StaceyPowers

What is the hardest lesson you ever learned gaming? Mine was when I screwed up in a game as a kid with one save file, and learned the value of earlier backup save points (as I had to start all over).

What is the hardest lesson you ever learned gaming? Mine was when I screwed up in a game as a kid with one save file, and learned the value of earlier backup save points (as I had to start all over).

Is there a game you default to when something goes wrong? I.e. if a game is driving me crazy glitching or my pain levels are too high to focus on something I really want to give my all to, I default to Skyrim.

That's an interesting question. I've had socialization problems and tend to live as a hermit. But I think I am fairly a social being when in the right crowds. Living in klanville, I don't want to have anything to do with anyone around here. Not at the store, not with neighbors, not anytime, no matter the mood. I have felt the difference in crowds and how my anxiety can completely break off me like a shell when around diverse people. For me, it would still be hard to imagine being in a game and be carefree, while knowing I may have to go to war against my neighbors. It is there in our minds now. But let's go back to a different time. A time when things weren't this bad. Back then I was still the asocial type. And I was still the social type among certain people. I was raised in a diverse and poor area in Vegas. Then we moved to Houston in a very wealthy and one of the most dominantly white areas of the 4th largest city. So I believe my anxiety and asocial tendencies developed there by force. Because I didn't fit in. I wasn't like the rich white kid. So for me, to completely erase that cement of the mind by trying to be carefree like a video game seems far fetched to me. But not impossible. And this may actually be a very real therapy if I wasn't scared to try it. Or I should add, if I wasn't so angry to try it. Maybe I will in another place sometime. I will keep that in my mind to just think about it being a video game. And I'm in a village admiring the people; willing to talk; willing to learn; take things in; share ideas; make small talk; compliment someone. Oh wait...I do do that. Just never here in klanville. And why the hell should I? Why does everyone have to change themselves; to work on themselves to please the haters. My anxiety is here to stay as long as racism is here to stay. 

No, i don't like stealthing past enemies, but not for a lack of achievement. But I don't like leaving active threats behind my back. If I get discovered later it's better to know that there will be nobody running up to me from behind.

Maybe if a person has a fear of something, they can play that scenario in games and maybe help cope through it by gaining confidence and experience to overcome. Or playing something that relaxes and puts the mind in a better existence has a natural anti anxiety effect. And even playing a game that you can relate personally with the story, can relieve some stagnant emotions. 

The more violent the game, the more relaxing it is for me. Hatred is a great game for relaxation for me. It's just a mass killing spree. I get to let my frustrations out on innocent people, and my anxiety goes down. Sure, you kill things in other games, but not like this.

https://youtu.be/R_VzjFWrF6o
I really enjoyed this video essay about Skyrim and RPGs. Its main point is essentially that video games offer us safe havens of order and meaning in a chaotic and confusing universe.
 

Welcome to RL.

By figuring out what has stopped me from not living by my stated rules. I've been researching a lot about childhood trauma, transactional analysis, and the mind, and have been doing an in-depth audit of my traits and past. The objective is to figure out what "bad code" is running in my brain--skewed perspectives, beliefs, and assumptions I'm not entirely aware of that are driving me. Once they are identified and dismantled, there won't be anything left to stop me from being my best self.
Kind of funny, but Spec Ops: The Line was part of what inspired me to dive into this. What Walker went through made me realize that until we know what's driving us, we don't really have a choice. But once we do, we are finally free to decide.

What was the moment when you identified 100% with your character in the game and why?
For me it was Abby in the last of us 2 on the skybridge level. I have a profound fear of falling off things, standing on the second step of a ladder is already terrifying to me unless I can hold on to something solid. So on that level I knew exactly what she would feel, so I had a very personal connection. It felt more real because I know how it feels IRL if you get what I mean.
 

Charles from RDR2. He doesn’t tolerate any form of bullshit. He has a personal honor code that he sticks to religiously. He doesn’t kill, steal, or rob if he doesn’t have to. He has massive respect for animal life. He would rather kill a man than needlessly ir pointlessly kill an animal. I resonate with that. I will run off in the ditch and total my car to avoid hitting a squirrel. As long as it runs away unharmed, then it was worth it. The squirrels life is worth more than mine. That applies to all nonhuman life. Their lives are worth more than mine. I believe that with every fiber of my being.

You have the game and never played it? Freeze it right there. The world is on hold. Life can wait. The universe awaits you to play the game. God told me he will rain down emeralds if you play the game. If you don't, he agreed to puppetize you and put your hands on strings. 

The Legend Of Zelda.
She only has a small cameo in the story. The Legend Of Link would be much better. Or at least something that replaced Zelda with Link, especially when it doesn’t even take place in Hyrule. Such as Majoras Mask and Links Awakening.

By figuring out what has stopped me from not living by my stated rules. I've been researching a lot about childhood trauma, transactional analysis, and the mind, and have been doing an in-depth audit of my traits and past. The objective is to figure out what "bad code" is running in my brain--skewed perspectives, beliefs, and assumptions I'm not entirely aware of that are driving me. Once they are identified and dismantled, there won't be anything left to stop me from being my best self.
Kind of funny, but Spec Ops: The Line was part of what inspired me to dive into this. What Walker went through made me realize that until we know what's driving us, we don't really have a choice. But once we do, we are finally free to decide.

