StaceyPowers

What is the most photorealistic game you have played?

Is there a quest in any video game where you consistently take the opposing side from your own? As an example, in Skyrim, I always rescue the Stormcloak soldier from the Thalmor, even though I am always an Imperial (my reason is that I figure the Thalmor are mutual enemies).

For mods that aren’t designed to be overtly humorous or surreal, do you get annoyed if they do not fit in some way with the internal consistency of the game world as you see it?

Just started playing remastered Skyrim for the first time. Everything is nice and crisp, but the lighting actually bothers me—it feels like it is full of “glare.” Can anyone recommend a mod to improve it (for PS4/PS5)?

She's avoiding spoilers partly for my benefit, and I appreciate it.

Brilliant, I think you are spot on.

Isn't that what life is, though? I realize there are many approaches to happiness, but i don't mind finding it in things external to me. It makes me more vulnerable, but not necessarily more fragile--if anything, it is the extra kick in the pants I need to fight for what I love to last--or go find something new to love if it doesn't. So, anti-fragile 🙂

What are some tedious situations you’ve gotten into in open world games? For example, in Oblivion, I got kicked out of the mages’ guild, then had to get vampire dust to get back in. I then caught vampirism, and had to talk to the mages’ guild person about finding a cure. But he would not talk to me until I got all the dust.

A lot of video games include themes that promote more awareness of prejudice. But do you think that people can learn to be more tolerant from playing games? I think in some cases, some people probably do question their assumptions and beliefs when exposed to different ideas in games. But other people are not going to open their minds regardless of what they play.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-54954622 From the article: “Prof Andrew Przybylski, who led the study, said he was surprised by the results. "If you play Animal Crossing for four hours a day, every single day, you're likely to say you feel significantly happier than someone who doesn't," he said.”

https://www.studyfinds.org/video-games-career-success/ “A new survey polled 2,000 Americans about the biggest lessons they’ve learned from video games and discovered 47 percent say gaming prepared them for success.” I can confirm that gaming did help prepare me for my career, mostly by helping me learn how to work well with others. Also, I learned to type fast since I played MUDs growing up. Did gaming help prepare you for your career?

From a study this year: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/02/210218201158.htm “Boys who regularly play video games at age 11 are less likely to develop depressive symptoms three years later.”

I am just beginning my first playthrough of TLOU 2 (finally). Anyone have any tips as far as resource use, strategy, etc.?

Is there something that most gamers seem to find easy, but you don’t? For me, it is approaching a ladder at the right angle to run up it in a hurry. That and pushing the right buttons, in general.

If you could earn a living playing any game, which would you pick and why? The caveat is that it will be the ONLY game, and you will be playing it 9-5 each day.

Are games the most immersive form of entertainment for you, or does something else beat them out, like books or TV?

What are some moments in video games that have made you cry? For example, I always turn into a blubbering pile of goo during Ellie and Riley’s last conversation in TLOU: Left Behind.

What features do you like/not mind in video games for reasons of convenience, despite reducing realism? For example, there are transparent open doors in Dragon Age Origins you can walk right through. They reduce realism, but they are one less annoying obstacle in combat.

Why are video game controllers so pricey?

Did anybody ever have a console purchase go so wrong that you later regretted ever getting it (i.e. a unit that malfunctioned)?

Are there any really tedious gaming tasks you recall with fondness later? Like, grinding/bashing in MMOs is quite boring to me, but I have fond memories of it in MUDs since it was often a social activity.

Which difficulty setting in TLOU 2 is the equivalent of “normal”? Is it “moderate?”

I had no idea! Thanks for letting me know; I will look it up. I was just thinking a TV adaptation of the events of the three games, but the first contact war would be an interesting period to cover.

What games offer what you think is a realistic depiction of human behaviour?

Is there a movie you can think of that contains the seed of an idea for an interesting game mechanic? For example, I think a game where you play an organism similar to the one in The Thing would be intriguing.