# Any Gamers Here?



## Kevin D. (Sep 17, 2010)

I apologize if there's already a thread on this - I scanned through the first three pages and didn't find one.

Aside from writing and guitar, my biggest hobby is gaming.  Any long-time gamers like me here?  I miss the days when side-scrollers were in and FPS games didn't even exist.  *shrug* But that's just me.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

I grew up with Vic-20s and TI-88s and Ataris.  There's stuff I miss, but a lot of things I like with current gaming too... an FPS not being one of them.


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## A. Rosaria (Sep 12, 2010)

I love FPS, though it saddens me that more and more the focus is being shifted on the exterior.

I like my occasional RPG, then again those also are not what they used to be.

It seems a lot of games are made to be accessible and easy, instead of a challenge.

I don't play games (mainly PC games) that often anymore.


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## D. Nathan Hilliard (Jun 5, 2010)

I used to be an avid PC gamer, but consoles and the cross platform games that replaced true PC games kinda turned me off of gaming.


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## 911jason (Aug 17, 2009)

I play COD on Xbox 360 and have for quite some time... my kids have their own Xbox and accounts and we play together a lot, which is fun. They love "pwning" dear ol' dad! =)


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

8 years of EverQuest. Before that, MIght & Magic all iterations, before that, anything I could get my hands on all the way back to our Atari 2600.


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## Cliff Ball (Apr 10, 2010)

I started out with an Atari 5200, then Atari went out of business 6 months later!

Next, I had a Nintendo, followed by SNES, PS1, PS2, and PS3, along with my PC.

I went on E-bay a few years back, bought an Atari 5200 and an Atari 2600. After playing this generation of games, I realized how much those older games had such limited gameplay, and the colors burned into my retinas! lol  I also re-bought the NES and SNES games, but I still had all the Playstation games. I had all the classic Mario/Super Mario Bros games, Pac-Man

I generally play Madden, NASCAR, WWE, Dirt 2, Fight Night, and most of the Final Fantasy series on my PS3. On PC, its the Civilization series, Fallout 3, Mass Effect 1 & 2, NASCAR 2003, Empire: Total War. So basically, I'm a gamer.

The only MMO I've ever played is Star Trek Online, but, haven't done it in a few months.


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## Feste (Aug 25, 2010)

Avid FPS player here.  PC only.  But am becoming very discouraged by the horrible trend to port games from consoles to PC and the increasing arcade crap they put in games.  MW2 was a joke, an abomination, really.  BC2 was on the edge of being great but hitreg problems and so few maps lead to quick boredom.  Have been playing the beta for MOH and am not impressed.  Will give CODBO a shot as that is what my clan will be going with but am concerned about the arcade stuff and as a server admin for my clan very disappointed they are using (useless) VAC and not PB.


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## MrPLD (Sep 23, 2010)

I loved gaming years ago -- but then life/reality sort of changed for me. These days I occasionally fire up Diablo-II + LoD or even KnightShift (except KS is a bit linear/weak in its character development). My wife (the author) plays Sims a moderate amount but absolutely trashed a lot of people's behinds in Tekken on the PS3, I don't know _how_ but she's got a frustrating knack for getting a groove with that game and it leaves myself and her 3 older brothers in complete dismay. Just isn't right!


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## Guest (Oct 7, 2010)

Does having five 80s on World of Warcraft count? 

I prefer RP and sandbox games like Oblivion, Fall Out, Fable, Dragon Age. But I also take guilty pleasure in playing Dynasty Warriors (yes, I've played every version of Dynasty Warriors...and the variants...sad, I know)

Random tidbit from my book:



Spoiler



In A Game of Blood, the antagonist develops an obession of sorts with video games after the protagonist yells at him to "Buy an XBox" instead of killing people when he gets bored. It leads to a rather peculiar conversation between the two later on when the antagonist tries to have an intellectual conversation regarding the depiction of gay sex in Dragon Age.


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

I mostly play RPGs, but really, I'll play anything with a good story. I have a 360, but it doesn't get as much use as it used to. Lately I've been playing Bioshock.


