Video Games
So I've been thinking lately.
Imagine that.
I've played video games for most of my life, to varying degrees of intensity. I've never been a "hardcore gamer" although I've definitely lost a lot of sleep over some games. In fact, I don't think I've ever paid full price for a game (although, I am considering doing just that with Dragon Age: Origins coming out this fall, brought to you by Bioware). But anyway, that's not the point of my rant, exactly.
I've figured out that it's the story, in most cases, that makes me enjoy a game. This is why I've never felt bad about cheating in a game, because I've never been that interested in getting down the mechanics or anything like that. It's always about advancing the story. I played through the StarCraft campaigns, and rarely played multiplayer. In fact, the computer can probably beat me pretty easily.
Even with games like the Halo series. I've played through the campaign once, so I know the story. I don't feel a drive to go through and master it on Legendary just to prove my worth as a gamer. I really only play it on multiplayer occasionally because of my friends.
This is probably why I've always enjoyed "Role Playing" games most. Because they are about the story of the characters, about their journey. In fact, games that are too open ended lose my interest. Take Morrowind and Oblivion as prime examples. The worlds that they created are so large that you can just wander around the map and completely disregard the main quest, or even the side quests. I need structure, I need narrative. I need a reason to continue forward or I lose interest.
Sometimes I can continue forward in spite of a horribly designed system because of the promise of a good storyline. Other times, it's not as easy. I've tried to play the more recent Final Fantasy games (FFVII on) and I've gotten to a certain point and then stopped and haven't picked it up again. I know the story is going to be good, but I have to spend so much time leveling up or finding equipment or this and that, and so I lose interest. I've tried to get through some of the great PC RPG's like Baldur's Gate I & II, Planescape: Torment, Fallout I & II and Deus Ex. But, for some reason I can't get very far in them. I'm not sure if the graphics or the design are just that old that I can't do it, or what. I love the classic SNES games like Chrono Trigger, FFIII, FFIV, FFV, FFVI, Earthbound, Seiken Densetsu 3 and so on. But anything more advanced I seem to have an issue with, up until things like Knights of the Old Republic I & II, Jade Empire, Fable and Mass Effect (three of those are Bioware, sense a trend anyone? :D).
It's strange. I know that the stories of titles like FFVII and FFX in particular are very compelling, but I can't do it. The story is compelling but having to actually do all the quests in a 40+ hour game, because I can't just ignore them and plow through, tires me out. But then you have some of the recent games like I mentioned. They have some pretty involved stories and are decently long games, but not as epic as those in the Final Fantasy series. I notice that I didn't mention a single J-RPG (as in RPG from Japan, or one in that style) in the list of my recent favorites. Perhaps my tastes have changed, maybe it is something else. Who knows.
To be fair, there are some games that I enjoy even if they don't have a story. I got Burnout: Revenge with my 360 and I've enjoyed playing that. Besides RPG's I've always been a fan of the Civilization series, and games similar to that (such as Rome: Total War, Caesar 3 and Lords of the Realm II). There is usually some basic plot or motivation, but after that it's pretty open ended. I enjoy that sort of open-ended game, but I can't do it in a game that is an RPG. Odd.
I apologize to any of you who aren't gamers and really have no idea about most of what I've blathered on about. But then again, if you read this far being completely confused you must either be a) a good friend, b) really bored, c) crazy, or d) all of the above.
Anyway, maybe I will actually blog more often now. We shall see.
Imagine that.
I've played video games for most of my life, to varying degrees of intensity. I've never been a "hardcore gamer" although I've definitely lost a lot of sleep over some games. In fact, I don't think I've ever paid full price for a game (although, I am considering doing just that with Dragon Age: Origins coming out this fall, brought to you by Bioware). But anyway, that's not the point of my rant, exactly.
I've figured out that it's the story, in most cases, that makes me enjoy a game. This is why I've never felt bad about cheating in a game, because I've never been that interested in getting down the mechanics or anything like that. It's always about advancing the story. I played through the StarCraft campaigns, and rarely played multiplayer. In fact, the computer can probably beat me pretty easily.
Even with games like the Halo series. I've played through the campaign once, so I know the story. I don't feel a drive to go through and master it on Legendary just to prove my worth as a gamer. I really only play it on multiplayer occasionally because of my friends.
This is probably why I've always enjoyed "Role Playing" games most. Because they are about the story of the characters, about their journey. In fact, games that are too open ended lose my interest. Take Morrowind and Oblivion as prime examples. The worlds that they created are so large that you can just wander around the map and completely disregard the main quest, or even the side quests. I need structure, I need narrative. I need a reason to continue forward or I lose interest.
Sometimes I can continue forward in spite of a horribly designed system because of the promise of a good storyline. Other times, it's not as easy. I've tried to play the more recent Final Fantasy games (FFVII on) and I've gotten to a certain point and then stopped and haven't picked it up again. I know the story is going to be good, but I have to spend so much time leveling up or finding equipment or this and that, and so I lose interest. I've tried to get through some of the great PC RPG's like Baldur's Gate I & II, Planescape: Torment, Fallout I & II and Deus Ex. But, for some reason I can't get very far in them. I'm not sure if the graphics or the design are just that old that I can't do it, or what. I love the classic SNES games like Chrono Trigger, FFIII, FFIV, FFV, FFVI, Earthbound, Seiken Densetsu 3 and so on. But anything more advanced I seem to have an issue with, up until things like Knights of the Old Republic I & II, Jade Empire, Fable and Mass Effect (three of those are Bioware, sense a trend anyone? :D).
It's strange. I know that the stories of titles like FFVII and FFX in particular are very compelling, but I can't do it. The story is compelling but having to actually do all the quests in a 40+ hour game, because I can't just ignore them and plow through, tires me out. But then you have some of the recent games like I mentioned. They have some pretty involved stories and are decently long games, but not as epic as those in the Final Fantasy series. I notice that I didn't mention a single J-RPG (as in RPG from Japan, or one in that style) in the list of my recent favorites. Perhaps my tastes have changed, maybe it is something else. Who knows.
To be fair, there are some games that I enjoy even if they don't have a story. I got Burnout: Revenge with my 360 and I've enjoyed playing that. Besides RPG's I've always been a fan of the Civilization series, and games similar to that (such as Rome: Total War, Caesar 3 and Lords of the Realm II). There is usually some basic plot or motivation, but after that it's pretty open ended. I enjoy that sort of open-ended game, but I can't do it in a game that is an RPG. Odd.
I apologize to any of you who aren't gamers and really have no idea about most of what I've blathered on about. But then again, if you read this far being completely confused you must either be a) a good friend, b) really bored, c) crazy, or d) all of the above.
Anyway, maybe I will actually blog more often now. We shall see.
Labels: Gaming, Geekiness, Life?, Rants, Teh Interwebs
posted by Typo Panther at
10:59:00 PM
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