Video Games. ("Hobby" #1)

    Okay, so been a while since I last posted...so I'm posting, yay! So, no seriously. I doubt anyone has really noticed it's been a while. xD But I feel obligated, nonetheless, to say, "Sorry it's been so long, yo!" Except I really don't say "yo". Like, ever. I guess I do when I'm tired and making a blog post, haha! But this is for my ramblings. And as of late, I've been to busy AND too forgetful to post about any ramblings. Plus I didn't really feel like rambling.

STOP. First I need to educate you on some terms, if you don't know them, that you'll need to know for this blog post. Along with extras for video games and other games in general.

MMORPG - Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game
MMO - Massive Multiplayer Online (because not every MMO is an MMORPG)

RP - Role-Play (tag a "G" on the end for "Role-Playing Game")

PC - Player Character (so, the character that you play)

NPC - Non-Player Character (or, computer controlled)

D&D - Dungeons and Dragons

PC - Personal Computer (yeah, the more typical use for "PC")

I think that may be all the terms you need to know for my post actually. Plus those extras I mentioned that are just useful anyway. I mean, you wanna talk to a video game geek, you better know these terms for sure. Granted there are others as well. Anyway. Carry On. 

    Right. So moving on to today's topic then? If you look to your upper-down-left, you will see...That I am posting about VIDEO GAMES!! (Picture below was taken just a few months ago. Those are my reading glasses; it's easier for me to look at the screen with them on, actually.)

    I decided it was time to. I'm one of those "weird" girls that loves video games. Technically, I've been playing them almost my whole life. I remember I used to watch mom or dad (mostly dad) play them when I was too small. See, one year for Christmas we got a SuperNintendo (and yes, I still have that thing. It's amazing). Mom would play Cool Spot sometimes, and dad played a bunch of other things. The first time that I gave video games a go was when I was 3 years old. My brother was 5 years old. I remember that we played "The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past". Epic.

    It was also around that age that I discovered a love for Star Wars.... But! That is another story for another time. Ha. I have a HUGE Star Wars collection. xD But I have also discovered in more recent years that I also love Star Trek. My love for Star Trek, in fact, surpasses my love for Star Wars.

    Right. So, the games. Growing up with an older brother who I copied probably had something to do with it. In fact he, his best friend who I also consider a brother, and my dad are probably the reason I play D&D (Dungeons and Dragons...granted, we switched over to Pathfinder once 4th Edition came out -  AH! Again: Another story for another time...or...stories, I should say. Those of you that do play D&D or Pathfinder, ought to know what I mean, lol).

     So I play all sorts of video games. My favorite ones are The Elder Scrolls. (As you can well imagine, for those of you who are familiar with those games, I am SPAZZING OUT for Skyrim!!) I also play like Mass Effect, Halo, Gears of War, Assassin's Creed, Tomb Raider, Zelda, and a bunch of others. I also play a few facebook games. Hee hee? I play on a few consoles, mainly my brother's 360. Here is a picture of me, taken just yesterday, playing "Tomb Raider: Underworld" (by the way, the 2012 Tomb Raider game looks AWESOME!) :

    There is, however, a downside to my love of video games. You see, my earliest MMORPG was Guild Wars. I first played that when I was 11 or 12 years old. I stopped playing after a while mostly because there was an e-mail address issue (dad changed his e-mail and forgot to change it on the account and we couldn't get back in). I also played a little D&D online, and for a time tried Star Wars online.  And throughout all this, as time went on, I discovered how fiercely competitive I can get. I also get bored with things if it doesn't remain challenging enough (so with games that you level up on, I tend to jack up the difficulty settings the longer I play to keep it challenging). But yes. I decided that MMORPG's are not a good idea for me because of my competitive tendencies. So, I don't play them anymore. But I do love to keep up on game trailers and in-game play/demos just to see.

    But, I also get rather...animated...with video games. Animated would be an understatement. I talk to the games. I really do. In fact, just yesterday I had a little outburst out of nowhere while one of my best friends, Jane, was watching.

I shouted:

"IS IT DAMAGING YOUR PRIDE THE WAY IT'S DAMAGING MINE?!?!"

     That picture was also taken yesterday. Oh, and: Yes. That is an exercise ball. I discovered recently that we have one. So I determined that while I play my video games I'll get in a little exercise too. Win-win. Right? ;)

    My favorite genre/s are Sci-Fi and Fantasy. To get technical, you group them together into "Speculative Fiction". My favorite game types will forever remain in the RPG genre. Role Playing Game. Heh, have to remember that "RPG" also stands for "Rocket Propelled Grenade". Yeah, I mean the non-violent version of RPG, no worries. ;) But seriously, that's why a lot of us just shorten it to "RP" is because it's quicker to say but also so we don't accidentally get the two mixed up. Though I can't think of an in-context example of how you could get the two switched around. Not off the top of my head at any rate.

    Well, non-violent...meaning...a game...thing is...I speak violently to the games every so often. I don't get physically violent ever. Just verbally. That's when I have to step away from the games.

    That's my "I'm gonna kill this stupid mechanism" smile. Picture also taken yesterday.

    Anyway, aside from the RP's, I do play shooter games and some strategy games. I like the games that have a good story, are challenging, and stay interesting. I also like games that can have some moral consequences. Like Fable 3. Oh gosh. Serious moral consequences on that one. But, it's only interesting until you finish the story. They try to do the open-ended RP thing, but it just fails. It doesn't stay interesting after the main stuff, unlike The Elder Scrolls. Elder Scrolls is open-ended RP - and Skyrim will be a true RP, woot! - and does stay interesting. You finish the main quest/s and you have all these side quests and Guilds. And that's why it stays interesting; 200+ quests, plus any fan-made stuff for those who play it on the PC.

    Anyway, that's just in a nutshell about video games, from my perspective. I could go on all day and dive into details on things. But, I will be nice and not bore anyone further. And trust me when I say "all day". My poor friends. xD

     Take care! :)