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Any gamers around here?

Started by Agramon, June 21, 2013, 02:55:17 AM

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Hydra009

I'm actually fairly nice in most RPGs.  I almost always wipe out bandits/slavers and try to protect any bastion of civilization I find.  I only come down hard on them if they have some nefarious intent.  Or if they're Aldmeri Dominion.  Because screw the Aldmeri Dominion.

And on an individual level, I'm more likely to rescue/protect people than hurt them.  Unless they attack me first.  Or talk smack.

I've tried evil runs, but I generally get dissatisfied and abandon it.  I much prefer strolling into a town that's become prosperous and getting friendly greetings from the locals than walking by a ruined ghost town.  That's too depressing.

Blackleaf

Quote from: Hydra009 on October 11, 2018, 11:07:00 AM
I'm actually fairly nice in most RPGs.  I almost always wipe out bandits/slavers and try to protect any bastion of civilization I find.  I only come down hard on them if they have some nefarious intent.  Or if they're Aldmeri Dominion.  Because screw the Aldmeri Dominion.

And on an individual level, I'm more likely to rescue/protect people than hurt them.  Unless they attack me first.  Or talk smack.

I've tried evil runs, but I generally get dissatisfied and abandon it.  I much prefer strolling into a town that's become prosperous and getting friendly greetings from the locals than walking by a ruined ghost town.  That's too depressing.

For me, games like Skyrim are a source of escapism. They allow me to be who I can't be in real life. My main character has similar ideals as myself, although she's also a thieving kleptomaniac. But I've also made some characters who are more pure good or pure evil. I have one orc character I turned into a Vampire Lord, and she's just a mass murdering psychopath. Killing in her transformed state helps her live that life without consequences, much like myself behind my computer screen. lol
"Oh, wearisome condition of humanity,
Born under one law, to another bound;
Vainly begot, and yet forbidden vanity,
Created sick, commanded to be sound."
--Fulke Greville--

Hydra009

#2747
I don't so much try to escape (though that is a motivating factor) as I try to challenge myself to become the best version of myself that I can be and stick to a self-chosen code even if it's not as easy or as rewarded by the game mechanics.

When I played Morrowind, I absolutely refused to steal.  I was sorely tempted to, since early on you have some pretty severe money problems.  But resisting temptation and persevering in difficult circumstances is imo the real challenge of the game.

Also, I sold practically everything I ever got to Ra'Virr in Balmora.  And since merchants in Morrowind often equip gear that you sell them, he steadily got more and more well-equipped over time.  At the very beginning of the game, he boasted (inaccurately) that he had badass daedric weapons for sale.  Well, I made his dream a reality!

Blackleaf

Quote from: Hydra009 on October 11, 2018, 12:27:03 PM
I don't so much try to escape (though that is a motivating factor) as I try to challenge myself to become the best version of myself that I can be and stick to a self-chosen code even if it's not as easy or as rewarded by the game mechanics.

When I played Morrowind, I absolutely refused to steal.  I was sorely tempted to, since early on you have some pretty severe money problems.  But resisting temptation and persevering in difficult circumstances is imo the real challenge of the game.

Also, I sold practically everything I ever got to Ra'Virr in Balmora.  And since merchants in Morrowind often equip gear that you sell them, he steadily got more and more well-equipped over time.  At the very beginning of the game, he boasted (inaccurately) that he had badass daedric weapons for sale.  Well, I made his dream a reality!

I didn't realize that shop owners equipped what you gave them. A shop owner wearing a full set of Daedric armor and weapons sounds hilarious. No thief would have the guts to try stealing from him.

Speaking of thieves, did you know that Skyrim's thieves have a secret system of code to communicate with each other? If you look closely, many shops have markings nearby. On the door posts, on barrels, etc. The shape of the marking can tell the thief if the shop is full of good loot, if it's barren (not worth the effort), or if the shop owner is particularly dangerous. The game doesn't overtly tell you about this, but I think there's a book somewhere in the Thieves Guild hideout that explains what the markings mean.
"Oh, wearisome condition of humanity,
Born under one law, to another bound;
Vainly begot, and yet forbidden vanity,
Created sick, commanded to be sound."
--Fulke Greville--

Hydra009

Quote from: Blackleaf on October 11, 2018, 12:44:03 PMI didn't realize that shop owners equipped what you gave them. A shop owner wearing a full set of Daedric armor and weapons sounds hilarious. No thief would have the guts to try stealing from him.
They do!  But only if it's an upgrade to what they're currently wearing and iirc what they equip varies depending on race/class restrictions.

