Ethos - Why Bother?

     The History page explains the "What, When, and Where" of this blog. The About page explains the "How" of this blog. I'd like to talk a little more about the "Why." Why play these "dated" games? Are they really that different from modern FPSes? Should I even bother trying boomer shooters if I don't like FPS gameplay? To address these questions, we must first discuss the concept of "Flow."

    That said, there is a tl;dr at the bottom if you want to skip to the point I'm trying to make.

Flow

    

    In the late 1980s and early 1990s, psychologist Mihaly Robert Csikszentmihalyi led the research effort into the psychological concept of "flow," which Wikipedia defines as "a highly focused mental state conducive to productivity." More commonly, we might describe a state of flow as being "in the zone." It's that moment where the conditions of a given task, both internal and external, are so well balanced that you feel like you're able to accomplish it completely effortlessly, or almost mindlessly. That's not to say that the task is mindless - rather, it could be an extremely mentally engaging and strenuous activity. But due to repetition and the understanding one has developed, it is not actively taxing on one's mind. Pulling from Wikipedia again:

"[Flow] requires a high level of concentration; however, it should be effortless. [It] is used as a coping skill for stress and anxiety when productively pursuing a form of leisure that matches one's skill set."

    It's a simple enough concept, but sounds a little contradictory. However, those who hold long-time hobbies or skill-based professions are likely quite familiar with this sensation, even if they haven't heard it by this name before. I'm a musician, by trade for many years, but now just as a pastime. Long before I had heard of the concept of "flow," I had felt it as a musician many times, both on stage and during practice.

    Playing an instrument is hardly a simple task. I don't say this to toot my own horn (when will the puns end?), but rather to illustrate that the concept of being able to zone out during such a task, while it sounds unlikely, happens quite often. There are times after a performance where I'll hear recordings of the show and think to myself, "that's how that part sounded?" I was there; I probably should know that! But I don't - I was so "in the zone" that the music and the flow overtake the conscious focus of playing the instrument in the first place. My partner has mentioned a very similar sensation as she works on a new piece of embroidery. She pops on a pair of headphones, gets to work on a new hoop, her cares melt away, and she knocks out an entire project over the course of a day while also being able to recall, with perfect clarity, the contents of whatever podcast or audiobook she had on. No matter the task, no matter the complexity, when the perfect balance of mental stimulation and skill level is struck, a state of flow can be achieved. I lay out this concept to posit the idea that boomer shooters can lead to relaxation and clarity through flow.

Relaxation through repetition

    I believe that boomer shooters are in a unique position to enable flow upon enough time spent within the genre. Boomer shooters are not easy, but they are simple. They can be difficult, but rarely are they complex. When one familiarizes oneself with the genre, working through a given level or arena becomes a matter of pattern recognition instead of problem-solving. The mental process moves from a perpetual state of reaction into something a lot more akin to a sorting exercise, but given that nearly all of the levels and experiences are hand-crafted, there is still a fine sense of variety within the confines of any game's formula.

    I alluded to this in my About page just a little bit, but I buried the lede by only mentioning that I'll often pop on audiobooks and play Deep Rock Galactic. In truth, I do the same with many boomer shooters, especially all things DOOM and DOOM WAD-related. I feel comfortable enough with the gameplay and familiar enough with the challenges any given enemy and level type present (within the difficulty I choose!) that I achieve a state of flow while playing them. 

A negation of hyperfocus

   

    One important item I wish to call out: there is a significant overlap between the concept of flow, and the related concept of hyperfocus, which is described using a lot of the same verbiage. I think there is certainly a point to be made there, but in the world of gaming, I would equate this to something like binging a Civilization campaign from 10pm - 6am without realizing you haven't moved for eight hours straight. In this scenario, the game is inescapable - your mind is totally pulled into the experience, and the mantra repeats: "Just one more round." Just one more round, and I'll take a break. Just one more round, and I'll start working on that paper. Just one more round, and I'll actually get something to eat for the first time today! That is far more indicative of hyperfocus in my book. 

