The simple fact is, habits are very hard to break. While psychologists make the point that changing lifestyle habits may take just 30 days to form, it may take just one relapse before you need another 30 days to make/break the habit again.
And so it goes with TSTO.
A daily habit of almost 7 years (it was originally released in March 2012…before being pulled in June, and then re-released in Sept 2012), is indeed a difficult one to break. Especially if it is something that brings you as much fun and pleasure as TSTO has over this time.
Unlike smoking, drinking, or illicit opioid use, which require more and more quantities, to maintain any semblance of relief (like the old saying, “smoking more, but enjoying it less”), TSTO is a habit that once your 4-hour grind is complete, almost always gives you something in return. And, with events, updates, and constant fluctuation in the game, the prospect for rewards only increases.
So…when EA all but cuts us off, cold turkey (frankly I like cold turkey sandwiches, even better than warm ones, but I digress), there is bound to be some adjustment to the regularity of our daily dose of fun. And after a lull of this length, we are truly being forced to be creative, patient, and pragmatic about how/if we continue to play.
And so, to help alleviate the pain of Lulldome …I give you the first installment of Designing In Downtime!
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