I Am Not A Gamer.

Seriously, I am not. I know my Lovely Wife (from here on in referred to as LW forever, not just because those are her initials, but because she insists on referring to me as Dear Husband or DH all the time on her blog) believes I am, but I do not fit in to the gamer culture. For one, I feel more at home with a book in my hand than a keyboard under my fingertips. B, you need a whole heckuva lot of time to devote to gaming if you want to be even a semi-pro gamer (more on that in a second for those of you who have no idea what it means to be a gamer). And finally, I just don't have the stamina. I mean, I like to play games as much as a lot of people my generation. However, I cannot spend hours and hours and hours with my fingers on WASD and a mouse, clicking and clicking away. Again, LW thinks I can, but the time I spend on games compared to other people is like the ratio of a penny to $10,000. Not even close.

I do, however, like to game. Yes, yes, Ha Ha, He's a Neeeerrrrdddddd. He likes to play with dragons and swords and magic and all that stuff!! He he he!!! :| The reality is, I just like to immerse myself in something which is not my actual life to pass some free time some days. Lately, that has been most days (I blame New York). It's fun, it's relaxing (until it gets frustrating because you have died lots of times and the world seems like you do nothing but run back and forth all the time), and it lets my brain do something it does not like to do: not think. When I am in a game, I am entrenched in the story. Get the same way about books. ... Yes, I know, I have a book buying problem as well, don't you think Eric that you may see some patterns developing here?? Maybe. But books and video games are amusing :) That is why humans created them.

I have to thank Mark for introducing me to gaming. Before him, all I ever did was play console games. Very, very big difference between console gamers and PC gamers. Basically, consolers are like your hometown pewee farm team... PC gamers are like the Yankees. Here, better analogy:

                                                               







Console Gamer

PC Gamer

Anyway, Mark introduced me to PC gaming. More specifically, to Anarchy Online. Basically, it is an MMO based in space and you get to run around and do cool stuff. It's old (it was pretty much the first MMO of real note), it's graphics are still outdated, and it is not like all the new games where they slap you in the face... but if you like technical things, like counting numbers and really creating a character... this one if for you.

After a while I did not really have time for games... until I found Star Wars: The Old Republic. ... Sadly, I cannot post pictures. Still too soon. *tears* I love Star Wars. Have I mentioned I love Star Wars?

Then I found Fallout 3:

Which, let me tell you, is FREAKING AWESOME. Especially if you like to go around and kill stuff. I don't like linear games so much, where there is only one story to tell... I like games that give me some freedom and feel like a kid in a sandbox again.







Speaking of sandbox....




But that is a whole other story for a whole other day.

Anyway. Fallout 3, Fallout: New Vegas are both set in a timeline where the earth has gone through nuclear war, and you are a lone dude running around killing people (btw, Fallout 3 > Fallout New Vegas. Storyline is much more in depth).

(some New Vegas shots)

We originally bought New Vegas for our XBox... Come to find out, LW does not approve of games that do not have alieeums.




Understandable, I suppose. But I like games which are interesting. Which is, finally, why I play SKYRIM.

I did not like Oblivion... On Console. But now I think once I finish Skyrim, I need to find Oblivion on PC because I have to tell you I really enjoy it. Is it not amazing what human beings can create in their own heads? A bunch of nerds got together and created a simulated world where you fight dragons and do all this crazy stuff... It is soooo much fun. Kind of addicting. LW says I spend wayyy too much time on it and not enough cuddling. I'm working on it, okay? Stressful moving-period-life-changing-times call for mindless zombie Eric.


But anyways. Yeah, that's me on gaming.

Also also... this guy is way too into gaming.