I’m not too clear how you believe trans are getting more attention or taking away at all from the lesbian community. But I think it’s in your best interests to work together because only the oppressors benefit in your division and when the system as a whole is fixed, then those inner community conflicts will be relieved. I read the link and am still confused. 

I remember in Eden Eternal, the guild I had joined, the leader was leaving the game. He was going to disband the guild but changed his mind and instead just chose a random leader. I had just joined like 1 minute earlier and said "what's up guys?" and the guild leader goes " you're the new leader of this guild.", appoints me leader and quits the game. Mind you, the members were arguing throughout all of this and I had no idea what was going on. So I told everyone to be quiet and fill me in on what's going on - one of them commented immediately "This new guy (me) has already done more than the previous leader since they all joined.". So once they explained everything to me, I was like " I can't be the leader since I only got here and besides, I think someone who's contributed more and been here longer should be the leader. I'm not going to disband the guild as the leader ordered because it must mean something to you all if you're arguing like this." So I said let's do this democratic way - you guys vote for the leader...and to no one's surprise except mine, they selected me XD.
I was monologuing in my head that "How comes these things always happen to me?". I told them that while I'd love to be the leader, I had a demanding job which was time-consuming (which was true at the time). However I offered to stay on as one of the vice leaders and provide advice if needed to which they agreed. They ended up voting some guy called Ray as the leader which he turned out to be a pretty awesome leader and we went on to become one of the strongest and most feared guilds in-game. 

What games do you think were most revolutionary when they came out, changing the way that developers made games in the future?
Half-Life springs to mind immediately for me. When I played that game, I was really blown away by the fact that the game play and the narrative were so well woven together. I don’t remember that really being a common feature of FPS games before that.

I think a lot of people play video games to get some kind of psychological release. Obviously you see this a lot with FPS games. Games give us a chance to do what we can’t do in real life.
What gives you some form of catharsis while gaming? For me, it is games which allow me to take action against social ills I can’t do anything about in real life (i.e. striking out against bigotry). Even though nothing real is accomplished (obviously), there is still a sense of emotional satisfaction I can't experience IRL.

Awesome answer. Playing MMOs when I was young did a lot to open my eyes to a world beyond the demographic lines that other people in society have drawn. I wrote a number of papers on gaming in college and how it can help us see past social constructs and explore different aspects of our identities which might be suppressed in our day-to-day lives.

I tried like a dozen different things to treat my anxiety, almost none of which helped, and then I got a PS3. Gaming every night before bed has done more to help me sleep than anything else I've ever tried, and does wonders to stabilize my mood. Anyone else have the same experience?

Make the rules clear
Since games aren't full on reality simulators, the player can't know what can and can't be done in the game, unless the game makes it clear Feedback
Always tell the player in no uncertain terms when they did something right, if you don't give the player proper feedback they might flipflop between methods despite already finding the good one but they moved on due to lack of clear feedback Don't change the rules
The rules of solving the same type of puzzle should stay the same throughout the entire game Allow all possible logical solutions
If an environment based puzzle can have multiple solutions to it, be sure to accept all possible solutions as valid
there were times when I got stuck in games because I found an alternate solution to a puzzle, but the designer had a specific one in mind Don't make the player remember clues
This is more of a convenience rule, but I hate it when games force the player to remember things, what if I didn't play the game for a week between finding one of the clues and trying to solve a puzzle?

Right on. There are a lot of situations where characters are heroic, but many times they are doing a quest where they were hired on. I think that heroism has no expectations for rewards. Not for fame, money, gear, or any kind of pride. And intentionally not even getting noticed for the deeds done is even more heroic. And we can assume those deeds were morally right ones. I think a hero has a clear mind and isn't driven by hate and vengeance. Because that would be only a self fulfilled act, not heroism. Heroism is completely selfless.
And that is an easy line to cross. I think we all at times has assumed one committed a heroic act, even if it was driven by selfish motivations. That is heroism spoken of lightly. And in a way they still can be considered a hero if it was morally right. The character can go on a killing spree of vengeance and take down an evil enterprise saving a million lives in the process. They are a hero for it. But the true definition for me is completely selfless, which would mean that same character would do the exact same thing, but with the motivation to save people and not vengeance. 
A knight running to glory and kill a dragon for their legacy is not heroic. It could have saved many lives in the process, but the intention was selfish. God knows a person's motivations. And even many religious people fail in their motivation of doing good deeds. They fear God as their motivation more than doing a good deed as a genuine act. So morality and heroism seem inseparable. 
 

It's a character who stands up for what is right irregardless of the consequences. One who doesn't expect help but is willing to free the oppressed, one who is willing to give a voice to the voiceless.

I would say Charles, Sadie, and Arthur in RDR2. Charles because he is able to keep his head, puts out a commanding aura when he needs, and does what needs to be done when it needs to be done. He doesn't get all hopped up over everything.
Arthur because he is a no bullshit kind of outlaw. When something isn't right, he makes it right by whatever means necessary. He'll kill you and think nothing of it if he deems it necessary. He kills in anger. He kills enemy gang members just for fun. And he can read the writing on the wall, when others can't even see it.
Sadie because she can get places that men can't. She can come across in the beginning as the demure little housewife, but the moment you let your guard down around her, you're going to end up as female as she is. You won't even know she cut your dick and balls off until after she shot you and the blood is flying. She won't tolerate belligerence towards those she cares about in the slightest way. When you're around people she loves, your life can literally be on the line, so you better at the very least be civil and cordial.