Conquering the Labyrinth

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I have been feeling unwell for a long time and have been struggling.
It is not an infectious disease or anything like that, but simply that I have had diarrhea, and it just won't go away.
To make matters worse, even though I am drinking water, I am becoming dehydrated.
I was determined not to let that happen this summer, so I avoided drinking anything from the refrigerator and only drank room-temperature water, but in the end, it didn't work out.
According to the doctor, I am not acclimating to the heat well.
He said that my autonomic nervous system cannot keep up with the temperature differences, which causes me to get chilled and leads to this condition.
I remembered that the diarrhea started when the temperature would fluctuate between 30°C and 23°C before it rained.
He told me that this is not something that can be controlled with medicine, so I should do exercises to regulate my autonomic nervous system rather than focusing on muscle strength.
I believe there are many experts on platforms like Note and YouTube, so I would like to learn from them.

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This has been a long introduction, but I enjoy watching game streams.
I especially like games with a strong story, but I am so bad at them that I get defeated immediately and cannot progress, so I have been enjoying watching others play instead.

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However, since I have been feeling unwell for so long and couldn't get anything done, I decided to try playing a game myself.
Games that require quick reflexes and fast judgment are difficult for me, so I tried playing an RPG.

It is a game where evil monsters are trying to bring disaster to the world, and you gather companions while gradually improving your combat skills to move forward.
It was a classic, and even someone as stubborn as me could understand the game mechanics.
Of course, I started on the easiest mode and made it partway through.

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I ended up getting stuck halfway through.
The dungeons (mazes) gradually became larger and more complex, and I simply couldn't find my way out.
Moreover, the mazes have various gimmicks, such as going up and down stairs, locked doors where you have to find the key in a different area, or switches in other areas that change the layout of the maze so you can pass through for the first time...
It is already easy to get lost, but while running around trying to solve the gimmicks, I would lose track of where I was and couldn't move forward.

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I felt pathetic, but I was frustrated, so I decided to try playing while taking notes.
It is difficult to draw such a large and complex maze on a big piece of paper.
So, at first, I tried using index cards.

I usually make a lot of scraps by cutting up the backs of documents I don't need, so I didn't need to buy or make anything special.
Then, I started taking notes using the following rules:

・Represent the path from the start to the junction using numbers and lines
・Write the continuation by matching the numbers (basically, assign higher numbers as you get further away)
・Do not use the same number unless it is to connect a route to a different piece of paper
・Represent stairs with a symbol like three lines, making sure to indicate whether they go up or down
・Assign labels like A, B, C to sections (upper floor, lower floor, different area, etc.) and write them along with the entrance/exit numbers.

I suppose you could think of it as a map of panels.
Specifically, it looks like this: if you exit to another area at 5, write A, then B.

Once I did that, I stopped getting lost even when I had to go back and forth to solve the gimmicks.
I was able to conquer the dungeon.
There was a dungeon where the numbered notes went up to about 80.
I guess that means there were about 60 to 70 junctions.
But I was able to clear it safely.

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I think this story must sound like a joke to people who don't get lost easily, people with a scientific background, or people who are good at games...
People with a scientific background probably think it's really stupid.
I talked about my uncle who has a brilliant scientific mind before,

but I am the exact opposite.
I truly think I am not very bright.
Or rather than not bright, I am extremely clumsy.

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But...
I realized that even with a complex and large maze, if I prepare many small pieces of paper and break it down into simple numbers, lines, and symbols to connect them, even someone like me, who is bad at spatial and visual information processing, can sometimes manage.
Also, there was one good thing.
Although I am still directionally challenged, I feel that my spatial information processing ability has improved just a little bit.
I am probably in the gray zone for developmental disabilities (though I have never been tested), and I am extremely bad at tidying up.
Because of this, it has become a little easier for me to tidy things up.
I think that is because I have gradually come to understand in what situations and areas I have difficulty integrating the world I perceive.

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It might also be influenced by the fact that I don't just play games, but also write scenarios and create voice dramas.
I have to be conscious of where a character is, how far away they are, what direction they are facing, and what posture they are in when speaking.
I need to write the scenario with those things in mind and provide direction to the voice actors.
Otherwise, it sounds like they are reading rather than acting.

I have learned from seniors in scenario writing and streaming, and I feel it myself, that even in voice acting without visuals, it makes a world of difference whether those things are consciously considered or not.
That might also be a big factor.
In any case, it is a happy thing to be able to do something I couldn't do before.

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Returning to the topic, when I watch streams, I find that gamers have amazing spatial information processing skills.
I played a 2D game, but routes in 3D games are even more difficult.
There are games where you are in a 3D labyrinth with no weapon settings, and you have to solve mysteries to move forward while desperately running away from enemies (though there are firecrackers to distract them).
Skilled players can find their way through even on their first playthrough while saying things like, 'I see...'
And if it's a game with sniping elements, they play while saying things like, 'Is there a gap around here... if I look from this angle...'
Since they are professionals (I often watch professional players), it might be natural, but I think it is truly amazing that they can find routes and gaps in such complex structures while talking in a way that keeps the viewers entertained.

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