Why do we keep playing CC?

[Mr Changsha]

Is it a sado-masochistic drive?

I would say within a 7 day period CC gives me one great day, in which my team's armies destroy everything before them and, quite seriously, my day in the real world seems to be one in which the sun shines just a little more, the birds sing just a little more tunefully and overall everything just seems to be good. Yet there will be another day in 7 in which everything goes horribly and completely wrong; my armies wilt like italians in the desert and I really don't know why I continue to play this game. Those other five days will vary between moderate luck and lack of it depending on whether I am generally going through a good period in the game or not. But to a certain extent my luck in this virtual world affects my mood in the real world too. I know I am not alone in this, though I do wonder why I continue to let this game influence my actual life.

CC is a drug. There, I've said it clearly. Rolling those dice gives us a rather pleasant little kick when we take 2, and equally gives us nasty little jab when we lose 2. If one plays a lot of games, then it says to me that the player is especially greedy for the upper or downer and if one is playing over a hundred turns a day then the player is a hopeless addict. But what are they addicted to? The game? No, they are addicted to those fucking dice that both delight and plague us in basically equal measure. So the dice have an immediate effect at that very moment we roll them (the little neurological kick) but also have a more subtle lasting effect in that they do, and I am absolutely sure of this, also affect our satisfaction levels in our real lives.

So why on earth do we continue to play? Because we are ALL hopeless, hopeless addicts. I think we enjoy inflicting just a little misery upon others when we roll well, and we equally get some masochistic pleasure from having losses inflicted upon us.

[Arama86n]

Pretty much every Girlfriend I've had, I've met at the most unexpected times. When Fishing and catching a "big one" it's pretty much been the same, It's been the days when it's miserable and it's the last thing you expect. - But all the same It's been putting in the effort and having the right lure and fishing the right location that's brought me to that moment.
The dice keep us humble.
As in real life the best laid plans are only solid untill the first contact with the oppo, then Lady luck get's her say too. Chance and oppertunity. But I'll quote my own wall and say "Luck is when preperation meets oppertunity". So really, in the long run luck is an illusion and those with skill, and those who put in more effort will always rise to the top.

Short answer though:
1.) The community, the people, the clan (like with most multiplayer games)
2.) Excercise the brain
3.) The dice! Unlike many here I appreciate the dice for what they are, for the reality they bring. If I didn't, I'd be playing chess instead.

[King Engineer]

Pretty much every Girlfriend I've had, I've met at the most unexpected times. When Fishing and catching a "big one" it's pretty much been the same, It's been the days when it's miserable and it's the last thing you expect. - But all the same It's been putting in the effort and having the right lure and fishing the right location that's brought me to that moment.
The dice keep us humble.
As in real life the best laid plans are only solid untill the first contact with the oppo, then Lady luck get's her say too. Chance and oppertunity. But I'll quote my own wall and say "Luck is when preperation meets oppertunity". So really, in the long run luck is an illusion and those with skill, and those who put in more effort will always rise to the top.

Short answer though:
1.) The community, the people, the clan (like with most multiplayer games)
2.) Excercise the brain
3.) The dice! Unlike many here I appreciate the dice for what they are, for the reality they bring. If I didn't, I'd be playing chess instead.

Such good points!

I really don't care about the dice. I like the fact that sometimes they're extra good and sometimes they are extra bad - thats part of strategy: Make sure that you fight with MORE troops incase you get extra bad dice (meaning in really important places, I would fight 9 vs 4 instead of 8 vs 4).

And i really dont like playing simple maps that purely depends on luck of dice. I think most people like this game because:

1) Playing a game is mind stimulating (its not the dice, its the different maps, settings that brings interest to the game).
2) Making friends!
3) Different map and settings variety that comes up every month!
4) Being part of something: Clan.
5) Getting to teach/mentor players that are not as experienced in the maps you specialize on (its a great feeling!)
6) Getting higher in ranks (also, helping your clan get higher in F400 rank).
7) Different tournaments that bring variety to the game, that makes it mind stimulating.
Reading Forums related to game (i.e. discussing ideas!) Its so fun to discuss and share ideas!

[ChrisPond]

great post!

yes, i to am addicted here. i try and keep my game count low as i put a lot into each game and absolutely hate to lose. yes, the dice can really have an influence on simple maps and i try and avoid those. I have thought I would quit over the years but have not been able to do it. And yes, Conquer club can put me in a bad mood for a while but rarely put me in a good mood as i expect to win every game. as a former employee once said to me after i fired him, "your standards are unattainable!"

but i have also met some people on here that I consider friends. I have never met in person any of them, but we email regularly and talk to each other like we have known each other forever. I hope one day to travel and see my new friends in Germany, Australia, and Norway. and they know when they happen to be traveling through Iowa (a hotspot for tourism!), they are welcome to stop by.

i thought i would leave you with a quote that sums up my Conquer club experience...

"The harder I work, the luckier I get"

[bigWham]

Is it a sado-masochistic drive?

It's because after a hard day of rolling and fortifying, regardless of the outcome, we know that we can come back to the forum and you will be here.

[nàme]

I play CC because it's one of the constant things that I can do for strategy. Every other strategy game is too long or too short but this is a few minutes out of every day. It's quite nice.

[Mr Changsha]

Is it a sado-masochistic drive?

It's because after a hard day of rolling and fortifying, regardless of the outcome, we know that we can come back to the forum and you will be here.

Is that the sado-masochistic bit? Am I the metaphorical ball-gag or the trucheon?

What, what?

Sadistically landed a cheeky 4 on 3 bonus grab today and guffawed in a most evil fashion over my opponent's likely wails of 'That Mr C is fucking chancer of the worst sort!" type of girliness. I imagined weeping, the waving of sweaty, clammy little fists to the sky and hopefully the prospect of a laptop being thrown across a room.

But then potager1 logs into play her trips move, doesn't realise I am in the middle of writing her order, unusually for her begins turn quickly, deploys and ends turn and THEN realises she had many things to do. Her response? "I thought your "This is a complicated move" comment was meant to be ironic." And In this we see CC as masochism most clearly.

This IS CC. It raises us up to moments of unbridled joy, but can moments later be akin to being kicked repeatedly in the face by a freakishly strong drag queen in stilettos.

[loutil]

I am competitive by nature. This game quenches my thirst. Crushing a worthy opponent is almost as good as sex. (notice that I said ALMOST).