Day 12 – Personally most significant game
While there are lots of games that I love, there are very few games that have changed my life. The most influential of this small list is the original Diablo.
A good college friend introduced me to the game and I was instantly hooked. Having no PC of my own I spent as much time occupying my friend’s computer as I could. It never seemed enough.
It was an incredible game, totally addictive and scary, but immensely fun. It was also the first game that made me actively want to pursue video games as a career.
Diablo was the reason I changed my major from Chemistry to Computer Science and it was a huge determining factor in where I eventually applied for jobs.
I can’t even imagine how different my life would have been had I not played Diablo or had I not loved it as much as I did.
Tags: 30 days of video games, action, adoration, creepy, diablo, friends, horror, industry, medieval, real-time, roleplaying
August 13th, 2012 at 8:45 am
So, fight it as I might, I have to answer Everquest and I’m sure that’s not a shock to you, TGF. It’s how I met you, for one, and ours has been one of the best friendships of my life. (Pause for a “Dawwwww”.) The time I visited you at work and played EQ on your office-mates computer was one of the best times I’ve had gaming. Probably because of getting to play a certain build of a certain game with the /phatloot compilation switch turned on. :D
I had no idea when I first picked up the box with the eye candy Firiona Vie what role this game was going to play in my life. My first time in on some random server was fun, and I met a few people, but it wasn’t until I met TGF and we decided to make an Everquest guild on Tarew Marr that I was really sucked in. Fourth Wall was an amazing experience, despite all the drama, and has supplied me with some of my best memories, both in-game and out. I met some of my best friends through Fourth Wall, and met people who became so very dear to me.
Despite the previous paragraph, despite the wonderful friendships I’ve made in the game, I definitely had a love/hate with that game. The game itself, while groundbreaking, was atrocious in its attitude towards players. The death penalty was severe, the possibility of serious ruin so near, and the intrinsically flawed class balance made certain classes nearly useless. They had included niche utilities for many classes but some of them were so far from the reasons people chose the class at level 1. (Mages – you totally rolled a mage to be a weaker wizard with buffs, right?)
But for all the pain, drama and heartache; for the inspiration of one of my favorite characters of all time, the erstwhile Fearless Man, Gaedan; for all the friendships I’ve made and the passion and love of those that became dear to me – for better or for worst, it’s Everquest.
August 13th, 2012 at 5:08 pm
I’m so glad you picked EQ. =)
And I totally agree, it was a love hate relationship for sure. But sooo many great memories. ~sigh~
August 14th, 2012 at 6:41 am
Damn you Diablo, we could have had another awesome chemist!
August 14th, 2012 at 7:22 am
Hahaha. Well to be fair I hated P-Chem also. The change in major came at a very good time. =D
Also what are you doing up at 6:40am?!?!?!?!?!?
August 14th, 2012 at 8:07 pm
Sadly, just 15 minutes after posting that, I was working. Grad school = kinda sucky.
ps. P-chem isn’t that bad
August 14th, 2012 at 10:25 pm
=(
And P-chem was sucky sucky sucky, or I just partied too much that semester. =D
August 15th, 2012 at 6:26 pm
I think partying is the best reasons to miss p-chem I have ever heard. Besides, I still got an awesome friend!
August 15th, 2012 at 7:15 pm
AWwwwwwwWWWWWwwwwwww. =D
August 16th, 2012 at 8:33 am
I had two courtships related games. There was the TinyMuck code that fascilitated me meeting my wife for the first time. Does TinyMuck count as a game? The other was Donkey Kong Country. When school work was getting her down and stressed should would come over to my place and play DK for hours.
August 16th, 2012 at 9:32 am
As I dont believe there are any wrong answers to these questions, I’m going to say it counts if you think it does. =D
And meeting your wife seems pretty significant. Hehe.