[Do your pets react to things in your games?]

My cat sometimes tries to attack or play with things he sees in my games. Usually he goes up to the screen and tries to bat at one of the characters. Does anyone else have a pet that reacts to stuff in games?

[Best and worst ways you’ve seen AI used in gaming?]

What are some of the best and worst ways you have seen AI put to use in video games?

[Games that feature physical challenge?]

What are some games that actually fatigue you physically in some way, even from the couch or a chair?

I’m thinking about the fishing mini-game in RDR 2. I have no idea if it’s by intent or not, but it is actual physical work to haul in a fish in that game. It makes fishing more annoying than relaxing in the game for me, but it does increase my immersion.

[Suggested mods for Fallout 4?]

21 hours ago, killamch89 said:

For weather and atmosphere, try True Storms and Enhanced Lights and FX - they completely transform the Commonwealth's mood. Add Darker Nights for more immersive lighting that makes your flashlight actually matter during exploration.

Thanks a ton!

[Anyone else think Skyrim could use a sequel?]

21 hours ago, killamch89 said:

Elder Scrolls VI is technically in development, but Bethesda's focus on Starfield and Fallout has left fans waiting over a decade. At this point, I'd rather see a proper sequel than another Skyrim re-release or expansion.

I kinda figured they might abandon the Skyrim plot altogether though and just do an unrelated story in the ES universe.

[Anyone play the Oblivion remaster yet?]

21 hours ago, killamch89 said:

Yep and it's pretty fun. And with the Unity Engine, the game looks amazing and feels much smoother and the potential to mod it will be even more amazing than Skyrim because Oblivion has more skill trees.

Ah, true! I do like Oblivion's skill system much better than Skyrim's. 

[Anyone heard any updates about the Plague Tale TV series?]

A few years ago, a forthcoming Plague Tale TV series was announced, being developed in France. I haven’t heard anything about it since. Has anyone else heard any updates about it?

[When you remember old games, do you visualize them with better graphics?]

If you picture an old game in your mind, do you actually picture it the way it was, or do you unconsciously “upgrade” its graphics?

I often am startled when I look at actual screenshots of really old games. They look so much less detailed/”real” than how I see them in my imagination.

[What’s the longest you’ve had a game unplayed in your backlog?]

What is the longest period of time you have had a game in your backlog you have not played yet? I think for me, maybe like three or four years.

[What all does “save scumming” encompass?]

I have a question about the term “save scumming.” Does it only refer to saving ahead of decision points in games, and reloading to avoid negative consequences? Or does it also refer to saving in mid-combat or before a big fight to avoid having to re-do a fight when you die? What about frequent saving for other reasons, like dealing with bugs, or just out of habit?

[Best fishing mini-games?]

What games have the best fishing mini-games?

[What’s the most you ever saved on a game (not used)?]

What is the largest amount of money you ever saved through a game deal on a new (not used) game?

 

[Are there any open world games with changing seasons?]

Are there any open world games which feature dynamic seasons, i.e. spring, summer, fall, winter? Not as a mod, but in the vanilla game.

[Games where you do and don’t bother with cosmetic upgrades?]

Do you go out of your way to upgrade your character’s appearance/clothing/etc.? I mean cosmetic upgrades, not functional upgrades.

I find I do this in some games, and not in others. I have a hard time articulating why. I guess I only do it in games where there are a lot of items I think look distinctive and appealing.

[What motivates you to do frustrating optional quests or tasks?]

If there is an optional quest or task that you find frustrating, what makes you complete it (if you do)?

Sometimes I’ll do it to make sure I don’t miss content or lore of some kind. Other times I’ll do it because I’m a completionist.

[Unavoidable traps in games]

How do you feel about unavoidable traps in games? I can think of two categories for these.

-Traps where there is a cutscene if you walk into the trap, so you can’t do anything about what is going to happen, but you need to enter the trap either to progress the game or just to investigate an area.

-Combat traps, i.e. scenarios where you could fight with an advantage if you were allowed to make full use of the terrain, but the game prevents you with no in-universe explanation why you can’t be strategic.

Both of these annoy me.

 

[What video game world would be the worst to live in?]

I think we’ve done “what video game world would you want to live in,” but I don’t know if we’ve done the opposite. What would be the absolute worst video game universe to live in?

[Digital nomads – how do you game?]

I’m at a stage of my life where I’m thinking about becoming a digital nomad. I probably wouldn’t move very frequently. My plan would be to stay in each country for 6 months or more. Ideally, I’d settle abroad in one place for a couple years.

If anyone here does this, how do you game? Do you just play on a laptop? Does anyone actually pack a console and bring it from country to country?

[Games that feel relaxing, but probably weren’t meant to?]

Are there any games you find relaxing, but probably weren’t intended to be?

BioShock falls into that territory for me, but that’s probably because I get so caught up in exploring all the visual details of the environments that I forget to worry about dying.

[Most devastating character deaths in video games?]

What, to you, are the most devastating character deaths in video game history? (Obviously, this thread will contain spoilers).

[How has gaming helped your mental health?]

What are some ways gaming has improved your mental health? Here are some of mine:

 

-Reduces my insomnia

-Helps me look at alternate ways to solve problems

-Boosts my confidence

-Soothes my anxiety

-Broadens my positive life experiences

-Gives me a low pressure way to practice combating peer pressure (like when making decisions in RPGs that are unpopular with party members)

-An easy way to achieve a flow state

-Stories and characters that reassure and inspire me

[Suggested mods for Fallout 4?]

I recently began my first playthrough of Fallout 4 on PS5. Can anyone recommend good mods? I especially like mods that improve weather and atmosphere.

[What can be done about review bombing?]

Review bombing for video games, TV, and everything else is driving me crazy these days. It’s gone beyond toxic, and has become downright harmful.

What can be done to minimize review bombing?

[What’s the longest you’ve put off a quest, task or challenge in a game?]

What is the longest you have put off completing a specific quest, task or challenge in a game, and what made you avoid it?

If you don’t count avoiding main quest lines in open world games to avoid progressing the games, right now the record for me seems to be a challenge I’ve avoided for going on three years now in RDR2. I don’t even know if it’s really that hard. It just looks like a pain, and whenever I think about it, I always do something else.

 

[Real life starting to look like games]

Does anyone else feel like RL is starting to not only feel as dystopian as a lot of games, but look more and more like specific ones?

In the US, I feel we’re heading toward The Outer Worlds, with a dash of Fallout, also seasoned with BioShock and BioShock Infinite.