I posted above before I saw your post, I'm 57 and sometimes just can't simply decide what to play. If I just finally start up a game I usually enjoy it, however it's just getting to that point. Example I love souls like games but just have to be in that mood to beat my head against the wall. lol
Check out Missoula, Montana and surrounding towns like Kalispell, Polson, or something smaller south of Missoula in the Bitteroot Valley. Low taxes in general and no sales tax in Montana. Might feel somewhat familiar to you and your family landscape-wise, but much more mild winters than AK. Hardly any snow in the valley here last year, but snow on the mountains to ski, snow mobile, etc. Winter can be Nov-March/April, but again, much more mild and usually we don’t get snow that whole time. When we do, it often melts down to nothing for long stretches in the valley. You’ll just need to be careful about the exact house you pick because the internet isn’t great everywhere. You’ll have to be closer to a major town if you want to avoid dealing with shoveling/plowing snow very often as well. Outside the valley the snow pile up. If you want something warmer, I’d personally be looking at Flagstaff, Arizona. Good luck with the house hunt!
I work full time, have a wife and pets to do things with. Wife works nights. I fine my myself also not playing as much as I used to. I used to game until 11pm. Now I'm logging off between 730pm and 800pm. Just getting older bro is normal.
34 year old here. Yes this is normal. When I was in my 20s I pretty much played every fast paced ranked multiplayer FPS on the market and cared deeply about my performance. These days I mainly play slower paced indie games or emulate retro classics. Most of my free time in the last few weeks I put into Car Mechanic Simulator 2021 and STALKER GAMMA. Me and a couple buddies sometimes play a co-op campaign on Sins of a Solar Empire II which just released and slaps. Your brain changes as you age and as such the way you process things and appreciate games & other types of art changes too. I've learned to just roll with it and have a good time.
No doubt. 32 here. I remember the crazy fast FPS lifestyle and always on edge. These days? HELL NO. Give me something I can take my time to learn and enjoy over time. I don’t want to feel that wired anxious energy. I want a slower paced learning curve where by the time it’s over I’ve really learned to enjoy what I spent so much time on. Games are better when you’re older because you know how to relax for the most part and take it in. 👍
@@PowerCellReactor I can take a fast paced FPS in small doses and sometimes it can be quite fun to feel the rush again, but no way in hell am I playing it for hours and hours every night.
Dude, I legit relaxed the other day by just mindlessly staring out the window for about twenty minutes, barely blinking. My brain was just done taking in any more informations. It was great.
Retro games should DEFINITELY make a comeback... Things like Zelda....where you can just explore, fight a bit, and most things aren't terribly difficult, but are rewarding equal to the effort you have to put into them. I also like a lot of games similar to Wasteland 3, Divinity Original Sin 2, etc... the play style just kind of goes at your pace...maybe a bit LESS talking/exploring and a bit more combat, but those are what I've been doing after leaving the faster paced games behind.
The what to play syndrome is pretty common. I have trouble getting into games sometimes too. I think it's stress related to because I to sometimes just want to drone on youtube or play a game that's mindless even know I have great games to play.
Excited to see where you end up. I am in the midwest, I do not like snow, I would love to be somewhere temperate, I'm talking 45 to 70 degrees F all year round. Perfect weather to go out and do WHATEVER you'd like.
Lucky! Haha. I'm in Toronto. We get snow in the winter, though with each year passing the winters get warmer and we are get less snow. I'd love to be somewhere warm all year, that way I could always grow chili peppers. Or at least be somewhere without a frost so the plants can be overwintered outdoors... but in Canada, the only real option for no snow is out in southwestern BC, where instead of snow it is rain (if I had a choice I'd take that though). Oops, I think I misread your post :P
I live in Texas (DFW area) and I am from the mid-west originally. DFW has a lot to offer and plenty of drawbacks just like anywhere else. Drawbacks of living here include: - Miserable summers - Expect upper 90's to 100+ degree weather from late June until late September. Weather is generally very mild the rest of the year. We usually get about 1 or 2 weeks of freezing temps each year. - Not as affordable as it used to be - Rent and housing prices in DFW are crazy but are probably similar to a lot of other cities in the US. Average homes in suburbs like Plano or Lewisville will run $375k - $700k+ depending on where you are and what kind of home you want. Average rent for a 1 bed/1 bath apartment is something like $1200 per month. You'll save a bit if you move further away from the metroplex. - Lacks natural beauty - We have some nice parks, lakes, and whatnot but DFW is very flat and is generally considered a "concrete jungle." - Traffic - It's bad and drivers are rude as hell. A lot of this problem is related to overpopulation and the highways are just hitting maximum capacity. - Allergies - a lot of folks seem to suffer from them almost year round Pros: - No income tax (property taxes are high, though) - Beautiful Spring and Fall weather and mild Winters - Food scene is on-point. You name it, DFW has it. Great bbq, burger joints, steak houses, authentic Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese food. Tex-Mex/Mexican food is also amazing around here. - Great place to work and go to school. Lots of the local ISDs are decent. Job opportunities are plentiful, but results may vary depending on what you are looking for. - State parks are pretty cool if you are looking to get out of town for a while. Overall, TX isn't a bad place to be. I really miss having seasons, more trees, greenery..etc. but I really can't complain too much. Hope this helps.
Just don't move to TX if you or anyone you know or love might become pregnant or wants to become pregnant and might need medical help to get pregnant, or medical help during pregnancy. The laws they've enacted to criminally charge doctors for providing womens health care are The Handmaids Tale on steroids. That is not an exaggeration. Same goes for Florida and most Southern states controlled by Republicans.
Lol I just turned 36. It's a combo of not giving a shit about games anymore and gaming in general is such a corporate money making machine now. The gaming world is unrecognizable compared to what we grew up with. On a side note, I just gotta say, it's cool as hell to see how much your channel has exploded. I have been following you since I randomly found a video you made on depression. That's one of the most relatable YT videos I have ever seen. It's great to see you thriving now.
This problem you're experiencing, happened to me around 35. Now I'm 42 and I still have it. I find myself playing and loving games that are MMO, but allow me to play mostly solo and queue with people on a whim when I need or want some interaction without a ton of engagement or commitment. Games like Warframe, New World, Diablo 2,3,4. Single player games like Red Dead 2, Cyberpunk, GTA5, Modded Skyrim. In short, I love playing in a living immersive world, but I just like doing my own thing in it. I'm becoming increasingly more fond of power fantasy style games.
I can be hardcore af about games, but lately now that I'm half way through my 30's I really like games like Jusant and Journey where you can just explore a beautiful world without having to worry about enemies, builds, meta's, API, fast twitch reflexes, and all that sweaty shit. I'm Canadian so we don't get to escape winter easily, my only options are the two most expensive places in the country (and on the fucking planet) the Toronto area and Vancouver.
Wow, man, you explained the depression/gaming part perfectly I am 37 and it's definitely happened in the past few yrs, and def. sucks ass! Hang in there YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
So, as a narrative director for video games working as a story consultant at times for Respawn… I MUST ASK if you played JEDI: Fallen Order or JEDI: Survivor yet?!?! Currently we’re working on JEDI 3 atm and that should be out by 2026/2027. And then it will go to live-action series, possibly movie. But thought I’d ask because if you’re just NOW getting to play TLOU… and that’s a very similar style of game as the JEDI series… I thought well maybe he hasn’t played the JEDI games yet. Also full on skip Star Wars Outlaw and normally I don’t trash other game devs but Ubisoft just shit the bed on that one. Instead of that shit, I wish EA would have let us finish our Mando game but they freaking cancelled it… pissed me off. I mean the team has a fully functional vertical slice and it could have been finished in a year and a half. They had already put years of work into it. SMH!!! Also Arizona!!! North -- like near Flagstaff. But hardly anyone moves out so that may be hard. I live in Gilbert, AZ which is near Phoenix but that’s very “city like” - you can look in between Tucson and Phoenix. Mainly rural but with some stores etc.
Hey Darth, been watching your Diablo content since the release of D4. I appreciate all that you do with the community! And I think your videos give truly honest feedback and suggestions. Now I have a suggestion for you in regards to purchasing a house & location. I really recommend Washington State. 1. Can be very cold at times and it wouldn’t be a drastic change from Alaska, it does rain but often on and off, and the summers are fantastic and never too hot atleast from my experience. 2. Lots of very rural areas to live for a price range of about $400-500k you can check places like Anacortes, port Townsend, oak harbor, and gig harbor which all have very wonderful scenery and community and Seattle is just about an hour away if you feel like seeing the big city. 3. If ever you miss Alaska it is very nearby and just a short flight away, Oregon is also nearby if you decide to take advantage of the shopping tax they have to offer. 4. Lots of nature! And beautiful hikes plus a ton of Walmarts and so far I’ve had great internet and service in the places above that I mentioned. Just some things to consider if you are still undecided thanks and keep up the great content!