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## MrPLD (Sep 23, 2010)

Who used to play the delights on the PC like  Leisure Suit Larry, or the Space Quest series ? "Throw can of dehydrated water".

Of course, a lot of games back then were interesting to play on the PC keyboard,  like Test Drive, GrandPrix, Motorbike GP - I have to admit a great deal of fondness to the games of the late 80's


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## stormhawk (Apr 29, 2009)

All of my friends who played AD&D and Traveller grew up before I did.  

I have played videogames since SNES (never had the NES, see), still love 'em, and have discovered the awesomeness that is Zelda on the Wii. I have several versions of the Gameboy and a PSP. I have to swap around the PS2, PS1, and N64 because my ancient television only has one set of RCA jacks.

I do like FPS games, fell in love with Doom, Duke Nukem, and Shadow Warrior on the PC.

I love the various chapters of Destroy All Humans (PS2 and Wii) and have been working my way through Okami on Wii.

God of War III has me very seriously considering the purchase of a PS3, but to do it up right, I will have to get a monster-sized tv to go with it, so I've been holding off.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Bards and Sages (Julie) said:


> Does having five 80s on World of Warcraft count?


Definitely counts. I have 4, would have more than that but I raid more than I alt. Been playing WoW since Molten Core was new and Alterac Valley matches went on for days. It's funny because my mom has more 80s than me and way better luck getting drops, but she's afraid to even go in an instance group much less raid. She had -five- kodos drop for her this Brewfest. I've been trying for a kodo since the first Brewfest however many years ago and never got one, and she gets five in one holiday. Heck, almost everyone I know got a kodo this year except me <mutter>. But I can't wait for the expansion!

I started out with a Vic-20 that my grandfather coded games on. I don't remember many except for one where you had to destroy an asteroid before it hit the earth. The asteroid was a giant gray block and you were a smaller gray block that shot gray blocks the size of yourself at the larger gray block making holes the size of the smaller block. Fun!

I had a TI-88 after that, complete with the voice modulator and tape cassette backup. One of my favorites on that was Dungeons and Dragons which my mom would play with me and let me take all the treasure. I forget what game it was, but the voice modulator basically only worked for one space type game and said a whopping five things.

After that I went through the Ataris. We had a 2600 very briefly but then I got the 400 and 800XL which were a step up from the 2600/5200 series. They took different cartridges and had games almost arcade quality instead of the horrible ports the 2600 got. It still had ET in all its failing glory though. I had these for quite a while before finally getting an NES, then the Sega and Sega CD and Gameboys and Dreamcast... even had a 3DO for a while. Then of course there are all the iterations of Playstation and XBox, though I don't have a 360 yet.

I also game a lot on the computer from Zork to Warcraft... not very far to travel in the alphabet, but it took years to do it. I remember my grandfather had some space game on his ancient IBM that people made in Harvard or something. That's the first computer game I can remember playing back when all you had was DOS. Fun times... now I feel all old.

Right now I work for a text-based MMO online and play World of Warcraft way too much. I've been playing the Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Beta and really liking it, so anyone on the fence preorder it, it's fun. I guess I've always been a bit of a computer geek and it was instilled into me from a very early age. No getting away from it I fear.


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

Scheherazade said:


> I've been playing the Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Beta and really liking it, so anyone on the fence preorder it, it's fun.


I am officially jealous. I really want to play that. 

I remember having an Atari when I was much younger. I loved playing Joust and Miner 2049er and all those old games. I was also a huuuge Zork fan.


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## CS (Nov 3, 2008)

Don't have the time/desire I used to, but I still love gaming. I'm especially fond of the old-school stuff, but I'm still in the mix with a PS3, Wii, and DS.


