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Lightheadedness, Nausea while playing Borderlands?

66 posts · originally from https://geek.digit.in/community/threads/lightheadedness-nausea-while-playing-borderlands.142644/

funkysourav
funkysourav Original post #1
Jun 20, 2011 at 3:30 PM
Hi guys
I just want to know
does anyone else feel lightheadedness/nausea while playing Borderlands?
i cant even play it more than half an hour without straining my eyes:(

i tried a fix
WillowGame.ini said:
[WillowGame.WillowPawn]
bWeaponBob=false
Bob=0.000
but it doesn't help at all

just want to know if anyone else is facing this issue, is the game at fault here or is it just me? (time to visit the Doc?)

its just this singular game thats making me feel sick
no other game made me feel this way:???:
Zangetsu
Jun 20, 2011 at 3:35 PM
buddy u need some rest :zzzz:.... :meditate:
Faun
Faun #3
Jun 20, 2011 at 3:54 PM
It's just you.
thetechfreak
Jun 20, 2011 at 3:56 PM
Read the disclaimer notices in the CD pack. You cant blame them.

Take rest and dont use a PC for 2 days
Zangetsu
Jun 20, 2011 at 4:21 PM
@funkysourav: if it increases then u will feel this even while playing Minesweeper
asingh
asingh #6
Jun 20, 2011 at 4:23 PM
A nice read. Outdated, but makes sense.

The Daleisphere — Video Game-induced Nausea, Dizziness and Headaches
nims11
nims11 #7
Jun 20, 2011 at 4:49 PM
i feel this way when playing wolf 3d
funkysourav
Jun 20, 2011 at 5:30 PM
A nice read. Outdated, but makes sense.

The Daleisphere — Video Game-induced Nausea, Dizziness and Headaches

Thanks for the informative link Asingh
it details my situation under
Dizziness Caused by First Person Bobbing While Walking

also to add to it, i feel the center of field of view has been aggressively put forward as compared to other FPS games
as i have had no problems playing Unreal series, Crysis series or Half life series

the feeling is like my head tries to overcompensate for the excessive turning and or bobbing effect which is resulting in this
here's a person with similar case
Anyone else get headaches from Borderlands? - Giant Bomb
a quick googling shows that a significant size of gamers experiencing nausea while playing Borderlands, even if they do play tons of other FPSes and never faced the problem before
berderlands headbobbing - Google Search
soumo27
soumo27 #9
Jun 20, 2011 at 5:46 PM
I felt the same way when I played Max Payne, many years back for a continuous stretch of 8/10 hours,.. :(
gameranand
Jun 20, 2011 at 5:48 PM
Oh boy....I have played that game 6 to 7 hours straight never faced the problem....you need to get rest and play game in shorter interval don't go for long session. :)
Tejas.Gupta
Jun 20, 2011 at 5:54 PM
I felt the same when i played "Doom" for the first time for an Hour !
It was such a sick game !
N
noob #12
Jun 20, 2011 at 7:52 PM
stay away from PC for 2 days...close game after 1 or 1.5 hour and take rest for 1 hour again...

try to play in short sessions and take rest
JojoTheDragon
Jun 20, 2011 at 8:23 PM
Happened to me while playing HL games. Just ditch the game and take a break.
comp@ddict
Jun 20, 2011 at 8:30 PM
It's the FOV, I've answered this in TE.
Piyush
Piyush #15
Jun 20, 2011 at 9:01 PM
@sourav
check your PM
funkysourav
Jun 20, 2011 at 9:28 PM
comp@ddict said:
it's the FOV, it's meddling with your head dude. It happens, you aren't losing your head or eyes (eye strain confirms it's the FOV that's hurting you)

I feel this way in EVERY Unreal Engine 3 based game, hence "AVOID" (not ME though)
thanks for the clarification Comp@ddict,
its the FOV you're right
i just played 2 hours of Darksiders and an hour of Far Cry2 without any problems
i guess i will have to ditch this game, but i wil give it one last chance with the FOV adjuster trick and/or the Third Person view unlock

if it doesn't work, so long Borderlands (and will keep a suspicious eye on UE3 games)

anyway will take a 2-3 day break from gaming, don't wanna hurt my eyes

@piyush
thanks for the PM buddy, answered :)
gameranand
Jun 20, 2011 at 10:03 PM
Yeah you do that. Eyes are more important than gaming. And also if you are facing problem with a particular game you can always play other games. :) :p
Ethan_Hunt
Jun 20, 2011 at 11:05 PM
Never experienced anything like that. We have played this game for 5 hours at stretch, but never felt nauseous. In fact, I have completed it around 3 times now. The only game which made me (almost) nauseous was Mirror's Edge.
vamsi_krishna
Jun 20, 2011 at 11:32 PM
I have had.. this problem while playing Fear(1), Prey, Half Life. I got of with half life by adjusting bob effect with some console commands. Rest of them gave me a hard time. Almost felt like vomiting my guts out. Interesting thing is.. all three of these games takes place mostly in closed, congested places.