You are not alone! I'm definitely in a bit of a rut right now myself. So many games look and sound great. And I truly want to get into them! But, when I finally sit down to play them, I just can't build up steam. Even if I KNOW they are good. There's some disconnect happening with me. I truly think it is this age we're getting into (I'm 34). Life, responsibility, all that stuff just starts making focusing on enjoying a game (or anything for that matter, haha) more difficult! But, hopefully we can both overcome this obstacle and start losing ourselves in some gaming worlds again! Cheers, friend!
I’m a 44 year old gamer and finding games to play or stay interested in is hard. I ended up going back and playing Borderlands 3, versus some of the newer games I got (I.e. Pathfinder: WotR, FF16, Unicorn Overlord, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth). I’m going to try Throne & Liberty when it comes out I was stationed in Alaska and loved it. I’m from Ohio, so I get the weather for a few months of the year. I don’t think any place good is affordable in the economy.
For living suggestions, I would highly recommend Kansas. Houses are still incredibly cheap here. I bought a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom house last year for $161,000. It's remodeled, and really the only down side to it for me is that the garage doesn't have a door into the house. The winters here are shorter, ususally Late Novermber to early March is what you'd be looking at, and most of Kansas averages less than a foot of snow per year. The down sides would be the scenery here is nowhere near Alaska. But central Kansas is only a 7 hour drive from the rockies, Western Kansas is much closer, but it's extremely sparsely populated. Central is still rural, and you're close to Wichita and Kansas City. I've lived here for 4 years, and so far I absolutely love the cheap cost of living, that's the main thing that keeps me here.
Las Vegas born and raised and in the group of people who love being here. Most people I’ve known who want to move just always had another place they always wanted to be in but moved here instead so since it sounds like you don’t have anything in mind you might want to give Vegas another look. A lot of culture here and great food and there’s a lot in the more well off communities in the outskirts of this city where they have great communities with great selection for food and shopping and only 20 minutes from most entertainment in town. Some examples I’d give are areas like centennial hills, providence, skye canyon and aliente area. Plus for the conventions and meet and greets it seems you’ve been going to in California, Vegas is a good option for getting there more easily whether it be a cheap flight or going on a small 4-5 hour road trip.
Dude, anywhere that's between Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska describes perfectly what you are looking for. Towns like Waverly, Elkhorn, and Lincoln itself. Affordable, not a TON of people, but enough that we still get big artists and events. Super temperate climate so you get all the seasons. Great summers, awesome spring and fall seasons, and full winters with snow, so you get a variety. The best part, it's affordable and low cost of living. Check it out!
lived all over the east coast. Highly recommend south east TN. Great temp and climate, great internet, great versatile topography, affordable, central location between other prime locations, can be rural or urban.
Variety is the spice of life, my dude. I've never stayed in one genre or lane when it comes to gaming. Both tabletop and digital and just everything has so much to offer. 😊
The Black Hills in South Dakota is a great area... The taxes in South Dakota are great too. No income tax and no corporate income tax. You'll get a decent winter....but the rest of the year, that area is just gorgeous. Lot's of outdoor activities, access to an airport/small city, hiking, fishing, etc...
i have been jumping from game to game myself recently and not really able to get into them, I too have also found more casual chill games more enjoyable currently. I'm sure a large part of it is mood based and certain games just not scratching that itch at the time. Best of luck with the house hunting DM i hope your able to find something that meets your needs.
If you're interested in New Mexico take a look at Las Cruces. Zero snow here and gorgeous weather if you can tolerate the heat for about 3 months of the year. Much more rural vibe with no super huge buildings or anything. I moved here to work remotely and buy a house at a more affordable rate and have no regrets. The mountains are amazing and big city life is a short drive away if you want some excitement. If Las Cruces is too populated I recommend surrounding smaller towns.
Honestly I've felt the same way about gaming.. it's been like this as soon as I hit 30 as well. I can't really get into any new games; when i sit down to play a game, I feel this immense sense of guilt that I should be doing some more productive with my time. I've been working out and trying to gamify other aspects of my life. It's been fun. I hope you're able to find a good rhythm that works for you and find a nice place to move with your family.
Funny enough, that sense of guilt that normal people get when they waste too much time is something I wish I had. My ability to procrastinate guilt free is problematic, haha.
I'm 32 now and I definitely noticed this as well. I also pivoted more into single player games and less mutliplayer games. Not sure if you jumped on the bandwagon for Black Myth Wukong, but I played that, beat it, and now just beat Dark Souls 1 (never played before) and now going through DS2, and want to get to DS3 and Elden Ring. All this while waiting for the expansion and PoE2. I would say what you're feeling is pretty normal as I'm like that too nowadays and also think really hard about games I buy because I want to make sure I actually play them all the way through before buying the next game. EDIT: I grew up in AK as a child, moved to Missouri, then CO, and now I'm in San Antonio TX. I will say wherever you go will probably be a culture shock temperature wise, especially if you end up choosing somewhere like TX or NM.
For the record I like this content too. I follow because i think you are a good dude, and sometimes its easy to tune out streamers you enjoy when they play something you're not interested in or burnt out of at the moment. Its all gravy DM. And I like the term "pallete cleanse" when talking about lighter games. We can't always be analyzing the hardcore, its nice to refresh ourselves.
I truly feel you man. I grew up playing cs1.6 at lan cafes and grinding out everquest, maplestory, ragnarok, tibia and vanilla wow. I never thought i'd be into casual games.. But high on my list nowdays are games like Stardew Valley, Graveyard keeper, or even idle games like NGU. Crazy how the time can change ya - not that I don't still like a good grind now and again. Take care.
Come to Ridgeley, WV. Good schools, 15 min from Wal-Mart, cheap taxes, low crime rate, good mix of seasons and mostly mild winters, 2 hours from any big city adventure you could want. Lived here my whole life and love it. Lots of outdoor activites too.
It happens to me all the time. I have so many games I can play that I get ADHD and can't commit to something. I think it's because streaming adds additional pressure to be entertaining while also completing a task which makes it feels like chores instead of a fun activity. I live in Eastern PA and I can say it's one of the best places to live if you want to be left alone. You are 1-2 hours from major cities, Walmart is close by, and winters rarely get so bad you have to do a lot of shoveling. Housing is cheap, there are state parks and hiking trails. It's basically Alaska but very hot in the summer and not as much snow in the winter.
I have been living in Pittsburgh, PA for a few years now. It’s a small city with the potential for plenty of personal space depending on where you live. Really affordable. The only downside is that it is one of the cloudiest cities in the US, and it certainly gets cold in the winter, although not as bad as Alaska.
I moved to Indiana a few years ago. Currently a homeowner in the Fountain Square neighborhood of Indianapolis which is a really cool neighborhood, affordable cost of living/homeownership costs, near an airport. That's more metro, but there are MANY rural areas. It also has four seasons which is nice. Low state income tax 3.15%.
I’ve lived all over the US. Based on what you seem to be looking for, I would suggest Texas or Florida. They both offer rural lifestyles within driving access to the city, a a warmer climate, and lower house prices and taxes relative to most of the country. One thing I will warn you about though, as someone who used to live in North Dakota with its cold weather, humid and warm places have loooots of bugs. Like to the point where you will see them in your home regularly. I really hate that and it’s a big pro in colder climates to not have to deal with insects as often.
Check out Bath, PA. It's rural, less than an hour from Philadelphia, maybe 90 minutes from NYC, has hunting, season changes, doesn't snow heavily in the winter, houses pretty spread out, a lot of farms. Pretty chill place to go if you're self-employed and don't need to commute to the cities.
Change is the only constant. Play what you want to play, I still enjoy the content. Michigan and Indiana might fit what you're looking for. Relatively low tax burden, still have winters but not too horrible, and rivers and lakes that leave you something fun to do in the summers. Home prices in each are still relatively affordable. Good luck with your search!
Zack has said the same thing about just liking to take sometime alone and mellow out with those games! Maybe just do some chatting also? Can you do occasional console games you like too? Maybe you are craving something new is all. I fall out of playing for a bit and have not found anything to immerse myself in. Watching you browse houses is cool too. So glad your family will be with you as you move forward.
Might want to check out the Dakotas, I used to work with someone who lived there and she couldn't stop raving about it. Apparently there's beautiful nature, it's fairly rural in general and it's a bit of a hidden gem since nobody ever talks about these states.
Yeah, the last couple years it's been difficult to get into games. I think about playing a lot, but I'll start playing and last 5 minutes to maybe an hour or two, but I never seem to get more than a few hours into any one game anymore. I keep trying to get on my ironman account, which I really want to work on, but even that has been tough to keep my attention. Overworked, feeling stressed all the time and ADHA running me ragged.. But watching you play games helps a ton, you don't know how much you make some people's day better good sir! So thank you. Also, central Utah has some decent places.. Kinda been expensive the last few years housing wise, but still not awful.
