Well, it depends. Usually I'll look at a FAQ when either I'm hopelessly stuck in one place for hours, or I just want to get the game over with and want to speed through. I'll also look at FAQs after I beat a game to see what I missed and sometimes I'll follow a FAQ through the second time to get all the secrets. For a game like Harvest Moon: AWL, there are just so many things to do, I find that it'll take much too long to do without a FAQ, or worse, I won't be able to do everthing before the game ends. I try to ration myself... I only look at what people like and how to get secret items. For these simulation type games, I usually don't feel as bad when I look at a FAQ because they usually last a really long time and I probably won't get a second playthrough, so I want to do everything I can my first go.