Hey, I will answer the two questions then mentioned something I think I've mentioned but not to such a technical degree and it might help you.
I play games a lot, it is one of my main hobbies, but lately I've been playing less, I have a feeling that most games released in the last few years are not as good as some older ones, and I don't think this is bias because often I played some of these older games later, I think it makes sense with how the gaming industry getting bigger and more mainstream.
I like a lot of games, my favorite game ever is DARK SOULS, the original first, it is such an unique gaming experience that is really a rollercoaster, but not really a fun one depending on who you are, and it is a game that takes effort, but it truly is a journey, and it is very well made! I think it has the best map design and such I've seen in a game, ever! which is sad, because DARK SOULS II is not as good, and while DARK SOULS III is good, I have a few technical issues running it, but from the looks I got at it, it lost a bit of the magic the first game had, with the atmosphere, game design, the progression and general vibe, then there are the new FROMSOFTWARE games I don't really run, and I'd rather play their older releases like King's Field games, because often they were more focused on exploration, and the mix of the exploration and combat with the atmosphere and journey is DARK SOULS, it is a great game I think.
I really like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim because of it's exploration as well and in general the atmosphere and world is good, then we have stuff like Minecraft which you probably know about, DEADBOLT is an indie game I really like but you probably wouldn't dig it, but I do and I think the gameplay itself is very good but also other things like the soundtrack which you definely would not like, also I like games like Hotline Miami that are also... indie? if you can call it that?
But there are countless games I like, from obscure flash games like Caravaneer 2 and the Submachine series, to weird games like Exanima, roguelikes like FTL: Faster than Light, to the Metal Gear series, to even some very popular games, and of course, the older Final Fantasy games and Chrono trigger, but you know what I think is actually better than these two? MARDEK Chapter 3, maybe not in the pure "art is virtuosistic expression" and all, but I think MARDEK often is just more to my taste in gameplay, there is often more build diversity and often more freedom, my dream and something I might make is a game that is a JRPG but is truly open, like the sorts of Skyrim and DARK SOULS, and not like the open world shitty modern games that actually are not truly open world, I'm talking about exploration, the key component of open world games in my opinion.
Also I think MARDEK Chapter 3 has really good combat mechanics that I enjoy more than the ones of the older Final Fantasy games for example, how you can build your characters in your own ways and prepare for the bosses and such is really cool, because it feels deeper than these other games, and it can even be harder at times, which I enjoy, I enjoy hard games (after all, DARK SOULS is my favorite game of all time), and before you think this is only a nostalgia thing, I played chapter 3 many years after chapter 2, I actually believed MARDEK was just forgotten and discontinued and I found it by chance, most people prefer Chapter 2 because of nostalgia and I agree, but I think that a game like Chapter 3 is actually very, very solid gameplay wise, the rest you might disagree since you don't think it is as deep as your current projects, and I don't disagree to an extent (I think the sorta metacomentary on how... funny things are like, Aeropolis and like typical beliefs like the Goznor tavern dialogue and all of that sort of thing... I find it oddly deep if you stop and ponder a decent amount about?)
I have an issue with games however, to an extent I like to compare them to movies, while there are the deep like movies by Terrence Malick about like life and deeper subjects, there are fun action movies like Marvel ones, and to each their own, but I don't think I've ever played a game I felt like was deep, one that moved me in ways that are not just emotional like a sad story, one that made me ponder, actually I think DEADBOLT has a bit of this if you beat the game and understand the... lore? or one's interpretation of it? and DARK SOULS also has this with interesting topics even, like "going hollow" and "seeking the sun" in a world that is dying and such, it is actually rather deeper, but other games? nah.
I also used to play a lot of like, MOBAs but they are suffering long term, and are just an industry made to milk people deep down, most notably League of Legends, fuck that game, DOTA 2 is a good game but the genre and style has a few issues that makes it often just miserable to play.
2 - I myself am not very social, it is because I find it very hard to relate to people, I really have a hard time relating and to an extent even respecting those I think are too different, while I often can understand them, I cannot emotionally relate to them, and often I just dislike people.
I used to have more real life friends, currently I only have two, one I'd call a real friend, and another I just do activities with, it is very hard to meet people after high school, university might be a place but considering the nature of my country and a few other things... I doubt it, but that is where I am going anyway.
