StaceyPowers

I’ve noticed that with me, video game humor either seems to be spot-on or it falls totally flat. I do think overall, the best comedic writing I’ve encountered in video games is in the Dragon Age games, and the wittiest character I can think of (bad puns and all) is probably Hawke, if you choose his snarky replies. Normally I don’t go for snark, but given that the situations he finds himself in frequently do justify it, I became a big fan of his snarky comebacks. Who do you think is the wittiest character in video games? @The Blackangel @DylanC @kingpotato @killamch89 @Alyxx @Executor Akamia @skyfire

I agree with everyone here. I think gaming related skills should be able to help one land a relevant job, but I also think that employers are not going to want to hear about what we learned gaming. Society has a ways to go to catch up with us, and the BBC article is overly optimistic.

With so much discussion over anti-consumer practices by game developers and publishers (not to mention console manufacturers), what are some companies which truly seem to care about customer experience, and which go the extra mile to be fair and decent? @DylanC @kingpotato @The Blackangel @killamch89 @Alyxx @Executor Akamia @Aerielle del Rosario @skyfire

Does anyone else get annoyed about the fact that by the time you finally are able to get certain high level/late stage abilities in video games, there isn’t much left to do with them? Like in Skyrim, by the time I can summon a dragon, strike lightning down from the skies, summon dead Nord heroes, and so forth, I’ve completed so many of the exact hard quests I’d normally want to use those abilities for. I just wind up killing Thalmor at the embassy for kicks. In Bioshock games too, you only get some of the coolest vigors/plasmids fairly close to the end. What games have you played where you’re frustrated at how little time/opportunity you get to use cool high level abilities? @DylanC @kingpotato @The Blackangel @killamch89 @Alyxx @Executor Akamia @Aerielle del Rosario @skyfire

@Aerielle del Rosario was posting here about games with difficult beginnings. It got me to thinking about how many people I've heard talk about the opposite problem: when they've moved up through the learning/leveling curve to the point where a game becomes too easy. Does this sort of thing bother anyone here? What are some games which get too easy in their latter stages?

Just spotted an article from the BBC titled “How playing video games could get you a better job.” From the article, there’s a quote from a spokesperson from the Royal Air Force saying, "The ability to assimilate information, react swiftly and co-ordinate actions whilst remaining calm under pressure are often attributes of people that are good at gaming," A Hays recruitment regional director is also quoted saying, "There are plenty of soft skills that gamers can utilise in a professional setting, such as teamwork, problem solving and strategic planning.” This resonates with my own life experiences. I remember a high school friend pointing out, “You know the experiences with organizing and leadership that people are supposed to get from club and sport participation? We get that from playing MMOs.” A lot of the professional skills I use every day came not from classes or standard extracurricular activities, but from gaming. The people skills I learned in my positions in an MMO organization in high school have been nothing short of vital in business, and I most definitely did not learn those skills in school. What do you think about the idea that gaming can help you with work? Do you think gaming can teach valuable job skills? Do you think employers are aware of how important gaming can be? @killamch89 @The Blackangel @Alyxx @kingpotato @skyfire @DylanC @Aerielle del Rosario @Executor Akamia

Most video games I’ve played offer a selection of melee weapons and combat techniques. So I know that at least some gamers must choose to specialize in this direction. I do use melee weapons in games like Skyrim, but I have a hard time wrapping my mind around melee and unarmed combat in, say, Fallout games. The most efficient way to fight is usually to employ rifles at a distance and shotguns up close. I can see specializing in melee and unarmed as a challenge … but does anyone actually prefer this as their combat approach in general in games which feature guns? @killamch89 @kingpotato @DylanC @Alyxx @skyfire @The Blackangel

I didn’t grow up in that situation, but I can relate. Ever notice kids show affection that way on the playground? But when we grow up, the roughhousing is supposed to stop. I never got why. In many ways, I actually prefer to give or receive the type of hit you describe than a hug.

