Anyone else thought about quiting this hobby?

supadave1

Member
Joined
May 5, 2009
Messages
965
Reaction score
5
Location
Peebles, Ohio
I've been fighting a machine for some time now and just as I get the problem backed into a corner and solved another one popped up. ARG!!! I was so close to just calling it quits and selling off everything and just being done with this hobby but one word convinced me to keep going. "Persistent". Was watching Sesame Street with the kids this morning and this was their word for the day. David Beckham delivered a nice speech about how being persistent and not giving up can pay off in the end. I've decided to be hard headed about my problem and stick with it till it's completely resolved. Damn you Beckham!!

Has anyone else had a similar situation happen to them? Almost give up..
 
A seemingly unfixable issue can really mess with your mood and mentality. I'm involved in a similar situation right now. Sometimes, you have to take stock of what projects really matter and are worth finishing, what projects aren't worth any more time, and which ones matter but are to the point you have to bring in the pros.

I've been fighting 2 projects that I finally admitted defeat on. Why? Because I have 2-3 OTHER projects that mean much more to me that I continually neglect thanks to new, seemingly simple projects. I always like working on fresh projects, and I get frustrated if it doesn't resolve quickly and easily.


Maybe you need to rethink your overall philosophy in the hobby. Me? I'm going to start passing on projects - even the ridiculously cheap ones. I need to focus my precious time on games I like to work on instead of games I feel compelled to work on.
 
That is why I always have 6 different projects going at once. When I hit a roadblock, I switch to something else. Drives my wife crazy :D. She is one of these "do it now while I am thinking about it" kind of person and I like to think about it and then do it.

If you focus everything on one project, yes, you will be done before me. But I will have a lot more fun because I don't let the frustration build up.

ken
 
A seemingly unfixable issue can really mess with your mood and mentality. I'm involved in a similar situation right now. Sometimes, you have to take stock of what projects really matter and are worth finishing, what projects aren't worth any more time, and which ones matter but are to the point you have to bring in the pros.

I've been fighting 2 projects that I finally admitted defeat on. Why? Because I have 2-3 OTHER projects that mean much more to me that I continually neglect thanks to new, seemingly simple projects. I always like working on fresh projects, and I get frustrated if it doesn't resolve quickly and easily.


Maybe you need to rethink your overall philosophy in the hobby. Me? I'm going to start passing on projects - even the ridiculously cheap ones. I need to focus my precious time on games I like to work on instead of games I feel compelled to work on.


I have a similar take on things. It's not my only project. It's just one that has been ongoing the longest and I just want it done. Unfortunetly it is on a machine that I care very much about. Otherwise I probably wouldn't sweat it as much. Normally on other projects if I get to roadblock I just work on another machines issues while I wait and come back to the problem child with a fresh mind. Usually that is all it takes and the roadblock becomes clear rather quickly.
 
My 'cade seems to be the same way - I fired all my games up last night, Neo Geo power supply fan is screaming, Asteroids actually worked but started getting crunchy after a while (monitor prob needs caps), Pole Position didn't feel like working (its temperamental), and Video Pinball is not working for some reason.

The funny thing about all this, is that at the moment, I don't care. I'll get it all back to normal. The reason I'm actually pursuing this hobby is to get out of computers as a hobby. I didn't realize just how much crap I've built up over the years, and if playing with arcade games motivates me to get rid of said crap - woohoo! I'd rather have 10 things to get rid of that 5000 little things all piled up.
 
All you have to do is take a look at some of the other KLOV'ers finished rooms and you get a renewed interest and incentive to continue.
 
This hobby is just like racing cars, flying 2 seaters, collecting anything. Its a money pit. It all depends upon how much you really love the games. I turned my hobby into my job so that I could keep doing it. My joke now is that I get paid to play all the time. I don't have as much time to do my personal games, but at least I can still do it. And I have learned tons while working on the newer and redemption games.
 
Took me 18 months to get my Robotron fixed; and it wasn't even me who fixed it in the end. Not by a long shot. So hang it there. Just think how much more you will have learned when its all over with.
 
I've often thought about selling them off, would be nice to have more space and money......but the games are worth it to me, so they stay!
-Mark
 
Years ago when I didn't have any games I went to a New Years eve party and this couple had an Asteroids Deluxe and a FIRE! pin and I thought that was the coolest thing ever! I love showing off my games plus the peeps I hang out with can relate to all the games being they are around my age. :004_ssmile:
 
I went through a phase where I was a busy with so many other things and had a few games that I couldn't get working and I didn't touch them for about 2-3 years. About 6 months ago i decided to start selling them off and sold 3 that I wasn't attached to and fixed a few up to sell but in the process of fixing the others up I got hit by the bug again, did NOT sell the ones I really liked, and am now into it almost as much as before.