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## A. Rosaria (Sep 12, 2010)

MrPLD said:


> Who used to play the delights on the PC like Leisure Suit Larry, or the Space Quest series ? "Throw can of dehydrated water".
> 
> Of course, a lot of games back then were interesting to play on the PC keyboard, like Test Drive, GrandPrix, Motorbike GP - I have to admit a great deal of fondness to the games of the late 80's


I played all those games, I believe I played most games at least once.  In my student time I did a lot of gaming and not much studying.  Actually before that I already did a little too much gaming, my life was gaming and sports.

I still remember Ultima VII, such a nice game. My brother at the time needed to perform magic on the computer to make it run.


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## jbh13md (Aug 1, 2010)

Real gamers do it on the tabletop.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Jessica Billings said:


> I am officially jealous. I really want to play that.
> 
> I remember having an Atari when I was much younger. I loved playing Joust and Miner 2049er and all those old games. I was also a huuuge Zork fan.


If you preordered the game you should be able to get a code. I went to the Gamestop I preordered mine at and asked for it and voila! And I absolutely loved Miner '49er!!!! I can't believe someone else remembers this game. Let me make sure we're talking about the same thing though... were you running around planting dynamite and jumping over goats trying to blow up a bridge on one of the stages? This, Joust and Pooyan were some of my favorites in the arcade. I've yet to meet anyone who knows Pooyan though.


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

Scheherazade said:


> If you preordered the game you should be able to get a code. I went to the Gamestop I preordered mine at and asked for it and voila! And I absolutely loved Miner '49er!!!! I can't believe someone else remembers this game. Let me make sure we're talking about the same thing though... were you running around planting dynamite and jumping over goats trying to blow up a bridge on one of the stages? This, Joust and Pooyan were some of my favorites in the arcade. I've yet to meet anyone who knows Pooyan though.


We don't have any game stores around here, so I was planning to pre-order it on Amazon. I wonder if they're giving out codes. I don't remember planting dynamite in Miner 2049er...oh wow, there's a wikipedia article on it. Here, this is what I played growing up: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miner_2049er


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## Guest (Oct 7, 2010)

Does anybody remember the Simpsons episode when Ralph says: "Hi, Super Nintendo Chalmers!"

That's one of those things I'll laugh at for my entire life.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

Jessica Billings said:


> Here, this is what I played growing up: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miner_2049er


Aha! Mine was called Canyon Climber...










Guess that's a testament to our imagination as kids, I remember it being a whole lot better than this. The gray things are goats and you're the little Pitfall looking guy and you had to run by the sides of the bridges to plant dynamite then hit the plunger at the top.


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## Guest (Oct 7, 2010)

jbh13md said:


> Real gamers do it on the tabletop.


  

I run a D&D game every Monday nite, and a Hunter: The Reckoning Game every other Tuesday


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## TWErvin2 (Aug 7, 2010)

I still get together with friends from way back to play AD&D every few months. A good excuse to visit and get together.

Sadly, not much time to game these days as in the past.

Used to play more games, from Traveller and Morrow Project to Axis and Allies, Star Fleet Battles, diplomacy and Kingmaker. I played some Play by Mail war games and such too. Never got into computer or video games much. Again, time.  Maybe someday when the kids are gone and I retire.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

I never had a big enough group of friends interested in gaming to do any table top.  All of my friends were interested in other stuff, so my RPGness was limited to the computer... except when I LARPed for a bit but even then I mostly ran around and played photographer more than I ran around with spell packets and a foam sword.


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## Feste (Aug 25, 2010)

Speaking of Zork...

http://kindlequest.com/default.aspx

or here

http://www.portablequest.com/default.aspx


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## Sandra Edwards (May 10, 2010)

I play RPGs with my daughter (she's 15). We mostly play old-school stuff. The quality of the games has diminished over the years. 

Sandy


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## tuba (Aug 26, 2010)

How do you play these games on the Kindle?
Using the clunky browser and accessing the website seems too painful.


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## cc84 (Aug 6, 2010)

I love my games. I used to play loads on my old PS2. I dont have that anymore. I now have a Wii and my Nintendo DS. I love my DS a lot! I love the range of games for it too. I play the Wii moderately, trying to complete Okami lol. One of my favourite DS games is GTA:Chinatown Wars. And Phoenix Wright games.


