2 posts tagged “video games”

I like to think of myself as fairly grown-up.  I can easily turn down the childish pleasures in which many of my contemporaries (or, less grandly, my "age-group") seem to lose themselves so readily. 

But there are certain things that I find I must own.  I develop what feels like a small void in my chest and abdomen.  For want of this thing, I stew, obsess, research and finally capitulate.  The process can take weeks, months...even years.  Usually, though, it's a matter of days. 

Four days ago, I began to see advertisements for a video game called Fable II.  It is a role-playing game, sequel to a 2004 release.  The main draw of this game series isn't just that you play in a fantastically realized fantasy setting and go on adventures.  What makes it interesting to me is that one's character can affect the game world by how one plays.  Morality is a factor in this game, as is appearance and communication style.  The appearance of a character gradually changes based on combat wounds, eating habits, skill sets and level of good or evil.

In this sequel, not only are public interactions counted towards your overall morality, but what you do in private counts too.  For instance, the game strives for realism in a lot of ways.  You can get married and have children...and you initiate the action which precipitates children.  Now, in Fable I you could have a bunch of mistresses (or boy toys, the game allows homosexuality) as long as they didn't find out about each other.  There wasn't much of an effect on your overall status as good or evil.  But in this game you are rated on purity and corruption.

One minor annoyance from the reviews:  Having unprotected sex is a corrupting influence, wearing a condom is a purity thing.  They'll hit you with VD or a kid too.  Well, as a Catholic I suppose I can console myself by simply not letting my character fornicate until he gets married.  Look at me, I've already decided to buy the game...so much for that "could take weeks to succumb" jive.

What I find so intriguing about this game series is that if I play without a set goal in mind, it can be a tool for introspection.  If I play the game as I would live the events in the game, I can see what I suppose the game designer would think of me.  It's like one giant Internet quiz.  With magic.

And so it has happened.  Despite irrational hopes that this day would never come, I am at last faced with a computer that is beyond simple repair.  Oh, it turns on now, with its new power source.  But it is not transmitting data to the monitor.  At this point, the money spent to fix it would be a waste.  I am at work now, with an older computer that didn't see the same hard years I put my own through. 

I remember fondly the days of Freshman year.  I spent it playing Empire Earth, Baldur's Gate, and downloading music illegally (I was seized by conscience in spring semester, and deleted them).  I remember the halcyon days of Sophomore year, Age of Empires II LAN parties, Star Trek: Armada II LAN parties...Oh the fun. 

And always, the brooding spectre of Medieval: Total War.  That game...How many hours did I play?  How many battles won...battles lost?  The great record of the Byzantine Empire that I myself chronicled in perhaps the longest sustained geek-out of my life...a full year to write down the events of every turn and major battle order.  My secret shame...to be so obsessed.

And Rome: Total War held much of my attention Junior year.  World of Warcraft and Nintendo emulators my Senior.  Oh, the fun I've had on that computer.

And the work I've done!  I have saved every single term paper I ever wrote, organized by class.  English, Poli Sci, Psych...my entire college career is on that hard drive.  True, I have hard copies which I am saving for posterity.  Yes, I am hopeful that people will want to read my writing from college.  But what if everything is ruined in a sudden flood or fire? 

I am depressed beyond measure.  For the second time in a year, I will have to cancel my WoW subscription.  I am still paying for the Internet, but I'll just tell myself the money is for cable instead.  Blogging will have to be done at work, as this one has been.

And I'll have to hit up my dad for computer money.  Or use my savings...not acceptable...perhaps inevitable.  That's what savings are for, I suppose.  My beautiful IRA...