Never had an issue with Borderlands though.
tkin
tkin #20
Jun 20, 2011 at 11:43 PM
I have had.. this problem while playing Fear(1), Prey, Half Life. I got of with half life by adjusting bob effect with some console commands. Rest of them gave me a hard time. Almost felt like vomiting my guts out. Interesting thing is.. all three of these games takes place mostly in closed, congested places.

Never had an issue with Borderlands though.
I felt this exact issues with Portal 2(for some reason), never felt it with metro 2033(so its not claustrophobia).

I feel this issue very much if I do not find my way in a video game and go to the same place over and over again in circles, soon after a few runs I feel nausea, start to sweat and get a massive headache, I sweat even if I have ac turned on, I used to think this has something to do with refresh rate and frame rate but I feel them occasionally if I lose my way, psychological issue? Maybe mukherjee can answer.

Maybe head bob as pointed by vamsi? But didn't get it with FEAR 2, in crysis with max hud bob(100%) I never felt it, very weird.

PS: I remember a lot of users said they felt nausea and dizziness due to FOVs in game, that's why a lot of users try to madly fix the FOV in games, borderlands being one of them, yes I believe that's it, its the FOV, our eyes cannot compensate for the abnormal FOV in games.

@ funky: Experiment with FOV, I bet its the FOV.


Update: Its answered above by comp@ddict, sorry, missed it.
asingh
asingh #21
Jun 20, 2011 at 11:47 PM
Never had any problemo with any game. And I only play FPS/TPS.
vamsi_krishna
Jun 20, 2011 at 11:50 PM
IMO, BoB is the culprit. Devs try to emulate realism by making the camera go up and down while walking. couple this with fast mouse moments, closed environments and a bad stomach. And we got our answer.

@tkin,

Exactly. I will get this damn thing.. If I lost my way... and moving here and there like a lost puppy.
gameranand
Jun 21, 2011 at 8:16 AM
Well in many games I do sweat even though the temp is not high but never got any other problems. Mostly I sweat when I get too intense in the game and playing for like 6-7 hours straight and well its my family members who see that I am sweating I never felt a thing but when they say hey why are you sweating then I kept wondering myself and finally blame it on the game. :))
axes2t2
axes2t2 #24
Jun 21, 2011 at 9:18 AM
After every two hour's look out your window at a far away point for a few secs.

Works for me,always.
Piyush
Piyush #25
Jun 21, 2011 at 10:29 AM
After every two hour's look out your window at a far away point for a few secs.

Works for me,always.

+1
it relaxes our eyes and hence our brain
looking at big green trees also do wonders
it is a fact that looking at natural "green" color relaxes our mind

i look at a big Neem tree touching my balcony(3rd floor)
so it is big
vamsi_krishna
Jun 21, 2011 at 12:21 PM
^ No.. you are not getting the point. Given the time and place.. it may strike even after 5 mins of play. (happened to me)

Staring at a greenery after every 5 mins. is not a solution. Ditching the game is.
DarkDante
DarkDante #27
Jun 21, 2011 at 4:49 PM
well damn, i THINK im feeling a headache after reading these messages.. anyways, Take rest for a bout 2-3 days and then try playing, if it still isnt helping the situation, then well, no idea..
Alok
Alok #28
Jun 21, 2011 at 8:59 PM
Well i had never faced such thing.
But my parents always warns me of similar things when they see me on my pc or mobile above 5 hours.
But i'll take care in future cause without my eyes no graphics card values.
funkysourav
Jun 22, 2011 at 12:55 PM
TRying to mess around with the settings in borderlands
got a nice tweak tool from gearbox forums, but the damn thing failed to change the FOV and 3rd person view
However it did reduce the black outlines and some other settings
No lightheadedness now :)

now i have to enable the third person view and change key bindings using the tutorial
hope this works
vamsi_krishna
Jun 22, 2011 at 1:39 PM
Dear Kidney stone folks... Continue the discussion here.

