Romance-in-gaming article

[St. Josephine]

Now I'm feeling embarrassed that I do like the stereotype, at least in the gaming world. Real life is a completely different story... but then again, real people are not controlled by IF THEN statements or limited by coding/acting/writing constraints.

Actually, that's why I disliked The Sims so much... they are so real life.  When I play a game, I don't want to have to worry if my character has to go to work or the bathroom (yes, she did spend a fair amount of time unemployed and peeing on the floor, in case you're wondering).  I want a little fantasy, perhaps even a little bit of stereotype, when it comes to gaming, especialy in my romance. Things I would never put up with in real life are suddenly charming (pompous men and know-it-all mother figures).  Go figure.

[cliffette]

Sometimes people are hated for very good reasons and must be kicked. I prefer Anomen as a statue, since then I don't have to touch the jerk.

Flesh to Stone is your best bet

Now I wish I played Fallout!

[cliffette]

Actually, that's why I disliked The Sims so much... they are so real life.  When I play a game, I don't want to have to worry if my character has to go to work or the bathroom (yes, she did spend a fair amount of time unemployed and peeing on the floor, in case you're wondering).

You're talking to the person who i) cheats horrendously in Sims & ii) is the proud owner of the Verygay LOTR household, complete with private hot tub for Saruman and Gandalf. 

I want a little fantasy, perhaps even a little bit of stereotype, when it comes to gaming, especialy in my romance. Things I would never put up with in real life are suddenly charming (pompous men and know-it-all mother figures).  Go figure.

And I feel the same way.

[Perdita]

(Trapping Dogmeat in force fields works )

She said not to tell her.   

[St. Josephine]

is the proud owner of the Verygay LOTR household, complete with private hot tub for Saruman and Gandalf. 

  

[neriana]

Funny, my fantasies never involve psycopathic needy braggarts. Rude musclebound idiots are 180 degrees away from my ideal, in reality or in fantasy. In reality I ignore them. In fantasy I ignore them after doing horrible things to them. I wouldn't mind a little bit of stereotype, if it were a stereotype I didn't find utterly repellent.

My favorite part of The Sims is buying stuff 

[Regullus]

(Trapping Dogmeat in force fields works )

She said not to tell her.   

  Fallout 1 game located and installed, downloading patch.

[jcompton]

Hypothetically, Dogmeat can also be locked in the elevator if you time it right.

Dogmeat's an interesting sidebar here, because although he's not a romantic figure, he is an emotional figure... arguably the most emotion-evoking non-human gaming character of the 1990s. (Floyd from Planetfall/Stationfall being the most emotional of the 1980s.) A lot of people feel very strongly about Dogmeat...

... and as an interesting glimpse into the mind of one game creator, when I interviewed Tim Cain for this story Dogmeat came up, and he marvelled at how emotional people got over Dogmeat. He saw him as a dog NPC with an extremely primitive AI script. In fact... (Regullus, and those with weak hearts, might not want to read this next bit) he said he found it funny when Dogmeat got incinerated in the force fields.

[neriana]

Further proof of my theory that Tim Cain has the emotional intelligence of a turnip. No offense to Jan.

[jester]

Further proof of my theory that Tim Cain has the emotional intelligence of a turnip. No offense to Jan.

All so true! Dogmeat died on me in nearly every second fight, but he wouldn't get into my backpack no matter how many mints I was offering to put into it. That brave rascal. *sniff*

[Regullus]

he said he found it funny when Dogmeat got incinerated in the force fields.

 Thought it was funny?   Speechless.

 

[St. Josephine]

My favorite part of The Sims is buying stuff 

What?! A woman who enjoys shopping?!  That wouldn't be a stereotype would it?!  neriana, I thought you were above all that! 

[Ghreyfain]

Re: Dogmeat, I had him with the one character I managed to finish Fallout with, only his death wasn't glorious at all.  I'd been hired by the Crimson Caravan to ship some goods to the Brotherhood, and we were ambushed by supermutants!  Dogmeat fell to their guns, but Banworth went berzerk (with the aid of a friendly chemical I know), and slew them all.

