Tips to stay awake and alert (Early Access related)

[Encarn]

This thread is intended for those of you planning to maximize your hours played per day. There are several simple strategies and tips that will help you stay awake and playing into the wee hours, long after the masses have retreated to their beds.

A simple saying is very important if you plan on altering your normal sleep schedule.

"You cannot skip sleep, you can only borrow against it."

The first step in ensuring that you can stay up longer is by paying back any sleep deficits you currently have. Do this by getting 8+ hours of sleep for 2-3 days depending on how deeply in deficit you are. This will allow you to enter Tuesday's EA with energy and a minimum of fatigue.

Caffeine affects different people in different ways, as does sugar.

Ingesting massive amounts of caffeine can often have detrimental physical effects in the short term that may actually hurt your ability to focus. Concentrated forms of caffeine (like caffeine pills) may also cause stomach discomfort and GI distress.

Massive sugar intake also creates a seesaw effect due to your body seeking to achieve homeostasis. That is the sugar crash you will feel a few hours after the initial sugar high. Try to avoid carb-loading with sugary drinks and carb-rich breads and grains (pasta, pizza crust). Eat balanced and light meals with small snacks.

Stay hydrated.

Hydration is an unnecessary stress that can be easily avoided. Being dehydrated will inhibit your ability to concentrate and perform complex tasks. It may also cause headaches and fatigue. There isn't a set amount of water that every person needs to drink - everyone is different. Drink until your thirst is quenched and urine is more clear than yellow. NEON ORANGE urine is bad. Also, drinking gallons of water in a short period of time can kill you - so don't do that either.

By staying hydrated, your body will be operating at optimum. It will allow your body to better handle the stress of sleep deprivation.

Play with friends/family, preferably in the same room.
By having someone to speak with and engage in conversation, you will stay more alert and feel less fatigued. Make Early Access a social event. Then you can draw penises all over the first guy to fall asleep. (I kid, I kid!)

Accept that sooner, or later, you are going to crash. (See first tip)
It's going to happen. Plan ahead before you hit the couch/bed. Set an alarm for a realistic amount of sleep based on how you feel.

Missed one. Take frequent short breaks and walk around.
As it is Winter in the Northern Hemisphere, take advantage of the cold weather by slipping outside for a few minutes. This is an invigorating sensation that will help wake you if you are feeling sleepy.

This is not medical advice, nor do I condone you pissing in bottles, nor pooping in socks. I am just providing knowledge so that you may avoid some simple mistakes that may put an end to an exciting first day in Early Access.

Have fun. I'll see you in-game.

[Cerebrate]

Hahaha, please tell me people don't piss in bottles and poop in socks. That is so incredibly gross. It's just game, get up and use the toilet.

[Xeones]

It's really disturbing that you have to make this thread. Even sadder that this will be helpful information for some people.

What happened to playing games for fun!?

[JustintimeSS]

While all of this is great information and you were kind to post it..... is this where the human race is at right now?

Level of faith in humanity - permanently lowered. And on my birthday no less. Awesome.

Drink, eat, sleep. Humans should know this stuff. What ever happened to Darwin taking care of us?

This post is equivalent to a road sign that says "stop sign ahead".

[Greevir]

It's really disturbing that you have to make this thread. Even sadder that this will be helpful information for some people.

What happened to playing games for fun!?

That is exactly what this thread is about! How to have fun in an extended period of time!

[Deleted]

ganja helps

[Encarn]

Drink, eat, sleep. Humans should know this stuff. What ever happened to Darwin taking care of us?

This post is equivalent to a road sign that says "stop sign ahead".

Happy Birthday! I'm sorry I lowered your faith in humanity. If you worked in the healthcare field as I do, you get to see all manner of things that defy human logic. Every time a MMO launches, people attempt to achieve Great Feats of Sleep Deprivation. It's just part of the culture. I am just providing tips for people to do this in a healthier, less body-stressing way.

[AlamarAtMMOC]

It's really disturbing that you have to make this thread. Even sadder that this will be helpful information for some people.

What happened to playing games for fun!?

How are these tips, in any way, shape, or form, not directly related to 'playing games for fun'?

As for the information, I appreciate the effort of putting it out there, and I think it's useful information in general (not necessarily for obsessive gaming marathons).

