Hi everyone. I am making this post as I am stepping away from the game.
For those who have known me for a while, you probably know I've been very active in this game and spent a lot of time ghosting, making tracks, writing the frhd timeline, etc. But in reality, since 2024, I have lost interest in "playing" the game. I barely ghost, have 5+ WIPs, but don't feel motivated to make tracks anymore. In my spare time in the last couple of years, I have just been writing about the history of the game or compiling useful content and media of the entire Free Rider series, as that seems to be the going trend atm, as it's clear Kano doesn't care about us anymore. And I enjoy doing this stuff. It makes finding information really easy, all major sources for games are in one location, and learn a lot about the game's past life.
I'm studying science in university atm, and I've always had a soft spot for geography and history, and I feel my purpose in this game is being a part of preserving the history of this game in one way or another. The reason I am stepping away from the game is that I have lost interest in proper gaming. I've grown up without a PC and a major console (I have a Wii, but that serves as nostalgia), so I've spent hundreds, thousands of hours on niche games like FRHD and Tanki Online that I can easily play on my laptop. I also love playing Minecraft, but now it's gotten to a stage where I don't have fun playing these games, as it's too much of the same going on, nothing new.
I procrastinate way too much, and I spend a lot of my time digesting information from a variety of subjects and watching a lot of YouTube videos. With me not prioritising university, I've gone from being book smart to someone who is overly informed and knows a lot of random facts and information. And I'm only now realising I can't let this happen, it's ruining my grades in uni, I don't spend enough time doing uni work and just toss it aside, which is bad. I also recently got a job, so that may have switched something in my head. I am turning 20 this year, which is a scary age for me; my uni degree is only 3-4 years, and I'm almost halfway through it with no idea of the path I want to take in life.
My habits are silently ruining me, and the only reason I cope is that everything I do is so routine and second nature to me, I don't know better or worse. I have an amazing friend group, but I don't see them enough during the week, and I almost feel pressured to try and make new friends in university or elsewhere to fill that void during the week, as I really only see my friends once or twice a week, mainly on Friday nights. I struggle to make new friends, only because I never have the drive to make friendships with new people. I can spark a conversation with almost anyone, but for some reason, I find it weird when I want to know them a bit more and possibly become friends, so I don't go further than peers or my athletics training mates. Now imagine how hard it will be to get a girlfriend (when I want to try and get one) if I continue this ambivert behaviour.
My friends have expressed how much potential I have looks-wise, and told me my curly/wavy hair is perfect to try another haircut and that I should go to the gym more, as I'm already lean and fit from athletics, working with my dad, genetics, and the small workouts I do every once in a while. Their words have inspired me to focus on self-improvement so I can be happy with myself in the mirror, be the best version of myself, and feel stronger/more confident in my body when sprinting or just in my everyday life. In the past, I have promised myself to cut off habits, but after 1 week, I fall right back into them. This time around, I won't let that happen. And to make sure of that, I've made a weekly calendar with my uni classes, work shifts, training sessions, personal workouts, study periods at home, leisure at home, time with friends and most importantly, fixing my sleep schedule, as for the past year, I've found myself going to bed at 1 am quite regularly when I never have to wake up really early most of the time.
With all that being said, I am going to focus on the real world more than the online world. A lot of people atm are stepping away from the game in some way, and I believe, for now, it is my time to do that too. I won't be active in the Discord server as much anymore. I may just decide not to talk in it at all, as I mainly find myself these days checking Discord for new messages in the major servers I'm in and don't bother to chat, which is a sign of habit. I will check forums and the Discord from time to time, and in my spare time, I will continue working on my side projects in the game.
I don't know when I will play this game properly again, if ever, but I will still be here in some way, silently working in the background. It would mean a lot to me if you guys check out some of my work, as I've made them for the community's benefit and interest. Feel free to catch up with me or ask questions here or on discord. This community is very unique, and I'm not ready to leave just yet, but I feel now is the best time for me to focus on the important things in life. I've set myself some goals, and I am determined to reach them.
So, that's that. See ya guys around
- TPlacella
Free Rider Archive (my website)
FRHD Timeline 2013-2026 (current version)
FRHD Timeline (new version, still a WIP, special thanks to
Protvod for the help with this)
Discord: Mr.Phoenix (tomo385)
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