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## 911jason (Aug 17, 2009)

tuba said:


> How do you play these games on the Kindle?
> Using the clunky browser and accessing the website seems too painful.


I don't think anyone here is referring to gaming on the Kindle itself.


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## JoeMitchell (Jun 6, 2010)

911jason said:


> I don't think anyone here is referring to gaming on the Kindle itself.


I saw this yesterday on Slashdot. I think someone actually ported Zork onto the kindle.

I played Zork on my Atari 800 when I was a teenager, when Zork was brand new and revolutionary. Gaming has been my greatest obsession ever since. I never grew out of games like many people do, though I am much more picky in what I'll play these days. I started on a magnavox pong-like home system, then went through the Atari 2600 console, Intellivision console, Atari 800 computer, a few more ataris, then PC gaming all the way. I loathe consoles for how they've dumbed down PC games, but will play with one if it's the only alternative, like when Grand Theft Auto 4 came out, I just couldn't wait the extra year to play it, and played the whole thing through on my friend's Xbox. I've played lots of MMOs, so many that by the time World of Warcraft came out, I played in its beta program and decided 'eh, this is pretty much EQ+, and they're already making EQ2'. I have some high level chars on EQ2, but only dabbled in WoW. I also loved Planetside, an awesome sci-fi military FPS MMO that's old but still running.

I just did a big computer upgrade, just this week, the first in five years. My computer is beyond awesome right now, a great change from how it's been, and I've been enjoying the heck out of Just Cause 2 at maximum video settings. Well, 1024x768, but all the effects are on high and it looks and plays amazingly. I love open world games like Grand Theft Auto, Mercenaries 2, Fallout, and Oblivion. Those are my favorite types of games. I'm really liking Civilization 5, and my wife is sitting beside me now playing that on her computer. She loves gaming too, but not as much as I do. She likes The Sims3 and the Anno games, and Evil Genius.

It's nice to see some other gamers here like me, especially the old schoolers who started on the Atari and Commadore computers. What a long, strange trip it's been.


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## stormhawk (Apr 29, 2009)

cc84 said:


> I play the Wii moderately, trying to complete Okami lol.


Me too! I really despise that stupid digging game. Stuck on the one with the bamboo girl.


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## cargalmn (Sep 29, 2010)

I'm an obsessed, casual gamer. That means that I have a lot of games I've bought but I have trouble finding the time to play them! So many hobbies, so little time.  We have a Wii and an xBox 360. My favorite games are not hardcore games. I'm currently playing my way through Fable 2 and love it. My husband's addicted to Forza (we have the fancy steering wheel). I will admit I really like the Rock Band games. 

Side game-related story...my sister & I don't have that much in common and aren't close like many sisters are. We joke about trying out for the Amazing Race just because we're such opposites (yet both highly competitive). We have "game days" for the two days following Thanksgiving - we literally do NOTHING but play video games for 2 days straight. Our favorite games are the lego ones because they're easy enough that we can play them without feeling too dumb - and the co-op on them is *really* well done. We started having game days a few years ago and it's really given us something to bond around. Sadly, she lives 5 hours away so we only have game days after Thanksgiving and then sometimes the day after Christmas too. Oh, we like to play the band games together too. We sang to the American Idol karaoke game, but one of our cats pee'd on the carpet in front of us so we must have been REALLY bad (joking, he had behavioral issues and was just acting up - it was pre-existing to our crooning!!). 

It's so hard to find the time to do everything!! If I have extra time, I have to decide: TV, Kindle, games or something outdoors. [hint - this time of year in MN, choose outside!!]


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## monkeyluis (Oct 17, 2010)

I have 2 360's, 2 PS3's & a Wii. I don't play very often but sometimes I'll get hooked on a game & play on xbox live ignoring all other duties that come with life. Pre-ordered the new cod for the 360 & look forward to that.


