# FPS and Motion Sickness



## Sarn Darkholm (Dec 1, 2007)

For those of you who actually know me IRL, you know that I do not particularly like FPS games.  That is mainly because they give me motion sickness.  Hell the N64 port of Doom was so bad in that regard that I couldn't play it for more than 15 minutes before throwing up.  So it comes to no surprise that I am wary of Shooters.  I never finished the original Half-Life, it wasn't as bad as Doom 64, and I could play it for almost an entire hour before losing my lunch (or whatever meal I just eaten) I picked up Halo originally because I felt obligated to buy it since when I first got my original xbox, it was hailed as the only decent game for the system at the time.  I enjoyed it and quickly bought Halo 2 when it was released.  Those games funny enough did not make me sick.  I have yet to pick up Halo 3.
F.E.A.R was good in the respect that it had a few nice scares, but overall it was pretty bland.  I traded it in without even getting halfway through.  One of my favorite shooters was Gears of War.  Nice and well lit, realistic textures and awesome sound design and play mechanics.  I played that game all the way through.  In fact I need to get a new copy of it.

I recently picked up The Orange Box.  Having never of finished Half-Life 1, and never even playing Half-Life 2, I was kinda wary at first, given my predisposition for motion sickness, but 5 games for 1, I couldn't resist.  This is a fantastic set of games.  Half-Life 2 is great, almost no motion sickness (after 3 hours continuous play only the slightest nausea.)  I only played a little bit of Portal, but just like everyone else, I am amazed.  I haven't tried TF2, but I will get to it eventually.  I want to finish HL2 and Ep 1 & 2 first.

Anyway, does anyone else have a problem with motion sickness when playing these types of games?  If so, is there something I can do to lessen the effects, or get rid of it all together?


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## DavidN (Dec 1, 2007)

Apparently, even Hideo Kojima has said that he gets 3D-sickness, so it's nothing to be embarrassed about... I'm not sure of how to remove it, though. It's almost the opposite of motion sickness - your eyes tell you that you're moving but your balance sense says that you aren't, rather than the other way round.

I don't experience it myself, but my stomach sometimes drops when I go over a large drop in FPSes. (And my wife laughs at me because I unconsciously move my head around along with the Redeemer missiles in UT.)

I wonder, if your 3D-sickness seems to have been toned down recently, if it was the bobbing of the viewport that did it - Doom's view bob is enormously exaggerated compared to more recent games.


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## Sarn Darkholm (Dec 1, 2007)

DavidN said:
			
		

> I wonder, if your 3D-sickness seems to have been toned down recently, if it was the bobbing of the viewport that did it - Doom's view bob is enormously exaggerated compared to more recent games.



It could be.  In Star Wars Dark Forces for PS1, the head bob feature made me sick, that game had the option to turn it off, and doing so made it better but the sickness was still there.


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## Digitalpotato (Dec 1, 2007)

I've never really heard of FPSes giving people motion sickness, but then again I read on bumpy dirt roads without getting sick.


Personally, FPSes give me carpal tunnel and make my thumb start to go numb. Man I would give that stupid Plasma Sword to have a Lock-on in Halo 2...


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## Bokracroc (Dec 1, 2007)

Digitalpotato said:
			
		

> I've never really heard of FPSes giving people motion sickness,



It's not that rare.
I found the apex of it was around the older 2.5D games or with games like Decent or Forsaken. Once actual 3D games hit it was increasingly rare.

I used to get motion sickness while playing Doom when I was 8-9.


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## pinkplushii (Dec 1, 2007)

I don't feel sick while playing it myself, but watching other people play I start feeling sick.


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## ShÃ nwÃ ng (Dec 2, 2007)

I actually used to get headaches when I first played Metroid Prime some years back. The HUD lag really set things off and the visor gave me tunnel vision. Haven't had a problem since playing though.


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## Rostam The Grey (Dec 2, 2007)

I thought my wife was BSing me years ago when she told me a game was making her sick. But now I realize it's a fairly common problem. Something about FPS. But not anything else or third person. I love them, but I don't get any kind of motion sickness even in really bad waves or park rides.


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## Quaidis (Dec 2, 2007)

Most 3d games (not just FPS's), make me ill.  I have motion-sickness to an extreme when it comes to games.  However I've learned through history what prevents it and what causes it.  Please consider these:

Does the character bob up and down when he/she/it moves?

Does the bg constantly move around while you're playing?

Does the bg stay stationary until you start moving around (and then doesn't stop moving)?

Is the bg heavily pixelated?

Are there low lights in the game?

Are you in first person or a very close third person (either right over the shoulder or right behind)?

Do you have to play a while between saves?

