Can you ever play too much? :-)

[Lancet]

I have a few things I'm curious about :-)
1. Did you ever RSI (Repetitive Strain Injury) because of Tetris (or any other game for that matter)? I.e. did you ever play so long that your hand(s) were sore afterwards?
2. If yes, how long did it last or how did you get rid of it?
3. Any techniques to prevent such 'accidents'?
4. Does Tetris really improve any cognitive faculty in your opinion or is it just an excuse?
5. I found two nice poems on DeviantArt about this addiction  and here they are:
http://blueyesblackheart.deviantart.com/art/Tetris-134358722
http://lucie-wojaick.deviantart.com/art/Ad...-Haiku-67923346
What do you think about them? I think they're neat and surprisingly deep given the topic

[iphys]

I think you'd die in RL before you ever played too much Tetris.

Um, sometimes I do get sore hands though, so I stop, because I know I've had RSI problems in the past from doing computer work, and I never want to get injured that badly ever again.  It took me a couple years to get over it, mainly because I never took a long enough period to recover, and even now my hands still don't feel the same.

Just be very cautious about any numbness, tingling, soreness you feel, and make sure you take a break if you feel anything wrong.

I'm sure it improves your ability to play Tetris if nothing else, but yeah, I think it might be good for improving your spatial skills.

I think those poems are pretty awful, but at least they didn't end with the word "delete" like one Tetris poem I read before.

[Lancet]

I think you'd die in RL before you ever played too much Tetris.

Um, sometimes I do get sore hands though, so I stop, because I know I've had RSI problems in the past from doing computer work, and I never want to get injured that badly ever again.  It took me a couple years to get over it, mainly because I never took a long enough period to recover, and even now my hands still don't feel the same.

Just be very cautious about any numbness, tingling, soreness you feel, and make sure you take a break if you feel anything wrong.

I'm sure it improves your ability to play Tetris if nothing else, but yeah, I think it might be good for improving your spatial skills.

I think those poems are pretty awful, but at least they didn't end with the word "delete" like one Tetris poem I read before.

1. Agreed
2. Ouch, okay, I'll be careful, that sounds bad. And I don't think I have that many months left, so double bad!
3. Could you link that poem? LOL

[EnFuego]

Someone did a study and found that the main effect of playing more tetris is that your brain becomes more efficient at playing tetris. It doesn't really help anything else. (maybe makes you happy?)

A good way to prevent a tetris injury is to shake your hands like they are wet. It is like stretching before physical activity.

[caffeine]

Every once and a while I'll go on a binge and my right hand will start to hurt. I'll stop playing for a week or two just to be on the safe side. It's not worth it.

Things I do:

Sit up with back support
Both feet on the floor
Eyes level with top of monitor
Sticking arms straight out, fingernails just reach monitor's screen
Forearms slightly more than 90 degrees with biceps
Hands nearly parallel with keyboard, relaxed and comfortable
No glare on screen

There's probably more, but I can't think of it. This set up has kind of become my "in the zone" set up. I don't feel like I'm playing my full potential unless I sit this way.

[Pheeb]

Help!

Can you ever play too much?  Yes, and unfortunately I have.  When I first started playing on TF, 3 or 4 months
ago, I was using my keyboard.  I frequently play about 3 or 4 hours on a work day, and about 8 (or more) on my days off.  After about the first 2 weeks of using keyboard my hands started to bother me.  I immediately made the 6 hour round trip to the closest Future Shop and picked up a Logitech Wireless Gamepad F710.  That seemed to solve the problem for the last 3 months.

About two weeks ago I realized that I had really reached a plateau and I was not getting any better.  I decided to really work on my finesse and to study techniques more and not just freestyle all the time.  So I started spinning my tetriminoes both ways, which I had never done before.  Anyway, something about that movement really messed up my hand and now it is in a lot of pain that radiates up my arm.  If I use that Logitech controller at all now it really exacerbates it.   So now I have to not play, and that makes me sad.

