Can anyone help me?

I love to play adventure games but am limited to the point and click with a static background. If moving the curser makes the background move....it's game over!!

I try to play demo's before buying a game (if they are available)to make sure I can play. Often times, I cannot find a demo and purchase the game anyway (praying to the gaming gods it will be okay for me to play).

I always check 'options' to see if I can control the viewpoint. Does anyone know if there is a way to control the viewpoint through my computer and not the the game? I am just not computer savvy enough to know if it possible.

The game that is currently giving me trouble is The Secret of Atlantis, I am desperate to play it but can't!

Is there a game list out there somewhere for sick people like me (wait, that doesn't sound right )??

Any help given is greatly appreciated!

to GameBoomers Soban. I'm sorry you are having troubles playing some games. I know that we have members who wear motion sickness bracelets while playing and say it significantly reduces their nausea. Have you tried that?

Ana

No, I have never heard of a motion sickness bracelet! Do you know where I can get one (or maybe 3!).

In games like Secrets of Atlantis, you should be able to avoid motion sickness by panning slowly. Avoid moving your mouse quickly. You may want to reduce your mouse speed/sensitivity in Windows Control Panel if the game itself has no panning speed options.

Motion sickness bracelets don't work for me, but Amazon has them
Amazon link

Hi Soban...
To Boomers
I can honestly say I never heard of a motion sickness bracelet.... Must be a Ploy to get you to play certain games...Not that it doesn't exstinct....But for me if a game has too much panning...& no inter controls to help......I dump the game .....Period !!!

My Opinion

Not everyone wishes to "dump a game" Darleen. There are many good games that many would consider it a shame to pass up.

Soban, a little background on the bracelets can be read Here.

They have a really nice one at Hammacher Schlemmer but it's 79.00.

Ana

WOWWWWWWWWW ...Ana... No disrespect...

But I rather dump a game then spend $79.00 & you don't know if it will work for you.. Especially if a game cost $20.00 <yikes>



Jenny100 ...Just Stated it doesn't work for her..

DArleen, you didn't read the thread entirely. Jenny100 linked to one that is 7 dollars and I linked to one that is 11.95. I only mentioned the other one but did not link to it because it pricey, but I would consider it if I had that problem and it worked.

So...that means it won't work for Soban? I don't understand your point?

Ana

This is what I meant...Your quote states $ 79.00...<yikes> Not $ $ 7.00 dollars

I remember reading a thread which touched on motion sickness a short while ago. I believe that with 360 deg. panning it can make a positive difference if the game controls have the cursor permanently centrally positioned on the screen (more control), whereas having to move the cursor to the edges of the screen to change direction offer less control, and therefore bring on the feelings of nausea. I don't suffer from motion sickness myself so can't say how true this is or not?

Soban, this is from a previous thread as well that may help:



Ana

Thanks everyone for the great ideas!!! To be honest I had thought about the motion sickness pills but I'm not super comfortable taking them. I think I will try the bracelet and then give the pills a go if the bracelet doesn't work.

Ana....thank you so much for the link, great information!

Rushes, I think you hit the nail on the head!

Thanks again everyone

Soban. Like everything else, some things work for some folks and not others, but it doesn't hurt to try. Let us know how it works for you.

Ana

I suffer really badly from motion sickness. For instance, forget the sailboat, I can be on the dock and get violently ill. Same thing for the occasional game.

The bands work for me. The pills always make me sleepy, even when they're not supposed to. I hope they help you too Soban. You also might want to limit your playing time as well - say thirty minutes, get up and change your focus, before sitting back down to it.

Hi all

I get motion sickness too when playing certain games. THus I can't play most FPS games like e.g. Half-Life 1. I can play Half-Life 2 and Halo because in these games the camera is fixed (as in it doesn't move from side to side).

There is a medical reason for us getting motion sickness, something about the body being tricked into it being poisoned? and then we went to throw up the poison Which of course is very handy if you have been poisoned but not if you want to play a game like say 'the secret of atlantis'.

