Anyone having attention-span problems with games like this (turn based JRPGs)? Tips?

[Griever]

For some reason with these turn based JRPGs, I always am super invested in Act 1 of these games, usually when there are 3 party members, maybe 4. But by act 2, even if the story is interesting, it starts to become a chore to play for me. This happens for me in Persona games, Metaphor, and a bunch of grindy JRPGs. Even happened in Elden Ring as well. I just have to motivate myself to push through by the middle of the game.

Anyone the same and have tips?
Maybe my brain is fried, but this is why I like more streamlined and entertaining games like FF16 and FF7 remake part 1 and Rebirth. For some reason, I was able to 100% both games and spent over 250 hours in them. Maybe it's the fast paced kind of repetitive combat and lack of stats to put points in. I don't know. Same with Team Ninja games like Stranger of Paradise. I put over 200 hours into this.

But with games like Metaphor and even Clair Obscur (which is an entertaining masterpiece), I'm having trouble pushing through. I just finished visages and sirène, and now I have to go to the Monolith. I'm just kind of bored even though the story beats are very entertaining and amazing by JRPG standards.

Anyone the same?

[ShockedHearts]

my only real tip is to just do it.

like I know that sounds stupid, and too simple. but like. thats it. just do it. the easiest way to keep your attention on something is to force yourself to. find reasons to enjoy things instead of reasons to look away.

I think a lot of people dont lack attention but rather lack motivation, and as we get older and we are tired with life and over consumption of media, sometimes we either need to
1) take a break and come back later.
or
2) simply push ourselves to enjoy it.

I have a friend that was legit skipping cutscenes at the very START of the game. which to me is a SIN. and its because he completely lacks PATIENCE. not attention span.
he cant stop and enjoy something even it takes a minute to do so because he needs satisfaction NOW and cant read into scenes, enjoy music, or let himself get captivated.

impatience is the killer of enjoyment.

[FWDKILLER]

I skipped all the cutscenes . And skipped qll the fights i aint got time to push buttons over and over . These npc block 80% of your attacks.
Its a boreing game with no real story.
I would refund it but steam wont let me refund a free game otherwise i would buy final fantasy rebirth.

[Griever]

Originally posted by ShockedHearts:

my only real tip is to just do it.

like I know that sounds stupid, and too simple. but like. thats it. just do it. the easiest way to keep your attention on something is to force yourself to. find reasons to enjoy things instead of reasons to look away.

I think a lot of people dont lack attention but rather lack motivation, and as we get older and we are tired with life and over consumption of media, sometimes we either need to
1) take a break and come back later.
or
2) simply push ourselves to enjoy it.

I have a friend that was legit skipping cutscenes at the very START of the game. which to me is a SIN. and its because he completely lacks PATIENCE. not attention span.
he cant stop and enjoy something even it takes a minute to do so because he needs satisfaction NOW and cant read into scenes, enjoy music, or let himself get captivated.

impatience is the killer of enjoyment.

This isn't the problem I have. I am absolutely engrossed by story and will watch everything, I even collect every journal (this is what made me 100% every FF game including Stranger of Paradise...The story). For me it's really more of a game play thing. As these games reach the higher acts and everything gets more complex, I start to get tired of it.

[Griever]

Originally posted by FWDKILLER:

I skipped all the cutscenes . And skipped qll the fights i aint got time to push buttons over and over . These npc block 80% of your attacks.
Its a boreing game with no real story.
I would refund it but steam wont let me refund a free game otherwise i would buy final fantasy rebirth.

Rebirth was amazing, but personally I liked Remake part 1 even more, because it was so linear/streamlined and just action setpiece after action setpiece.

[ShockedHearts]

Originally posted by Griever:

Originally posted by ShockedHearts:

my only real tip is to just do it.

like I know that sounds stupid, and too simple. but like. thats it. just do it. the easiest way to keep your attention on something is to force yourself to. find reasons to enjoy things instead of reasons to look away.

I think a lot of people dont lack attention but rather lack motivation, and as we get older and we are tired with life and over consumption of media, sometimes we either need to
1) take a break and come back later.
or
2) simply push ourselves to enjoy it.

I have a friend that was legit skipping cutscenes at the very START of the game. which to me is a SIN. and its because he completely lacks PATIENCE. not attention span.
he cant stop and enjoy something even it takes a minute to do so because he needs satisfaction NOW and cant read into scenes, enjoy music, or let himself get captivated.

impatience is the killer of enjoyment.

This isn't the problem I have. I am absolutely engrossed by story and will watch everything, I even collect every journal. For me it's really more of a game play thing. As these games reach the higher acts and everything gets more complex, I start to get tired of it.

so its more of an issue of a lot to do and not a lot of energy to care?

thats just rpgs. the further you get in the more open they get and the more complexity builds get, mechanics get, stats get, its something most rpg fans enjoy is the late game because thats when we really get to feel out the gameplay and abuse systems.

in regards to this game I think the further you get in the easier the game gets. I felt most challenged in the first half which is a shame with the limited options you have early on.

but that didnt stop me seeing all that was there because the areas, story, music, and such was more than enough to keep me playing. and I dont dislike the combat at all so even though it was easy I got satisfaction from destroying everything. almost like I earned it.

regarding connections to rebirth and FF7 a lot of people dislike how they turned it into a linear action game. the original was a lot more like this game and thats why it became famous. so it sounds like to me you might just not like this genre of games.

