I haven’t written a blog in months. In general, I’m not a blog sort of guy. I think a lot of it stems from the fact that I think I’m relatively plain and that no one reads the dour life story of Random Joe on the internet.

Because of this relative averageness in my life, I never saw my self as particularly good at anything. Excel at some things, weak in others, but never outright the best. School/work, sports, and games; three highly competitive aspects of life, aspects that I’m middle of the road in.

So this month’s topic got me thinking: what am I good at in games, so good that no one could touch me? Well, rhythm gaming is out, because I’m no Youtube monster, I’m not terribly good at shooters, fighters and strategy games, but can sometimes hold my own in racing games.

I think I was looking too obviously. What do I do, that no one else does? Naturally, if you’re the only person (though, posting this on the internet, there HAS to be someone else who does this too) who does something, by default you are the best.

Tangent That Will Circle Back, I Promise: I recently started playing RPGs - JRPGs in particular. Almost two years ago to the day I started playing Persona 3, taking the mantle of that slick haired headphones kid I liked so much I ended up cosplaying as him.

The Megami Tensei games (in general) tend to put emphasis on player decision making more so than other JRPGs I’ve played in my admittedly short time playing them. It’s about establishing character, enforcing the connection between the player and the game. Persona 3 makes this so much more palpable with its Social Link system. It’s been explained to death over the past few years, but once more: many of the NPCs have small story arcs for you to discover, and for you to progress with a person, you have to spend time with them, get to learn them, and answer questions they may field to you. Answer them correctly (or just spend enough time with someone) and you’ll progress through the story arc.


Obviously not being in character!

Here’s where things start reeling back on topic:

The writing in Persona 3, while giving the player that latitude to make choices, still sort of suggests how the protagonist acts. He’s a leader, strong, calm and collected, seemingly infinite in his wisdom. In general, contemporary role-playing gamers relish the freedom that many modern RPGs give you.

I (and again, I’m seemingly alone in this) run in the opposite direction.

I embrace the fact that I have a character, and I’m playing as him. I try to act like him in game, move like him, answer questions like a leader would and should.

Persona 3 is a good example of this. When answering questions, it becomes less of “let’s hit on Mitsuru!” and more “hmm….would she get offended if I said this?” It’s as almost as if I acknowledge the characters as real people.

My willingness to jump into another character’s shoes and play the role has become extreme. I don’t run over pedestrians in GTAIV because I truly believe that Niko Belic is a compassionate character, who wants rid himself of sin. I didn’t shoot the people in the airport in Modern Warfare 2 because the game establishes before the mission that the player character doesn’t want to do this, and hey, I’ll abide. In SMT: Nocturne? Hell yeah I’m that legend! Mirror’s Edge? Didn’t shoot a bullet, because Faith is a runner. I cried at the end of Persona 4, because I felt like I was leaving my friends behind.


The stage directions required less of this, I think...

Contrast this with what is commonly heard today in gamers. You always hear about the freedom, how you can do anything you want, how this is escapism. But people break the character the developers so lovingly craft. Niko is remorseful in a cutscene, but then in the hands of the player, punting old women into lampposts to see if the physics engine will cause her to bend around it.

My escapism is a level further. Many games (though not all), I find myself leaving…myself and becoming the character established. To a degree, all gamers do this. But far too many are willing to break the illusion.

Why do I do this? I think this relates back to who I am: I’m a relatively plain guy. I hope not boring, by any means; but compared to the fantastical worlds and characters of video games, my life is probably about as plain as the bit character in every RPG that says “Welcome to (XXXXXX) Town!”

So what’s my skill?

To be more gullible than the rest!