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52 Card Project 2022: Week 41: Skyrim
Oct. 14th, 2022 12:44 pmOne of the running topics of conversation I've had with my friend Pat during our walks is computer gaming. It's very odd in a way: I lived for years in a household with two dedicated gamers (Fiona and Rob). I socialize in a community (science fiction and fantasy fandom) where I know dozens of fanatical gamers.
Yet, aside from one attempt about thirty years ago when I spent about a week playing Myst, only to give up, I have never been a gamer. Which is really peculiar, considering the people I have spent most of my time with.
Why have I never played games?
Well, there was severe competition in the household for the one gaming computer we had--either Fiona or Rob was parked in front of it most of the time. I was trying to write fiction, and I was perfectly happy to read for my entertainment. I was afraid of developing yet another time sink in my life.
But my conversations with Pat were...intriguing, as she described the fun she had playing Skyrim. Gaming, she pointed out to me, is our competition as fantasy writers, because gaming is about story.
And I certainly love stories.
Fiona got quite excited when I told her I was thinking of trying Skyrim, and she generously bought me a copy of the game. Pat, too, was pleased, and kindly passed along an old Windows machine to me to use when Fiona and I realized that I couldn't play my shiny new copy of Skyrim on my Macbook Plus. Fiona came over this past weekend to sit down with me as I tried to play it for the first time.
It seems odd to talk about the experience, as the game has been out for over ten years, and so anything I say about it probably won't be news to many of the people reading this. I've just played for a couple of hours, but I'm intrigued and ready to play some more although (still) wary of, as I said, making it into too much of a time suck.
I am still picking up the technique of playing and somewhat flummoxed by the keyboard commands. (I'm using a keyboard rather than a controller). Hilariously, I kept making the mistake of clicking the mouse rather than using the keyboard commands when trying to claim items in the game, which meant I kept whacking at the potion bottles with my sword and knocking them to the floor when I meant to pick them up and stow them in my knapsack instead. Fiona kindly refrained from laughing at me too much.
It was great fun to share the experience with Fiona--she is an excellent coach for a brand-new novice gamer. It's hugely enjoyable to switch roles with my daughter and have her teach me something about which she is an expert. (An example I will cherish is hearing my daughter primly inform me, "I ALWAYS search the bodies.")
I'm willing to keep going. As I said, I'm trying to add more fun to my life.
And I can't help but think that Rob would be rather proud of me. I haven't even been killed yet!
Image description: Foreground: a computer and keyboard with glowing purple keys, with the Skyrim splash screen on the computer display. Radiating out from the computer display are a semicircle of swords. Behind the computer stand two full-length computer-generated characters: Hadvar (left) and Ralof (right). Upper center: title in black lettering: The Elder Scrolls V [next line] SKYRIM. Background: map of Skyrim, semi-transparent.
Skyrim
Click here to see the 2022 52 Card Project gallery.
Click here to see the 2021 gallery.
Yet, aside from one attempt about thirty years ago when I spent about a week playing Myst, only to give up, I have never been a gamer. Which is really peculiar, considering the people I have spent most of my time with.
Why have I never played games?
Well, there was severe competition in the household for the one gaming computer we had--either Fiona or Rob was parked in front of it most of the time. I was trying to write fiction, and I was perfectly happy to read for my entertainment. I was afraid of developing yet another time sink in my life.
But my conversations with Pat were...intriguing, as she described the fun she had playing Skyrim. Gaming, she pointed out to me, is our competition as fantasy writers, because gaming is about story.
And I certainly love stories.
Fiona got quite excited when I told her I was thinking of trying Skyrim, and she generously bought me a copy of the game. Pat, too, was pleased, and kindly passed along an old Windows machine to me to use when Fiona and I realized that I couldn't play my shiny new copy of Skyrim on my Macbook Plus. Fiona came over this past weekend to sit down with me as I tried to play it for the first time.
It seems odd to talk about the experience, as the game has been out for over ten years, and so anything I say about it probably won't be news to many of the people reading this. I've just played for a couple of hours, but I'm intrigued and ready to play some more although (still) wary of, as I said, making it into too much of a time suck.
I am still picking up the technique of playing and somewhat flummoxed by the keyboard commands. (I'm using a keyboard rather than a controller). Hilariously, I kept making the mistake of clicking the mouse rather than using the keyboard commands when trying to claim items in the game, which meant I kept whacking at the potion bottles with my sword and knocking them to the floor when I meant to pick them up and stow them in my knapsack instead. Fiona kindly refrained from laughing at me too much.
It was great fun to share the experience with Fiona--she is an excellent coach for a brand-new novice gamer. It's hugely enjoyable to switch roles with my daughter and have her teach me something about which she is an expert. (An example I will cherish is hearing my daughter primly inform me, "I ALWAYS search the bodies.")
I'm willing to keep going. As I said, I'm trying to add more fun to my life.
And I can't help but think that Rob would be rather proud of me. I haven't even been killed yet!
Image description: Foreground: a computer and keyboard with glowing purple keys, with the Skyrim splash screen on the computer display. Radiating out from the computer display are a semicircle of swords. Behind the computer stand two full-length computer-generated characters: Hadvar (left) and Ralof (right). Upper center: title in black lettering: The Elder Scrolls V [next line] SKYRIM. Background: map of Skyrim, semi-transparent.
Click here to see the 2022 52 Card Project gallery.
Click here to see the 2021 gallery.