StaceyPowers

Is there a game you have played that you are quite confident no one else here has? What is it? There are possibly a few old point and click adventures in this category for me, but even I can’t remember their names, unfortunately.

How old does a game need to be in order for us to call it “retro?”

I feel the FPS games of today are radically evolved versus their early counterparts. But the open world game format is still “newer” by comparison. Do you think there are equally radical ways in which the format could be redesigned and improved?

Is there a limit to how long you will run your console in hot weather before you give it a break?

I notice if I spend any time at all playing as a particular character, I automatically am more likely to try and understand/empathize with them than if I didn’t—even if they subsequently do something awful. Do you have the same experience?

What depth of field settings do you prefer?

I notice I almost always have to lower the default volume of music and effects in games, or I miss a lot of dialogue and have to strain to hear. Does anyone else consistently have the same problem with audio volume defaults?

The roads in Skyrim all seem quite well paved to me when I stop and think about how remote so many of them are. Is this realistic? I think I can picture Imperial workers doing regular upkeep on them. But I feel they should be in more disrepair in some places.

Are there any characters in games you can think of whom you dislike as people and/or disagree with, but enjoy as characters?

I’ve discovered you can learn a lot about a person by watching them game, especially if they are frustrated. For example, I was watching a friend raging while trying to get around an obstacle course in a game he was relatively new to. He kept raging about an obstacle he was having a hard time with, which was resulting in him falling and having to do the whole course over. But he didn’t notice that he was learning quickly and getting past previous obstacles in the course almost without effort that were driving him crazy before. It made me realize a lot of his anger results from where he puts his attention, and failing to notice his own growth.

I seem to have a hard time properly lining up/timing jumps across gaps in multiple games. Does anyone else?

How do you choose names for your characters in RPGs?

What is the best thing anyone ever gave you or did for you in an MMO? For me, it was an admin playing a god in-game who bothered to interact with me. I really admired her, and was probably quite obnoxious, but she was nice to me, even though (I learned later) she was dying IRL.

How do you feel about massively oversized weapons in games? Does their lack of realism annoy you, or amuse you?

Do you try to keep your inventory relatively minimal in RPGs, or does it tend to be bursting at the seams?

If you sometimes get extra cash (i.e. from overtime), do you set some aside for future game purchases?

What do you hate about starting over as a newbie in your favorite games? I hate how much running and hiding I have to do since I am low on health and supplies.

Proper god rays are kind of rare IRL, but they are everywhere in modern games. They detract from realism for me, and sometimes they even don't come from a light source! Anyone else feel they are overused?

What are some older games that never lose their visual beauty to you even in comparison to games with new, realistic graphics?

I just started TLOU Part 2, and there are so many little details going on constantly in the environment I feel like I am missing stuff. What are some other games with that level of detail?

@Heatman mentioned elsewhere that melee fighting offers a great adrenaline rush. I would agree that this also typically gives me the biggest rush. What types of fighting in games do you get the best adrenaline rush from?

My favorite melee experience used to be in TLOU, but melee fighting in TLOU Part 2 has blown it out of the water. What games offer your favorite melee combat?

Do you enjoy using photo mode in games? Have any nice screenshots to share?

Having just made the jump directly from PS3 to PS5, playing a recent PS4-era game (TLOU Part 2), I am just blown away by how crazy realistic games have become. What is the single biggest leap in game realism you've experienced?

This. There needs to be solid motivation, or nothing will happen. And if there is truly compelling motivation, it can't not happen. It's like pulling a thread out of an old sweater. It will keep unraveling.