Take the day BEFORE launch off and force yourself to sleep before launch time. Waking up 2-3 hours before the server launches will allow you to maximize your played time during your first session (which is arguably the most important). The longer you can go that first session the further ahead of other players you'll be which allow you an easier leveling time.
I've done this for expansion launches in the past and it's never worked for me. Changing your sleep schedule so soon to a release will ruin your bodies internal clock, and potentially make you more sleepy early on. Unless you can commit to a sleep schedule a few weeks in advance, I would advise not trying to wake up at 3-4pm to "game" your schedule. It's hell on your body and it simply doesn't work. YMMV.
Personally I just plan to have meals prepped and go about my day as usual, perhaps with increased caffeine and an hour less sleep each night. Light exercise every 2-3 hours to keep my body from seizing up (I just turned 30 and my body has decided 12 hour gaming sessions are no longer okay).
Yeah being a few years into my thirties as well I've come to understand my limits..atm dieting with the wife and jogging to get a bit healthier before release so I can go at it a little more.
The release timing is going to be very important. If we get too late into August it'll be past my summer holidays so that'd suck bigtime.
If we get a late July release I'll be enlisting the wife for elderly care service a few weeks basically, only getting up from the chair for bathroom and my daily hour of trotting among the rice fields..
The truth is that if you fully embrace your inner neckbeard, food isn't actually an issue. Focus so hard on grinding that you don't even think about food. No snacks while playing, only water to keep your eyes from getting crispy. Eat small meals so you can get back to grinding. When the game is all you care about (and it should be) then you default to eating just enough to survive, because you're not eating for enjoyment any more. Just do some pushups or something while on flight paths so you don't end up looking like a Forsaken IRL.
Take the day BEFORE launch off and force yourself to sleep before launch time. Waking up 2-3 hours before the server launches will allow you to maximize your played time during your first session (which is arguably the most important). The longer you can go that first session the further ahead of other players you'll be which allow you an easier leveling time.
I've done this for expansion launches in the past and it's never worked for me. Changing your sleep schedule so soon to a release will ruin your bodies internal clock, and potentially make you more sleepy early on. Unless you can commit to a sleep schedule a few weeks in advance, I would advise not trying to wake up at 3-4pm to "game" your schedule. It's hell on your body and it simply doesn't work. YMMV.
Personally I just plan to have meals prepped and go about my day as usual, perhaps with increased caffeine and an hour less sleep each night. Light exercise every 2-3 hours to keep my body from seizing up (I just turned 30 and my body has decided 12 hour gaming sessions are no longer okay).
Everyone's body reacts differently. I've always done it this way for expansion launches and it's never been a problem. But then again I used to farm stuff In eq by sleeping 20 mins at a time and waking up for 2 mins to kill the mobs.
However you do it, just make that first session as long as possible!
The best thing i've found personally is taking a couple of hours to have a productive morning before you get started. Go for a long walk/shorter run, get showered, throw fresh clothes on, prepare a decent breakfast, then settle in for a 12 hour shift.
If you're a functioning adult, your mind may be ready to no-life the classic launch, but you body probably won't be. If you try to instantly switch from having a routine, moving, and generally having a life to waking up and sitting straight down at the PC for 14 hours, you will feel bad. Getting exercise and self-care tasks taken care of at the top of the day helps ease the greasy guilt many of us are likely to run into as a result of this somewhat drastic lifestyle switch.
If you're a functioning adult
I am one step ahead of you
I got to say, I love the mix of serious talk and goofy bullshit in this thread. Anyone else living in a legal marijuana area gonna stock up before launch?
Anyone else living in a legal marijuana area gonna stock up before launch?
So. Much. Envy.
Anyone else living in a legal marijuana area gonna stock up before launch?
So. Much. Envy.
Honestly, as someone that grew up smoking ditch weed, I still can't believe I can walk into a place and by a $20 pack of 10 half gram pre-rolleds.
I definitely thought this said "Lifting Tips" and I thought this was about to be an advancement of the '20 pushups/squats/crunches for every ding' leveling approach.
Kinda dissapointed, tbh.
So a one-week supply of Soylent and crystal meth. Got it.
Ah now the meth, I hadn't thought of that. Lot of sugar in energy drinks so meth saves you from that, although it may end up being worse for your teeth in the long run.
Seriously though I've tried doing 100% Soylent for a week, and by about day 5 you start day dreaming about solid food - it really gets to you.
I got some brownies in the freezer
I definitely thought this said "Lifting Tips" and I thought this was about to be an advancement of the '20 pushups/squats/crunches for every ding' leveling approach.
Kinda dissapointed, tbh.
I'm doing 30 minutes of hill training at every ding post-20 if it makes you feel any better :)
What's a reasonable amount of time to stay awake without ruining future play sessions? I'm taking a month off for classic but want to hit 60 within 2 weeks and I'm not sure how hard I want to (or can) push. I was thinking of playing for 24hrs on launch but I don't have any experience with sessions of that length. I've heard of people doing 72hrs on launch on pservers. What do you think about extended sessions on launch?
As someone who has done a lot of 24+ hour gaming/cocaine sessions you really don't need to push that hard. You can't really "catch up" on sleep, so when you wake up from the 8-12 snooze after the marathon, you'll still feel kind of shitty. I'd say you're better of planning for a very focused 16 hour session and then unwind and sleep for whatever amount of time your body decides.
Side note, is hitting 60 in 2 weeks realistic? I mean, I know it's possible, but is it really enjoyable that way? It took me a few months to hit 60 the first time.
Side note, is hitting 60 in 2 weeks realistic? I mean, I know it's possible, but is it really enjoyable that way? It took me a few months to hit 60 the first time.
In vanilla it took me ~6 months or so. I'm going to feel it out and might take a break partway through to smell the roses. I've been having fun working on lv1-20 speedruns and plan on working on my runs into the higher levels but I don't know if the fun will last after 150hrs /played!
1-20 speed runs sounds like an enjoyable way to pass a weekend. I might start doing that before Classic.
The most important part is that you have to play a very long session when the server launches (16 hours or so) then go for a walk (1hour) go to bed and then you main gametime should be around night time because less people play around that time.
After you hit levels were you can run Dungeons with BIS items or really got items you can start focusing the main gametime on Daytime