StaceyPowers

It's just one game, not a series, but I highly recommend Spec Ops: The Line, which was a direct critique on COD.

Exactly. It's very common for trauma victims to attempt to reenact past traumas in an attempt to "fix" the past outcome. This is a common reason why people roleplay rape scenarios, for example. I don't know how often people actually successfully process trauma this way versus make it worse, but at least if a person used VR to re-enact, 1-they would actually be in full control, and 2-they wouldn't be pulling another person into a messy situation. I love that idea.

Hardly an "unexpected" use =D I think it'd be cool if VR could be connected to live webcams in distant locations, and then you could "visit" places around the world in real-time.

I might jump on this to set up port forwarding.

Like going back to re-enact old traumas, but repair the outcomes? That sounds like an interesting idea.

And I'd add an overall lack of balance.

What a funny coincidence. My partner is playing through Forelhost for the first time right now. It's driving him crazy, so I think he'll be excited to know he can go grab Storm Call right nearby.

That's awesome. Btw, I love the storm call lightning spell you mentioned before, but I forgot where to get it. I've only gotten it on one playthrough. Another good one is Wall of Flames, but I think that one is only findable as random loot?

How is it I've played this game for years and don't know what the aetherial crown is? lol. Oh, it's from Dawnguard. I'm on my first playthrough of that. Exciting.

I find conjuration very helpful from pretty early on. But I'm struggling with destruction magic.

As @The Blackangel pointed out though, even when we have no choice while gaming, we sometimes feel oddly guilty. I suppose that is because despite not really having a choice in-game, we are still active participants, not passive observers as when watching a film. This does make me think of Spec Ops: The Line making players feel guilty despite giving them almost no choices. I don't think Spec Ops made me feel guilty per se--but it did make me question the unconscious assumptions that influence me when I am playing games, and in life in general. I think the game's point was that until we become aware of those unconscious motivations and beliefs, we don't really have full control of our actions. Such a cool game. Btw, I hear you on Mass Effect dialogue. Same in Dragon Age sometimes. Where it's like, I did not think that picking that option would mean that result. I usually just go back when that happens if it's really bad, because it's not like it was an unexpected consequence of a deliberately chosen action--it wasn't the action I was trying to choose. In the original RDR, if you crash into someone, nobody dies, or even falls off their horse or carriage, lol. And I am SUCH a bad steerer. I'm going to get into so much trouble in RDR2!

I can see how that'd make you hyper vigilant. Your nervous system is trained to be on alert for danger.

Just the lame teachers 😉

Have you ever thought that a particular play style a game allows for might be really ineffectual, and then been surprised to watch someone execute it really well? Like for example, I always assumed archery in Skyrim was a bit of a joke, but I’ve been watching someone else play incredibly effectively with it. It turns out I’m just a terrible aim.

I am very lucky in that my partner seems to actually fall asleep better at night while listening to me game. But I can say that if someone is gaming while I am trying to sleep and I can hear them, it keeps me awake, because I’m following along with what they’re doing. If someone else in your household games while you are falling asleep, how do you feel about the noise?

Between Dragon Age and Mass Effect games, I think I’ve counted at least four actors who appeared in Star Trek: TNG or Voyager. Does anyone know why so many Star Trek actors appear in BioWare games? I mean, there are a ton of sci-fi TV actors in general who do voice acting in video games, but I wondered if there might be some kind of professional connection between someone at BioWare and Star Trek.

I’m playing Mass Effect 2 right now, and hypothetically I could get away (I think) with having a fling with another character before rekindling with Liara, but I can’t seem to bring myself to do it, even though these aren’t “real” people. I don’t think it’s weird to me not to want to harm my NPC buddies, but I do find it funny and odd I feel actual guilt over the prospect of cheating on Liara, just like I would if this were a scenario IRL. Has anyone else ever felt genuinely guilty over something like this?

I want to grab a deal on The Outer Worlds PS4 version, but the thing is, I want to play it on PS5. Has anyone here by any chance had a chance to try playing The Outer Worlds on PS5, and if so, how did it work out for you? Looking for experiences, not the generic “most games will run on PS5,” which I already know. Thanks!

I treat my OCD and insomnia by gaming. It has been more successful than anything else I've tried. A friend told me her therapist actually recommended gaming for OCD too, so this is a thing.

Considering how angry I get when a giant tries to kill my chickens, that may not be awesome. I've stopped getting chickens.

I have to admit at times when I can't be fully present in the moment or enjoying something, but can still partially do it, often what pushes me to do it is the fact that I can at least go through the motions and half-enjoy the thing, and were I in your situation, I couldn't 😞

I'm 13 years in with that journey. And I am beyond grateful to say I do have a half-life now. It's miles from what I had when I was young, but it is infinitely more than when I had a living death. Thank you for your words of encouragement 🙂

I wish I could say the same; I feel more like a part of me is dead/in cold storage, and what is left is more vulnerable to every bump in the road. Although if it ever miraculously goes into close or full remission, I might feel differently.

That was my guess. I've never understood why people with illness or injury related pain are somehow treated differently from victims of intentional torture--as if torture is any less so because it spawned in our bodies. My chronic pain is often life-eroding and is routinely full-on torture, and for the initial months, it was intractable. I got so pissed at all the "You'll get used to it," "Be more positive," etc. I'm sorry you went through what you did; it sounds nightmarish. But I am relieved that it ended.

Thanks! Sounds good to me!