I've acquired a few new games, and fixed up the gameroom a bunch too (hung arcade art, added shelves around the room from arcade knick-knacks, etc). I still have some games that aren't quite working but I work on them when I can (someday my Star Wars and Harlem Globetrotters will work full - someday). Nothing beats having a dedicated arcade with ~12 arcade games - even if only about 8 of them fully work ;)
 
i've never thought about quitting, but any hobby can frustrate you like that. sometimes i may not play my games for 1 week or 2, or may only play a couple games constantly, but i never get discouraged.
 
I think the best thing to do is just ignore the machine for a few days. Let it think you have better more important things to do. Then one night grab a big glass of wine and just stare at the game for around 30 minutes.....don't take your eyes off of it. Show your dominance then walk up to it slowly. Whisper to it, rub it a little. Tell it how it will only hurt a little but in the end it will like it.

Yeah I had to go a little Brokeback with Indiana Jones but I got his bitch-ass working again.

Now whenever I walk by him in my garcade I'll give him a little wink every now and again and I swear I sometimes hear him sigh.




indylove.jpg
 
Wow. That's a tough spot to be in supadave. I hope it's not the stunt cycle that's got you down. Now I really feel bad for you. But yeah, persistence is the way. If it's getting to you, just slide the machine over and work on something else for a while. Don't feel like you *have* to finish it right now. It will wait for you. Go play some games for a couple of weeks. Or don't. It's ok to just turn off the lights and walk away. Read a book instead.

My Death Race was giving me fits. Everything was in pieces. It came that way. I worked on it a couple of weeks but with very little progress. I gave up. Picked up a Tank and brought that back to life instead. And then I played lots of Asteroids Deluxe. Then I went and goofed off with some FPGA projects for a few months....nothing arcade related at all. When I came back, after nearly half a year, I was ready to tackle Death Race. And after a couple of days (and two seriously late nights) I had a beautiful 23" B&W TV working. No hum bars, no wobble. Nada. I used it to watch some Flash Gordon. The old serials with Buster Crabbe! Right there in the Death Race cabinet. Just to show it who was boss. It was a thing of beauty. I remember screaming "POPCORN!! WE DEMAND POPCORN!!!" I don't know who "we" was, but I assume it was me and the "people" I kept talking/mumbling to while fixing the monitor without sleep. "We" went to 7-11, got popcorn, and settled in to watch Flash, Dale, and Zarkov. After that, it was all fun again.

So yeah, hang in there. Take a break, as long as you want, but never give up!
 
Wow. That's a tough spot to be in supadave. I hope it's not the stunt cycle that's got you down. Now I really feel bad for you. But yeah, persistence is the way. If it's getting to you, just slide the machine over and work on something else for a while. Don't feel like you *have* to finish it right now. It will wait for you. Go play some games for a couple of weeks. Or don't. It's ok to just turn off the lights and walk away. Read a book instead.

My Death Race was giving me fits. Everything was in pieces. It came that way. I worked on it a couple of weeks but with very little progress. I gave up. Picked up a Tank and brought that back to life instead. And then I played lots of Asteroids Deluxe. Then I went and goofed off with some FPGA projects for a few months....nothing arcade related at all. When I came back, after nearly half a year, I was ready to tackle Death Race. And after a couple of days (and two seriously late nights) I had a beautiful 23" B&W TV working. No hum bars, no wobble. Nada. I used it to watch some Flash Gordon. The old serials with Buster Crabbe! Right there in the Death Race cabinet. Just to show it who was boss. It was a thing of beauty. I remember screaming "POPCORN!! WE DEMAND POPCORN!!!" I don't know who "we" was, but I assume it was me and the "people" I kept talking/mumbling to while fixing the monitor without sleep. "We" went to 7-11, got popcorn, and settled in to watch Flash, Dale, and Zarkov. After that, it was all fun again.

So yeah, hang in there. Take a break, as long as you want, but never give up!


You nailed it, its the damn stunt cycle you've been helping me with. We finally got the hum figured out and now this damn coin up issue. I do work on other projects like myTMNT restore going on several months now but really enjoying it, Also just tweaking a fixing my current games. Repairing minor issues and such. Once I get this stunt cycle fixed I have another major issue to tackle. A Boot Hill machine.. Something about the old B&W games that I just can't seem to stay away from. Maybe I like the punishment..
 
I've thought about it several times. Would love the extra space and not be tied down to looking for deals or buying parts. But I know I would miss the hobby. Have thought about getting out of turtles except a 2 or 3. I currently have 30 here in the garage and 30 in the pond of which I am getting rid of 12 or so from the pond. But turtles have always been my life and I think always will be.
 
I've thought about it several times. Would love the extra space and not be tied down to looking for deals or buying parts. But I know I would miss the hobby. Have thought about getting out of turtles except a 2 or 3. I currently have 30 here in the garage and 30 in the pond of which I am getting rid of 12 or so from the pond. But turtles have always been my life and I think always will be.

do any of your turtles know karate by any chance ?
 
you can not leave the arcade borg....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

resistance is futile.. even if you escape, you will be captured and reassimilated!!!!!!!!!!!

borgSickbay.jpg



lol... and no, thats not me heh...



so tell me who wins? tron guy or borg guy?
 
Back
Top Bottom