It was at that point that he became jaded to the world and decided everyone and everything in the wasteland was deserving of their miserable existence.  Up to that time he had been a do-gooder trying to make things better for people, but he'd seen too much suffering, despair, and evil for him to think there was anything worth saving in the hell-forsaken place.  His only friend in the world dying was the straw that broke the camel's back.

[neriana]

My favorite part of The Sims is buying stuff 

What?! A woman who enjoys shopping?!  That wouldn't be a stereotype would it?!  neriana, I thought you were above all that! 

I get it from my father. And yes, I do like shopping, if it's not at the mall and if it's not for shoes or major appliances. Anyway, I like designing the houses and rooms. Just because it's a stereotype that women enjoy shopping, that doesn't mean I must oppose it and pretend I don't enjoy it .

[Perdita]

Hypothetically, Dogmeat can also be locked in the elevator if you time it right.

I think I was able to do that, too.

My favorite part of The Sims is buying stuff 

My favorite part of BG is buying stuff.   

[Da_venom]

My favorite part of The Sims is buying stuff 

My favorite part of BG is buying stuff.   

some buy freak , must be the attitude of a noble ^^

[Domi]

You're talking to the person who i) cheats horrendously in Sims & ii) is the proud owner of the Verygay LOTR household, complete with private hot tub for Saruman and Gandalf.   

Oh... one of those rare moments when imagination fails me...


My favorite part of BG is buying stuff.   

I actually now avoid collecting stuff for sale... just pick up my favorite weapons, and that's it. My husband drove me insane when we used to play together (we do not anymore) since he had a habit of sorting all of the equipment (you know, Imoen carries all the short bows, Kivan all halberds, etc) and look for the best price... for HOURS (!) when I wanted to see what happened next!

[Da_venom]

you gotta be kidding right?

imoen the short bows and kivan the halbers....

sorting the equipment? thats just too lol

^^

[Perdita]

sorting the equipment? thats just too lol

I do that.

[Domi]

you gotta be kidding right?

imoen the short bows and kivan the halbers....

sorting the equipment? thats just too lol

^^

Well, you see, when you first go to a merchant in BG1, he gives you a good price, but you have to keep all the similar weaspons on one person to get it for every item of the type... Well, my husband actually visited say every merchant in Nashkel and carnival before selling stuff... Then, after this opportunity was exhausted he would try to optimize the inventories so that everyone carries exactly the weight he could carry and all the slots were full. We fought over every short sword (1 gp) he'd try to dragg around. We also fought over how many hit points Kivan had to loose before he had to be healed. We fought over whom to include in the party. We fought over what spell to cast. We fought over downloading hacker's software on our systems (mods). To avoid divorce, I had to start playing on my own... Now we fight over me spending too much time on modding

[Regullus]

Re: Dogmeat, I had him with the one character I managed to finish Fallout with, only his death wasn't glorious at all.  I'd been hired by the Crimson Caravan to ship some goods to the Brotherhood, and we were ambushed by supermutants!  Dogmeat fell to their guns, but Banworth went berzerk (with the aid of a friendly chemical I know), and slew them all.

It was at that point that he became jaded to the world and decided everyone and everything in the wasteland was deserving of their miserable existence.  Up to that time he had been a do-gooder trying to make things better for people, but he'd seen too much suffering, despair, and evil for him to think there was anything worth saving in the hell-forsaken place.  His only friend in the world dying was the straw that broke the camel's back.

   You have my sympathy friend.


 Prior to BG2, shopping was my favorite activitiy too! I am playing Fallout and I just spent a half of hour shopping the Hub choosing my weapons and armor, organizing inventory, and making sure that everyone has the best weapon. Dogmeat by my side. I forgot how much fun shopping for the pc can be.

In the Sims, I loved decorating my house, the neighborhoods, designing shops, bars and resturants, vacation villas! Too fun.

Well back to Fallout, I am only on-line because I had to buy a wedding present.