I can't play in FPS mode in Oblivion, too, so I have downloaded a mod that betters the third person view. I can play Bioschock and Deus EX (which is FPS games), but this is because the camera is fixed and doesn't wobble from side to side or up and down.

Most newer games have the option of locking the camera to a certain position. Maybe the 'secrets of atlantis' have this too?
If not, and you want to play, try the bracelets, and the motion sickness pills. I would suggest you also could try ginger root tea as there seems to be something in the ginger root that helps balance your inner ear(?) so you don't get motion sickness.

It is always sound advice only to play for about 30-45 minutes and then go up and do something else entirely. Make sure you're playing in a well-lit room as well.

Hope you'll be able to enjoy many good games yet, Soban.

/Karsten

Wow! It is so good to hear that I am not alone in getting motion sickness with games that have 360 panning and first person. I still have not been able to even bring myself to continue sherlock holmes the awakening and darkness within loth norder because I get so nauseated playing it. My stomach gets queasy just thinking how I pressed onward determined this was all in my head because I had never heard of anyone complaining of this before. Thanks for advice on the bracelet also never heard of this before. If someone buys it please let us know if it works and how it feels. I do not want to feel my pulse pounding the entire time I wear it either, that would just freak me out. LOL I mention that because where it is placed on your pulse and snug makes me wonder.

As Nickie said, limit your playing time until your body adjusts - it really helps . I had this problem with The Cameron Files # 2 and MaG suggested I slow down my mouse and that helped a lot.

I also found that an inexpensive trackball mouse helps quite a bit. I bought This One for $20 a couple of years back and only use it for my 360 degree games. I find that using the index and middle finger on the ball work best for me. Coupled with slowing down the mouse it really makes quite a difference. If you have an Office Depot or similar store you might find a bargain - President's Day is coming. After a few 20 minute sessions I can play until I am tired without needing to watch the time.

No, you are not alone. I am going to check out the bracelets now since I never heard of them either and $10 or so isn't too much to try one. Like you I would prefer not to take pills.

and Linda

I suffer from motion sickness, too. Not from playing games, but from travel: planes, boats, even the back seats of cars.

I've found the pills to work great for me, you can buy them OTC in any drugstore, but have never tried the bracelets. I think they work on an accupressure principle - putting pressure on a spot on your wrist that contols motion-sickness signals to your brain. They may not work for everybody, but I think think they would be worth a try.

Soban -- you could also post a list of your prospective purchases here and people who have played the game will tell you if the game includes panning.

Sherryah, I haven't had that problem with feeling a pulse. I don't even notice it being there, much like a watch.

Hubby used ginger pills from the health food store to avoid nausea in certain flying situations. They worked very well for him with no side effects.

I have this with the occasional game, but not as a normal course of business. with finding something that works for you

This is very true Soban. I have a friend who asks me before she buys new games and I can tell her which she cannot play due to the 360 degree panning. But I also emailed her this posting as she will probably want to try the bracelet.

Linda

Hi Becky,
Great idea!

Okay, here goes:

Games I have waiting to play (already purchased):
Dead Reefs
Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened
Cupla Inata

Games that I want to purchase:
Destination Treasure Island
Undervcover Operation Wintersun
Cleopatra - A Queen's Destiny
Darkness Within
Ghost in the Sheet
Next Life
Nostradamus

Thanks to anyone that can help!

These do have panning:

Nostradamus
Darkness Within
Cleopatra
Destination Treasure Island
Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened

These don't have panning:

Ghost in the Sheet
Undercover Operation Wintersun

Maybe other GameBoomers will chime in about the others?

One possible problem with this kind of solution --
Many years ago, I was given peppermint lifesavers to combat nausea on a school bus trip. It didn't work all that well. I still got sick. And after that, whenever I ate peppermint I got nausea. Still do. So if you enjoy eating gingersnaps, you might want to consider the risks of your body associating motion sickness with the taste of ginger.



