Keeping Perspective

I don't know about everyone else here, but i've been encountering quite a few players in this game who take it WAY too seriously. You've probably come across them - decisions you make with them or against them get spun into seemingly life-changing events. Communication turns into armistice treaties or seriously angry, jilted threats of vile and revenge.
I know the deal - I've been through the grind in the first couple of weeks with the game:
You spend roughly a week obsessing over the minutiae of your empire and alliances - weaving strategies and tactics to dominate the map. ... only to get screwed over by some backstabbing @$$hole who ends up messing up your overall ranking...
Ive been there - Subterfuge replacing a lot of time I'd reserved for social media but instead of posting photos of my kids and dog, Ive gotten way to tense about and terse with people attached to odd usernames - even postponing making coffee in the morning to check/update my active games! (Gasp!)
It really comes down to this:
IT'S. JUST. A. GAME.
I don't know when this seemingly obvious realization came to me, but it's definitely made things more enjoyable.
My factories, generators, mines and subs aren't going to influence any international global power balance in the world. Nor are the allies and adversaries I meet going to any continue as relationships outside of the game world.
We are playing a game. Period.
There's no need for drama or heightened negative emotions. If someone "betrays" you, takes your outpost or even kills your queen, there's no need to get angry, petty or hostile. They just took advantage of a situation in the game. whatever, lesson learned, good on the. Move on.
I know the deal - I've been through the grind in the first couple of weeks with the game:
You spend roughly a week obsessing over the minutiae of your empire and alliances - weaving strategies and tactics to dominate the map. ... only to get screwed over by some backstabbing @$$hole who ends up messing up your overall ranking...
Ive been there - Subterfuge replacing a lot of time I'd reserved for social media but instead of posting photos of my kids and dog, Ive gotten way to tense about and terse with people attached to odd usernames - even postponing making coffee in the morning to check/update my active games! (Gasp!)
It really comes down to this:
IT'S. JUST. A. GAME.
I don't know when this seemingly obvious realization came to me, but it's definitely made things more enjoyable.
My factories, generators, mines and subs aren't going to influence any international global power balance in the world. Nor are the allies and adversaries I meet going to any continue as relationships outside of the game world.
We are playing a game. Period.
There's no need for drama or heightened negative emotions. If someone "betrays" you, takes your outpost or even kills your queen, there's no need to get angry, petty or hostile. They just took advantage of a situation in the game. whatever, lesson learned, good on the. Move on.