QuoteSpeaking of thieves, did you know that Skyrim's thieves have a secret system of code to communicate with each other?
Yes.  Shadowmarks.  I loved the Nightingale quest, but other than that, I didn't have much interest in the thieves guild.

In Morrowind, one guild's questline could get you kicked out of another guild, so you really have to prioritize and I generally either go warrior or mage, not sneakthief.  I was leery in even joining Skyrim's thieves guild because of that prior experience.

I was super excited about Skyrim's warrior guild but I was very disappointed.  I was also disappointed with the mage's guild, though I suppose that makes sense given Skyrim's warrior culture.

Blackleaf

Quote from: Hydra009 on October 11, 2018, 01:10:36 PM
They do!  But only if it's an upgrade to what they're currently wearing and iirc what they equip varies depending on race/class restrictions.

Yes.  Shadowmarks.  I loved the Nightingale quest, but other than that, I didn't have much interest in the thieves guild.

In Morrowind, one guild's questline could get you kicked out of another guild, so you really have to prioritize and I generally either go warrior or mage, not sneakthief.  I was leery in even joining Skyrim's thieves guild because of that prior experience.

I was super excited about Skyrim's warrior guild but I was very disappointed.  I was also disappointed with the mage's guild, though I suppose that makes sense given Skyrim's warrior culture.

Ironically, I was actually more hesitant to join the Thieves Guild in Skyrim, despite the lack of conflict between the guilds. While Skyrim's approach to guilds is much more friendly to the casual crowd (which I hate, but that's another discussion), I had my thief forego joining the Thieves Guild due to their more mob-ish nature. While the Thieves Guild in other regions operates in the dark, the political favor they have in Riften has led to their guild operating pretty openly. One of the early quests has you destroying one man's property to bully him into paying up, which didn't mesh with my virtuous thief character. And of course, the very first thing the Thieves Guild has you do for them is frame a man for thievery, although the player might assume that the man you're framing deserves it somehow.

In contrast, the Thieves Guild in Morrowind has you doing some Robin Hood style work, helping those less fortunate.
"Oh, wearisome condition of humanity,
Born under one law, to another bound;
Vainly begot, and yet forbidden vanity,
Created sick, commanded to be sound."
--Fulke Greville--

Hydra009

Quote from: Blackleaf on October 11, 2018, 02:29:04 PMIn contrast, the Thieves Guild in Morrowind has you doing some Robin Hood style work, helping those less fortunate.
Ah, that's pretty nice!  I went with the Imperial Legion, the Fighter's Guild, and House Redoran (the least objectionable Dunmer Great House).

It goes without saying that I annihilated the Camonna Tong every chance I got.

I'm thinking about doing a new Morrowind run (no stealing, no spellcasting except for enchantments and possibly mark/recall).  Really get into the warrior nitty-gritty, forcing myself to rely more on gear and strategy without the convenience of magic.

Blackleaf

Quote from: Hydra009 on October 11, 2018, 03:03:20 PM
Ah, that's pretty nice!  I went with the Imperial Legion, the Fighter's Guild, and House Redoran (the least objectionable Dunmer Great House).

It goes without saying that I annihilated the Camonna Tong every chance I got.

I'm thinking about doing a new Morrowind run (no stealing, no spellcasting except for enchantments and possibly mark/recall).  Really get into the warrior nitty-gritty, forcing myself to rely more on gear and strategy without the convenience of magic.

The Camonna Tong are an interesting guild, although you can't actually join them. Essentially, they're legal murderers. Morrowind's 007, with a license to kill. I never did any quests concerning them. While I do make a ton of alts on every Bethesda game, my main is always the same character: my virtuous thief. In my headcanon, she's reincarnated between every game. I don't know why. I just have an attachment to that character. Maybe because she was the first character I made in Morrowind who made it to the end of the story. Before, my computer was crap and would crash all the time, so I couldn't get very far. I got it on XBOX, and was finally able to finish. But anyway, while my main will clear an entire dungeon of bandits before they know what hit them, sometimes eating their hearts out in Werewolf form, she's not one to take hit contracts. lol
"Oh, wearisome condition of humanity,
Born under one law, to another bound;
Vainly begot, and yet forbidden vanity,
Created sick, commanded to be sound."
--Fulke Greville--

Hydra009

#2753
Quote from: Blackleaf on October 11, 2018, 03:34:14 PMWhile I do make a ton of alts on every Bethesda game, my main is always the same character: my virtuous thief. In my headcanon, she's reincarnated between every game. I don't know why. I just have an attachment to that character.
Same.  My main is a chivilarous knight - a male Redguard.  Sword and board, heavy armor.  Poor magic ability funneled almost entirely into restoration.  Generally good-natured and extremely law-abiding.  Steadfastly loyal to The Empire and the Nine.

