StaceyPowers

@DylanC Dogmeat!!! I actually found he stayed alive better than some of my other companions, like Charon. I also love Meeko and Vigilance in Skyrim, and …. Er, Barbas, in a way. He’s such a pain, but I can’t bring myself to get rid of him.

So, I was watching someone else playing Skyrim at one point, and I saw him go inside a cave which then had like this “outdoor” area inside, kind of like a courtyard, but naturally-formed, with lots of greenery. It had a really pleasant “garden-like” vibe to it, and lots of light and open space. For the life of me though, I can’t find it. I have no clue where to look. Any ideas? He doesn’t remember its name or location.

I’m in agreement that the Big Daddies are awesome! At the same time, I have a hard time thinking of them as “enemies,” so much as just something I’m “forced to kill.” If anything, I tend to see them as unfortunate victims. The entire time I’m shooting, I’m apologizing all over myself. And then when the Little Sisters start blubbering over “Mr. Bubbles …” I am in such a rush to click “Rescue,” lol.

I agree with @kingpotato. I too played violent video games at a young age, and wasn't affected adversely in any way. I think it depends more on a child's personality and maturity level than their age. So different ages for different kids. Hopefully their parents know them well enough to make sensible choices.

Any delightfully ridiculous stories you'd like to share?

In that case, Bioshock Infinite, lol. I mean, it literally rewards you with free health and salts when you die. Sometimes my strategy was just to get myself shot.

Even though graphic quality obviously has been lower for 1, I’m still pretty impressed with it considering its age. The art is beautiful, regardless. Almost done now. I think I’m about to proceed to the final battle.

@skyfire Me too on the survival game thing, i.e. the "tense gameplay" I mentioned, I guess. Sometimes that fits under general shooting, but often having to lurk in the shadows and bide my time is more tense.

I always wondered if that game was any good.

On what setting? Quite a few games are almost effortless on casual/normal modes =D

After debating this cause I don't like gaming as much on my PC, I ended up downloading it after all. Silt striders!

I'm really glad that we're mostly on the same page with regards to this.

What is your favorite open world? I don’t mean your favorite open world game, specifically. I mean the actual world itself in terms of the lore and the environment. What makes it extra well-developed and interesting to you?

When No Man’s Sky came out, I remember everyone got so down about it. Since then, I’ve heard lots of people say it’s actually a pretty awesome game in many respects, but the over-hyping made it a disappointment compared to unrealistic expectations. I still have not played it, but I want to. What are some other games that suffered from that kind of over-hyping?

Did you play The Forsworn Conspiracy quest yet? That convinced me to take their side, which was reinforced when I read The Bear of Markarth (which also shed a lot of light on Ulfric). Plus, there is the fact that the spriggans are hostile to all but them. Seems to me that nature’s vote is cast for them as well. Their permanent aggro thing drives me nuts. I see it as an artifact of the fact that the devs must’ve thought, “Let’s put something other than regular bandits here. We’ll just have angry natives instead!” Total agreement on their fashion sense. I’ve read that technically, it is (or was, in some era) usually accepted military custom that if you wear the uniform of a particular army and act in its name, you are considered a member by foreign powers. So I dress like a Forsworn and do all in their name =D @LadyDay

There were halfhearted attempts to stop us from playing Doom and related titles, but thankfully those were cases where parental attempts at censorship somehow failed (rather surprising, as it was overall quite an oppressive household).

Any and all things Bioshock. I don't shut up about it online or offline.

A game that was a game-changer for me when I was a kid was Myst. First of all, it was ridiculously atmospheric and creepy, and the environments really drew me in. But I also loved the story, and it was what got me interested in cosmology and metaphysics and the concept of a multiverse. I’d say it was among my first all-out obsessions growing up. It was all I thought and talked about for like a year.

That is so exciting! I trust your opinion on games :)

I used to be a very dedicated MMO player, and the community I was a part of was very close-knit and a core part of my life. Most multiplayer games don't offer that though, and I also don't have the time to invest in it. I am looking to relax and disconnect and recharge at the end of the day too, so single player games currently are more useful for me.

In general, no. I grudgingly use some TV streaming services, but I would rather just buy the shows I like. Many streaming shows aren't purchasable at all, and it's easy to imagine gaming going the same direction. I like to own things.

I'm the last person to know how to answer that, since I'm in total agreement with you 100%. I wish that we didn't live in such a culture of obsolescence.

Sweet. I've got Oblivion waiting for me in my pile of recent acquisitions, but haven't gotten around to starting it yet. I'm excited though. I love walking to the south border in Skyrim and knowing that where the road cuts off on the other side, in Oblivion I'll be able to walk on that same road in Cyrodil.

@DylanC Oops, that failed to occur to me. Well, I'm glad you won last time, and it's the thought that counts. You continue to be awesome!

When I start playing a video game, the experience is usually really impersonal for me for a long period of time (sometimes indefinitely). The game interests me and I enjoy it, but it doesn’t affect me in any particular way. But then sometimes, there is a magical moment where the game suddenly feels real to me, and I care about it emotionally, and I feel invested in the characters and outcomes. Usually, I’ve noticed that these factors play into getting emotionally invested in a game for me: -Black and white issues which bother me personally (i.e. bigotry) -Decision-making in morally gray areas -Issues of free will -Tense game play -Followers with interesting stories and goals -Being able to make an improvement in the game world or take responsibility for something (i.e. build a house, improve a city) What gets you emotionally involved in a game?