I’m the exact opposite in terms of weather. I HATE summer and the heat. We live in Ohio(Cincinnati specifically) and even though it’s only “hot” 3-5 months out of the year those months are absolutely miserable(imo). So I ALWAYS look forward to winter. But with that being said, our winters are not awful, not a lot of snow, and rarely drop in the negative temps. We currently own a home that cost under the 300k range. It’s just my wife and I(and a kitty cat). 3,690sq ft, 3 bed, 2.5 bath w/2 car garage and enough yard space to have a little soirée every now and then. With all that being said, I have lived in all the major cities in Ohio over my years. Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati. Of all of these areas, Columbus would be the best one to move to in my opinion. A lot more opportunities out there for the working class individualand just the people seem a lot kinder. We only moved out here due to my wife’s job. Regardless, I hope you find the area that meets your emotional, financial and overall well-being needs. GLHF! FTH!
You definitely should keep doing these types of videos, I do care about the content as mainly an ARPG enjoyer myself, but these types of additions are why I watch your channel instead of someone else’s. 👍
I live in Western Washington. It’s very green here and basically has all seasons. Little rainier than I like but it’s not too bad… lots of outdoor stuff to do, especially hiking. I like it here, lived here my whole life which is close to 36 years.
Hey Darth, I've lived in a several states (FL, MO, KS, OH, CA, CO, IA), spent too much time in WI, and visited a good portion of other states major cities for a week or two (possibly more than once). I've also lived in a couple countries (including Germany now!). This might be weird but if you wanted to talk about it I'd love to, if you find yourself bored one of these days. But here's my textual, public answer: You care about housing prices, tax, temperature, decently rural. Based on my research I agree with you that tax structure actually is a wash in most places - and purchasing power is often less intuitive (like people in CA are better off than most other states last I checked by multiple statistics) - so my advice will ignore tax structure. Temperature you wanted something with a "3 month winter", I consider buying a home and moving members of your surrounding family to be a once a lifetime event or maybe once every other decade kinda thing so I think you need to be thinking on that time scale. So hot places are going to be getting hotter and winters everywhere are going to be getting shorter. For this reason I think shooting for middle band states should be considered and not just currently very warm places. New Mexico is gorgeous and at least Albuquerque had good food, I can't speak to the rural quality of towns but living somewhere nearby probably isn't a bad call. Tennesse is a place I'd definitely caution against just based on the statistics they hold relative to other states. You may also consider worrying about internet speeds, some states are better than others at having rural options but that's not something I've looked into as I've almost exclusively looked at major cities to live in. I'd recommend someplace rural in Denver depending on prices, I think that's a beautiful place with decent weather (minus the hail) that keeps you close to a major airport which is always a good thing. I think you could also consider near Kansas City or St.Louis, those are my home cities and they have decent food, are cheaper, and KC is a big airport as well. You can get pretty rural pretty quickly. Part of me wonders if you'd like some place a little outside your temperature desires like Wisconsin or Illinois which can have some really beautiful rural locations but do have snowy winters (nothing like alaska though) and it's gotten warmer and easier even in my lifetime. Which I could speak to the Carolinas or Virginia but alas I can't. I hope you find a new location that makes you happy!
The older you get, the more chill you are with gaming. I usually only play single player nowadays. At least for me I don't have to deal with multiplayer and people in general unless I'm feeling the urge. Indiana is a good state. That's where I am from. Lots of corn but good people.
Definitely relate and feel you on getting older and games being harder to get into. Moving suggestion, come to Utah, it's really nice here! Plenty of rural areas outside the major cities! All 4 seasons, 3-5 month winter, really warm/hot summers!
I live in Pennsylvania in a big area called the Lehigh Valley. Basically around a hour away from Philadelphia. It really is a wonderful area. We have 4 seasons, all relatively distributed nicely. You can live out in the woods if you want, tons of forresty areas out here. Sure., some of your major outlets may be a bit out of the way, but nothing crazy. But, there are also a ton of nice suburban areas where you don't need to live in a city. You're only a couple hours drive from beaches like Ocean City Maryland or the New Jersey beaches, 2 major cities in Philly or New York, and the cost of living isn't super outrageous. If you like winter sports like skiing, there are several mountains in the area that aren't a far drive as well. Overall a really nice place to live I'd say and I have no intentions of moving. We also don't experience the severe weather things like hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, etc.
Michigan is a fantastic place to live. State is perfect if you like the outdoors with affordable places to live everywhere. Lots of rural areas to choose from and you’re only a drive away from places like: sleeping bear dunes, traverse city, Mackinac island, pictured rocks etc
Darth - if you’re ok with warmer climates and staying indoors with full air conditioning in summers, you can try Vegas. Part of owning real estate is also making sure the town and community is growing, so your house doesn’t decline in value - go to places where the trend is people are moving into the state or city.
"Wisdom of the crowd". Rather than look at individual suggestions, look at a migration map and see what states people are moving from and which states people are moving too and decide between the top 3 or 5.
Hey so I’m from CA originally and lived in New York City, parts of NJ and MA the past two years I have been in PA taxes aren’t as bad and besides Philly it’s great. I really hate the cold with that being said winters here aren’t bad. I actually just bought a house here in north eastern PA. Hope you find something brother good luck. Love the content
For housing, you can find real affordable options in some INSANELY beautiful places in Colorado on the west slope that are more rural. Montrose, Ouray, Olathe, Cortez, etc. Durango is the crown jewel (biased since it's my childhood home), but also more expensive, but the surrounding cities can be incredible.
Take a look at some of the smaller towns outside of Reno in Northern Nevada. Fernley, Carson City, Gardnerville, etc. They’re much less expensive than Reno, but you’re still close to a decent-size city. And you’re near Lake Tahoe which is one of America’s most beautiful places. And you’ll get a few days of snow per year in case you miss it too much
You should move to the outskirts of Grand Rapids, Michigan would be perfect! It has the Great Lakes nearby, great weather in spring through fall and the winter will remind you a little bit of home, no natural disaters to worry about, medium sized city nearby for the ammenities, a growing economy, and of course the midwest friendly attitude!
I've felt this way as well, being a huge hardcore ARPG fan, now suddenly find myself, playing Borderlands 3 with friends or Crab Champions, among other small games.
Move to North Arkansas man, or the Ozarks in general. Cheapest state to live, beautiful scenery and good temps besides the humidity. It’s kind of this golden spot in the country not many know about, but many people farther North move down here to retire. So many great opportunities for outdoor activities like camping, swimming, and hiking. I live in a town literally nestled between two lakes
It really does. We do just about any outdoor activity. Tons of small local festivals and things year round. The one big bad thing is power outages every year in some areas when the weather is bad.
Was going to suggest this too. Cheap taxes if you're in a rural area, and pretty much anywhere you are minus the UP, you're within an hour or two of a Walmart.
I think the falling out of that more 'hardcore' type of gaming has less to do with just getting older, but more with what getting older brings with it. At the end of the day, it's all in pursuit of accomplishments. Typically when we get older, we start to enjoy the rewards of the efforts we've been putting in. So things like career and family start to give you more of what gaming used to give. As an aside for places to live; look around the Louisville KY area. What you mentioned sounds like a decent match for your considerations. I haven't lived out there for about 5 or 6 years, but the city was really cool. Great beer culture out there too, I super miss that :) Some of the guys I worked with while I was stationed at Ft Knox had reeeeeally nice houses for super cheap. Checking them out now after the crazy price increase recently and they still look super affordable to me. They were about 30 minute south of Louisville. The location is actually really nice if you look at where all you can travel to. Louisville airport gives you a short flight away from a lot of great places. You have Mammoth Cave national park just south of there, the Louisville Mega cavern in the city. The summers are nice, and the winters get nice and cold (I remember the coldest really sits around 9 degrees F) - but I don't recall too much snow, so I'd say very manageable. Lots of elevation for outdoors stuff. And the people are generally super friendly; typical southern culture if you're familiar with all that. It was a big contender for places I thought about moving to.
as for that gaming depression, i think it's from bouncing around games so much without finding something that really clicks, even old favorites. i think trying all these new games creates this itch that just doesnt get scratched and for me a short break (like a few days) from games and returning with something i know will hit gets me back into finding the enjoyment.
I’m in the same boat. Used to be huge into competition in CoD and League. Now I’m playing a factory building game and chilling. It’s weird but I’m happy about it. It’s like reverting back to when I was a kid and I didn’t care about competition or anything. I just wanted to sit and play a game for a bit
(first sry for my english). I think it is very normal to enjoy relaxing games more and more over the years. one of my own examples was a raid group in an mmo... i´m working to give tax advice and after a long day i logged in to my fav. mmo to join our weekly raid and after a few boss tries someone yelled at me that my buff food expired and i need to get my "§$t together.I logged out, installed the witcher, got a cup of tea and never looked back. So in my opinion: Do what you enjoy, discard what is useless and never feel bad about it.
SW Virginia is a good place, check like Lynchburg. You can be to Charlotte NC in 2 hours, Richmond VA in 2 hours so lots of conventions, bands, events etc are easily accessible. You get all 4 seasons here (it’s September but temps are still in 70-80). Blue ridge mountains are beautiful and offer nice scenic views.
