map as well. Since I'm a bit of a completionist, my end goal is to hike every single trail and visit every peak of my nearest statepark, and then move onto the next.I guess the only thing that's really missing is combat, but I'm not jumping at the opportunity to enter a knife fight with some trail hobo or take down a bear lol. One of these days I'll look into picking up fishing for that extra camp activity. Thanks for reading.
Good going OPJust make sure not to mistake edible mushrooms for poisonous ones if you eat them or start a fire and ggAlso get a pepper spray for crackheads or rabid animals
>>2721717>Also get a pepper spray for crackheads or rabid animalsYou know, I hadn't thought about it but I never brought any form of self defense with me aside from a sharp tool... Thanks for the advice, I'll pick one up before I set out
Good for you man. I used to view skiing like that, a mountain was a map to be cleared as I got better and better and there were little secret treasures everywhere to be found.
>>2721708It's almost like they based video games on something....hmmm...what could that be....
>>2721708This seems like so much fun, great idea OP:)
>>2721771Including the fantasy stuff ;)
>>2721708Being outdoors isn't "the best video game ever". In video games, I get the chance to respawn if I die or fail task/mission. Most of the time if I do something, it's done and I can't change it. Games usually provide clear objectives and goals, but in real life everything is ambiguous and uncertain. Of course I mostly don't even want to know what I'm supposed to be doing or where to go but still this sucks when I need the information. Outdoors don't have save points. I can't save my progress at specific points and return to them later. Some games I can literally go somewhere and when I get the object or achievement, I just kill myself to get the default location without losing even my inventory. In some games, I can drop my stuff to a hole, kill myself and I get my full health back. Then I pick my stuff back. Outdoors in real life I can't most of the times even attempt something risky and reload if it doesn't work out. And yes, I "could" but then I die.While video game characters are under my control, I don't have that same control in real life. Video games have predefined rules and boundaries that govern gameplay. I can literally create redstone machines to manipulate the laws of physics or how luck works in the universe in Minecraft. In real life you can't manipulate almost anything. Real life outdoors experience offers an almost infinite number of choices and possibilities but you can't do most of them. In games you have maybe less, but you know it is possible if you try hard enough and learn. Funniest thing is that yes, games sometimes have "better graphics" than real life. Also there is multiple styles of game graphics that real life doesn't have. In games I get immediate feedback and rewards for actions.
>>2721708>>2722016I can open Minecraft, do something boring for 1-2 hours and I get end result that I can enjoy next 10 years I play that single player world. In real life you can use your 80-90 years of life to do something and you get literally nothing out of it. Some people work their whole life and die before using the money for anything else than surviving.In video games, when it gets boring after 10 years, I can often use cheat codes, mods, data packs, texture packs or exploits to gain advantages or bypass challenges. In real life, when I take shortcuts I can't get anything or end result is worse. If I cheat in any way, there is serious consequences and in some third world countries like in America or Africa I can even die.I can't replay parts of my life. There is not "speedrunning" life thousands of times.
>>2722016>Being outdoors isn't "the best video game ever". In video games, I get the chance to respawn if I die or fail task/mission. Most of the time if I do something, it's done and I can't change it.It might not be a life or death consequence, but in this way being /out/ (and generally just living life) is like the ultimate "hardcore" more in that you can't undo your action (and I guess perma-death is a possibility, too). To some, hardcore mode may sound unfun but many enjoy that challenge. Failure is always a learning experience and sometimes failing can lead you to some pretty fun experiences that you learn from in retrospect, too.>Games usually provide clear objectives and goals, but in real life everything is ambiguous and uncertain. Of course I mostly don't even want to know what I'm supposed to be doing or where to go but still this sucks when I need the information.You're supposed to make your own objectives and goals, not just in /out/ but in real life as well. Sometimes it's just as simple as reaching the end of the trail or just catching a fish, but you can give yourself a project goal as well. Pic related is the map I mentioned in the OP (it features routes as well, but I hid that layer). All those grey points on the map are points of interests that I found on other maps I haven't visited yet. My goal is to visit each and every one, take a photo of it, and then change the marker to red.>Outdoors don't have save points. I can't save my progress at specific points and return to them later.It's not really a "save point" per se, but I like to treat campsites as a metaphorical "save point" where I can relax after a long day and recollected my thoughts as well as fuel up for the next leg of my trip. I guess taking breaks act as quick saves as well.
>>2722016>Some games I can literally go somewhere and when I get the object or achievement, I just kill myself to get the default location without losing even my inventory. In some games, I can drop my stuff to a hole, kill myself and I get my full health back. Then I pick my stuff back. Outdoors in real life I can't most of the times even attempt something risky and reload if it doesn't work out. And yes, I "could" but then I die.While this is true, it plays back into that "hardcore" aspect of real life. It also depends on your risk factor and how prepared you are to take certain risks. Crossing over a sketchy stream is risky, but the consequence at most is that you get wet and maybe get a little scratched up from a sharp rock.>While video game characters are under my control, I don't have that same control in real life. Video games have predefined rules and boundaries that govern gameplay. I can literally create redstone machines to manipulate the laws of physics or how luck works in the universe in Minecraft. In real life you can't manipulate almost anything. Real life outdoors experience offers an almost infinite number of choices and possibilities but you can't do most of them. In games you have maybe less, but you know it is possible if you try hard enough and learn.You can manipulate your environment to an extent. We use simple machines all the time when camping and hiking, such as pulleys or levers. It might not be something as elaborate as as redstone door, but you can accomplish a lot with a decent understanding of physics and the techniques required to take advantage of it.