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## stormhawk (Apr 29, 2009)

monkeyluis said:


> I have 2 360's, 2 PS3's & a Wii. I don't play very often but sometimes I'll get hooked on a game & play on xbox live ignoring all other duties that come with life. Pre-ordered the new cod for the 360 & look forward to that.


Why multiples of the same platforms?


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## monkeyluis (Oct 17, 2010)

stormhawk said:


> Why multiples of the same platforms?


Different rooms. One in living room, one in bedroom. I'll be converting the garage into a home theatre room as well soon, and the stuff in the bedroom will move to there.


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

My first ever computer game was Rogue -- ASCII character dungeons & dragons-type game. I was hooked! I was a serious WoW addict for about 4.5 years (I've been in my guild for 3 years now!) until I had to quit playing to prepare to move from AZ to GA. Then I got busy with the latest book and haven't really gone back to gaming, but I'm planning to get the upcoming x-pack in December.

I love the social aspect of MMORPGs, but raiding can be a huge time-sink.

P.S. I played the first 3 Zork games. Loved 'em!


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## Rhiathame (Mar 12, 2009)

This is a great post and it seems to be something people are thinking about again. Recently on facebook there was a note going around asking about the first 15 games that come to mind. 

The rules: List the first 15 games that come to mind, that you've played that will always stick with you.  

So not to hijack the thread but here are mine...

1. Diablo II (I bought a new computer to be able to run that when it first came out)
2. Final Fantasy
3. Zelda
4. Hack 103 (so there!)
5. Everquest
6. World of Warcraft
8. Breath of Fire
9. Zork
10. Ultima
11. Might and Magic
12. Astoroids
13. Pong
14. Utopia (remember Intellevision?)
15. Wizardry

And just to prove that the behavior spawned by my #1. I just purchased an alienware laptop to play WoW which I have taken a 6 month break from, because I don't want to sit at my desk and play. Sooo sad.


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## 911jason (Aug 17, 2009)

By the way, I just added more than 150 video game screensavers to my Photobucket this week... figured some of you would like them! =)

http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb86/911jason/Kindle%20Screensavers/Video%20Games/

If you guys have any requests for certain games, let me know and I'll see what I can find.


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## Scheherazade (Apr 11, 2009)

kcmay said:


> My first ever computer game was Rogue -- ASCII character dungeons & dragons-type game. I was hooked! I was a serious WoW addict for about 4.5 years (I've been in my guild for 3 years now!) until I had to quit playing to prepare to move from AZ to GA. Then I got busy with the latest book and haven't really gone back to gaming, but I'm planning to get the upcoming x-pack in December.
> 
> I love the social aspect of MMORPGs, but raiding can be a huge time-sink.
> 
> P.S. I played the first 3 Zork games. Loved 'em!


You're missing all the opening events! Must come back to WoW naow!  We already had the fight for Gnomeregan and the Echo Isles. My bet is next week we'll see the elemental invasion complete with doomsayers in sandwich board signs prophesizing the end of the world. Fun stuff is happening all the way up to the release... in fact, we're supposed to see the actual Cataclysm -before- the expansion releases.


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## kcmay (Jul 14, 2010)

Really?! Oh wow. Maybe I'll re-up this weekend. I'm doing the virtual Blizzcon via DirecTV. Hope it's high-def! hehehe


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## drenfrow (Jan 27, 2010)

Does anyone play the Lord of the Rings Online?  I have never been a gamer at all, but this went free last month and I started playing.  I have really been enjoying it.


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## metal134 (Sep 2, 2010)

Zork on the Kindle? That is so bad-ass! Makes that 3G all the more useful!

I've been a gamer all my life. My fater had an Atari 2600 before I was born, so it was there from a time before I even had memories. The earliest game I can _remember _ playing is Pac-Man. I suppose I became an _avid_ gamer with the NES. I got one for Christmas in, I think it was 87'. I currently own all 3 major systems. Hardly ever use the Wii, though. Had it for nearly a year and have gotten _maybe_ 25-30 hours of play grand total. My favorite one is the PS3. If for no other reason than MLB The Show. Love love LOVE that game. Best sports game EVER.


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