StaceyPowers

Adulthood.

Never. But if I have to pick, 40! More life experience/wisdom to make for better parenting, more financial stability, etc.

I pick languages. That way the kid can get different life perspectives and form their own ethical values based on inputs from diverse individuals and cultures.

I love this topic! Mistaking NPCs for real players in MMOs.

I'm not sure it's that simple. I say this as someone who uses video games to manage my anxiety. They help in ways my other hobbies do not. I have OCD, which means my brain compulsively fixates on its anxiety-inducing obsessive thoughts. The task/reward-based nature of video games seems to hijack my compulsions and steer them instead toward the game. I do not get this effect from writing, crafting, or outdoor hobbies. My OCD also keeps me awake at night. But the dreamlike quality of video game exploration facilitates a smoother transition into actual sleep/dreaming as well, and this also seems unique.

What characters in video games did you want to learn more about? Not necessarily having them more involved in the game they appeared in—but wanting access to more backstory on them, or even seeing them featured in a spin-off.

I feel like the only way I survive about 50% of difficulty spikes in Bioware games is to take advantage of loopholes in fight designs or even bugs. While this makes me feel incompetent, the spikes are so ridiculous I don’t feel that bad about it. Still, I am surprised how often I do this. Does anyone else find you frequently exploit flaws to beat hard fights in games?

When I used to play MUDs a long time ago, taking even a week out of a game could mean falling hopelessly behind. Even a short break could cost one a lot of one’s relevance in the game world. I always have wondered what the consequences of taking breaks from large, popular MMOs are. Are they that dramatic? Or do you just miss some stuff and then get right back to whatever you were doing before?

One of my friends the other day mentioned taking a break from ESO subscription and thus not playing at all for now. I asked her about this, as I thought ESO is free after the initial payment. She explained that it is, but due to paid crafting (I think?) features, so many things break without the optional sub she’s paid for that her existing character would be borderline unplayable. I wondered how common situations like these are with freemium games. Have you ever ended up relying so much on optional paid features in a game that you didn’t feel you could play without them?

Who are some of the most all-out evil/unsympathetic characters in video games? While replaying Dragon Age: Origins last night, I was thinking Branka falls into this category.

That is great! Did you order it? I so hear you on that. Though with my back and neck problems, the couch actually is better for me than a chair at the computer. I think @URGAMERTAGSUCKS probably wanted feedback on real life shipping times, but I'm not sure. I just hope everyone gets theirs soon so we can get more feedback about the product!

What pet from any video game would you most want to be your pet IRL? I might pick Dogmeat from Fallout 3.

Are there any technical specs that were irrelevant to you in the past, but you learned to care about? Like, I used to not care about frame-rate at all. But now that I’ve been spoiled by the higher frame-rate on PS5, PS3 games look so jerky to me.

I’ve been having an issue where The Outer Worlds on PS5 sometimes freezes when I try to save. If I wait a really long time, it often un-sticks and then I can save. I thought the issue was specific to that game, but I’ve been having a similar problem with Skyrim the past few days, also on PS5. It is making me wonder if it is a system-wide problem. Anyone know anything about this? Hopefully it is just a coincidence, and it is the games themselves, not the console.

Great voice acting can add to a game tremendously. But do you feel bad voice acting is a major detractor? Does it distract you a lot, or can you usually ignore it?

When you play an open world game, when do you usually try to complete the main quest line (assuming you can keep playing the game after it is done)? Do you do it early on, and then do most of the other quests after it? Do you finish it up somewhere in the middle? Do you try and complete the main quest line after wrapping up everything else?

Hey, how have you been? And that's awesome! Can't wait to hear what you think of it. Do you have any other tips for saving wrists while gaming? My job entails a ton of typing, so my wrists are also fragile. Usually I put soft braces on if they get strained. Yes, this product is great for keeping cords in order! Is there anything else that helps you manage your cats' fascination with your cords? One of mine is a relentless cord-chewer.

I haven't had a laptop last longer than 4 years since the very first one I ever got way back in the mists of time. Consoles on the other hand seem to have very long lifespans. Their value over time is excellent.

I feel like it has just about every feature you could ask for! Do you think you might get one? Yes, I think this is a way more ergonomic setup than trying to cobble something together for work at home. Did you talk to your dad about it? What did he think? I wish he'd tell us if he got it already.

The Outer Worlds has a thing where if you activate a companion ability, it triggers a fleeting cutscene. I find it more entertaining than disruptive. What other games have this?

That is hilarious.

What games do you feel have the most uplifting messages? I think I could say most games I have played have been at least somewhat uplifting (linear games especially), but the ones that stand out the most to me in this area are the Mass Effect series.

If you are playing an open world game, do you usually try to methodically do a bunch of quests in a small geographic area before proceeding to the next, or do you instead distribute quests in specific areas evenly across time and do more running back and forth? I notice I bunch the quests together, almost like I am playing a linear game. I think I do this sometimes because it makes more logical sense to me from an immersion standpoint. I also believe it just helps me keep track of what I am doing. It’s ironic though.

Do you closely follow news about gaming conventions and events?

In another thread, @Reality vs Adventure mentioned that collecting items can break immersion. I've noticed this too, but it is not the only reason item collection annoys me. It also plays to my OCD, and can result in annoying completionist episodes where I want to move forward, but feel stuck until I finish collecting. Sometimes I am relieved to end up in areas or situations where item collection is impossible. Does anyone else think games simply feature too much item collection?