StaceyPowers

What games do you think were most revolutionary when they came out, changing the way that developers made games in the future? Half-Life springs to mind immediately for me. When I played that game, I was really blown away by the fact that the game play and the narrative were so well woven together. I don’t remember that really being a common feature of FPS games before that.

When I play games, I like that they pull me out of my own head and make me question my assumptions. But usually it is in small ways. But I do remember that Myst on PC back in the day was pretty much what got me interested as a kid in physics and metaphysics (the concept of multiple worlds blew my young mind). It also was in large part what got me into writing. Have ever played any games that really changed your life in some way?

What is the best MMO you have ever played, past or present? And what is your favorite current MMO? The best for me was an old MUD (which still exists, I believe) called Aetolia. It had a lot of problems, but at the time, the community was quite tight-knit. I haven’t gotten into today’s big MMOs because I’ve heard the level of actual RP in them is typically lacking (and interaction in general). Anyway, I’m curious to hear what you all look for in MMOs and which are your favorites.

What’s the best deal you ever got on one or more games, whether it was from a store or you got it directly from another person? In my case, it was $60 for a used PS3 and like a dozen random games. I really miss that neighbour =D

I often have trouble in games where I’m not allowed to save at will. When I know I have to do everything right to make it through a prolonged fight, it is more likely I will screw it up and have to start all over. I mess up because of performance anxiety. Anyone have tips for beating this? So far all I’ve come up with is to tell myself to be super patient, take it slow (when applicable), and pretend that it’s real life.

Who are some of your favourite voice actors in video games? I could name a lot of people here, but most recently I've enjoyed Claudia Black as Morrigan in Dragon Age.

I'm currently playing The Pitt DLC for Fallout 3 for the first time, and I really like it. The ambiance of the city is awesome, and I am in love with the Steelyard area. Aside from the cool atmosphere, I've realized it's because it features so much vertical space, and there is a general lack of that in a lot of Bethesda dungeons. It makes for a nice change--and in general, I really like vertical play in other games as well, like many of the maps for UT 2004 (yes, I play very old games). Do you enjoy maps with a strong vertical component? Any games to suggest which feature a lot of that?

Nice choice! I don't know why I didn't think of Whiterun :)

I recently wrapped up my first playthrough of Dragon Age: Origins. I’m about to start on the expansion pack. I’ve seen a lot of critics say that Origins is the best title, but I know people who love 2 and 3 as well. Which Dragon Age game is your favourite, and why? Please try and keep spoilers to a minimum since I’ve obviously not played most of them.

If you had to live in any city or town in Skyrim in real life, which would you choose and why? I think I would pick Solitude as the all-around nicest city in terms of quality of life, etc. But I’d be tempted to live in Riften even with its problems just to be surrounded by the scenery in the Rift.

This is sort of a follow-up to @Scottypops 's post regarding the lack of variety in enemies in large open world games. Does anyone find the lack of variety in quests equally annoying? I swear like 70-80% of the quests in most open world games come down to "fetch me a bucket" (or book, or weapon, or etc.). Fetch quests are okay, but they are quite monotonous after a while.

Welcome to VGR!

Good call. Myst is very difficult. I did play through the whole game, but I had to check the walk-through manual on multiple occasions. Probably still the most atmospheric game I ever played. I really miss it sometimes.

I do know what you mean. Perfect example being Skyrim. I love it, but there's never any concern of failure whatsoever (except via glitches).

For me, I’d probably say it was my brief attempt at Demon’s Souls. But then, I’m also tempted only half-jokingly to say it was The Oregon Trail (for those who can remember that).

Such a great quest reward too.

Dark Souls seems cool to me on a conceptual level. I like the idea of learning from your mistakes and optimizing your strategies until you succeed. But in practice, it just drives me crazy. I get so much performance anxiety knowing that if I screw up I’ll have to start over, and then of course I screw up. What’s the appeal of all that pressure? Or is it just another gaming style or personality that finds Dark Souls approachable?

So many times when I’m looking online for tips on some section of a game, I see someone else mention it took them “a few hours” when it takes me closer to “many hours.” Maybe some people are just hyper-efficient, but it seems like a lot of folks rush through games. I like to take my time and see and do all I can. I’m sad when a game is over. Where do you weigh in?

When No Man's Sky came out, lots of gamers declared it was a terrible letdown--to the point where I think a lot of gamers since have acknowledged that it wasn't a bad game--it just failed to live up to the hype. What games have you been most let down by in terms of expectations versus reality?

Is anyone here a completionist? If so, which activities in which games drive you crazy? For me, my biggest annoyance is the catacombs in some of the Skyrim dungeons. They’re just packed with stuff to loot, and my OCD drives me nuts if I don’t loot every single corpse or urn.

Which games have you done the most play-throughs on? Which ones offered the most reward/value on those repeat plays?

What do you think is the best FPS game which has ever been made? Why?

I’ve seen mixed opinions on the radiant quests in Skyrim, i.e. the Thieves’ guild jobs to rob a random target. Some people love them since there is always something to do, while others hate them because they leave them with a sense that something is permanently incomplete (plus, they are repetitious). I don’t find them fascinating, but I do enjoy them. I also think in the future, quests which are procedurally generated like this could become more complex. What are your thoughts?

What to you was the most satisfying ending in any video game you've played?

How do you feel about sex in video games? I'm not a prude by any stretch, and I have absolutely nothing against it in a moral sense. I also have zero issues with video game nudity. But video game sex tends to be mega-awkward, lol, especially when someone walks into the room right in the middle of a cheesy "love" scene. I often feel relieved when I'm playing games that decided to leave out sex altogether, just so I don't have to sit through the awkward, fumbling CG characters trying to get their digital groove on. Where do you weigh in on the issue?