*www.thinkdigit.com/forum/community-discussions/142761-drinking-water-kidney-stones.html
doomgiver
doomgiver #31
Jun 22, 2011 at 2:03 PM
i get the same symptoms while watching my brother play games (i usually dont get them when im playing myself, only while watching the games as a viewer)

i almost always get sick when watching soldier of fortune 2, igi, and nfs carbon.
gameranand
Jun 22, 2011 at 8:51 PM
doomgiver said:
i get the same symptoms while watching my brother play games (i usually dont get them when im playing myself, only while watching the games as a viewer)

i almost always get sick when watching soldier of fortune 2, igi, and nfs carbon.
Don't let him play any game ever. You health is more important. :)):D:D
doomgiver
doomgiver #33
Jun 22, 2011 at 10:20 PM
it hits within a few seconds. i was surprised the first time, i thought i had played too much and had a headache, lol.

only a few games do this, and its not the gore, im sure.
tkin
tkin #34
Jun 22, 2011 at 10:44 PM
i get the same symptoms while watching my brother play games (i usually dont get them when im playing myself, only while watching the games as a viewer)

i almost always get sick when watching soldier of fortune 2, igi, and nfs carbon.
I have a theory for that, when you are playing games you know which route you are taking, you can predict the movements, but when somebody plays it you have no idea about the next step, you end up looking in opposite direction to where the person is going, your mind can not cope with it and you get nausea and headache.
axes2t2
axes2t2 #35
Jun 22, 2011 at 11:19 PM
Do this after playing for a while



Like a boss

Oh and I hate motion blur in games.
tkin
tkin #36
Jun 22, 2011 at 11:19 PM
^^ROFL.
gameranand
Jun 22, 2011 at 11:43 PM
LOL......What a dance. :D:D:rofl::rofl:
cyborg47
cyborg47 #38
Jun 23, 2011 at 1:25 AM
Wow! I thought it was just me who had problem with borderlands. Though I didnt have any serious problems like you did, but it just didnt feel right. I mean, I never had any kinda problem (except for once, with age of mythology and myself to blame for playing nonstop, coz of which I fell down unconciously :p ) but stopped playing borderlands.

Anyway, do some yoga and eat carrots everyday, that would help :D
doomgiver
doomgiver #39
Jun 23, 2011 at 3:20 PM
I have a theory for that, when you are playing games you know which route you are taking, you can predict the movements, but when somebody plays it you have no idea about the next step, you end up looking in opposite direction to where the person is going, your mind can not cope with it and you get nausea and headache.

that is deep stuff, man, really deep, i mean, even Leo will have to go deeper to understand it.

it kinda makes sense, the brain likes order and harmony(???)
Faun
Faun #40
Jun 23, 2011 at 7:15 PM
^^disregard order and harmony. Chaos theory here.
funkysourav
Jun 23, 2011 at 8:24 PM
I have a theory for that, when you are playing games you know which route you are taking, you can predict the movements, but when somebody plays it you have no idea about the next step, you end up looking in opposite direction to where the person is going, your mind can not cope with it and you get nausea and headache.

my theory exactly
i felt the same when i was first initiated to FPS games by Quake 3 Arena in 2004
it took me a day to adjust my mind

the mind plays an important role in the immersiveness of the games
and when the immersion is incomplete due to some factors, the mind cant cope up

i think another reason for my problem is the
Mouse smoothing(disabling helped)
my monitor is 3 1/2 feet away from me (so the focus of the intended FOV was at a distance of 1-2 feet from my eyes) decreasing the distance helped too
cel-shaded graphics (disabled it)

in the process of making it a third person shooter with some tweaks i found over the net
Skud
Skud #42
Jun 23, 2011 at 8:54 PM
Even I suffer from the same problem. Actually, it is this reason my venture with Portal lasted just 10 minutes and I never came back. Half Life 2 was a bit lengthier but never get completed. But never faced the same with Crysis, FEAR and Max Payne.

@vamsi_krishna: you are right, it can happen very quickly and nothing to do with rest and all.

Thanks sourav for raising the issue. Also I couldn't get the cause of the problem and the probable remedy. So can anybody please clarify?
gameranand
Jun 23, 2011 at 9:35 PM
Just played Borderlands Co-Op for like 3 hours straight just to check if I have the problem also...Looks like I am immune to this at least in this game. :))
tkin
tkin #44
Jun 23, 2011 at 11:31 PM
Just played Borderlands Co-Op for like 3 hours straight just to check if I have the problem also...Looks like I am immune to this at least in this game. :))
I finished it 3 times, no issues till now.
asingh
asingh #45
Jun 24, 2011 at 12:10 AM
Real MEN do not get dizzy and nauseated while play FPS.
:)
tkin
tkin #46
Jun 24, 2011 at 12:16 AM
Real MEN do not get dizzy and nauseated while play FPS.
:)
In soviet russia ............

oh hell, you all know the rest :lol:
funkysourav
Jun 24, 2011 at 9:18 AM
Real MEN do not get dizzy and nauseated while play FPS.
:)

