Pretty much everyone I know does this to some degree, not just young people and baby boomers. Have you never been in a heated discussion with someone when the phone rings, and one of you (whoever answers it) goes from angry to neutral (or cheery) in the snap of a finger? That's playing a role. That's not who you are at that moment - and yet doing so is not 'sad', it's polite.

There's no matrix involved.

Notions of politeness and manners, ideas which govern how you should behave, are internalized expressions of the system's power over you. We don't live under a totalitarian dictator, so that power comes not from a single source, but an amalgamation of many things comprising the system.

It's involved I think.

Now Skyrim I liked, but I fell off with that game because I had a choice. Play Skyrim or play every other game I want to play. There is not enough time for both.

Also, whenever someone justifies something life-threatening and dumb with "You Only Live Once" I can't help but think they have it backwards. If you only live once, why waste it on something dumb?

This is why I'm so 'jaded' when it comes to games. If I only live once, and that time is limited, why would I spend it playing anything but the absolute best?

I feel as though this dilemma can only be made harder in that games are not objectively good or bad, more game or less. They all have qualities that make their experiences more or less enjoyable or intense, but it's all relative.

I know Transformers Fall of Cybertron is nowhere near the best game of all time or even of the year, but my life would be less enjoyable if I had never experienced it. They did right by Transformers fans like me, so I enjoyed it and it has a special place in my heart, but that doesn't make it great or the best. While I agree playing better games will make more enjoyment of gaming, It's not a cookie cutter solution. Fallout 3 is one of the highest hailed games of this generation, but I just couldn't play it for more than 10 hours without quitting. I just didn't enjoy it very much. Maybe I can give it another try and enjoy it, but that won't change that games are not inherently good or bad. It's betting that others will have a comparable experience to yours and relate to your shared enjoyment or lack of enjoyment.

Hell, you can even think something is amazing and probably the best there is and still not enjoy it as much, or for as much time, as something worse. My 'favorite' games or movies don't line up all that well with my 'best'. You can find enjoyment and enlightenment in the most surprising of places.

But really, the coolest part was/is always hanging out with you people face to face.

I spent three full days at E3 and only managed to play three games. (Forza 5, Halo: Spartan Assault, and some garbage PS4 FPS port.)

Most of my time was spent hanging out with DBO people (or loitering around the Bungie booth). :)

I'd rather go to that than PAX in all honesty.

I feel the same way, though I just might be able to make it to PAX to see some other DBOers and to hang out in beautiful Seattle for a bit.

My inner dissident likes the idea of holding a LAN in Seattle during PAX, specifically for people who couldn't get/afford tickets. :P

I imagine most of the DBO meetups that weekend won't require a PAX badge to attend. :)

Fallout 3 is one of the highest hailed games of this generation, but I just couldn't play it for more than 10 hours without quitting. I just didn't enjoy it very much.

Funny thing is, most "outsiders" from the gaming world would totally scratch their heads in confusion over that one.

Around them I'm relaxed, calm, more honest about my attitudes, whereas around others it feels like I'm "trying" too hard.

It's all how you react to situations with different people. It doesn't make you dishonest, or means you're a different person with entirely different viewpoints, it's just different coping mechanisms for the different things about different people.

And that point deserves much more credence that Cody will give it.

Because responding leads back to 'the matrix' (the real one, not the movie) and people roll their eyes when they see that.

In a sense he is right, because most young people and baby boomers are narcissists, thus they kind of are role playing their projected identities and playing a part in their little movie which they are the main character of.

Just because it's prevalent doesn't make it right or any less sad.

Pretty much everyone I know does this to some degree, not just young people and baby boomers. Have you never been in a heated discussion with someone when the phone rings, and one of you (whoever answers it) goes from angry to neutral (or cheery) in the snap of a finger? That's playing a role. That's not who you are at that moment - and yet doing so is not 'sad', it's polite.

There are a million other examples. You don't talk to your mother the same way you talk to your peers. And so on. All of these are examples of you 'playing a role' - you might say that they're just sides of yourself, but they're not ALL of you, so you're not being 100% 'you' if you show one or another and not all.

There's no matrix involved.

