StaceyPowers

When you were new to gaming (or a particular type of game), were there any silly, weird things you did as a completionist because you just didn’t know any better? For instance, when I first started playing open world RPGs, I tried to loot everything. Every single item.

I do not think there is one “best” medium for storytelling, but that each has strengths and weaknesses. But what I think video games do better than other mediums is create fast empathy between the player and the character they play. What aspects of storytelling do you think games do best?

Sometimes in games, one visits an area, then something happens that changes that area a bit (i.e. destruction), and then the game brings you back there. It is the same, yet different. I seem to find these situations more disorienting than visiting brand new locations. It is like there are two conflicting maps in my head at all times. Does anyone else experience the same?

What games are the hardest to learn/get into as a newbie? I seem to have the most trouble with games that involve building, i.e. Minecraft or No Man’s Sky.

While watching the Dragon Age: Origins end slides again the other night, I realized how weird it is that there is not a slide for every companion—or even most of them! Only two companions got slides. What other games are missing key ending slides?

I was laughing last night when I realized a DA: Origins DLC I replayed forgot completely to conclude the stories of the temporary party members. What are some other games that drop major plot points and provide no resolution?

TLOU, since you'd likely end up infected.

Anyone know the pricing?

How do you feel about the default audio balancing in most games you have played? Either I have really outdated speakers, am really bad at hearing dialogue, or I think default balancing is really bad. I am not sure which is the case.

What real life cities do you want to be featured as open world settings in video games? Why those particular cities? What features would make them compelling to explore?

Is there a game that mot people swear is pretty easy, but which you personally find to be hard?

The Last of Us: Part 1 remake is retailing at $70, with no discount for owners of previous versions of the game. How do you feel about this sort of thing? Even a nominal discount in situations like this would be nice, I think, to say thank-you to fans who have already long supported games.

What are your favorite trailers for games that are coming out later this year?

At first, I could not stand the loudness of my gaming laptop fan. But now I realize every time it “randomly” gets loud when I am not gaming, it is because stuff is updating. Now I actually appreciate knowing this, so I won’t overtax my system when updates are hogging resources.

Has anyone ever experienced such a bad crash/error/problem that your console ended up bricked?

Can it be white noise? If so, white noise and/or other unobtrusive ambiance that blocks the ringing in my ears. I'm not even sure what silence is. I always just hear the ringing.

There go all my potential replies =D

Sometimes I notice games release not long after their release dates are finally announced. I always find this weird. Why does this happen in development?

I was initially on the fence about the announcement of a TLOU “remake,” but now that I’ve seen the trailer and realize the game is essentially intact, but with graphics/etc. rebuilt, I am excited. I would love to see something like this with some older open world games like Skyrim or Oblivion. What games would you like to see receive similar “remakes”?

Does anyone else here have dissociative mental health issues? If so, does gaming help you? I realized the other day that I start dissociating almost immediately whenever I try to do something I want. Imagining doing something often feels more real than doing it. But since game worlds are sort of in-between, I can interact with them without dissociating, so they feel real and easy to connect with. Anyone else observe this?

Cold showers. When I'm working, I can't do that obviously, so I have a spray bottle to mist myself with. I also freeze damp towels and put them over my neck.

I don't think that's the issue so much as that certain demographics of actors may have been deliberately overlooked for parts in the past in favour of casting actors who may have been more acceptable to the normative culture. I think it's more about just not doing that anymore. Plus, I do think LGBTQAI+ actors sometimes may like taking parts that help them share their stories with the world and reach out to others in the community who may be looking for inspiration or visibility. I certainly don't complain about the talented Jennifer Hale being cast as Krem in DAI--so far as I know, a cis woman playing a trans man. But I was thrilled to see Ian Alexander cast as Lev in TLOU II.

Do you ever find yourself getting bored with violence in video games? In general, I would say I don’t, because I find violent video games a lot of fun. Shooters are among my favorite video game formats, and I don’t see that ever changing. But when I played A Plague Tale: Innocence, I realized how refreshing it was to play in a largely non-violent way, just because it provided a different perspective (i.e. seeing the world through the eyes of two largely vulnerable children) and different gameplay. What are your thoughts?

What are some games that feature trans actors playing trans characters? The only example I know is Ian Alexander playing Lev in TLOU II.

What do you consider to be the most annoying and problematic retcons in video game history?