More accurately, The Awakened uses FPS type movement, not just panning. With FPS type movement, not only can you pan, you travel through the gameworld in real time. There aren't any discrete nodes or spots that your character jumps to when you click forward. Depending on the individual, FPS type can be worse than just panning. Panning is like standing in the same spot and looking around and does not involve movement to different locations.

I thank you so much Nikki for letting me know the bracelet you cannot feel your pulse, I will look into this for sure. Thank you also for posting the list of games as a warning to those of us who get motion sickness. I know it is a strange thing to ask but could you please keep us updated on these alerts with the new releases? I am so grateful by the list you have posted because you have saved me lots of money with the warnings. Peppermints work sometimes for nausea and so does cola or 7 up and yes ginger if you like the taste, however if you continue playing games that cause motion sickness feelings, I have not found anything that works thus far. Trying bracelet next. I also hope the game producers who warn about epilepsy will also consider us who suffer from severe motion sickness with some game movements. The warning should be on the box like they do for epilepsy. I hope the game producers are listening or someone here will share this with them. As you can see there are quite a few of us who have this sensitivity. Why not take a poll on this? I also am grateful to know why Sherlock Holmes awakening makes me so nauseous, thanks for the info.
EDIT
Thank you Ray for advice about trac ball I will try and buy one of those also. Big hugs and gratitude to all who care about us gamers who suffer from this problem.

For a quick fix there is a pressure point between your thumb and index finger( the skin when you stretch your thumb and index finger) that you can squeeze and it will stop the nausea.
I know it's not practical when playing a game but every bit of info can help.

Cathy

I just happened to catch this thread, I've never heard of the wristbands before! So I just ran out and bought some! I put them on a few minutes ago, and I'll tell you whether they work for me or not...hang on!
********************************
Okay, I can't beleive I did this...I played game, using the 360 panning, and I purposely spun around. I ran around, and I looked up and down. And I'm okay!

So I must say, I like them alot! Maybe I didn't play long enough, but normally it only takes one or two spins and I'm out!

I'm thrilled I with this thread! I just can't figure out when I'm gonna take them off!

Glad they helped you, Looney.
I only wish they'd helped me.

I wish they would have too Jenny100!
It's nice to have a little relief. I have a vestibular disorder and I'm basically dizzy most of the time so this is really a nice find.

Wow, looney, that's awesome!!

I hadn't heard about the pressure point before, Cathy. Thanks for that.

Soban, looks like you hit on a problem that affects more than just you. I don't suffer from motion sickness when playing games but I do sometimes when traveling (sometimes cars and always on smaller boats) and sometimes in movies; if they pan too much I have to look away.

I bought the bracelets when I went on my first cruise two years ago but I didn't need them. I have, however, used them in car trips and they have helped. I've also heard that ginger helps.

In fact, this thread just made me realize that I need to find my bracelets and look into getting some ginger chews myself for the cruise I'm going on in a few weeks. The big ship doesn't bother me but we have to take a little ship on the shore excursion. So thanks, Soban, you just helped me out, too.

I'm just about to pop Dead Reefs in to start playing tonight so I will come back and tell you if it pans or not.

Looney, I'll have to tell my sister about the bands--which one did you buy? A lot of games make her sick.

I'm really glad they helped you Looney!

Ana

I got the Sea-Band bands, I had a choice between that and the Travel-aid ones. But it looked like they were both the same. They were priced the same at Walgreens.

I'm looking forward to trying them out in the car next weekend!

Oh a big test will be trying 80 Days, there is a certain spot where he had to wear goggles to see the hidden wall markings, and that one had me so dizzy that I was on the couch for 2 days! Had to have my hubby get thru that part! But I'm curious, so I may just try that soon!
I can't wait to hear if it worked for Celtic Lark on the Dead Reefs game!

Wow Looney, this is great! Hmm I wonder where I can buy them in Ireland without having to send away for them. Which one did you buy Looney? Jenny, did you try it and it failed?