If we can't do what Claude describes here, how do we even function as a person, much less a group of people?

lol, I should've just read your response. Says everything I was trying to say.

Mediocre minds, and all that :) I'm just happy to share viewpoints with people.

Anyway. I digress. Or do I? I seem to be making the point it's those face to face interactions that you remember. I'm not sure you should have to pay hundreds of dollars for the chance (though here we are discussing trips to Seattle).

Yeah, well, every LAN I've attended outside of my city has costs me hundreds (except for maybe Malagate's).

Hope we get to meet someday, hombre.

Kerm

Me too. Let us have an accord! SO IT IS WRITTEN.

Anywho, next time something is going on I'll have to run it by K. She'd kick more than a little butt at a Destiny LAN.

And that point deserves much more credence that Cody will give it.

Because responding leads back to 'the matrix' (the real one, not the movie) and people roll their eyes when they see that.

In a sense he is right, because most young people and baby boomers are narcissists, thus they kind of are role playing their projected identities and playing a part in their little movie which they are the main character of.

Just because it's prevalent doesn't make it right or any less sad.

Pretty much everyone I know does this to some degree, not just young people and baby boomers. Have you never been in a heated discussion with someone when the phone rings, and one of you (whoever answers it) goes from angry to neutral (or cheery) in the snap of a finger? That's playing a role. That's not who you are at that moment - and yet doing so is not 'sad', it's polite.

There are a million other examples. You don't talk to your mother the same way you talk to your peers. And so on. All of these are examples of you 'playing a role' - you might say that they're just sides of yourself, but they're not ALL of you, so you're not being 100% 'you' if you show one or another and not all.

There's no matrix involved.

And that point deserves much more credence that Cody will give it.

Because responding leads back to 'the matrix' (the real one, not the movie) and people roll their eyes when they see that.

In a sense he is right, because most young people and baby boomers are narcissists, thus they kind of are role playing their projected identities and playing a part in their little movie which they are the main character of.

Just because it's prevalent doesn't make it right or any less sad.

Also, whenever someone justifies something life-threatening and dumb with "You Only Live Once" I can't help but think they have it backwards. If you only live once, why waste it on something dumb?

This is why I'm so 'jaded' when it comes to games. If I only live once, and that time is limited, why would I spend it playing anything but the absolute best?

I feel as though this dilemma can only be made harder in that games are not objectively good or bad, more game or less. They all have qualities that make their experiences more or less enjoyable or intense, but it's all relative.

I know Transformers Fall of Cybertron is nowhere near the best game of all time or even of the year, but my life would be less enjoyable if I had never experienced it. They did right by Transformers fans like me, so I enjoyed it and it has a special place in my heart, but that doesn't make it great or the best. While I agree playing better games will make more enjoyment of gaming, It's not a cookie cutter solution. Fallout 3 is one of the highest hailed games of this generation, but I just couldn't play it for more than 10 hours without quitting. I just didn't enjoy it very much. Maybe I can give it another try and enjoy it, but that won't change that games are not inherently good or bad. It's betting that others will have a comparable experience to yours and relate to your shared enjoyment or lack of enjoyment.

But aren't we always playing roles? I don't trust the notion that there is a real you. A one and only version of you.

The notion that you should be true to yourself is just buying into a bogus philosophy. It's just another role being imposed on you because you subscribe to a point of view or have bowed down to an argument about how you should behave.

Eh, I believe there is a real me, and he would be pretty wretched if he didn't bow down to an argument about how he should behave.

Anyway. I digress. Or do I? I seem to be making the point it's those face to face interactions that you remember. I'm not sure you should have to pay hundreds of dollars for the chance (though here we are discussing trips to Seattle).

Yeah, well, every LAN I've attended outside of my city has costs me hundreds (except for maybe Malagate's).

Hope we get to meet someday, hombre.

Kerm

I love see the peeps at PAX, getting to play split screen with them in the free play room is always my favorite moment across my time gaming. It's truly magical.

Isn't the desire to experience another life such, because your life lacks whatever it is the imagined life has? Regret.

I would call that envy, jealousy, or covetousness.

What about inspiration?