New Mexico seems like the best fit for you, you can choose how close to a Albuquerque you want to be to give you a perfect rural feel, you get all 4 seasons. There is amazing scenery. It is the only state that I have driven through (driven through maybe half of the states) where I felt how small I was in the world. Second choice would maybe be near or outside Cheyenne, Wyoming
I live in central Illinois, close to Champaign. Illinois definitely isn’t the greatest on taxes, but outside of Chicago it’s fairly affordable to live comfortably. Where I live there are several smaller cities that are within 30 minutes that have everything you need, and a 2 hour drive will get you to either Chicago, St. Louis, or Indianapolis. Winters here aren’t bad, cold but only 2-3 bigger snows where you have to do real shoveling, and that seems to being shrinking more and more every year
Tennessean here. I would recommend living somewhere in East TN. Lots of people retire, switch jobs, and move here on fixed income. I have traveled all across the state and I have been to Utkiagvik (May - August), so I have an idea of what you are used to. TN is split into 3. East Mid, and West. East has the most rural and coolest climate. West is the Humid swamp (basically living in Mississippi). Property is generally cheaper West, Most expensive middle tn around greater Nashville, and East TN is mixed values.
You are not alone ... this is also happening to me ... and with games I have absolutely loved to play in tyhe past ... I do not know why ... but it is happening :) for me it is happening like for a month ... and also with a friend I used to play a couple of games co-op ... for him started 2 weeks earlier than me ...
Hey man! I’ve been watching you since Diablo Immortal. I live in Idaho Falls and personally I love it here. I hate the heat and winters aren’t too bad (for me). For you living in Alaska, you might like it here without it being TOO different. I like it anyway, peace brother!
Galaxies was only grindy for me when I was unlocking my force sensitive player slot. My last holocron was biomedical engineer and I was so upset but, got it done.
Grew up in Ohio, moved to Colorado after college, lived in California (Monterey), Texas, Arizona and Georgia while in the Army, then moved back to Colorado, 30 years here total, tried Alaska (North Pole),, family only lasted 7 months there. Then back to Colorado again. Colorado has gotten very expensive over the last 20 years, especially housing. However, there are more rural locations that can be around the national average or even a little lower. The front range and western slope don't get nearly as much snow as the mountains (been in snow almost my whole life). I would consider moving back to Ohio because of the low cost of living, but wouldn't move to Georgia, too muggy and buggy.. Texas maybe (was in San Angelo), and Arizona maybe (in the mountains though, not down where its so hot. I think if I were to make one more move in my life it would be to Idaho. Most of what I've read about that state is very positive and a lot there is cheaper than Colorado. Moving is stressful, I know, I've done it so many times lol and I'm sure my rambling didn't help at all. Best of luck on your new adventure!
I think your two best options are Michigan and Pennsylvania. Moreso PA, because of what you mentioned about winters -- but they can stay pretty mild near the western shore of Michigan / tristate area (IL/IN/MI). Lots of rural pockets in both states, but you don't have to be remote. Have generally affordable areas.
36 here. For me it seems like a having too many games, depression, aging, anxiety of the world, and i think too many things happening all the time my brain feels overloaded. I dont really know how else to put that. Could also be content creation burnout. Having to play stuff you dont want to play because thats your job is not always fun. Don't apologize to anyone for ever taking a break.
1:57 yes i understand what you are talking bout, when it happens to me i usually go way from gaming for a day or 2 (sometimes it take me a month) then when I come back to gaming I start to enjoy it.
I live in Eastern Washington by the Idaho border. If you want to avoid shoveling during the winter I would avoid Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. That being said, the west side of Washington can be very nice but also very expensive. The nice thing about Eastern Washington is that once you get through winter we typically have a distinct spring/summer/fall. The other benefit of this area is if you want to live further rural you still can do that and be less than an hour from an airport or other "big city" conveniences.
Wyoming does exist and it's pretty amazing in the SW corner imo. Quiet, chill, slower paced, and I'm an hour from a big city. Cost of living is cheap AF and no state income tax.
This is what happened to me several years ago, and I never regained my burning passion for gaming. Maybe it's because I don't have friends to play with or I can't enjoy because I have a lot of responsibilities. Either way, I do have ADHD and I get fixated on different things now (house building, for example).
Alright DM I got one for you - Chattanooga TN. Ignore the people on Reddit saying "don't move here, we're full". No income tax as you already said. It's got solid weather - far enough north for no hurricanes, far enough south for no snow; yet still has all 4 seasons. Some of the best hiking, rock climbing, and outdoors in the lower 48. Now for you specifically these two are huge. Municipal Fiber Internet & Cheap Power. That means the power company owns your internet - you get 1 Gig up/down for $67 a month OR 10Gigs up/down for like $300/mo. Because it's not Comcast or AT&T - they take insanely good care of you. After storms they'll come out and fix your shit without you even calling them. If they're down for more than 3 days - they credit your account. Cheap power because there's both hydroelectric from the TN River AND a Nuke plant. Lastly - affordable(ish) housing. If you're in the $400k-$500k price range, you can take your pick of neighborhood. If you're willing to live a little farther out, you can get a place with land, real cheap.
Vancouver, BC (Canada loves everyone) The winter season in Vancouver is about 7c or 45f. The ocean is close by ish, if you miss the bush scene BC has a lot of that. Washington State is close as well (You only need to drive on 1 high way to reach Seattle and the same high way further south takes you to Portland or even further beyond that all the way down to LA) Cheers
Its completley normal Darth to get bored of gaming like we could in our 20s. And especially getting tired of super competitive, hardcore feeling games. I am 37 now, i love to just chill and play games that i can do st my own pace for a few hours and then i am good. I dont need to game for 12 hours anymore like i did at 15 to 25.
Pittsburgh bro. Pittsburgh... We have no natural disasters, we see all 4 seasons, and the snow isn't bad at all. Is affordable, it's clean, and tons of stuff to do. We are smack dab in the middle of NY, Chicago, Richmond.... It's a great location
I lived in cali my whole life born and raised there moved in 2015 to Virginia and it was the best decision of my life doing a lot better out here on a personal lvl and it’s ALOT cheaper then cali we do have personal property tax tho only down side but the weather out here isn’t SUPER cold and we hardly get any snow anymore here I live in Gloucester it’s a great town and growing .
Lived in many cities and states and my recommendation is Kansas City, suburbs on either the Kansas and Missouri side. Affordable to live and KC itself is extremely underrated. Lots of great restaurants, not too congested, still cheap compared to other cities.
I think Arizona is pretty great. Maricopa city, Anthem, Prescott and Strawberry are all great areas that are smaller town feel. We get 6 pretty awesome months, summers can be a bit brutal "but it's a dry heat". Taxes aren't too bad, and there's a really large One Wheel scene here which I've seen you enjoy in the past. Good luck on your search!
I love Richlands NC. We got a Walmart a few years ago and I work remotely in tech, so the internet has been good enough for doing that the last 7 years. Property tax is low and people are super nice. It's outside a military town and I am prior service, so maybe that impacts my bias a bit. Best of luck!
100% relate to the chill relaxing games. I was exactly like you, all hardcore grindy games, pvp intense raid games, dark age, maplestory, Gunz the Duel, gears of war, M&B: warband etc. Now I'm trying to keep up with my little brothers on games like For Honor and skill heavy games. I used to play fighting games religiously, and couldn't even get good at the newest guilty gear to whoop them x_x;
ShotYourEyeOut here. I live in Williamsburg VA and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done. It’s beautiful and affordable here. And the historic value is great also.
Jonesboro, Arkansas is a decent place. The cost of living is really low, the crime rate is relatively low, the winters are mild. It's a smallish population, but there is a state university, so there are a few things to do, especially if you prefer a more rural area.
Definitely stopped caring about competitive games once I hit my 30's.
Same
Take it from a 59 year old gamer….all part of normal aging process.
I posted above before I saw your post, I'm 57 and sometimes just can't simply decide what to play. If I just
finally start up a game I usually enjoy it, however it's just getting to that point. Example I love souls like games
but just have to be in that mood to beat my head against the wall. lol
Exactly. With the responsibilities that comes with adulting you just don't have the time and mental capacity to grind games like you use to.
Was gonna say yes its called turning 40.
Yep. Was going to say this. DM is all grown up now. 🤣
@@Dogman52x I echo his sentiment
Check out Missoula, Montana and surrounding towns like Kalispell, Polson, or something smaller south of Missoula in the Bitteroot Valley. Low taxes in general and no sales tax in Montana. Might feel somewhat familiar to you and your family landscape-wise, but much more mild winters than AK. Hardly any snow in the valley here last year, but snow on the mountains to ski, snow mobile, etc. Winter can be Nov-March/April, but again, much more mild and usually we don’t get snow that whole time. When we do, it often melts down to nothing for long stretches in the valley. You’ll just need to be careful about the exact house you pick because the internet isn’t great everywhere. You’ll have to be closer to a major town if you want to avoid dealing with shoveling/plowing snow very often as well. Outside the valley the snow pile up. If you want something warmer, I’d personally be looking at Flagstaff, Arizona. Good luck with the house hunt!
Grew up in Missoula, a little overcrowded for me anymore.
I think what you described is called “being in your 30s” for sure. I struggle with the same thing 😂
wait till yall hit 40!
