StaceyPowers

Gaming helps my mental health too. How does it help yours?

Have a source on this? Even if it isn't a loan, it's way too little too late.

So, this is a subjective personal preference thing, but what games do you feel feature the least attractive architecture or design elements? For example, I feel like the buildings, ships, and even the armor in Mass Effect are frankly totally unappealing. It’s not that the art team has done a poor job—that is not the case. I just don’t like the look of the world. The lines and angles make surfaces look “thin,” and the materials are cold and sterile, but not in a way that is unnerving—just rather “corporate” looking. Basically, everything looks “dull” to me. What about you? Is there a game which you feel features a world which is just plain ugly?

Were you always good at video games? Or did you only become good at gaming at a certain age? (and I am using the term “good” relatively here). I was an abominably bad gamer through my entire childhood. I literally never was able to complete a single game on our NES. I was also a pretty bad PC gamer. I finally got good at a game around age 13 or so, which was Quake III, specifically CTF mode. And honestly I am still pretty bad at Q3A in general, though not terrible. “Average” I guess. Anyway, only after that did I gradually get better at gaming in general. I’m not sure why it didn’t click until that age. Was the NES controller just a major problem for me? Was I lacking confidence? Were games just a lot harder before I turned 13ish? Or did my brain or reflexes just not develop to a proper level until then with respect to gaming? Who knows? What age did you get “good” at gaming?

In another thread, a lot of you mentioned that you like listening to your own music when gaming. So, how about some playlists? @kingpotato @skyfire @Dead2009

What with everyone spending more time indoors these days during the quarantine, what games are you playing to deal with events? What I mean is, is anyone playing anything thematically relevant or inspiring in some way? I was in the middle of playing TLOU again when the outbreak started. It does feel oddly relevant given the real life situation, and at least is a reminder that as bad as things are, they could be worse. And Joel and Ellie always are uplifting for me anytime things are scary in the world or in my life. So, it is a good choice to play during quarantine.

In another thread, we have been talking about people who think BioShock Infinite is “not a real BioShock game.” @The Blackangel pointed out that when a protagonist changes in a game series, that is one thing which can prompt this kind of criticism from folks, i.e. the switch from playing Richter Belmont to Alucard in Castlevania SOTN. In the case of BioShock, you play a different protagonist in all three games, not just Infinite. But there is a major setting change from Rapture to Columbia in Infinite, so that probably is one of the reasons why some players were not totally onboard with it. I am so used to playing games way after they come out that to be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever found myself in a situation where long expectations were suddenly disrupted in this way. I don’t think I would likely be upset about it if the game that came out of it was good, but I can see why in some situations it could be upsetting to folks. I think what would be most likely to upset me regarding abrupt change in a series would be a format change … but even then, I might not be upset if the new format was well-executed. Have you ever been upset when the characters, setting, format, or another major aspect of a game series abruptly changed with a new installment?

Actually, to me, there's arguably no better way to make such a point. Because we do have real problems as a species to deal with, and it's time that those stigmas broke down IRL. Seeing how absolutely irrelevant Ellie's sexuality is in TLOU actually is a great demonstration of how irrelevant that stuff ultimately should be IRL after everyone drops their stupid prejudices. Anyway, very nice post :)

Endless possibilities, I agree. And I'm really glad you feel the same way I do about Infinite.

We’ve discussed at length on this forum whether or not video games “make” people violent. Getting away from that specific topic, if you enjoy violent video games, what is their particular appeal for you? For me, it is: Catharsis. It is a good way to burn off excess emotion I have nothing to do with, and to experience things I can never experience IRL. Revenge. I feel righteous and relieved at executing Nazis and other baddies in video games. I can't hurt them IRL, but at least I can feel better hurting their depictions on a screen. Flow. I love getting into a flow state in FPS games where I am totally in the moment, lose sense of time, and am focused nowhere else. Relaxation. Getting into a flow state helps me de-stress and reduces my anxiety. Achievement. When I manage a really difficult shot in crazy circumstances, it gives me an awesome rush. Humour. Sometimes some kills are just funny. Sensory appeal. I admit I like the sight of blood and chunks of gore everywhere. Safety. Video game simulated violence has no consequences. It is an expression of something which is unsafe IRL in a controlled, safe environment. That is inherently reassuring to me. What are some reasons you like violent video games?