My Argonian is more mercenary and unscrupulous.  Shadowscale-esque.  Speed and stealth, mixed with a great deal of spying and information gathering.  Moderate magical ability poured into Illusion and Conjuration.  Hail Sithis.

Baruch

#2754
Quote from: Sal1981 on October 11, 2018, 10:50:35 AM
Totally true, after playing 4 different GTA games, I can't hold my urge back to steal cars and gun down strangers with a minigun.

Really?  So you aren't being MKA Ultra conditioned for help Hillary's Legions?  As others noted above ... depends on what kind of character you play.  Though I think in most games, the best you can choose to be is an anti-hero like Venom.

Helter Skelter with gaming instead of rock?
Ha’át’íísh baa naniná?
Azee’ Å,a’ish nanídį́į́h?
Táadoo ánít’iní.
What are you doing?
Are you taking any medications?
Don't do that.

Mike Cl

Quote from: Hydra009 on October 11, 2018, 11:07:00 AM
I'm actually fairly nice in most RPGs.  I almost always wipe out bandits/slavers and try to protect any bastion of civilization I find.  I only come down hard on them if they have some nefarious intent.  Or if they're Aldmeri Dominion.  Because screw the Aldmeri Dominion.

And on an individual level, I'm more likely to rescue/protect people than hurt them.  Unless they attack me first.  Or talk smack.

I've tried evil runs, but I generally get dissatisfied and abandon it.  I much prefer strolling into a town that's become prosperous and getting friendly greetings from the locals than walking by a ruined ghost town.  That's too depressing.
That's how I play RPG's as well.  For example, I always wipe out Ceaser in New Vegas--and I always kill them on sight.  All slavers and bandits feel my wrath! :))  I've tried to play the evil side every now and again and it just does not feel right--so those efforts are short lived.  Yeah--screw the Aldmeri Dominion!
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?<br />Then he is not omnipotent,<br />Is he able but not willing?<br />Then whence cometh evil?<br />Is he neither able or willing?<br />Then why call him god?

Mike Cl

Quote from: Blackleaf on October 11, 2018, 02:29:04 PM
Ironically, I was actually more hesitant to join the Thieves Guild in Skyrim, despite the lack of conflict between the guilds. While Skyrim's approach to guilds is much more friendly to the casual crowd (which I hate, but that's another discussion), I had my thief forego joining the Thieves Guild due to their more mob-ish nature. While the Thieves Guild in other regions operates in the dark, the political favor they have in Riften has led to their guild operating pretty openly. One of the early quests has you destroying one man's property to bully him into paying up, which didn't mesh with my virtuous thief character. And of course, the very first thing the Thieves Guild has you do for them is frame a man for thievery, although the player might assume that the man you're framing deserves it somehow.

In contrast, the Thieves Guild in Morrowind has you doing some Robin Hood style work, helping those less fortunate.
At first I had the same problem--my thinking was much as yours.  But I steeled myself one day and did that guild.  For the most part, I could rationalize the thefts I had to do as sort of a Robin Hood act; in the end it was a fun guild to complete.  The Brotherhood, tho was quite the head trip.  I also did that guild with a bunch of rationalization.  I also learned early on with RPG's that I don't care anything about the games official achievement scoresheet.  I simply ignore it; I will never play as a friend to Caesar, for example.
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?<br />Then he is not omnipotent,<br />Is he able but not willing?<br />Then whence cometh evil?<br />Is he neither able or willing?<br />Then why call him god?

Hydra009

#2757
Quote from: Mike Cl on October 11, 2018, 08:10:08 PMI also learned early on with RPG's that I don't care anything about the games official achievement scoresheet.  I simply ignore it; I will never play as a friend to Caesar, for example.
Ah, but you have to get the achievements!