Welcome to getting old.
Hit my mid-30s and just want to walk into the forest and disappear. Dunno if that's healthy but it is what it is.
Same crap in the 40s lol it comes and goes
@@Cad_Ash yep its cuz its what your brain and body crave - nature
I work full time, have a wife and pets to do things with. Wife works nights. I fine my myself also not playing as much as I used to. I used to game until 11pm. Now I'm logging off between 730pm and 800pm. Just getting older bro is normal.
34 year old here. Yes this is normal. When I was in my 20s I pretty much played every fast paced ranked multiplayer FPS on the market and cared deeply about my performance.
These days I mainly play slower paced indie games or emulate retro classics. Most of my free time in the last few weeks I put into Car Mechanic Simulator 2021 and STALKER GAMMA. Me and a couple buddies sometimes play a co-op campaign on Sins of a Solar Empire II which just released and slaps.
Your brain changes as you age and as such the way you process things and appreciate games & other types of art changes too. I've learned to just roll with it and have a good time.
No doubt. 32 here. I remember the crazy fast FPS lifestyle and always on edge. These days? HELL NO. Give me something I can take my time to learn and enjoy over time. I don’t want to feel that wired anxious energy. I want a slower paced learning curve where by the time it’s over I’ve really learned to enjoy what I spent so much time on. Games are better when you’re older because you know how to relax for the most part and take it in. 👍
@@PowerCellReactor I can take a fast paced FPS in small doses and sometimes it can be quite fun to feel the rush again, but no way in hell am I playing it for hours and hours every night.
Dude, I legit relaxed the other day by just mindlessly staring out the window for about twenty minutes, barely blinking. My brain was just done taking in any more informations. It was great.
Retro games should DEFINITELY make a comeback... Things like Zelda....where you can just explore, fight a bit, and most things aren't terribly difficult, but are rewarding equal to the effort you have to put into them. I also like a lot of games similar to Wasteland 3, Divinity Original Sin 2, etc... the play style just kind of goes at your pace...maybe a bit LESS talking/exploring and a bit more combat, but those are what I've been doing after leaving the faster paced games behind.
The what to play syndrome is pretty common. I have trouble getting into games sometimes too. I think
it's stress related to because I to sometimes just want to drone on youtube or play a game that's mindless
even know I have great games to play.
Excited to see where you end up. I am in the midwest, I do not like snow, I would love to be somewhere temperate, I'm talking 45 to 70 degrees F all year round. Perfect weather to go out and do WHATEVER you'd like.
Lucky! Haha. I'm in Toronto. We get snow in the winter, though with each year passing the winters get warmer and we are get less snow.
I'd love to be somewhere warm all year, that way I could always grow chili peppers. Or at least be somewhere without a frost so the plants can be overwintered outdoors... but in Canada, the only real option for no snow is out in southwestern BC, where instead of snow it is rain (if I had a choice I'd take that though).
Oops, I think I misread your post :P
That's the pacific northwest.
@@PlantsAndInsectsheheh I’m in Vancouver and there is snow for about 2-3 months a years… not only rain 😅
tennessee is 90+ from march to well, still going on, feel free to move here its miserable
What your describing is the PNW.
I live in Texas (DFW area) and I am from the mid-west originally. DFW has a lot to offer and plenty of drawbacks just like anywhere else.
Drawbacks of living here include:
- Miserable summers - Expect upper 90's to 100+ degree weather from late June until late September. Weather is generally very mild the rest of the year. We usually get about 1 or 2 weeks of freezing temps each year.
- Not as affordable as it used to be - Rent and housing prices in DFW are crazy but are probably similar to a lot of other cities in the US. Average homes in suburbs like Plano or Lewisville will run $375k - $700k+ depending on where you are and what kind of home you want. Average rent for a 1 bed/1 bath apartment is something like $1200 per month. You'll save a bit if you move further away from the metroplex.
- Lacks natural beauty - We have some nice parks, lakes, and whatnot but DFW is very flat and is generally considered a "concrete jungle."
- Traffic - It's bad and drivers are rude as hell. A lot of this problem is related to overpopulation and the highways are just hitting maximum capacity.
- Allergies - a lot of folks seem to suffer from them almost year round
Pros:
- No income tax (property taxes are high, though)
- Beautiful Spring and Fall weather and mild Winters
- Food scene is on-point. You name it, DFW has it. Great bbq, burger joints, steak houses, authentic Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese food. Tex-Mex/Mexican food is also amazing around here.
- Great place to work and go to school. Lots of the local ISDs are decent. Job opportunities are plentiful, but results may vary depending on what you are looking for.
- State parks are pretty cool if you are looking to get out of town for a while.
Overall, TX isn't a bad place to be. I really miss having seasons, more trees, greenery..etc. but I really can't complain too much. Hope this helps.
even going east a bit to greenville by the lake is nice.
Fair assessment. I'd say you don't really have fall or spring in terms of foliage or beauty in the aesthetic sense.
@@kpNov23 Yep it's true. Trees pretty much go straight from green to brown here.
Just don't move to TX if you or anyone you know or love might become pregnant or wants to become pregnant and might need medical help to get pregnant, or medical help during pregnancy. The laws they've enacted to criminally charge doctors for providing womens health care are The Handmaids Tale on steroids. That is not an exaggeration. Same goes for Florida and most Southern states controlled by Republicans.
Lol I just turned 36. It's a combo of not giving a shit about games anymore and gaming in general is such a corporate money making machine now. The gaming world is unrecognizable compared to what we grew up with. On a side note, I just gotta say, it's cool as hell to see how much your channel has exploded. I have been following you since I randomly found a video you made on depression. That's one of the most relatable YT videos I have ever seen. It's great to see you thriving now.
This problem you're experiencing, happened to me around 35. Now I'm 42 and I still have it. I find myself playing and loving games that are MMO, but allow me to play mostly solo and queue with people on a whim when I need or want some interaction without a ton of engagement or commitment. Games like Warframe, New World, Diablo 2,3,4. Single player games like Red Dead 2, Cyberpunk, GTA5, Modded Skyrim.
In short, I love playing in a living immersive world, but I just like doing my own thing in it. I'm becoming increasingly more fond of power fantasy style games.
I can be hardcore af about games, but lately now that I'm half way through my 30's I really like games like Jusant and Journey where you can just explore a beautiful world without having to worry about enemies, builds, meta's, API, fast twitch reflexes, and all that sweaty shit. I'm Canadian so we don't get to escape winter easily, my only options are the two most expensive places in the country (and on the fucking planet) the Toronto area and Vancouver.
Wow, man, you explained the depression/gaming part perfectly I am 37 and it's definitely happened in the past few yrs, and def. sucks ass! Hang in there YOU ARE NOT ALONE!
So, as a narrative director for video games working as a story consultant at times for Respawn… I MUST ASK if you played JEDI: Fallen Order or JEDI: Survivor yet?!?! Currently we’re working on JEDI 3 atm and that should be out by 2026/2027. And then it will go to live-action series, possibly movie. But thought I’d ask because if you’re just NOW getting to play TLOU… and that’s a very similar style of game as the JEDI series… I thought well maybe he hasn’t played the JEDI games yet.
Also full on skip Star Wars Outlaw and normally I don’t trash other game devs but Ubisoft just shit the bed on that one. Instead of that shit, I wish EA would have let us finish our Mando game but they freaking cancelled it… pissed me off. I mean the team has a fully functional vertical slice and it could have been finished in a year and a half. They had already put years of work into it. SMH!!!
Also Arizona!!! North -- like near Flagstaff. But hardly anyone moves out so that may be hard. I live in Gilbert, AZ which is near Phoenix but that’s very “city like” - you can look in between Tucson and Phoenix. Mainly rural but with some stores etc.
Hey Darth, been watching your Diablo content since the release of D4. I appreciate all that you do with the community! And I think your videos give truly honest feedback and suggestions.
Now I have a suggestion for you in regards to purchasing a house & location. I really recommend Washington State.
1. Can be very cold at times and it wouldn’t be a drastic change from Alaska, it does rain but often on and off, and the summers are fantastic and never too hot atleast from my experience.
2. Lots of very rural areas to live for a price range of about $400-500k you can check places like Anacortes, port Townsend, oak harbor, and gig harbor which all have very wonderful scenery and community and Seattle is just about an hour away if you feel like seeing the big city.
3. If ever you miss Alaska it is very nearby and just a short flight away, Oregon is also nearby if you decide to take advantage of the shopping tax they have to offer.
4. Lots of nature! And beautiful hikes plus a ton of Walmarts and so far I’ve had great internet and service in the places above that I mentioned.
Just some things to consider if you are still undecided thanks and keep up the great content!
You are not alone! I'm definitely in a bit of a rut right now myself. So many games look and sound great. And I truly want to get into them! But, when I finally sit down to play them, I just can't build up steam. Even if I KNOW they are good. There's some disconnect happening with me. I truly think it is this age we're getting into (I'm 34). Life, responsibility, all that stuff just starts making focusing on enjoying a game (or anything for that matter, haha) more difficult! But, hopefully we can both overcome this obstacle and start losing ourselves in some gaming worlds again! Cheers, friend!