Is the camera motion jerky?

Does the camera spaz out in enclosed places or wander?

Is this a game where you have to constantly focus on the scenery to move on?

Is the camera and movements so fast paced that you have a hard time keeping up with it?

Does the game control vibrate near constantly?

Does the game have bright, gaudy, or flashing colors?


If you answered yes to any of these, then that's why you're experiencing the motion sickness.  At the same time, the following can prevent it in a 3d situation: A still, moderately or highly detailed bg; a smooth control scheme; a moderate-paced game; a map in the corner to keep your eyes on if you get dizzy (DarkCloud2 had one and it was very useful); a game with a decent color job that's not overly bright or overly dark; the character does not bob up and down; you have the option to zoom out from a character if you're too close to it; a stable camera that does not jerk around (Kingdom Hearts had that problem); scenery with a more open feel and not constantly closed in; a game where you can either turn off the vibration controls or they're not ridiculously reactive to everything; and lastly only play for 30 minutes to an hour at a time.  If you feel ill while playing, stop immediately and relax your head, step outside to take a breather, etc.  

To further prevent motion sickness, sit a few feet from the television, or across the room if the tele is huge.  Play with the lights on.  Eat or drink something while you're playing (which will distract your mind, believe it or not).  Never get yourself into a situation where you're stuck on the sidelines watching your friend play.  There are also two pills you can take up to 30 minutes before a game time to prevent it: Dramamine and ginger pills.  Both work well, but must be taken with food.  Dramamine or a spin off of it will also make you drowsy, but there are less drowsy, more expensive versions out there now.



Lastly, I found that playing with the Wii actually reduced my motion sickness by a ton.  I was able to play through Metroid Prime and Zelda: Twilight Princess and only got dizzy once per game.  Both times were while the game was in an enclosed area and I found it was also because I was sitting back like a lumpy vegetable instead of sitting forward.  The Wiimote is, of course, designed to get you off your ass or at least sitting forwards and moving your arms around, which does reduce motion sickness by a large percentage.  Once again, playing with the lights on and sitting far from the television are also important key factors.


If you do end up getting horribly motionsick to the point of vomiting (which I found myself in the position of) the best thing to do is get a glass of water, take some head ache medicine, and lay down in a dark room for 30 minutes.


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## Rhainor (Dec 2, 2007)

I've heard of it, but I don't have the problem myself.


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## umdie80weiss (Dec 2, 2007)

? I never heard of that in germany . I know many people playing fps over 12 non stop . But i really never heard of that. Maybe i know only hardcore gamerz .


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## Sarn Darkholm (Dec 2, 2007)

Third person games don't make me sick, which is why I prefer them.


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## crabby_the_frog (Dec 2, 2007)

I don't generally have a problem with games causing it, although recently I've been getting headaches playing WoW on my 30" screen, but that's understandable. When you play lots of games like DDR, Guitar Hero, Amplitude and Frequency, and others where things pass by the screen very quickly, you get used to it I guess...


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## PyroVulpine (Dec 2, 2007)

The only game that has ever given me motion sickness was the original Descent. I generally find that the higher resolution the game is run in, the less likely I am to feel any effects of motion sickness. Another thing I find that helps is placing a lamp or something behind your TV/monitor to light up everything around the screen, without causing any glare on the screen itself.


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## Kyouryuu (Dec 2, 2007)

The only game that made me feel momentarily dizzy was F-Zero.  That was back when fancy Mode 7 rotation stuff was new and it was pretty disorientating at those speeds.  Today, I get nauseous if I play the DS, PSP, or read in a moving car.  I've never lost my lunch over it, but I do feel rather icky.

I don't remember from where I heard it, but I know that Valve put a ton of work into alleviating motion sickness in HL2, especially with the vehicles.  The player character really doesn't sway around that much, ostensibly unlike in Doom.


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## Magica (Dec 2, 2007)

I'm not much into FPS for the same reason. A non-FPS that got me the worse would have to be the Spyro series.

Other games such as the 3d Mario, Sonic, Shadow, or Zelda I do at first then eventually get used to them.


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## Quaidis (Dec 2, 2007)

I'll have to agree, the Spyro series, specially the first one, made me ill the most.  Which is surprising because Ratchet and Clank (made by the same people) I'm mutually fine with if I don't push myself.  The first Doom game also made me very sick, as well as the Tenchu series.  And the latter is vile in prospect because I absolutely love the Tenchu series.


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## Armaetus (Dec 3, 2007)

I can't believe people would actually get sick from playing games... :roll:


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## Bokracroc (Dec 5, 2007)

Like they choose to feel sick, stupid fool. Why is it hard to believe?


