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This puts into visuals what I have tried to put into words when I've tried to explain to others about how different the culture and experience is with deathmatch games then and now.

Games like Apex and Overwatch try to emulate what the old school, self-hosted systems used to do with little toggles that remove certain restrictions, but they're no where near as open and flexible as older self-hosted servers where you can arrange it however you like. The experience, and the culture, just isn't the same and we've really lost something with the move to make every PVP game focused on ranked play.

(it's worth noting that I don't 'relate' to any of the experience on this specific list. I'm the anxiety player that only closed servers with friends in no-stakes goofy deathmatch and can't do anything Ranked or Competitive because I can't handle people snapping at me while I'm trying to figure stuff out at my own pace, so I don't even play ranked at all because it is inherently, not fun, to me.)

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I love me some Baldur's Gate and it's been a wonderful game thus far but guhh, IDK if it's just me, but it really feels like the game railroads you into romantic and or sexual interactions with characters. It's like the Mass Effect 1 problem, but worse in some ways. There are times where I felt tricked into romantic story lines because I thought it was like, you know, general character story development. And there are very little options for turning down things kindly, most of them are really curt or even outright insulting.

And if you don't reciprocate, it'll start like, taunting you for it. If you romance no one and talk to a character at one point they'll be like 'Wow you haven't shacked up with anyone yet? sure is WEIRD.' Like ???? Excuse you???????

I don't like that being nice and comforting to characters creates this immediate assumption of romantic interest. Why can't I just hug/offer hugs platonically without the assumption being made that I am romantically interested??

And before anyone is like 'There are Mods for that' - I do not want to put a bandaid over what is a fundamental issue with the ideology of the writing staff itself. Offering a hug to someone only to be overtly flirted with the next time you see them is a mark of a writing team that believes all tokens of affection are inherently romantic, and that is uncomfortable. No mod will fix that. The tone and intent is still there and baked into the game from the ground up.

Really missing Dragon Age Inquisition style 'HEY, THIS IS THE ROMANTIC OPTION' and writing around that fact. (And once again, even if there's a mod that flags what options lead to the romantic setting in BG3, there's a lot of stuff in the game that still makes romantic assumptions even if you don't pick those things.) I haven't played it but I heard even Starfield had platonic relationship options.

It's a great game but dang I wish the assumption that everyone wants to romance something wasn't so ubiquitous in the game itself.

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There is this weird sentiment that I can't understand at all, that there can only be One monster-collecting/battling franchise. Like when Yokai Watch got big and people were like 'this is the Pokémon killer' as though the two games wouldn't be able to coexist in the same genre. It's bizarre that the genre, unlike any other, has ever single newcomer compared to Pokémon and if it's going to be better or worse than Pokémon, rather than accepting the game on its own merit.

This video basically touches on the same grievances, that the genre has been rich with a variety of games that got heckled, pushed aside, or otherwise not given a chance due to being 'Pokémon clones'. Not even the 'Doom Clone' term persisted this long, so it's baffling to me why so much of the fanbase continues to center a whole genre on one franchise.

Monster Raising Genre Takes

Did you guys know that Dragon Quest V was cited as being an inspiration for Pokemon and not the other way around. Did you guys know that Digimon was created by Bandai to go hand and hand with their Tamagotchi line as a 'Tamagotchi for boys'. Pokemon didn't invent the genre.

There are so many monster raising games that came before and after Pokemon that are on par or even better but the one we choose to support is Palworld and I'm very very very amused by that. I don't care if you play or enjoy Palworld I just think it's very funny.

When genre fans like me were like 'hey you should try out this or this it's super good' and then people in the West pissed themselves saying 'omg Pokemon clone' but now PALWORLD is the one that people changed their minds about. Actual peak comedy.

If you want some good Monster raising genre recommendations: Dragon Quest Monsters is incredible; all of the games are fun in some way. Fossil Fighters; Monster Rancher, Digimon World Dawn/Dusk and the Cyber Sleuth series, Monster Crown, Monster Sanctuary, Cassette beasts, etc.

NOT TO FORGET! One of my absolute favorites if not my favorite; Demi Kids. It's a more 'kid friendly' SMT spin off and it deserves the world. SMT in general came out way before Pokemon so ya know lol.

Also Ultraman had Capsule Monsters waaaay before Pokemon was even a glimmer in anyone's eyes. DBZ also had capsule based stuff very similar to Ultraman. If this is what makes people realize that Pokemon didn't invent monster battling then I guess that's okay lol.

Okay I'm done lol.