Moving with the family is a great idea. Good to have that support when you are learning to live in a new place.
I’m a 44 year old gamer and finding games to play or stay interested in is hard. I ended up going back and playing Borderlands 3, versus some of the newer games I got (I.e. Pathfinder: WotR, FF16, Unicorn Overlord, Like A Dragon: Infinite Wealth). I’m going to try Throne & Liberty when it comes out
I was stationed in Alaska and loved it. I’m from Ohio, so I get the weather for a few months of the year. I don’t think any place good is affordable in the economy.
I’m from New Jersey 33 years old and have been to Tennessee. It is great.
For living suggestions, I would highly recommend Kansas. Houses are still incredibly cheap here. I bought a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom house last year for $161,000. It's remodeled, and really the only down side to it for me is that the garage doesn't have a door into the house. The winters here are shorter, ususally Late Novermber to early March is what you'd be looking at, and most of Kansas averages less than a foot of snow per year. The down sides would be the scenery here is nowhere near Alaska. But central Kansas is only a 7 hour drive from the rockies, Western Kansas is much closer, but it's extremely sparsely populated. Central is still rural, and you're close to Wichita and Kansas City. I've lived here for 4 years, and so far I absolutely love the cheap cost of living, that's the main thing that keeps me here.
Las Vegas born and raised and in the group of people who love being here. Most people I’ve known who want to move just always had another place they always wanted to be in but moved here instead so since it sounds like you don’t have anything in mind you might want to give Vegas another look. A lot of culture here and great food and there’s a lot in the more well off communities in the outskirts of this city where they have great communities with great selection for food and shopping and only 20 minutes from most entertainment in town. Some examples I’d give are areas like centennial hills, providence, skye canyon and aliente area. Plus for the conventions and meet and greets it seems you’ve been going to in California, Vegas is a good option for getting there more easily whether it be a cheap flight or going on a small 4-5 hour road trip.
Variety is the spice of life. It goes for everything, especially gaming. Glad you are dipping into single player games and finding joy in them.
Dude, anywhere that's between Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska describes perfectly what you are looking for. Towns like Waverly, Elkhorn, and Lincoln itself. Affordable, not a TON of people, but enough that we still get big artists and events. Super temperate climate so you get all the seasons. Great summers, awesome spring and fall seasons, and full winters with snow, so you get a variety. The best part, it's affordable and low cost of living. Check it out!
lived all over the east coast. Highly recommend south east TN. Great temp and climate, great internet, great versatile topography, affordable, central location between other prime locations, can be rural or urban.
Variety is the spice of life, my dude. I've never stayed in one genre or lane when it comes to gaming. Both tabletop and digital and just everything has so much to offer. 😊
The Black Hills in South Dakota is a great area... The taxes in South Dakota are great too. No income tax and no corporate income tax. You'll get a decent winter....but the rest of the year, that area is just gorgeous. Lot's of outdoor activities, access to an airport/small city, hiking, fishing, etc...
i have been jumping from game to game myself recently and not really able to get into them, I too have also found more casual chill games more enjoyable currently. I'm sure a large part of it is mood based and certain games just not scratching that itch at the time. Best of luck with the house hunting DM i hope your able to find something that meets your needs.
If you're interested in New Mexico take a look at Las Cruces. Zero snow here and gorgeous weather if you can tolerate the heat for about 3 months of the year. Much more rural vibe with no super huge buildings or anything.
I moved here to work remotely and buy a house at a more affordable rate and have no regrets.
The mountains are amazing and big city life is a short drive away if you want some excitement.
If Las Cruces is too populated I recommend surrounding smaller towns.
Honestly I've felt the same way about gaming.. it's been like this as soon as I hit 30 as well. I can't really get into any new games; when i sit down to play a game, I feel this immense sense of guilt that I should be doing some more productive with my time. I've been working out and trying to gamify other aspects of my life. It's been fun.
I hope you're able to find a good rhythm that works for you and find a nice place to move with your family.
Funny enough, that sense of guilt that normal people get when they waste too much time is something I wish I had. My ability to procrastinate guilt free is problematic, haha.
I'm 32 now and I definitely noticed this as well. I also pivoted more into single player games and less mutliplayer games. Not sure if you jumped on the bandwagon for Black Myth Wukong, but I played that, beat it, and now just beat Dark Souls 1 (never played before) and now going through DS2, and want to get to DS3 and Elden Ring. All this while waiting for the expansion and PoE2.
I would say what you're feeling is pretty normal as I'm like that too nowadays and also think really hard about games I buy because I want to make sure I actually play them all the way through before buying the next game.
EDIT: I grew up in AK as a child, moved to Missouri, then CO, and now I'm in San Antonio TX. I will say wherever you go will probably be a culture shock temperature wise, especially if you end up choosing somewhere like TX or NM.
For the record I like this content too. I follow because i think you are a good dude, and sometimes its easy to tune out streamers you enjoy when they play something you're not interested in or burnt out of at the moment. Its all gravy DM.
And I like the term "pallete cleanse" when talking about lighter games. We can't always be analyzing the hardcore, its nice to refresh ourselves.
I truly feel you man. I grew up playing cs1.6 at lan cafes and grinding out everquest, maplestory, ragnarok, tibia and vanilla wow. I never thought i'd be into casual games.. But high on my list nowdays are games like Stardew Valley, Graveyard keeper, or even idle games like NGU. Crazy how the time can change ya - not that I don't still like a good grind now and again. Take care.
Come to Ridgeley, WV. Good schools, 15 min from Wal-Mart, cheap taxes, low crime rate, good mix of seasons and mostly mild winters, 2 hours from any big city adventure you could want. Lived here my whole life and love it. Lots of outdoor activites too.
It happens to me all the time. I have so many games I can play that I get ADHD and can't commit to something. I think it's because streaming adds additional pressure to be entertaining while also completing a task which makes it feels like chores instead of a fun activity.
I live in Eastern PA and I can say it's one of the best places to live if you want to be left alone. You are 1-2 hours from major cities, Walmart is close by, and winters rarely get so bad you have to do a lot of shoveling. Housing is cheap, there are state parks and hiking trails. It's basically Alaska but very hot in the summer and not as much snow in the winter.
I have been living in Pittsburgh, PA for a few years now. It’s a small city with the potential for plenty of personal space depending on where you live. Really affordable. The only downside is that it is one of the cloudiest cities in the US, and it certainly gets cold in the winter, although not as bad as Alaska.
I moved to Indiana a few years ago. Currently a homeowner in the Fountain Square neighborhood of Indianapolis which is a really cool neighborhood, affordable cost of living/homeownership costs, near an airport. That's more metro, but there are MANY rural areas. It also has four seasons which is nice. Low state income tax 3.15%.
I’ve lived all over the US. Based on what you seem to be looking for, I would suggest Texas or Florida. They both offer rural lifestyles within driving access to the city, a a warmer climate, and lower house prices and taxes relative to most of the country.
One thing I will warn you about though, as someone who used to live in North Dakota with its cold weather, humid and warm places have loooots of bugs. Like to the point where you will see them in your home regularly. I really hate that and it’s a big pro in colder climates to not have to deal with insects as often.
Check out Bath, PA. It's rural, less than an hour from Philadelphia, maybe 90 minutes from NYC, has hunting, season changes, doesn't snow heavily in the winter, houses pretty spread out, a lot of farms. Pretty chill place to go if you're self-employed and don't need to commute to the cities.
Change is the only constant. Play what you want to play, I still enjoy the content.
Michigan and Indiana might fit what you're looking for. Relatively low tax burden, still have winters but not too horrible, and rivers and lakes that leave you something fun to do in the summers. Home prices in each are still relatively affordable. Good luck with your search!
Zack has said the same thing about just liking to take sometime alone and mellow out with those games! Maybe just do some chatting also? Can you do occasional console games you like too? Maybe you are craving something new is all. I fall out of playing for a bit and have not found anything to immerse myself in. Watching you browse houses is cool too. So glad your family will be with you as you move forward.
Might want to check out the Dakotas, I used to work with someone who lived there and she couldn't stop raving about it. Apparently there's beautiful nature, it's fairly rural in general and it's a bit of a hidden gem since nobody ever talks about these states.
Yeah, the last couple years it's been difficult to get into games. I think about playing a lot, but I'll start playing and last 5 minutes to maybe an hour or two, but I never seem to get more than a few hours into any one game anymore. I keep trying to get on my ironman account, which I really want to work on, but even that has been tough to keep my attention. Overworked, feeling stressed all the time and ADHA running me ragged.. But watching you play games helps a ton, you don't know how much you make some people's day better good sir! So thank you.
Also, central Utah has some decent places.. Kinda been expensive the last few years housing wise, but still not awful.