    On the flip side, I have never once felt like I couldn't step away from a boomer shooter, even when deep in the throes of a level that I'm loving. Quite the contrary, in fact - since most levels can be beaten in a few minutes (especially if you know where you're going in some of the classic entries), it feels great to pop in, knock out a level, and pop out. Add in the ability to quick-save and quick-load at virtually any time, and pick-up-and-play (or put-down-and-walk-away) gameplay comes very naturally.

    I know what you're thinking - games like Civilization save between rounds as well, and ostensibly afford the same pick-up-and-play mentality you're describing here. The distinction again comes from the factor that continues to set these games apart from most modern FPSes, and many modern games in general: no matter their difficulty, the best boomer shooters tend to be simple. Hop in, blast a few baddies, grab that last key, hit the exit, quick save, hop out. I can't tell you how many times I've popped on a DOOM 2 WAD for 10 minutes while I was killing time before I leave for an appointment. Could you do this with an ongoing game of Civilization? Sure, you could. But it's the lack of mental pressure in a boomer shooter environment that sets it apart from the mental state needed to hop in and successfully accomplish a few rounds of Civ.

The obvious

    The previous points required a lot of explanation. This one is thankfully much lighter: boomer shooters are tons of fun. If you've never played one, even if you're not big on FPS games, and especially if you're a bit on the younger side and your only exposure to FPS games involves games released after ~2005 or so, you owe it to yourself to at least try them out. They feel way different than stuff like the Call of Duty series, the Battlefield series, and, dare I say, even the recent Halo entries, as much as I love the original trilogy. I'm not saying any of those are bad, nor am I saying you won't like these if you do like those. Rather, these shooters tend to be much faster-paced, but also more straightforward, and with far more instant gratification. Think back to a spot in a modern FPS where you get to go on a little power trip - you take point in a gunship's turret, or you get hold of some forbidden alien tech, and for 30-45 seconds, you are a god. Unlimited ammo, everything getting mowed down, brain off, fun on. Now imagine if the whole game had that kind of pace, but still offered a challenge in its own right.

    I'll also add that if you've played any of the more recent entries into the boomer shooter genre (e.g. DOOM 2016, DOOM: Eternal, DUSK, Ion Fury, Amid Evil, WH40K: Boltgun, Nightmare Reaper, Selaco, Turbo Overkill, Cultic...) and you're wondering if digging into the older entries into the genre is worth your time, the answer is a resounding "yes." The reason that folks gravitated to those newer games is because they have effectively captured what the old boomer shooters were actually like. Of course the newer entries have flashier effects, (sometimes) better graphics, and so on, but the core gameplay is shockingly similar between, say, DUSK and Quake, even though they were released 22 years apart. Plus, even in this resurgence of boomer shooters, they're still relatively few and far between. Old games? There are dozens, if not hundreds of entries for you to choose from, many of which are becoming more and more accessible thanks to modern PC ports / remakes (thank you, Night Dive Studios). Even the ones that aren't so easy to plug-and-play are made more accessible by decades of folks releasing documentation on how to access and enjoy these older titles (more on that in my DOOM write-up for those curious). Plus, so many of these are cheap, if not outright free when you consider the thousands of DOOM WADs available for download.

Summary / tl;dr

    

    Boomer shooters, unlike nearly every other game genre out there, strike a fantastic balance between being engaging and being repetitive enough that, in time, they become relaxing to play while still being very fun. You need to be actively focused on them to succeed--they are not turn-based and require some FPS skill. However, they do not "suck you in" and mentally tax you in the process. Rather, once you become comfortable with them, they can help you reach a state of relaxation and stress relief through flow. They are cozy games for people who don't like the gameplay loop in cozy games at all. Granted, I love many cozy games, but there are times in my life where I'm not looking to harvest my greenhouse of ancient fruit - I'm looking to rip and tear. Finally, they're a lot of fun, and I hope you give them a chance if you've not done so already.