Did you ever finalize the appearance of your character in a game, and then find yourself regretting some aspect of it forever? Like, for instance, you literally spend the rest of the game going “what was I thinking with that haircut?” If so, what was the offending feature? Usually this hasn’t happened to me. But I am somewhat peeved permanently with the colour of lipstick I put on Shepherd in Mass Effect =D It seems silly to me I can’t change it. I mean, how many people have permanent makeup? It’d be nice if one could change up cosmetic details like this just like changing your character’s clothes.

The ammo for my good guns is dwindling or gone, but I am close to finishing the main quest line of OWB in Fallout NV. So, based on what I have learned from this playthrough, here are some tips to help other gamers not find themselves up a creek without a paddle. Stock up on grenades and save them up. They come in handy during the last segment of the main quest line. Get a bunch of weapon repair kits and bring them with you. You'll need them to repair unique items that are ridiculously expensive to repair otherwise. Come with plenty of stimpacks and lots of jet. Distribute some points into energy weapons and melee if possible before you start. Even if you have almost no points in melee, melee anyway. It seems much more effective than bullets. "Run away" is an entirely viable strategy if you are low on ammo or health items. When you get that halo thingy which regenerates health really really slowly, you can speed it up by hitting "wait" somewhere safe. As there are not many spots to sleep, this is a good way to conserve your health supplies. Hopefully some of these suggestions will come in handy. The worst thing for me was getting down to my last weapon repair kit and being close to breaking an item I needed to complete a quest stage near the end. The repair cost otherwise was like thousands of caps.

In this thread, @The Blackangel was enjoying playing Skyrim until hitting a ridiculous bug. Skyrim was the first game I got into on PS3 after being a PC gamer my whole life, so I didn't actually realize when I started playing it how exceptionally buggy that game is. So, I managed to take it in stride, learned to save a lot, and thankfully can laugh at most of the glitches. Now, of course, I heave a sigh of relief when playing just about anything else and knowing that my main enemy in the game won't be bugs. But sometimes, bugs do really get on my nerves, and occasionally they are bad enough for me to rage quit, at least for the night. Though usually my obsessive-compulsive nature leads me toward manically refusing to quit until I have successfully gotten around the bug. I guess in a weird way, that is how I cope with the bugs I can't laugh at, since after I get through it, I know I can then relax and play onward. How does everyone here cope with the stress and anxiety of bugs and glitches? Do you usually manage to laugh most of them off, or do they really get to you?

When I gamed on PC, I used to turn off a lot of video game soundtracks and just play my own music. But that was mainly for FPS games where I wanted music that helped me focus and play better and which fit better to me with the mood of running and gunning. But since gaming on console, I abandoned playing my own music, mostly just because I don’t know how to send music to my console and never bothered learning. But at the same time, I don’t really miss it since I’m playing different types of games and tend to like their soundtracks even with their repetition. Then again, I sometimes think if I started soundtracking on my own again, I’d wonder how I lived without it. When you game, do you listen to the soundtracks that came with your games most of the time, or do you usually play your own music selection instead?

I've heard some people argue that Infinite takes your choices away, when the first two games were about choice. But the third game was every bit as much about choice. It's just that Booker arguably had more of them than he wanted. And either way, the whole series was definitely about free will. Giving the gamer control of Booker's choices would've introduced arbitrariness to his existence and violated the character's will. The whole point of the story was to eliminate that arbitrariness, and in doing so, eliminate all possibility of Comstock.

The new music has been awesome! I wish it could follow me back to the main game :) Thanks!

Ahh. Someone should have warned you. Skyrim is probably the buggiest game ever made. Best advice is Save Often and Expect Bugs. Most of them are annoying or funny, but some of them are a real pain in the arse.

