I’ve recently started gaming a little bit again. It’s something I’m trying to stay away from in general because I’ve had the idea that it’s too fun and it consumes me too much. But this summer I started playing Diablo 4 with a friend. And what a great game it is.

I noticed quite fast that what I like about gaming in general is the theorycrafting. That is, on top of playing the game, spending time theorizing about how gameplay can be optimized. For example which attack rotations to use for maximum damage output, which dungeons can be farmed for maximum character leveling per hour and so on.

I’m currently considering whether I should let myself play games to nurture this interest of mine. I might also write a few words about it here.

Currently I’m playing a twisted blades rogue in Diablo 4. It’s a very powerful but hard to play build. It’s very interesting to try out different combinations of skill tree specializations and paragon board configurations to see how they change the play and feel in the dungeons. It’s also very interesting to try the different builds because they require a bit different attack rotations and thinking differently.

It’s a lot more fun to play a game like this with an open mind and exploring the different builds rather than just sticking to one thing. To me it becomes a mix between intellectually stimulating and creative.

Another thing that is great about this game is that it can be played very casually compared to other games I’ve played like World of Warcraft and still be fun. It’s fun from the first minute and it keeps being fun. There’s no farming or boring grinding to it. To me then it can actually be non destructive to play it because of this.

Do you play any video games? Why?