Oh, By the Way:

Has anyone else played The Secret of Evermore? My second all-time favorite NPC was in that game. You played a boy and his dog. I named the boy after my now husband, and of course, the dog after my dog. When a character got killed, the screen would go black, and on the black background would appear the sleeping figures of the boy and his dog, in my case,  it would say on the screen, "Frank and Shout were never seen again." I got upset every time it happened. Nothing compared to how I felt about the demise of Dogmeat but it was hard.

What is the holiday? Oh, Have a Very Happy Kelsey Friday!

[Da_venom]

just get dogmeat in bg   a cool buddy to tag along

all love dogmeat ^^

[Eral]

Every CRPG I have ever enjoyed had shopping. No shopping, no fun. I have had long discussions with my husband to explain this, but I have failed to convince him.

Sorting the equipment is also an essential part of the game especially if you are anal/obsessive-compulsive. Jaheira carries the healing potions, cleric carries the buffing potions, Minsc carries the arrows, leader carries the bullets, Imoen carries the jewels, Kelsey carries the scrolls. You have to be able to get things in a hurry. My nephew was having a few problems with his game of IWD2, and left me alone with the game for a few minutes. Horror! Arrows, bolts, healing potions everywhere. I had tidied up his inventories and changed weapons(his mages weren't carrying ranged weapons! I have taught the boy nothing!) and saved before I realised he might like it the way he had it. I hope it didn't take him too long to put it all back.

Stating baldly that after years of romancing Anomen- I like him ( but only when I romance him, because he is just too annoying  without other dialogue to balance "What is it now?" and "Quit your mouth, wench.") Trying to explain this phenomen to myself, I have come to the conclusion the heroine, if a good character, suffers from the same conflicts as Anomen, so the romance is not exactly completely unrealistic. And as for his physical characteristics, I never thought Anomen was particularly tall, myself. Stocky and muscular yes, tall no. But he is a good cleric and fighter. You can't give the mace of disruption to Aerie. He is useful in battle,   understands the heroine's conflicts,  has a nice bottom (which also never occured to me before), adores her and thinks she is beautiful, there you go. I also feel compelled ( years of therapy will never be enough) to state that I have never seen Anomen as emotionally dependent. He supports the PC, as well.  Kelsey says, "I need you," too. Yet we certainly wouldn't accuse him of emotional dependence. And now I have to stop talking about this because my husband is looking at really strangely.

[neriana]

Kelsey has only one hissy fit, he never forces you to make the most important decision of his life for him, and he's not a jerk to everyone else. "I need you because I love you" is different from "wah help poor self-pitying awesome me". Anomen adores the PC and thinks she's beautiful, big whoop. He's obnoxious, therefore his adoration is obnoxious. He puts his lover on a pedestal, and I absolutely despise that.

The more reasons people give for liking him, the more I hate him 

[Eral]

Kelsey has only one hissy fit, he never forces you to make the most important decision of his life for him, and he's not a jerk to everyone else. "I need you because I love you" is different from "wah help poor self-pitying awesome me". Anomen adores the PC and thinks she's beautiful, big whoop. He's obnoxious, therefore his adoration is obnoxious. He puts his lover on a pedestal, and I absolutely despise that.

The more reasons people give for liking him, the more I hate him 

I admire your hatred of Anomen. It is rational and completely supported by the evidence. Never stop.
I hasten to say my post is not meant to be - Reasons For Liking Anomen. It is -For What Insane Reason Do I, a reasonably intelligent woman, Like The Bugger? (I notice that you do not codemn his nice bottom as a mitigating factor. )

It goes without saying that Kelsey is more lovable than Anomen. That is the whole purpose of his existence. To rescue us from the hell that is romancing the world's most obnoxious code. I imagine Cailean is the same.

As for emotional dependency, the fact that you make the decision for Anomen is more to do with the game construct- choosing to be evil/good, and re-playability. Though I like your description of his dialogue as "wah help poor self-pitying awesome me" it is not completely effective in convincing me. Is Anomen's devotion dependency, and how is it different to Kelsey's? (other than that Kelsey doesn't give us the s***s.)
Please don't be harsh on me. It's difficult to come out as an Anomen-liker. Be kind. I suffer enough.