I'm going to go with being a survivor of an alien invasion that wipes out humanity. Let's hope I manage to become a stowaway on an alien vessel and embark on a journey of discovery, action and adventure through a hostile universe. Not at present. Are you?

I love that quest. Favorite Fallout NV follower?

Yet you put restraints on yourself to ensure that others can trust you. That's kind, and shows great self-control. My question: Most people judge sociopaths according to a large number of prejudices and misconceptions. What is the one thing you most wish people knew about sociopathy?

I'm not sure. I mean, I tend not to watch anything that doesn't interest me. But I suppose I'm usually bored by most game shows and reality shows? Can you elaborate on what you mean by "type of world?" Are you referencing what destroyed it (i.e. nukes, zombies?)

VNV Nation, The Cruxshadows.

I admire your tenacity!

Very cool idea.

Did you manage to keep the Little Sister(s) alive?

What video games do the best job with dynamic weather? So far, the best I’ve experienced I would say is Red Dead Redemption, followed by Skyrim.

Usually when I start a new game, I post asking if anyone has any starting tips, as I’ve gotten some excellent advice here doing that. But I think I forgot to post and ask when I started DA: Inquisition. I assumed it’d be much like Origins and DA II, but it is quite different. I’d especially appreciate any advice anyone can give about crafting supplies and what’s worth grabbing.

I thought all had gone well when I tried to import my World State to Dragon Age Inquisition from the “Keep” or whatever … it acted like it succeeded … but it totally didn’t. Looking this up online, it seems like a common issue, but I didn’t see any reliable solutions aside from “try over and over.” Has anyone here ever solved this on PS3 or any other system?

I am trying to complete the Challenge in Red Dead Redemption where you have to shoot hats off two peoples’ heads. But no matter what I do, even if I aim at the brim or the top of a top hat, I blow off their heads. Any tips from anyone?

I have a deficit in the area of Theory of Mind, a.k.a. “cognitive empathy” that makes it hard for me to imagine what it is like to be another person with another mind. One of the cool things to me about playing video games with strong storylines/characters is that it makes it easy for me to empathize with the characters. The action in the game being in first person/under my partial control is like a “shortcut” for emotional involvement. This in turn helps me to understand how the character thinks/feels about situations. Sometimes games have also helped me to imagine some unusual situations more clearly. I’m watching Westworld for the first time, for example, which in Season 1 deals with characters with very limited free choice/lucidity. That would have been a tough situation to imagine through their eyes, except that I’d found myself in a similar situation in Bioshock 1. I thought that was a cool, random way in which playing a video game enhanced how I experienced a TV show and helped me understand something. Has playing video games given you empathy and helped you imagine what it is like to be someone else? @The Blackangel @killamch89 @kingpotato @DylanC @killamch89 @Aerielle del Rosario @LadyDay

Favorite quest in Fallout NV?

What are the most tedious parts of games you’ve played? Here are some for me: -The puzzle in Myst where you have to navigate through a maze using sounds. -The entire Fallout 3 Mothership Zeta DLC (I didn’t hate it … it just was quite long and unvaried) -The Circle tower in Dragon Age Origins (I actually kind of like the part in the Fade, but I have to admit while watching someone else play through it, the Circle is a bit tedious) -The boss battle at the end of the Legacy DLC in Dragon Age II. I am sure there are more I could be listing, but that’s all off the top of my head that really stands out. What about for you? @The Blackangel @killamch89 @kingpotato @skyfire @DylanC @Alyxx @Aerielle del Rosario

The moment I saw your thread title, I was like "Dark Souls."

Both @killamch89 and @The Blackangel commented here that long and unskippable cutscenes can be irritating, particularly if they do not advance a story. I have to admit I actually tend to like cutscenes, short and long. Then again, I think maybe I’ve simply been lucky in playing games where they tended to contribute to story and character development. They give my brain a bit of a breather between the action, which I often need, or I can get fatigued/lose effectiveness. Do you typically like or dislike cutscenes, and what does it take to make a cutscene worthwhile to you?