>>2722016>Funniest thing is that yes, games sometimes have "better graphics" than real life.No game has ever come close to being as beautiful as the scenery and views I have seen and experienced in real life, and it stimulates all your senses as well.>Also there is multiple styles of game graphics that real life doesn't have.Not saying that I recommend it, but ever tried LSD? (joke)>In games I get immediate feedback and rewards for actions.The satisfaction of being out is because the reward is such a slow burn. The best part about beating a video game is getting to the end right? After all that hard work, you can say you've reached an objective "end". Going /out/ is sort of like that, too. You also have a bunch of little wins along the way depending on what you're doing.>>2722017>I can open Minecraft, do something boring for 1-2 hours and I get end result that I can enjoy next 10 years I play that single player world. In real life you can use your 80-90 years of life to do something and you get literally nothing out of it. Some people work their whole life and die before using the money for anything else than surviving.It depends on what you're dedicating your life to. Once I accomplish my goal, I'll have a nice map filled with routes and POIs that I visited and discovered along the way. This is essentially proof of my achievement. You could also dedicate your time to building or creating something, like maybe converting your shed into a livable space. The end result would be that you now have a little shelter. You sound like you enjoy Minecraft a lot, so I'm sure you can get creative with your goals if you tried.>In video games, when it gets boring after 10 yearsIn real life, you'll always have something to do so long as you're proactive. You can be in your 90s and still have a list of goals to work toward to the day you die. Don't worry about getting bored.
>>2722043>The best part about beating a video game is getting to the end right?No. The point is the journey and what you do along the way. I have Minecraft save from 2009 that I have updated in form of server that I run locally. The main fun is all my farms and machines that I use (most of them are broken because of updates). All the stuff I make is still there, all weird chunks that different versions have generated. When I'm doing a perimeter or some other long projects, I don't even think the day it is finished. I just do it and see how long I have got. Actually the day it is finally done is not that nice but then afterwards I get that good feeling when I'm using it and it makes everything else easier or when I can do even larger stuff.In real life you can't get that feeling. In game you get something and it is there forever. In real life you can also use 100-1000 hours to achieve something but it is gone in less than a month if you don't keep doing that work. Whatever it is. Money, health, skills etc. You lose them in days if you don't do hard work every day. Also you own the game world. I own the (local) server and save file. I'm the maintenance/upkeep person. There isn't that in real world. You don't control the world. If there is even a one single tiny bad detail ("bug"), you can be dead, lose all your money or your health. There is nothing you can do. Real life is also pay-to-win multiplayer where we did get the shit cards. Sounds "I'm 14 And This Is Deep" but it is true. I have zero reasons to even try anything when there is other "players" doing everything to ruin my fun.
>>2722043There is no "World Wiki" or "World forums" where I can read "How to do this or that" and it is only based on how good cards you did get and how much money you will use for this project. There can be two people that have different end result just because of their voice, face or "spawning" location. In Minecraft you just learn, do the instructions and have the thing or have achieved something.
>>2722054>No. The point is the journey and what you do along the way. I have Minecraft save from 2009 that I have updated in form of server that I run locally.My point with that statement was that reaching the end feels good because it isn't immediate gratification. Doing anything /out/ requires effort, but you're rewarded for it in the end. Going on a long hike and setting up camp pays off for me personally, because I can finally rest and relax after strenuous effort. Being outside somewhere remote is some of the most relaxing times for me. >Money, health, skills etc. You lose them in days if you don't do hard work every day.This is beyond /out/, but this should be a given. Minecraft has this to an extent, too. If you don't eat, you'll lose hearts right? If you don't replenish your health, you'll die right? You work in Minecraft to make these things less of an issue by setting up and establishing solutions. Real life is the same way, it's not as straightforward and a lot more difficult, but it isn't impossible. You aren't a casual, right?
>>2722056>There is no "World Wiki" or "World forums" where I can read "How to do this or that" and it is only based on how good cards you did get and how much money you will use for this project. There can be two people that have different end result just because of their voice, face or "spawning" location. In Minecraft you just learn, do the instructions and have the thing or have achieved something.What are you talking about? A lot of this depends on what you're aiming to do. It sounds like you're talking about subjects beyond /out/, but if we're talking /out/ the only thing you're limited to is your knowledge. You're already staring at one of the various "World Forums" available to you, if there is anything you're interested in doing or want to figure out, you can refer to 4chan or another forum regarding a skill or hobby and learn. Same thing with a "World Wiki", there is a vast amount of information readily available to you. You can learn how to do anything devoting enough time, effort, and to an extent money towards it.
>>2721717yeah man be very careful about what you are picking and eating, there are a shit ton of poisonous look alikes. spend some time on Theshroomery.org foraging board, also I would bring them home and post them to the board for more accurate ID, there are alot of life long mycologists happy to help identify on that board. good luck, don't die.
>>2722054It's important to reconsider how you view the challenges and obstacles in your life. While it might seem daunting at times, remember that what appears as peril to some may appear as ripe opportunities to others. Perspective plays a crucial role here.It’s true that life doesn’t come with the same built-in rewards as Minecraft. In Minecraft, the game is specifically designed to tap into the psychological mechanisms that make us feel good when we progress and achieve. It's crafted to be rewarding at almost every turn. Real life, on the other hand, isn't structured with the same direct feedback loops, and achievements often require more resilience and extended effort.However, this doesn’t mean that the satisfaction derived from overcoming real-world challenges is any less significant. In fact, the rewards can be even more fulfilling because they come from genuine effort and perseverance. Developing patience and determination to pursue your goals can lead to a profound sense of accomplishment that matches, if not exceeds, any game.Rather than viewing life's difficulties as permanent barriers, see them as challenges to overcome. Each step forward is a testament to your strength and ability to adapt. With time and persistence, you'll find that life’s rewards are not only achievable but deeply gratifying.