I’m the exact opposite in terms of weather. I HATE summer and the heat. We live in Ohio(Cincinnati specifically) and even though it’s only “hot” 3-5 months out of the year those months are absolutely miserable(imo). So I ALWAYS look forward to winter. But with that being said, our winters are not awful, not a lot of snow, and rarely drop in the negative temps. We currently own a home that cost under the 300k range. It’s just my wife and I(and a kitty cat). 3,690sq ft, 3 bed, 2.5 bath w/2 car garage and enough yard space to have a little soirée every now and then. With all that being said, I have lived in all the major cities in Ohio over my years. Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati. Of all of these areas, Columbus would be the best one to move to in my opinion. A lot more opportunities out there for the working class individualand just the people seem a lot kinder. We only moved out here due to my wife’s job. Regardless, I hope you find the area that meets your emotional, financial and overall well-being needs. GLHF! FTH!
You definitely should keep doing these types of videos, I do care about the content as mainly an ARPG enjoyer myself, but these types of additions are why I watch your channel instead of someone else’s. 👍
I live in Western Washington. It’s very green here and basically has all seasons. Little rainier than I like but it’s not too bad… lots of outdoor stuff to do, especially hiking. I like it here, lived here my whole life which is close to 36 years.
Hey Darth, I've lived in a several states (FL, MO, KS, OH, CA, CO, IA), spent too much time in WI, and visited a good portion of other states major cities for a week or two (possibly more than once). I've also lived in a couple countries (including Germany now!). This might be weird but if you wanted to talk about it I'd love to, if you find yourself bored one of these days.
But here's my textual, public answer: You care about housing prices, tax, temperature, decently rural. Based on my research I agree with you that tax structure actually is a wash in most places - and purchasing power is often less intuitive (like people in CA are better off than most other states last I checked by multiple statistics) - so my advice will ignore tax structure. Temperature you wanted something with a "3 month winter", I consider buying a home and moving members of your surrounding family to be a once a lifetime event or maybe once every other decade kinda thing so I think you need to be thinking on that time scale. So hot places are going to be getting hotter and winters everywhere are going to be getting shorter. For this reason I think shooting for middle band states should be considered and not just currently very warm places. New Mexico is gorgeous and at least Albuquerque had good food, I can't speak to the rural quality of towns but living somewhere nearby probably isn't a bad call. Tennesse is a place I'd definitely caution against just based on the statistics they hold relative to other states. You may also consider worrying about internet speeds, some states are better than others at having rural options but that's not something I've looked into as I've almost exclusively looked at major cities to live in.
I'd recommend someplace rural in Denver depending on prices, I think that's a beautiful place with decent weather (minus the hail) that keeps you close to a major airport which is always a good thing. I think you could also consider near Kansas City or St.Louis, those are my home cities and they have decent food, are cheaper, and KC is a big airport as well. You can get pretty rural pretty quickly. Part of me wonders if you'd like some place a little outside your temperature desires like Wisconsin or Illinois which can have some really beautiful rural locations but do have snowy winters (nothing like alaska though) and it's gotten warmer and easier even in my lifetime. Which I could speak to the Carolinas or Virginia but alas I can't. I hope you find a new location that makes you happy!
The older you get, the more chill you are with gaming. I usually only play single player nowadays. At least for me I don't have to deal with multiplayer and people in general unless I'm feeling the urge. Indiana is a good state. That's where I am from. Lots of corn but good people.
Zeeland, MI. I've lived here for 3 years and I absolutely love it. It's an idyllic place to live.
Yep, I've gone through the same gaming progression you are going through, can totally relate bud!
Definitely relate and feel you on getting older and games being harder to get into. Moving suggestion, come to Utah, it's really nice here! Plenty of rural areas outside the major cities! All 4 seasons, 3-5 month winter, really warm/hot summers!
I live in Pennsylvania in a big area called the Lehigh Valley. Basically around a hour away from Philadelphia. It really is a wonderful area. We have 4 seasons, all relatively distributed nicely. You can live out in the woods if you want, tons of forresty areas out here. Sure., some of your major outlets may be a bit out of the way, but nothing crazy. But, there are also a ton of nice suburban areas where you don't need to live in a city. You're only a couple hours drive from beaches like Ocean City Maryland or the New Jersey beaches, 2 major cities in Philly or New York, and the cost of living isn't super outrageous. If you like winter sports like skiing, there are several mountains in the area that aren't a far drive as well. Overall a really nice place to live I'd say and I have no intentions of moving. We also don't experience the severe weather things like hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, etc.
Michigan is a fantastic place to live. State is perfect if you like the outdoors with affordable places to live everywhere. Lots of rural areas to choose from and you’re only a drive away from places like: sleeping bear dunes, traverse city, Mackinac island, pictured rocks etc
Darth - if you’re ok with warmer climates and staying indoors with full air conditioning in summers, you can try Vegas.
Part of owning real estate is also making sure the town and community is growing, so your house doesn’t decline in value - go to places where the trend is people are moving into the state or city.
"Wisdom of the crowd". Rather than look at individual suggestions, look at a migration map and see what states people are moving from and which states people are moving too and decide between the top 3 or 5.
Just an FYI, there has never been someone I am more happy to give my Prime Twitch Sub to than you. Keep it up! I am rooting for you from Nevada!
Hey so I’m from CA originally and lived in New York City, parts of NJ and MA the past two years I have been in PA taxes aren’t as bad and besides Philly it’s great. I really hate the cold with that being said winters here aren’t bad. I actually just bought a house here in north eastern PA. Hope you find something brother good luck. Love the content
For housing, you can find real affordable options in some INSANELY beautiful places in Colorado on the west slope that are more rural. Montrose, Ouray, Olathe, Cortez, etc. Durango is the crown jewel (biased since it's my childhood home), but also more expensive, but the surrounding cities can be incredible.
Take a look at some of the smaller towns outside of Reno in Northern Nevada. Fernley, Carson City, Gardnerville, etc. They’re much less expensive than Reno, but you’re still close to a decent-size city. And you’re near Lake Tahoe which is one of America’s most beautiful places. And you’ll get a few days of snow per year in case you miss it too much
You should move to the outskirts of Grand Rapids, Michigan would be perfect! It has the Great Lakes nearby, great weather in spring through fall and the winter will remind you a little bit of home, no natural disaters to worry about, medium sized city nearby for the ammenities, a growing economy, and of course the midwest friendly attitude!
I've felt this way as well, being a huge hardcore ARPG fan, now suddenly find myself, playing Borderlands 3 with friends or Crab Champions, among other small games.
Move to North Arkansas man, or the Ozarks in general. Cheapest state to live, beautiful scenery and good temps besides the humidity. It’s kind of this golden spot in the country not many know about, but many people farther North move down here to retire. So many great opportunities for outdoor activities like camping, swimming, and hiking. I live in a town literally nestled between two lakes
Michigan
Has a little bit of everything. No natural disasters really, no harsh seasons.
It really does. We do just about any outdoor activity. Tons of small local festivals and things year round. The one big bad thing is power outages every year in some areas when the weather is bad.
Was going to suggest this too. Cheap taxes if you're in a rural area, and pretty much anywhere you are minus the UP, you're within an hour or two of a Walmart.
I think anywhere within 1 hr drive from Detroit is good
Michigian and Ohio are great states. All four seasons, rural and non-rural areas, and pretty affordable. Good luck on finding your home!
I think the falling out of that more 'hardcore' type of gaming has less to do with just getting older, but more with what getting older brings with it. At the end of the day, it's all in pursuit of accomplishments. Typically when we get older, we start to enjoy the rewards of the efforts we've been putting in. So things like career and family start to give you more of what gaming used to give.
As an aside for places to live; look around the Louisville KY area. What you mentioned sounds like a decent match for your considerations. I haven't lived out there for about 5 or 6 years, but the city was really cool. Great beer culture out there too, I super miss that :) Some of the guys I worked with while I was stationed at Ft Knox had reeeeeally nice houses for super cheap. Checking them out now after the crazy price increase recently and they still look super affordable to me. They were about 30 minute south of Louisville.
The location is actually really nice if you look at where all you can travel to. Louisville airport gives you a short flight away from a lot of great places. You have Mammoth Cave national park just south of there, the Louisville Mega cavern in the city. The summers are nice, and the winters get nice and cold (I remember the coldest really sits around 9 degrees F) - but I don't recall too much snow, so I'd say very manageable. Lots of elevation for outdoors stuff. And the people are generally super friendly; typical southern culture if you're familiar with all that. It was a big contender for places I thought about moving to.
as for that gaming depression, i think it's from bouncing around games so much without finding something that really clicks, even old favorites. i think trying all these new games creates this itch that just doesnt get scratched and for me a short break (like a few days) from games and returning with something i know will hit gets me back into finding the enjoyment.
I’m in the same boat. Used to be huge into competition in CoD and League. Now I’m playing a factory building game and chilling. It’s weird but I’m happy about it. It’s like reverting back to when I was a kid and I didn’t care about competition or anything. I just wanted to sit and play a game for a bit
(first sry for my english). I think it is very normal to enjoy relaxing games more and more over the years. one of my own examples was a raid group in an mmo... i´m working to give tax advice and after a long day i logged in to my fav. mmo to join our weekly raid and after a few boss tries someone yelled at me that my buff food expired and i need to get my "§$t together.I logged out, installed the witcher, got a cup of tea and never looked back.