I have played all the DLCs in Fallout 3, and have played two of the DLCs in Fallout New Vegas. Right now I’m in the middle of Old World Blues, and then I will just have Lonesome Road left to complete. I have felt like DLCs are a treat in Fallout ever since the first one I played, maybe more so than in, say, Skyrim. Skyrim’s DLCs obviously add a lot of value, but I think I figured out what it is about Fallout DLCs that I like so much. I think it is how each of them is its own separate “production.” They take you to different locations, and there is a chance to experiment with the format of the gameplay without disrupting the main game (i.e. stealth in Dead Money, or what feels like a military shooter in Anchorage). This also provides a chance to tell a linear story with a start, middle and end, again without disrupting the freedom of the open world in the main part of the game. Even though I love open worlds, I love linear stories too. I like both the experimentation and the stories, and it seems like a smart way of doing more with an open world game without curbing into its overall freedom. My only regret is how much I wish I could bring some of the temporary companions back with me, and can’t. Are there any other open world games that handle DLCs in a similar way?

In terms of sheer bang for your buck, what do you consider to be the best investments you ever made in DLCs? I think for me, The Last of Us: Left Behind and BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea are the best DLCs I got for the money. I would say that both games are essentially incomplete without their DLCs. Even though they play through just fine without them, there is critical information in both without which the main games cannot be fully appreciated.

I’m partway into Old World Blues on Fallout NV for the first time. I love the dialogue, and that there is a whole new map area to explore, but I have to admit I am having a hard time with this DLC. I’m pretty useless without a companion and I forgot to bring ammo for my only decent gun. I’m level 90 or so on guns, but only like 35 for energy weapons, and almost nothing for melee. So far, I am bleeding supplies like crazy, burning through ammo, most of which doesn’t seem to be replaceable, and barely keeping pace with replacing stimpacks and foods. I am pretty sure I will make it through without running out of everything, but it will be tight. Does anyone have any suggestions for how to make the most of my supplies, other than “run away and fast travel,” which has been my top strategy? I finally figured out last night I can use the “wait” function to regenerate health with that halo thingy on my head. @DylanC I know this is one of your favorite Fallout DLCs. And you're always awesome with suggestions :)

Both them and Tenenbaum to me fell into the archetype of "indifferent scientist who grew a conscience." Arguably they are the voice of conscience in both games.

Thematically they are linked too, which Burial of Sea makes super obvious if you somehow missed it playing the main games =D

I love it. Deepest game in the universe? No. But super relaxing with a rich world to explore.

As I just learned from @kingpotato, there is going to be a TV show on HBO based on The Last of Us. As best I can tell, it will specifically follow Ellie and Joel’s story, rather than being something else set in the same universe. My question to everyone here is, what do you all think about this? My initial reaction to putting TLOU on a screen (other than a video game screen is) is that it seems superfluous. I can’t imagine any movie or TV show based on TLOU getting anywhere near the intensity of the video game. Any other medium just sounds like a downgrade. But I am reassured that Neil Druckmann will be an executive producer and that he will do some writing on the series. If I’m not mistaken, even he seemed skeptical about adapting the game as a movie in the past. Being as he’s enthused about this—and an amazing writer—that is enough to convince me that it may be worth it after all. As a writer, I’ve learned so much from him, and I think this is a way I could learn more. There also could be ways to use this to fill in gaps and give us something other than just an overview of events we have played through. For example, there is a huge chunk of missing time between the escape from Pittsburgh and arrival at Jackson. There is no way that it was just an easy straight shot across the country. Just as Left Behind filled in a couple of time gaps, this could too. And just as Left Behind gave us more background on Ellie’s past (which I think is 100% essential to a full understanding and appreciation of the main game), this series could also tell us a lot more about both characters’ pasts. Are you excited about the HBO show? What would you want to see from the show? How could it add to the story and stand on its own rather than just being superfluous next to the game?

I have been seriously missing the BioShock series, even though I finished my most recent playthrough of it maybe three or four months ago (it could be longer, but it probably isn’t). It’ll probably be a few more months though before I get around to starting at the beginning again. It made me curious how often everyone here tends to play their favorite games, and what the longest span of time is that you have gone between playthroughs of the game you love most?