I missed a bunch in Fallout because apparently using any console command makes you ineligible for any achievement for the entire session.  Did you toggle free camera mode for that screenshot in The Strip?  Well now you can't get Friend to Caesar unless you're already aware of this fact and rectified it or lucked out and obliviously restarted the program before heading out to the Battle for the Damn.

Supposedly, there's a mod that disables this (anticheat?) function, so now it's just punishing casuals, not cheaters.

But I digress.  In a space civ-like game, I got an achievement for colonizing every planet type in a single game.  How difficult was that?  I had to get out a clipboard, obsessively scout as much of the galaxy as possible (no easy feat since the scouts often get attacked and blown up), plan out my moves like a mofo, and spend like 6 hours in-game time to finally realize my game was missing a planet type.  :(  I had to a find a similar planet then terraform it, abandon it, then settle it again.  Then and only then did I get the achievement.

It was needlessly complicated, not fun at all, and made me want to force-choke whatever dev came up with it.  So naturally, it was the implementation of a fan suggestion.  Probably the sort of sociopath who reminds the teacher to collect the homework assignments.

Blackleaf

Quote from: Hydra009 on October 12, 2018, 01:24:30 AM
Ah, but you have to get the achievements!

I missed a bunch in Fallout because apparently using any console command makes you ineligible for any achievement for the entire session.  Did you toggle free camera mode for that screenshot in The Strip?  Well now you can't get Friend to Caesar unless you're already aware of this fact and rectified it or lucked out and obliviously restarted the program before heading out to the Battle for the Damn.

Supposedly, there's a mod that disables this (anticheat?) function, so now it's just punishing casuals, not cheaters.

But I digress.  In a space civ-like game, I got an achievement for colonizing every planet type in a single game.  How difficult was that?  I had to get out a clipboard, obsessively scout as much of the galaxy as possible (no easy feat since the scouts often get attacked and blown up), plan out my moves like a mofo, and spend like 6 hours in-game time to finally realize my game was missing a planet type.  :(  I had to a find a similar planet then terraform it, abandon it, then settle it again.  Then and only then did I get the achievement.

It was needlessly complicated, not fun at all, and made me want to force-choke whatever dev came up with it.  So naturally, it was the implementation of a fan suggestion.  Probably the sort of sociopath who reminds the teacher to collect the homework assignments.

Both Skyrim Special Edition and Fallout 4 disable achievements when you have mods installed. But as you mentioned, there is a mod that gets around that. Kinda silly to lock achievements for using mods, when moddability is one of the main selling points of Bethesda games.
"Oh, wearisome condition of humanity,
Born under one law, to another bound;
Vainly begot, and yet forbidden vanity,
Created sick, commanded to be sound."
--Fulke Greville--

Mike Cl

Quote from: Hydra009 on October 12, 2018, 01:24:30 AM
Ah, but you have to get the achievements!

I missed a bunch in Fallout because apparently using any console command makes you ineligible for any achievement for the entire session.  Did you toggle free camera mode for that screenshot in The Strip?  Well now you can't get Friend to Caesar unless you're already aware of this fact and rectified it or lucked out and obliviously restarted the program before heading out to the Battle for the Damn.

Supposedly, there's a mod that disables this (anticheat?) function, so now it's just punishing casuals, not cheaters.

But I digress.  In a space civ-like game, I got an achievement for colonizing every planet type in a single game.  How difficult was that?  I had to get out a clipboard, obsessively scout as much of the galaxy as possible (no easy feat since the scouts often get attacked and blown up), plan out my moves like a mofo, and spend like 6 hours in-game time to finally realize my game was missing a planet type.  :(  I had to a find a similar planet then terraform it, abandon it, then settle it again.  Then and only then did I get the achievement.

It was needlessly complicated, not fun at all, and made me want to force-choke whatever dev came up with it.  So naturally, it was the implementation of a fan suggestion.  Probably the sort of sociopath who reminds the teacher to collect the homework assignments.
It's stuff like that that made me not care about the achievements for any game.  Besides, I'm not in competition with any other person on this planet (or any other planet for that matter) on who can get the best score.  My only goal is to get enjoyment out of the game.  And I would find no enjoyment in becoming a friend to Caesar. 
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?<br />Then he is not omnipotent,<br />Is he able but not willing?<br />Then whence cometh evil?<br />Is he neither able or willing?<br />Then why call him god?