StaceyPowers

Exactly. The best part is that the gaming gets my mind detached from my own life a bit, and I go to bed at a time when I am more tired. That means that I end up falling asleep earlier on average than I would if I had gone to bed earlier and laid there being anxious. It’s a win-win.

To my understanding, the Bioshock 1 DLCs are all “Challenge Rooms.” I hate puzzles (usually), but I love Bioshock. Is it worth it for me to buy them?

Who here is old enough to remember the olden days of gaming back before we could just look up playthrough videos on YouTube when we hit a wall in a game? I remember when devs would make you pay for official walkthrough guides if you needed help, lol. I’m really glad those days are over, but I admit I sometimes get nostalgic for such inconveniences … if you actually managed to beat a puzzle in a game that was plaguing all of your friends, you felt really accomplished.

@LadyDay Thanks for sharing your experiences with electroconvulsive therapy. I didn't even know that there was a modern version of it, so I was fascinated to read about it. As you said, I visualized One Flew Over the Cookoo's Nest, but I figured that must be out of date =D "Do you feel the same connection with your character in third person (like in Dragon Age) as you feel in first person games?" Interesting question. Actually ... yes. I feel third person is less immersive--I feel less like I am "there," and am periodically snapped out of the action by an annoyance like not being able to walk right up to something small and look right at it in the scenery. But does it make me feel less attached emotionally to my character? Not at all--even when I am playing a character that is pre-created with his own story (i.e. Joel in The Last of Us) rather than one made from scratch by me (i.e. Skyrim). TLOU manages third person much better than other games though, kind of keeping Joel out of the middle of the frame when you're shooting. I sometimes forget I'm in third person at all in that game. I heard someone mention once that they think third person is sometimes chosen for games where you are playing a set person, to seperate you from that person's motivations, so that you can play through decisions they make which you wouldn't. I thought that was an interesting analysis. That being said, when I played Bioshock Infinite, that's a game where you play a specific person (Booker DeWitt), but in first person. I was really glad that they didn't put it in third. I didn't want a sense of separation. I related to him fine anyway, and it was like having a dream where I was him. "It's somewhat old too, it's from 2012, so the system requirements are low enough for my current PC components " Lol, my computer runs almost nothing. Laptop, so no real graphics card. The only games I play on it are Quake III Arena and UT 2004.

lol, good answer.

I believe depriving a person of their freedom is already a harsh punishment, and that the main purpose for doing so should be for the safety of others, not for punishment or justice. Ideally, I'd prefer a system geared toward rehabilitation. I see no reason not to give prisoners video games, especially if they behave. In all frankness, a lot of the crap that goes on in prisons probably could be reduced if prisoners were not so bored to begin with.

I never heard of either of those. They look interesting.

Are there any video games that you got so frustrated or bored with that you quit in the middle and never came back?

In this thread, @kingpotato and I were talking about things we would like to see improved on in the next Elder Scrolls game, and we got to talking about how in Skyrim, you can't fight effectively on horseback, and your "warhorse" doesn't fight unless you dismount. How the devs didn't think to make your horse ... useful ... in combat, is beyond me. What are some stupidly obvious things developers have neglected in your favorite games?

I play a couple hours a night during a time when my brain isn't really good for work tasks, but refuses to go to sleep. It works out :)

I've actually found gaming is literally the best treatment for my OCD/anxiety :) If I play for 1-2 hours before bed, it's much easier to avoid racing thoughts and fall asleep. I'm curious to hear about your electroconvulsive therapy. What does it do, and what is it like? Dragon Age is in third person, but I've learned to live with that. The writing and character acting in the games is great. I've never heard of The Kingdoms of Amalur. Tell me more about it?

I have OCD and am likely on the spectrum as well, both of which feed into my executive function challenges. I picked up Oblivion, but haven't started it yet. I'll update you when I do. I've heard many people say they like it more than Skyrim. Other games I'm playing right now are the Dragon Age series, Red Dead Redemption, and Bioshock. Dragon Age is sort of a "mix" in this regard. The menus are ludicrously complicated ... but you can pause combat. And if you play it on casual, you can pretty much gloss over the technical details of tactics. Bioshock is entirely in real time, but when you die, you actually get some health and salts/eve back, so you almost are rewarded for dying, lol. This makes it low pressure. I love The Last of Us, but it can be a challenge when crafting during combat. So far, RDR is challenging to me too with respect to this stuff, but I'm enjoying it.