So I am now looking for the best contoller, or ergonomic keyboard, or whatever is available to play Tetris with.  I am open to any suggestions that anyone my have.

[billtsar]

I don't think that tetris can cause much injury to your hands. Minesweeper is far more harmful. Playing 20min ms intensely is like playing tetris for 3h. In the first occasion you use only one hand and the mouse while in the second occasion you use both hands and the keyboard. When I exceed 20-25min of playing ms I know that I can't break my records and stop playing. On the contrary, in tetris even if I have already been playing for 2h I still can be quite efficient (this doesn't stand for TGM).
So, KEEP TETRISING  

[BARNCHAK]

4. Does Tetris really improve any cognitive faculty in your opinion or is it just an excuse?

These  websites talk about the benefits of playing tetris ...

http://exilelifestyle.com/play-tetris-achieve-dreams/

http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsi...000/8587211.stm


if these sources are to be believed then its definitely not an excuse  

[Pheeb]

So nobody knows of a controller that is especially good?


Thanks BARNCHAK

I checked out you links and I appreciate where you are coming from.  I will think about your opinion, I don't think you fully understand.

I luv tetris.  The only thing that made me stop was the controller issue.   I have looked at 100's and it is like they were all designed by the same guy . My hands are not flat. Whats the deal?

[Altimor]

Yup, played Shirase for 12+ hours in a day and my thumb ached after.

Also use your keyboard, you can tap much quicker with it.

Just read that haiku, something's wrong here

[!--quoteo--][div class=\\\'quotetop\\\']QUOTE[/div][div class=\\\'quotemain\\\'][!--quotec--]Colored shapes drop down
slowly whilst I turn them 'round
just to fill those gaps[/quote]

Let me fix that.

[!--quoteo--][div class=\\\'quotetop\\\']QUOTE[/div][div class=\\\'quotemain\\\'][!--quotec--]Colored shapes drop down
instantly whilst I turn them 'round
just to fill those gaps[/quote]

[Pheeb]

Humph.   I may have to invent my own controller.   I've noticed some down hill skill poles that have a very natural grip.  Hmmmm.


I think I can break the game controls down into 7 finger wiggles,

1 - Left
2 - Right
3- Soft drop
4- Hard drop
5-clockwise turn
6-counterclockwise turn.
7- Hold

7 controls for 7 play pieces.  Tetris perfection.


Well, I am about to try to convert so old ski poles into tetris controllers.  For some bizarre reason,  all of the controllers and keyboards available have the thumb moving up and down, if you hold your arm level on the horzon in front of you. This is what is causing 90% of my problems, I think.

It seems to me, much more natural, to have the thumb curl inward. as though it were grasping something.  The up and down thing is just an evolutionary nicety that the control designers have over-exploited (for shame).  Since I plan to repeat this motion (hopefully) several hundred times a minute for an extended
period, and since my wrist is currently firing warning shots up my fore arm when I do the up and down thing, but the thumb curl thing seems natural and fine, I am left with little choice but to try to convert ski pole into tetris controllers.

If anyone is aware of any commercially available controllers, i would appreciate it.



I really am looking for a commercial solution to my problem, I must not be the first person i this situation.  It is conceivable that others have walked this path.  Please somebody throw me a clue....?

[XaeL]

have you ever tried using one of these:?

http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-dd-49-en-70-2sxk.html

[Pheeb]

have you ever tried using one of these:?

http://www.play-asia.com/paOS-13-71-dd-49-en-70-2sxk.html

thanks for the reply. Not exactly what im looking for.  Seems like they are out of stock anyway.

cheers

[Ravendarksky]

My keyboard broke before I got RSI when I used to play tetris for 3+ hours a day (I was stuck on a boat for a month)
8-)

[ohitsstef]

probably just wrong positioning of your hands will hurt your hands

that's all i can think of

oh and straining your eyes.. i guess..