So in my opinion:
Do what you enjoy, discard what is useless and never feel bad about it.
SW Virginia is a good place, check like Lynchburg. You can be to Charlotte NC in 2 hours, Richmond VA in 2 hours so lots of conventions, bands, events etc are easily accessible. You get all 4 seasons here (it’s September but temps are still in 70-80). Blue ridge mountains are beautiful and offer nice scenic views.
Tennessee is a great state to live ngl
New Mexico seems like the best fit for you, you can choose how close to a Albuquerque you want to be to give you a perfect rural feel, you get all 4 seasons. There is amazing scenery. It is the only state that I have driven through (driven through maybe half of the states) where I felt how small I was in the world. Second choice would maybe be near or outside Cheyenne, Wyoming
I live in central Illinois, close to Champaign. Illinois definitely isn’t the greatest on taxes, but outside of Chicago it’s fairly affordable to live comfortably. Where I live there are several smaller cities that are within 30 minutes that have everything you need, and a 2 hour drive will get you to either Chicago, St. Louis, or Indianapolis. Winters here aren’t bad, cold but only 2-3 bigger snows where you have to do real shoveling, and that seems to being shrinking more and more every year
Tennessean here. I would recommend living somewhere in East TN. Lots of people retire, switch jobs, and move here on fixed income. I have traveled all across the state and I have been to Utkiagvik (May - August), so I have an idea of what you are used to. TN is split into 3. East Mid, and West. East has the most rural and coolest climate. West is the Humid swamp (basically living in Mississippi). Property is generally cheaper West, Most expensive middle tn around greater Nashville, and East TN is mixed values.
Born and raised in Albuquerque. Good choice. Beautiful weather, sunsets
You are not alone ... this is also happening to me ... and with games I have absolutely loved to play in tyhe past ... I do not know why ... but it is happening :) for me it is happening like for a month ... and also with a friend I used to play a couple of games co-op ... for him started 2 weeks earlier than me ...
Hey man! I’ve been watching you since Diablo Immortal. I live in Idaho Falls and personally I love it here. I hate the heat and winters aren’t too bad (for me). For you living in Alaska, you might like it here without it being TOO different. I like it anyway, peace brother!
Galaxies was only grindy for me when I was unlocking my force sensitive player slot. My last holocron was biomedical engineer and I was so upset but, got it done.
God I miss swg
Grew up in Ohio, moved to Colorado after college, lived in California (Monterey), Texas, Arizona and Georgia while in the Army, then moved back to Colorado, 30 years here total, tried Alaska (North Pole),, family only lasted 7 months there. Then back to Colorado again. Colorado has gotten very expensive over the last 20 years, especially housing. However, there are more rural locations that can be around the national average or even a little lower. The front range and western slope don't get nearly as much snow as the mountains (been in snow almost my whole life). I would consider moving back to Ohio because of the low cost of living, but wouldn't move to Georgia, too muggy and buggy.. Texas maybe (was in San Angelo), and Arizona maybe (in the mountains though, not down where its so hot. I think if I were to make one more move in my life it would be to Idaho. Most of what I've read about that state is very positive and a lot there is cheaper than Colorado. Moving is stressful, I know, I've done it so many times lol and I'm sure my rambling didn't help at all. Best of luck on your new adventure!
I think your two best options are Michigan and Pennsylvania. Moreso PA, because of what you mentioned about winters -- but they can stay pretty mild near the western shore of Michigan / tristate area (IL/IN/MI). Lots of rural pockets in both states, but you don't have to be remote. Have generally affordable areas.
36 here. For me it seems like a having too many games, depression, aging, anxiety of the world, and i think too many things happening all the time my brain feels overloaded. I dont really know how else to put that. Could also be content creation burnout. Having to play stuff you dont want to play because thats your job is not always fun. Don't apologize to anyone for ever taking a break.
Bro is growing up, I play games to chill, not sweat, I'm 33. I'm absolutely loving Deep Rock Survivor atm.
These are actually my favourite type of videos... Keep it up :)
1:57 yes i understand what you are talking bout, when it happens to me i usually go way from gaming for a day or 2 (sometimes it take me a month) then when I come back to gaming I start to enjoy it.
I live in Eastern Washington by the Idaho border. If you want to avoid shoveling during the winter I would avoid Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho. That being said, the west side of Washington can be very nice but also very expensive. The nice thing about Eastern Washington is that once you get through winter we typically have a distinct spring/summer/fall. The other benefit of this area is if you want to live further rural you still can do that and be less than an hour from an airport or other "big city" conveniences.
Wyoming does exist and it's pretty amazing in the SW corner imo. Quiet, chill, slower paced, and I'm an hour from a big city. Cost of living is cheap AF and no state income tax.
This is what happened to me several years ago, and I never regained my burning passion for gaming. Maybe it's because I don't have friends to play with or I can't enjoy because I have a lot of responsibilities.
Either way, I do have ADHD and I get fixated on different things now (house building, for example).
Alright DM I got one for you - Chattanooga TN. Ignore the people on Reddit saying "don't move here, we're full". No income tax as you already said. It's got solid weather - far enough north for no hurricanes, far enough south for no snow; yet still has all 4 seasons. Some of the best hiking, rock climbing, and outdoors in the lower 48.
Now for you specifically these two are huge. Municipal Fiber Internet & Cheap Power. That means the power company owns your internet - you get 1 Gig up/down for $67 a month OR 10Gigs up/down for like $300/mo. Because it's not Comcast or AT&T - they take insanely good care of you. After storms they'll come out and fix your shit without you even calling them. If they're down for more than 3 days - they credit your account. Cheap power because there's both hydroelectric from the TN River AND a Nuke plant.
Lastly - affordable(ish) housing. If you're in the $400k-$500k price range, you can take your pick of neighborhood. If you're willing to live a little farther out, you can get a place with land, real cheap.
Vancouver, BC (Canada loves everyone) The winter season in Vancouver is about 7c or 45f. The ocean is close by ish, if you miss the bush scene BC has a lot of that. Washington State is close as well (You only need to drive on 1 high way to reach Seattle and the same high way further south takes you to Portland or even further beyond that all the way down to LA) Cheers
Its completley normal Darth to get bored of gaming like we could in our 20s. And especially getting tired of super competitive, hardcore feeling games. I am 37 now, i love to just chill and play games that i can do st my own pace for a few hours and then i am good. I dont need to game for 12 hours anymore like i did at 15 to 25.
I've lived in Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, Kentucky, Tennessee, Washington, and Texas. Texas is where I currently live and will probably never leave.
Pittsburgh bro. Pittsburgh... We have no natural disasters, we see all 4 seasons, and the snow isn't bad at all. Is affordable, it's clean, and tons of stuff to do. We are smack dab in the middle of NY, Chicago, Richmond.... It's a great location
I lived in cali my whole life born and raised there moved in 2015 to Virginia and it was the best decision of my life doing a lot better out here on a personal lvl and it’s ALOT cheaper then cali we do have personal property tax tho only down side but the weather out here isn’t SUPER cold and we hardly get any snow anymore here I live in Gloucester it’s a great town and growing .
Lived in many cities and states and my recommendation is Kansas City, suburbs on either the Kansas and Missouri side. Affordable to live and KC itself is extremely underrated. Lots of great restaurants, not too congested, still cheap compared to other cities.
I think Arizona is pretty great. Maricopa city, Anthem, Prescott and Strawberry are all great areas that are smaller town feel.
We get 6 pretty awesome months, summers can be a bit brutal "but it's a dry heat".
Taxes aren't too bad, and there's a really large One Wheel scene here which I've seen you enjoy in the past.
Good luck on your search!
There are some temperate beautiful areas in Oregon. I grew up 50 min from Springfield on the McKenzie River. Now live in the NE corner of Oregon.
Southern Utah is nice, Hurricane is a small town, no snow that stays for more then a day, summers are hot but winter is awsome
When I was a little kid and call of duty was huge I was all about the multiplayer craze and moved to single player and it was such a good choice
I love Richlands NC. We got a Walmart a few years ago and I work remotely in tech, so the internet has been good enough for doing that the last 7 years. Property tax is low and people are super nice. It's outside a military town and I am prior service, so maybe that impacts my bias a bit. Best of luck!
100% relate to the chill relaxing games. I was exactly like you, all hardcore grindy games, pvp intense raid games, dark age, maplestory, Gunz the Duel, gears of war, M&B: warband etc. Now I'm trying to keep up with my little brothers on games like For Honor and skill heavy games. I used to play fighting games religiously, and couldn't even get good at the newest guilty gear to whoop them x_x;
ShotYourEyeOut here. I live in Williamsburg VA and it was one of the best things I’ve ever done. It’s beautiful and affordable here. And the historic value is great also.
Jonesboro, Arkansas is a decent place. The cost of living is really low, the crime rate is relatively low, the winters are mild. It's a smallish population, but there is a state university, so there are a few things to do, especially if you prefer a more rural area.