[El Patou]

I have the same issue usually, not with clair obscur currently, but always when I hit the mid section of a RPG.

I think it's because by that point you are forced to optimize and, to me it's not fun, so I sort of give up because games should be fun -for you- before having good stories.

Not all RPG's are for everyone imo, not because of their story but solely for the gameplay.
I like clair obscur because it takes so many elements from soulslikes, including the parry system that, for me is very reminiscent of enemy attacks and patterns in dark souls, that I just love everything about it. But I also know a lot of people complain about it. And, I guess that specific RPG is not meant to be played by those people, because the gameplay is frustrating for them.

But the opposite can happen as well: great gameplay, too complicated story that is hard to follow and you kind of drop out of it. Trails in the sky was like that for me even if I find the gameplay amazing in that regards. Lore is a bit too thick but you are kept out of it because of the "Sorry, but the plot fled in the next town" trope.

The writing is just frustrating. And it shouldn't be. It's not a movie or a book. It's a game, and games are supposed to be fun. If the point is for it to be not focused on fun, then, maybe we should not call that games but "interactive media" or "interactive video experience". More and more games stretch that definition more and more after all.

Also I think part of it is that we all are, to a degree mentally exhausted of frustration.
Because entertainment nowadays is solely instant gratification, pinpoint algorithmic recommendations and "fast content". But also just frustration is harder to deal with as we have so many (too many) options to escape it.
Why would I finish that -now boring- game when I could buy another shiny amazing game that is 75% off and absolutely clutter my steam account with games I will never play and likely forget about ?

Slow content like games or books require more focus, but we are less and less trained to focus, so it becomes harder with time, and so you drop out of games you find amazing because your brain just can't do it.

Idk, just a few ideas that comes to mind.
I am not necessarily right about it, but, I think it's a good thing to question ourselves about it.

I wish you the best to finish Clair Obscur. I didn't do it yet, and I hope I won't drop out of it myself.

[Me]

If you feel like you're burning yourself out, you are allowed to take a break. You can always come back to it later. And maybe you wont (I've taken breaks from several games and then forgot all about them), but that is also not a crime.

[Griever]

Originally posted by ShockedHearts:

so its more of an issue of a lot to do and not a lot of energy to care?

thats just rpgs. the further you get in the more open they get and the more complexity builds get, mechanics get, stats get, its something most rpg fans enjoy is the late game because thats when we really get to feel out the gameplay and abuse systems.

in regards to this game I think the further you get in the easier the game gets. I felt most challenged in the first half which is a shame with the limited options you have early on.

but that didnt stop me seeing all that was there because the areas, story, music, and such was more than enough to keep me playing. and I dont dislike the combat at all so even though it was easy I got satisfaction from destroying everything. almost like I earned it.

regarding connections to rebirth and FF7 a lot of people dislike how they turned it into a linear action game. the original was a lot more like this game and thats why it became famous. so it sounds like to me you might just not like this genre of games.

Yeah pretty much.
It's also the complexity, it starts to feel like running an excel spreadsheet.
I have like 100 luminas, tons of weapons, 5 party members, pictos, stat points.
I have to figure out what build I want to do, etc. Bosses are starting to be very hard. World becoming very big. It all feels a little tiring.

I respect this stuff but maybe I shouldn't have burned myself out with previous games. I bought Metaphor, it's very similar, and spent 150+ hours in that. I should have just skipped it.

[Griever]

Originally posted by Me:

If you feel like you're burning yourself out, you are allowed to take a break. You can always come back to it later. And maybe you wont (I've taken breaks from several games and then forgot all about them), but that is also not a crime.

You actually make a good point. That's what happens. I literally spend 6+ hours sessions in these games and get completely mentally exhausted. Plus I grind a lot and complete every single thing before moving on to other zone.

[FWDKILLER]

Originally posted by Griever:

Originally posted by FWDKILLER:

I skipped all the cutscenes . And skipped qll the fights i aint got time to push buttons over and over . These npc block 80% of your attacks.
Its a boreing game with no real story.
I would refund it but steam wont let me refund a free game otherwise i would buy final fantasy rebirth.

Rebirth was amazing, but personally I liked Remake part 1 even more, because it was so linear/streamlined and just action setpiece after action setpiece.

I agree i have the remake its so much fun.

[FWDKILLER]

The game is dieing so the hype is slowing down. Onto the next overhyped game.

[AirSniffer]

nope

[Alice]

I do have those issues! I usually counter by becoming a lunatic and prioritizing the story first at the cost of everything else (and have to pick up the mechanics I missed whenever I get predictably stuck on a boss) so that I can get it done before the last bits of my curiosity wither.

[DmonHiro]

Originally posted by FWDKILLER:

I would refund it but steam wont let me refund a free game otherwise i would buy final fantasy rebirth.

You would refund....a free game.... And you would get back exactly what you paid for it.

[Griever]

Originally posted by Alice:

I do have those issues! I usually counter by becoming a lunatic and prioritizing the story first at the cost of everything else (and have to pick up the mechanics I missed whenever I get predictably stuck on a boss) so that I can get it done before the last bits of my curiosity wither.

My obsessive perfectionism could never do this, because then I'd have to play the entire game a second time lol. Maybe I need some kind of drugs to help me focus harder lol. I love the game. I just need to stick to it longer.