Are there any dull/repetitious/grind-y types of tasks in video games you particularly enjoy, despite the fact that they are probably considered “boring” by most gamers?

I prefer first person too--we have a lot in common with our preferences. With my own executive function problems, if I can't pause combat, there are so many situations where I die simply because I hit the wrong button (often it's muscle memory from a different game taking over). The option to pause combat prevents most of those episodes. Don't forget there are other Elder Scrolls games you can check out as well, btw, like Oblivion, etc.

Saw a reference to The Oregon trail on TV the other day, and all those memories came flooding back. Namely dying … and dying … and dying. That seriously was one of the hardest games ever, lol. Who here is old enough to remember playing that as a kid? Did you enjoy it, or did it also drive you crazy with frustration? It’s occurred to me that in its way, it actually laid quite a bit of important groundwork far beyond the educational sphere. I recall resource management being part of the game in a more elaborate fashion than was typical in those days. I imagine that a lot of devs called on that as inspiration while creating other games later.

So far I haven't found the bees nearly as effective as the crows. But this may be because there was an upgrade with the crows where you could turn dead bodies into crow traps, and no equivalent that I'm aware of with the bees. The bees also aren't sufficient to kill the splicers, but I remember the crows could often do in an enemy in Infinite by themselves.

Nice list. I agree it would be cool if there could be a combat system that goes beyond pointing and pushing a button over and over. And boss diversity (and enemy diversity in general) would be a big help. I can’t believe I didn’t think of mentioning that thing about fighting on horseback … it is beyond ridiculous that your horse won’t fight unless you’re off of its back, lol. It’s supposed to be a warhorse.

I recommend Fallout games for a couple of reasons. First of all, you said you love Skyrim, and playing Fallout is more or less the same overall experience, just in a different setting with a different mythology. Secondly, Fallout has a system for combat called "VATS." It's a little hard to describe, but basically, when you spot an enemy, you click on the VATS button (I think it's R2?), and combat pauses, and the game zooms in on your enemy. You can then select a body part to target, and you see the percentage likelihood of a hit. You select what you want, give your OK, and the game does the shooting for you. Since there is nothing "real time" about this, it's a great workaround for slow reaction times (and/or bad aim). In general, any game where you can pause combat (like Skyrim or Fallout) is a good option if you struggle with reaction times and multi-tasking. I have poor executive function skills myself, and these games are great for me. My favorite Fallout game is New Vegas. Obsidian developed it, and did an excellent job with the characters and factions.

I think the longest time it took me so far was like four hours for TLOU.

If I am enjoying the game, as long as possible. I'm one of those people who literally attempts to explore every square inch of any room I'm in. I don't like to rush through a good game. I like to stop and smell the roses.

What are some of your favorite lines which NPCs in videos say again and again? Here are some of mine: The guards in Skyrim: “Let me guess … someone stole your sweet roll!” Also, “All of that … shouting … is making people nervous!” Bioshock Infinite vending machines: “I appreciate a lady who appreciates VALUE!” One of the Bioshock 1 enemies upon killing the player: “He’s DEAD. Now will you SHUT … UP!” Please share some of your favorites!

What are some of your favorite games in terms of graphic design, typography, etc.? For example, I love looking at the advertisements in-game in Fallout and Bioshock. In fact, I literally spend a lot of time in these games just standing around and analyzing the details which make the design work so compelling to me. I’ve even looked up some of the real-world retro designs which inspired some of the designs in these games, and I’ve gotten to the point where I can identify and name a lot of the typefaces used in Bioshock. What graphic design and typography in games impresses you?

I was so excited when my kid brought home the mudcrab as his random pet.

I thought I would start a thread where you can ask other gamers if they remember the name of a game you recall playing, but don’t know the name of.

If you are a PlayStation gamer, what is the one feature which you are hoping for the most from the PS5? In my case, it is definitely backwards compatibility. I live in a very small house, and I don’t have room to pile up a bunch of old consoles. I refuse to give up my PS3 games, so I really kind of need the PS5 to let me play them in order to justify buying it. I just don’t have the space for both (which is why I never got a PS4).