Dead Reefs does have panning and it spins you around fairly quickly. It's not making me dizzy but it's making me a little disoriented. It's also keyboard controlled (which I've never encountered before) so that's taking some getting used to and I keep whipping myself around in circles. But that's my fault, not the game's. I think if you are cautious about how quickly you turn, it will be bearable.

Celtic, you can make the character walk instead of run which helped me a lot with that!

An Update on the list of Games --

Soban -- Of the 3 games you own now, I think Culpa Innata will give you the fewest problems in terms of motion. It's a 3D environment, but it doesn't have FPS-type of movement. Part of the time the screen remains still when Phoenix moves, though part of the time the camera does pan with her as she moves, so there is more movement in this game than in the games that are completely without panning.

Of the games you're thinking of buying, Ghost in the Sheet and Undercover: Operation Wintersun do not have panning. Next Life also appears to not have panning. (I've played a short way into the French demo, so I don't have experience with the full game -- but so far there's no panning.)

i too have problem w/motion sickness. and also had prob in past w/some games. BUT..adjust your cursor so doesn't go so fast. In areas where other things are moving...DON'T Run...walk...Also only play for a very short time....don't play till you feel icky...quit before that!.. It is aggravating to have to stop playing a game you are enjoying..BUT...just think of how much longer that you get to enjoy it! Another thing...try not to move your eyes back and forth a lot. or up and down a lot...this will tend to trigger the motion sickness. I have had it so bad i actually have fallen out of chairs...had to crawl to the bathroom....yuck! if you do get a bad spell not much to do except take the med and lie down...and stay put till you feel better..even if for days. There is another med called Antivert...i have taken it when have gotten bad spell...i have Meiner's disease (inner ear) which can affect balance and gives motion sickness...but that med really is not all that helpful...the attack will still be days long.

You're a better gamer than I am! I don't think I've quite realized how lucky I am that I don't get motion sickness!

I can? When I hold down the "w" key to move him forward, he runs automatically. How do I walk him? Please PM me if this is getting off-topic for this thread.

Becky - I was thinking the same thing. I don't think I'd be as persistent if I was so susceptible to motion sickness while gaming. Hats off to those who soldier on!

Just click your "Shift" key. It will stay in that mode but occasionally slip back to run.

Thanks Becky for the update on the games!

Looney, I am so glad the bracelets work for you. I will be buying some from Walgreen's tomorrow, but won't have a chance to try them out till next weekend. I'll let you know how they work for me.

Thanks everyone for all the comments and suggestions, it's great!

I missed this post i posted a question (new topic) regarding Sherlock Holmes v. Arsene Lupin?? Does this have 360 like sherlock holmes awakened??

Both Sherlock Holmes The Awakened and vs. Arsene Lupin use FPS type movement. Neither uses 360 degree panning.

Please tell me what is FPS? This is part of the motion sickness in games and I want to avoid games that have this. Thanks in advance and I hope the game developers will truly warn us in advance of games that have 360 panning, at least gameboomers mods will or others in the boomer family.

The only thing in Gaming I know it stands for is First Person Shooter.

Ana

I am referring to where Becky says ". It's a 3D environment, but it doesn't have FPS-type of movement"
in regards to motion sickness in games. I do not think she means shooting games does she? Thank you for replying in advance.

I believe she is referring to the type of movement in First Person Shooter games, yes.

It is a first person view and you can pan around the room in FPS games.

Ana

Hi Sherryah -- Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened is an example of a 3D game with a First Person Shooter (FPS)-like movement, where you can pan around the environment using the mouse, and move by using the WASD keys (or sometimes the arrow keys or by holding down the left mouse button). It provides more freedom in exploring the environment, but it does tend to cause the most nausea in those prone to nausea.

Other games with panning are 2D node-based game, where you click to go forward, then pan around in a kind of bubble, looking up down and around. An example of this would be Nostradamus: The Last Prophecy.

Thanks for explaining Becky, now I have an excuse to give my brain, inner ear, and stomach, when I feel dizzy, vomit or feel nauseous. LOL Learn something new everyday from you all.

Excellent! Thanks, nickie.