> Motion sickness occurs when the inner ear, the eyes, and other areas of the body that detect motion send unexpected or conflicting messages to the brain. One part of your balance-sensing system (your inner ear, vision, and sensory nerves that help you keep your balance) may indicate that your body is moving, while the other parts do not sense motion.





> People can feel sick from the motion in cars, airplanes, trains, amusement park rides, or on boats or ships. Motion sickness is sometimes called airsickness or seasickness. *Video games, flight simulators, and looking through a microscope also can cause motion sickness. In these cases, the eyes see motion, but the body does not sense it.*


http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/motion-sickness-topic-overview
http://www.loonygames.com/content/1.2/feat/index2.php


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## kitetsu (Dec 5, 2007)

mrchris said:
			
		

> I can't believe people would actually get sick from playing games... :roll:



Try playing Alien Trilogy in PS1. Got me dizzy faster than Epidemic, also on PS1.

These days, i play FPSs with a "no bullshit" attitude -- No fucking around, just finish my job, and pick up some stuff along the way. Hide, charge, kill, repeat. Now if only the Wii port of Call of Duty 3 didn't have bullshit lag issues on the wiimote...


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## Hybrid Project Alpha (Dec 5, 2007)

Doom 64 isn't a port


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## Sukebepanda (Dec 11, 2007)

I remember playing classic Doom, Duke Nukem, and Descent, all of which made me incredibly motion sick (and still do) At first I thought it was just because of the older '3d' system, but it seems I get motion sickness even with new titles. 

I haven't found a good method to prevent motion sickness with games, but taking short breaks or laying your head back with your eyes close for a few minutes can help a little. Also I've found playing on an empty stomach can help increase motion sickness. I don't just get this with FPS games though, even some RPG's have made me a little sick, just depends on their control mechanisms :<


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## Rilvor (Dec 11, 2007)

For some reason Wolfenstein on the X-Box gave me a terrible headache, made me feel like shit in general. Very dizzy @.@


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## ShÃ nwÃ ng (Dec 11, 2007)

Sukebepanda said:
			
		

> Descent



OH GOD DESCENT! 360 degrees of pure "motionage."


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## Rouge2 (Dec 11, 2007)

I don't get Motion Sickness.

I was playing Metroid Prime for hours and never got Motion Sickness.


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## Ron Overdrive (Dec 11, 2007)

I can't say I've ever been motion sick from playing FPS games. I think the only one that came close was Descent. I normally love to play games like Unreal Tournament and Half-life 2. I'm gonna ask for UT3 for xmas this year since its the first FPS game in a while I wanted.


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## Armaetus (Dec 12, 2007)

Hybrid Project Alpha said:
			
		

> Doom 64 isn't a port



There is a complete recreation on one of the PC Doom source ports.


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## Sarn Darkholm (Dec 13, 2007)

Hybrid Project Alpha said:
			
		

> Doom 64 isn't a port



And this matters to the subject of the thread why...


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## Twitchtail (Dec 19, 2007)

I've never gotten motion suick by playing a game, but I know a couple of people who do. Hell, my mum cant play certain games without feeling sick.


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## Magica (Dec 27, 2007)

I got Super Mario Galaxy for Christmas, and I've noticed how a few levels give me a headache and slight nausea after a while to where I have to take a break from it.


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## erroshadowpaw (Dec 27, 2007)

on a few occasions I have had a sudden wave of nausea after playing a game for some time, but its usually pretty even across game genres, from fps, racing, rps, or whatever. The only game I can name right off that I could not sit for more than 10 minutes to play was UT'04. The only thing that we could think of was that the aspect ration sometimes got weird on the machine I was using for it, but every time i got into it for more than a couple minutes Id have to run outside for some fresh air, it just made me fell all sorts of screwed up.


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## BloodYoshi (Dec 27, 2007)

Man, if you can't take an FPS, you'd DIE playing a combat flight simulator.


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## Twitchtail (Dec 27, 2007)

Haha ohhhh yeah got that right. My mum cant even stand to be in the same room when I'm playing Ace Combat lol.


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## Bokracroc (Dec 28, 2007)

No, I think he means the full size, massive combat flight simulators the Military use for training (Did you really think they let them just do some theory, read some books then chuck them in a real plane/helicopter?)


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## Twitchtail (Dec 28, 2007)

Lol yeah those would mess you up. And yeah of course I know about military sims, my dad was in the air force for twenty years and my bro is training to be a chopper pilot in the army.


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## Bokracroc (Dec 28, 2007)

I'd love to have one of them but I don't know were I could fit it in the house


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## Twitchtail (Dec 29, 2007)

House? If you wanted one you'd prolly have to _sell _your house just to afford it.


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