-Alamar

[JustintimeSS]

Happy Birthday! I'm sorry I lowered your faith in humanity. If you worked in the healthcare field as I do, you get to see all manner of things that defy human logic. Every time a MMO launches, people attempt to achieve Great Feats of Sleep Deprivation. It's just part of the culture. I am just providing tips for people to do this in a healthier, less body-stressing way.

It's in no way your fault! You making the list is quite awesome.

The tips didn't lower my faith in humanity. The fact that the tips are needed did.

[Deleted]

ganja helps

Heck no, that stuff makes you sleepy

[Deleted]

The best tip to stay awake is to get some sleep.

Don't demolish your body for a videogame. Your first tip is rubbish already: Sleeping 4 hours per day on weekdays, and then compensating for it by sleeping 'your deficit away' in weekends doesn't work. Sleeping patterns just aren't programmed like that and it will only make you feel more tired, make you perform worse. There are also tons of health risks that go with this type of behaviour.

[Wiyld]

well crap....


what have i been saving all these socks for then?

[Greevir]

well crap....


what have i been saving all these socks for then?

Twi'lek dancers.

[Deleted]

The best tip to stay awake is to get some sleep.

Don't demolish your body for a videogame.

this

I used to pull all-nighters frequently back in the day. not anymore though.
I'd like to say that is because when I grew older I got wiser, but actually my love for sleeping just keeps growing lol!

the most effective thing to do is to not screw up your sleep cycle, instead try to stay exactly in your sleep pattern at all times(this is a good rule for life in general, your body will thank you years, decades from now). To be fair, I will enjoy the luxury of being able to play TOR at my own leisure for the next 3 months without much of anything getting in the way but even if that were not the case - be good to yourselves and you will be able to play MMOs for a long time in a responsible and self-respecting manner :-)

[Encarn]

The best tip to stay awake is to get some sleep.

Don't demolish your body for a videogame. Your first tip is rubbish already: Sleeping 4 hours per day on weekdays, and then compensating for it by sleeping 'your deficit away' in weekends doesn't work. Sleeping patterns just aren't programmed like that and it will only make you feel more tired, make you perform worse. There are also tons of health risks that go with this type of behaviour.

This is intended as a behavior exhibited for a short period of time. Not a permanent change. The human body is incredibly adaptable and sleep deprivation rarely results in permanent damage because your body will eventually cause you to collapse at a certain point.

Also, my Ranger School instructor says "Hi." and he regularly kept us up for 36 hours at a time without worry of death or disability.

[Gemini Soul]

Hahaha, please tell me people don't piss in bottles and poop in socks. That is so incredibly gross. It's just game, get up and use the toilet.

Guess you never heard of the Raid Bucket... lol

http://youtu.be/Cayu32uXCM0

[conscript]

Also for goodness sakes people, please get up and walk around once in awhile when the game first comes out. Walk and take a piss or get a drink or something. Don't just sit there and not move. I really don't want to read any stories of gamers dying from blood clots because they were too moronic to move for 18 hours straight where they blame the games for the death and not the lazy dead guy.

[Deleted]

This is intended as a behavior exhibited for a short period of time. Not a permanent change. The human body is incredibly adaptable and sleep deprivation rarely results in permanent damage because your body will eventually cause you to collapse at a certain point.

Also, my Ranger School instructor says "Hi." and he regularly kept us up for 36 hours at a time without worry of death or disability.

Wrong, wrong, wrong. That's what modern day society is trying to tell you. The detrimental effects of sleep deprivation have been well documented in both psychological and medical journals, even on short-term cognitive and fysical task performance.

While it's logical that prolonged deprivation leads to more negative effects, do not think that short episodes of deprivation are harmless. They are not.

ToR is not going anywhere for the next couple of years. 'Maximizing' early access time by skipping basic tasks is beyond foolish. I pity those that do, but to each his own.

[Deleted]

Insane amounts of speed. Then by the third day awake the game will go into hardmode hyper hallucinogen awesomeness. PEWPEW!

OT: take it easy people. dont overstress your body because its not worth it. Game On!

[Killmaim Deathbringer]

when i really cant be bothered to go for a piss first thing in the morning, i piss in an empty bottle and throw the bottle out of the window into my backyard then I wash my hands with flat lemonade (Uk here, lemonade is carbonated)