I have two Discord servers, actually three but one is very inactive, one is for people of my country I met over the years, some from childhood I met on the internet, friends of almost 10 years, while few, two guys I met in highschool and some randoms I met in the internet, in total, like 4 active members? with a total of like 6?
And an english language server with people from all around the world, I met while in game communities I enjoy, which is funny, most of them are from flash game communities, and I enjoy that server, the different types of people and their beliefs, there is a fair share of more like progressive leftwingers, with some rightwing conservatives, people who are religious but also atheists and those who are agaisnt religion, people who are rather normal and like, do the typical things, do drugs (alcohol is one), meanwhile there are also those with aspergers who have not left their house in a very long time.
And it all flows well because when I consider inviting someone I met to that server, I make a poll in case that person is known to check if maybe there is a big red flag (like a Turkish guy who was extremely racist and wanted to murder people from Syria and also believed gays should die and he was in general very stupid and could not justify any of his beliefs with anything other than gibberish), and well, I check how open minded the person is, because I really hate those with set views of the world who won't stop and ponder and change them, because turns out maybe everything one knows is well, wrong!
And I really like that server, it is where I talk the most, I also talk a rather decent amount with my parents, I do like them quite a lot, I am not socially awkward or anything in real life but just quiet and I don't really like people and have no idea of how to meet those with interests similar to mine, if there are any... at all.
I hate public Discords and ones for games, I think there are a lot of people I consider stupid, ignorant, and just immature in them, so I try to avoid them, but often that is how I meet people, I just try not to be that active in them, also I really hate Discord moderation standards and general "Discord culture" if I could call it that, also I hate Discord as a company but this goes much deeper, but their product is good, but a public Discord is good propaganda and it is a good place to get opinions and discuss sometimes... SOMETIMES, it greatly depends on the game, something like Factorio has an amazing community, but some other games oh man...
Discord does not really have an algorithm however, it is just like any chat box, it could be MSN or Whatsapp or whatever, it is just what people want to do.
Anyway, I want to write another comment refering to a few things you mention, like your lack of motivation for playing games, trauma from FigHunter and related.
I play games a lot, it is one of my main hobbies, but lately I've been playing less, I have a feeling that most games released in the last few years are not as good as some older ones, and I don't think this is bias because often I played some of these older games later, I think it makes sense with how the gaming industry getting bigger and more mainstream.
I like a lot of games, my favorite game ever is DARK SOULS, the original first, it is such an unique gaming experience that is really a rollercoaster, but not really a fun one depending on who you are, and it is a game that takes effort, but it truly is a journey, and it is very well made! I think it has the best map design and such I've seen in a game, ever! which is sad, because DARK SOULS II is not as good, and while DARK SOULS III is good, I have a few technical issues running it, but from the looks I got at it, it lost a bit of the magic the first game had, with the atmosphere, game design, the progression and general vibe, then there are the new FROMSOFTWARE games I don't really run, and I'd rather play their older releases like King's Field games, because often they were more focused on exploration, and the mix of the exploration and combat with the atmosphere and journey is DARK SOULS, it is a great game I think.
I really like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim because of it's exploration as well and in general the atmosphere and world is good, then we have stuff like Minecraft which you probably know about, DEADBOLT is an indie game I really like but you probably wouldn't dig it, but I do and I think the gameplay itself is very good but also other things like the soundtrack which you definely would not like, also I like games like Hotline Miami that are also... indie? if you can call it that?
But there are countless games I like, from obscure flash games like Caravaneer 2 and the Submachine series, to weird games like Exanima, roguelikes like FTL: Faster than Light, to the Metal Gear series, to even some very popular games, and of course, the older Final Fantasy games and Chrono trigger, but you know what I think is actually better than these two? MARDEK Chapter 3, maybe not in the pure "art is virtuosistic expression" and all, but I think MARDEK often is just more to my taste in gameplay, there is often more build diversity and often more freedom, my dream and something I might make is a game that is a JRPG but is truly open, like the sorts of Skyrim and DARK SOULS, and not like the open world shitty modern games that actually are not truly open world, I'm talking about exploration, the key component of open world games in my opinion.
