Gaming

On gaming there will be much discussion, and it is a good topic to start with. I am not a "gamer" chick per say, but I'm no novice, either. For me, a gamer chick is someone who plays more than just World of Warcraft or Rock Band. I would recognize a girl as a gamer if she could list more than three consoles she has played on, can hold her own in first-person-shooters, and collects beaten games--not just MMORPG's.

The games I've played are user-friendly. For many girlfriends or wives of gamers out there, or boys, I guess, I think there can be an automatic frustration and gaming revulsion that can happen if you try to jump straight into Halo with experienced players. FPS can be tough to get the hang off, and having the person next to you yelling at how he head-shotted your ass can be demoralizing. So the games I started with were computer, because a)there are buttons I understood and b) no one was shit-talking me while I tried to learn the games.

In late high school I started playing Warcraft 2, Diablo 2, and Quake. These games are a great starter for anyone looking to computer game, and each for their own reason. Warcraft 2 is a real time strategy game, which simply means that you build armies and destroy stuff if you can strategize well. Diablo 2 is an easy RPG with a fun story line, good cinegraphic intros and an easy to understand interface. If you are a girl trying to impress a boy, this is an ok game to start with. It will be inexpensive and, while it is outdated, it prepares you for the awesomeness that will be Diablo 3 and you can join in the geek-anticipation. Lastly, Quake is a FPS that is computer-people friendly, exciting, and has a good teaching program: you won't start an feel thrown to the wolves.

Now it is time for me to fess up. I am a console loser. The only games I have ever beaten through and through on a console are Fable and some Megaman game when I was longer. So this next two weeks I have decided to venture into Final Fantasy land. My sister-in-law, Carly, has loaned me most of the FF games. I plan on playing FF1 for the geek street cred. Then, according to trusted sources, I will play FF's 3, 4, 7, and 9. It is my understanding from the many shocked faces I get when I mention my Final Fantasy virginity that it is simply unacceptable to call myself a gamer without these titles under my belt.

I'll let you know how it goes!

If I gain readers, I'd be interested in knowing what where your first games, what games you think are CRITICAL for a person to play, if you prefer consoles to computers, etc. Let me know!