Mard ko Dard Nahi Hota?
something like that? :lol:

on the contrary i think
Real men aren't afraid to reveal their weaknesses and shortcomings
funkysourav
Jun 24, 2011 at 9:27 PM
mission successful
Borderlands has been converted to a Third Person Role Playing Shooter :D
the Borderlands Config Tool 2.14 did its work beautifully
adjusted the FOV to 101 (default 70)
everything is Freakin fine now

p.s.
i can post screenies if requested
didn't post it now ' cause i am a lil bit busy
if anyone is interested to get the BCT 2.14 PM me i will send it via email (very small file 500kb)
tkin
tkin #50
Jun 24, 2011 at 10:32 PM
Good for you, enjoy borderlands.
funkysourav
Jun 25, 2011 at 10:49 AM
dang, i cant take screenies using PrintScreen :ashamed:
will Fraps work?

sorry i didn't post the pics earlier, was busy studying Curve SketchinG :D
asingh
asingh #53
Jun 25, 2011 at 11:06 AM
Fraps works.
Faun
Faun #54
Jun 25, 2011 at 11:08 AM
@funky

wut ? Why so PrintScreen ?
Fraps or if you have MSI card then afterburner has a utility for that. Or use steam client to take screenshots.
marvelousprashant
Jun 25, 2011 at 12:13 PM
As I am a medical student I can suggest not to play games for more than 2 hours without a break. In immersive FPS games blood supply to fingers in increased for increased responsiveness. In a way that compromises the blood supply to brain. For hardcore gamers : pause the game after 1-2 hours, walk a little (5-10m) have some water and sugar, wash your eyes and then go back Aim for the HEADSHOT
Faun
Faun #56
Jun 25, 2011 at 12:58 PM
^^Sugar is bad IMO.
doomgiver
doomgiver #57
Jun 25, 2011 at 2:31 PM
As I am a medical student I can suggest not to play games for more than 2 hours without a break. In immersive FPS games blood supply to fingers in increased for increased responsiveness. In a way that compromises the blood supply to brain. For hardcore gamers : pause the game after 1-2 hours, walk a little (5-10m) have some water and sugar, wash your eyes and then go back Aim for the HEADSHOT

how much blood is diverted? 1 litre?

the only blood being diverted in my body is from my bum. cant feel it.
marvelousprashant
Jun 25, 2011 at 5:25 PM
how much blood is diverted? 1 litre?

the only blood being diverted in my body is from my bum. cant feel it.

It is diverted from all parts of the body. It is not that 1l or 2l. Vessels of the hands dilate causing an increased blood flow there.
doomgiver
doomgiver #59
Jun 25, 2011 at 7:26 PM
tell me, how large are the blood vessels of your hands? are they so big that they drain most of the blood away from the brain?

in this way, you can argue that sprinting makes the blood go from the brain to the legs. if thats the case, then the drain must be much larger coz [size of legs] >>> [size of hands]
so, sprinting is worse than gaming wrt blood flow to brain.


im sorry, i dont buy that reasoning.
funkysourav
Jun 25, 2011 at 7:27 PM
Okay Guys here are some of the pics
sorry couldn't post them earlier
*thumbnails52.imagebam.com/13799/bff0a2137981786.jpg *thumbnails39.imagebam.com/13799/316f8e137982450.jpg *thumbnails48.imagebam.com/13799/10e006137982492.jpg *thumbnails34.imagebam.com/13799/98cff4137982520.jpg

here's a screenie of the config tool
*thumbnails48.imagebam.com/13799/76952c137983239.jpg
gameranand
Jun 25, 2011 at 7:41 PM
marvelousprashant said:
As I am a medical student I can suggest not to play games for more than 2 hours without a break. In immersive FPS games blood supply to fingers in increased for increased responsiveness. In a way that compromises the blood supply to brain. For hardcore gamers : pause the game after 1-2 hours, walk a little (5-10m) have some water and sugar, wash your eyes and then go back Aim for the HEADSHOT
So what exactly would happen if I play for like 6-7 hours straight???
doomgiver
doomgiver #62
Jun 25, 2011 at 8:12 PM
drop dead due to awesomeness, maybe.

prolly you will have to be dragged screaming to the dinner table.
mitraark
mitraark #63
Jun 25, 2011 at 8:44 PM
One should atleast look the other way for few seconds every 1 hour , just to rest the eyes.. maybe get up to grab the bottle of water. I do it to prevent a sore butt :(
doomgiver
doomgiver #64
Jun 25, 2011 at 9:13 PM
no.1 problem of hardcore gamer : numbbutt.
i have a nice foam pad that adjusts to my bum, so that i am comfy for long computer sessions(on the downside, it gets warm, and i have to flip it over after a few hours of use)
axes2t2
axes2t2 #65
Jun 25, 2011 at 9:44 PM
I sit on those plastic chairs which you find at many weddings/functions :(
doomgiver
doomgiver #66
Jun 25, 2011 at 10:09 PM
nothing is more important than your bum while gaming.

otherwise you will be twisting and squirming while i calmly headshot you across the street