Also I think MARDEK Chapter 3 has really good combat mechanics that I enjoy more than the ones of the older Final Fantasy games for example, how you can build your characters in your own ways and prepare for the bosses and such is really cool, because it feels deeper than these other games, and it can even be harder at times, which I enjoy, I enjoy hard games (after all, DARK SOULS is my favorite game of all time), and before you think this is only a nostalgia thing, I played chapter 3 many years after chapter 2, I actually believed MARDEK was just forgotten and discontinued and I found it by chance, most people prefer Chapter 2 because of nostalgia and I agree, but I think that a game like Chapter 3 is actually very, very solid gameplay wise, the rest you might disagree since you don't think it is as deep as your current projects, and I don't disagree to an extent (I think the sorta metacomentary on how... funny things are like, Aeropolis and like typical beliefs like the Goznor tavern dialogue and all of that sort of thing... I find it oddly deep if you stop and ponder a decent amount about?)
I have an issue with games however, to an extent I like to compare them to movies, while there are the deep like movies by Terrence Malick about like life and deeper subjects, there are fun action movies like Marvel ones, and to each their own, but I don't think I've ever played a game I felt like was deep, one that moved me in ways that are not just emotional like a sad story, one that made me ponder, actually I think DEADBOLT has a bit of this if you beat the game and understand the... lore? or one's interpretation of it? and DARK SOULS also has this with interesting topics even, like "going hollow" and "seeking the sun" in a world that is dying and such, it is actually rather deeper, but other games? nah.
I also used to play a lot of like, MOBAs but they are suffering long term, and are just an industry made to milk people deep down, most notably League of Legends, fuck that game, DOTA 2 is a good game but the genre and style has a few issues that makes it often just miserable to play.
2 - I myself am not very social, it is because I find it very hard to relate to people, I really have a hard time relating and to an extent even respecting those I think are too different, while I often can understand them, I cannot emotionally relate to them, and often I just dislike people.
I used to have more real life friends, currently I only have two, one I'd call a real friend, and another I just do activities with, it is very hard to meet people after high school, university might be a place but considering the nature of my country and a few other things... I doubt it, but that is where I am going anyway.
I have two Discord servers, actually three but one is very inactive, one is for people of my country I met over the years, some from childhood I met on the internet, friends of almost 10 years, while few, two guys I met in highschool and some randoms I met in the internet, in total, like 4 active members? with a total of like 6?
And an english language server with people from all around the world, I met while in game communities I enjoy, which is funny, most of them are from flash game communities, and I enjoy that server, the different types of people and their beliefs, there is a fair share of more like progressive leftwingers, with some rightwing conservatives, people who are religious but also atheists and those who are agaisnt religion, people who are rather normal and like, do the typical things, do drugs (alcohol is one), meanwhile there are also those with aspergers who have not left their house in a very long time.
And it all flows well because when I consider inviting someone I met to that server, I make a poll in case that person is known to check if maybe there is a big red flag (like a Turkish guy who was extremely racist and wanted to murder people from Syria and also believed gays should die and he was in general very stupid and could not justify any of his beliefs with anything other than gibberish), and well, I check how open minded the person is, because I really hate those with set views of the world who won't stop and ponder and change them, because turns out maybe everything one knows is well, wrong!
And I really like that server, it is where I talk the most, I also talk a rather decent amount with my parents, I do like them quite a lot, I am not socially awkward or anything in real life but just quiet and I don't really like people and have no idea of how to meet those with interests similar to mine, if there are any... at all.
I hate public Discords and ones for games, I think there are a lot of people I consider stupid, ignorant, and just immature in them, so I try to avoid them, but often that is how I meet people, I just try not to be that active in them, also I really hate Discord moderation standards and general "Discord culture" if I could call it that, also I hate Discord as a company but this goes much deeper, but their product is good, but a public Discord is good propaganda and it is a good place to get opinions and discuss sometimes... SOMETIMES, it greatly depends on the game, something like Factorio has an amazing community, but some other games oh man...
Discord does not really have an algorithm however, it is just like any chat box, it could be MSN or Whatsapp or whatever, it is just what people want to do.
Anyway, I want to write another comment refering to a few things you mention, like your lack of motivation for playing games, trauma from FigHunter and related.