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'Enjoy it despite its flaws' is one thing, but Mass Effect somehow invented its own category: 'simultaneously one of the most flawed and the most well-crafted sci-fi stories I've ever experienced'. These games are incredible. They’re the worst. All the women are sexualized. All the women have deeply flawed and complex personalities without being either demonized or romanticized. The first available f/f ship seems to be written along the guidelines of 'what would a straight man find hot'. As the games go on, they effortlessly include multiple same sex romance options given just as much care and development as the the opposite sex ones. You can play as a xenophobic murderhobo asshole. You can play as someone genuinely caring but also harsh, who inspires growth and co-operation wherever you go but who makes hard choices when you have to. You can kill civilians and punch reporters and commit genocide. You can stop a generational war and mediate peace and save several species from extinction. The robots are stereotypically evil cannon fodder. The robots are deeply complex with a tragic history. Your team mates are assholes with xenophobic opinions or justifications for police brutality and genocide, or they just want excuses to Do Murder. You team mates are deeply flawed and can be urged to grow alongside you. The most important aliens are all humanoids. There are plant aliens and jellyfish aliens and insect aliens and elephant aliens and aliens who can’t share an atmosphere with us. You have to drive around countless identically boring planets with little to show for it. You get to discover hidden secrets and civilisations millions of years old and live through some of the most emotionally harrowing scenes in storytelling history. I am going absolutely insane about it.

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My collection of Ultra Rares in Paleo Pines, in order of Acquisition. (though I honestly, I think that the Saturday color for the Psittacosaurus isn't a true ultra rare, because I've seen it almost every 3rd Saturday, so either it's miscategorized, or it's bugged)

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I've played the FF14 free trial all the way through, all of Heavensward and I still do not like it.

Now hopefully people will leave me alone and actually believe me the next time I tell them I don't like certain styles of MMO.

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Started playing No Man’s Sky and finally figured out how to customize my avatar.

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❗❗FELLOW GAMERS PLEASE HELP A PSYCHOLOGY STUDENT OUT❗❗ TAKE PART IN THEIR RESEARCH❗❗

A fellow psychology student is conducting  research on gaming and aggression. If you are a gamer, please devote 15 minutes of your time to complete this questionnaire! The participation of each and every one of you will be very appreciated!

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Destiny is just a transformers AU where Primus decided to enhance the knowledge and technology of other planets instead of hunkering down and being one himself. Ghosts are Sparks, they just have different shells instead of whole bodies.

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Armaina's special edition DLC ending for Mass Effect 3

Yeah yeah we’ve all complained about ME3′s ending, it’s old news. But hey I’ve had an idea for an ending that would tie up loose ends and feel like your efforts mattered and here’s what it would be:

This ending would only be available If you are able to get the Quarians and Geth to reconcile and end their conflict. Upon doing so at the final moments, you are able to make a case to the Reapers that the cycle of flesh vs machine has come to an end, and they do not need to destroy you all. Following would be a series of arguments and choices where you have to make your case. If you have met other conditions such as getting allies with the Raknoids, it strengthens your case that your goal is ultimately to unify.

If you fail you just get a bad end but at least you got the chance to even try. If you succeed, the Reapers concede your argument and leave you be, claiming that they will give you all a chance but they feel you will all inevitably turn against each other, and they will be ready for it. (delaying the inevitable and all that) And then boom, they all just vanish and you're left with the responsibility of knowing you have to teach everyone to not repeat these mistakes again.

Tadaaahh there it is. thank you for your time.

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In the trend of me adopting AI characters in games, please meet my newest Robot Daughter, Zero.

LOOK AT HER I LOVE HER

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FO3 & FONV Quests

I had to make a new game in Fallout 3 since I lost my save, which turned out to be a good thing as I'm having a much better time with the game this time around than I was the last time. And now that at the 50 hour mark on this new game, I've found myself struggling to find more to do in the game itself other than just filling out the locations on the map. I felt this was odd as in my Fallout New Vegas game, I had over 50 hours and still had not even completed the main quest nor had I touched any of the addons. I wasn't sure if maybe I was imagining the content differences between the two games so I decided to take a look at the full list of fallout quests in each game and.. well...

Fallout 3 Quests:

Fallout New Vegas Quest:

So turns out I wasn’t imagining things, there are easily twice as many quests in Fallout New Vegas in comparison to Fallout 3.

It baffles me how I’ve heard people complain about there being nothing to do in FONV. You practically trip over quests in FONV, there’s so dang many.

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My time with him was short, but I appreciate it all the same. RIP Liberty Prime.

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friends

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Remember Me was a good game and I enjoyed it, here’s some environment shots.

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Nerf Trinity

        Signed,

A Trinity Main

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YESSSSSS