5 Things You've Learned From Video Games

[Tsukuyomi]

Now yes, I'm aware that there will be a fair amount of joke responses to this, but I've been thinking on this topic, and other, better people, like Extra Credits, have hinted at it as well. So I got curious to the point that I wanted to know what others thought.

In short: Can you think of five (preferably positive but eh...) things you've learned from video games?

Personally, I've been racking my brain for a bit now and I haven't found much. Sure, there's always the carpe diem-esque message that comes up for characters like Cave Johnson, Commander Shepard, etc. The concept that you CAN and DO control events around you is a big, and I think good, lesson that one can take from video games.

But is there anything else? Even for you personally, can you think of any others?

 

[Popadoo]

That Commander Shepard likes stores.

I'm kidding!
Well, I guess I've learnt that, no matter what the object, there's a story behind it. After playing open-world games, Morrowind especially, I'm interested in unique things around me and what they relate to. Everything has a story, or at least a short side-quest!

 

[Kahunaburger]

If Minecraft taught me anything, it was that patience is rewarded. And to always, always check your corners.

 

[WorldFree55]

1.being a good person.
2.Finding out a bit if not a lot of information about the Renaissance in Italy. (Assassin's Creed 2)
3.Information about life in general.
4.Common Sense
5.Passion for something
6. How to protect myself from the zombie apocalypse.

What? Me playing also playing almost every single violent video game known to man can partly tell me how to be a good person or have common sense or anything about life in general? Blasphemy!

Video Games have also taught me a lot more and i am very grateful for it.

 

[Extraintrovert]

1. Thanks to Age of Empires and Age of Mythology, I learned more about ancient cultures and societies than I ever thought I would.
2. Thanks to Medieval: Total War, I learned more about European history than I did in history class.
3. Thanks to Embric of Wulfhammer's Castle, I learned some things about the minutiae of running a government.
4. Thanks to Portal 2, I learned that moon dust actually does cause severe, asbestos-like illness if inhaled.
5. Thanks to Dawn of War, I learned that Orks ar maed fer foitin' an' winnin'.

 

[WorldFree55]

If Minecraft taught me anything, it was that patience is rewarded. And to always, always check your corners.

That and anything that "Ssssssssssssssssss" tends to explode.

 

[CrazyCapnMorgan]

1) "The strength you wield now cannot free you. No, perhaps it's best said that no strength can. So long as you lean upon the crutch of power, this world's sorrow can know no true end.

2) "The real weakening of the world is actually the weakening of the human heart."

3) "We are all bound by our experiences. They are the limits of our consciousness. In the end, the human soul will ever reach for the truth."

4) "Humans were never born to fight and steal. We were born to open up the same path together!"

5) "Meaninglessly hurting one another, The disappearing life-forms, The words that become deleted, The thoughts that become buried, The pool of cells that evaporate, The echoes of consciousness that slowly fade...

What is there to be achieved from harming another...killing one another? The "eggs" that we call planets...and the innumerable "spermatozoa" which gather around these that we call "life-forms"...

When one of those countless seeds inseminates a planet, a new universe is born. But until that occurs, hundreds of millions of lears will pass, and innumerable life-forms will be born, then die...

That is the be-all and end-all. Everything exists for that one moment. All so that the universe can evolve into the next dimension. Does that make us all just pawns? Are each of our short lives nothing but a cheap sacrifice so the one "chosen" life-form can be born? No, each and every one of us has a chance of becoming that one "chosen" life-form which inseminates a planet.

Each of us tries to do his/her best under the limited conditions we are each dealt. Each life-form that attempts to eke out a decent life for itself forms a link in the golden chain that leads to the creation of a new universe. If one link is missing, there will be no future.

Every single thing in the whole of nature is perhaps just dreaming a dream of "life". All of them are also perhaps nothing more than a dream dreamt by the planet before it is born. We alone do not have the power to heal the world's woes, or to solve all its mysteries. And yet, even then..."

Those are the main ones. Interesting side note: all but one of these I learned from Role Playing games.

 

[pyrosaw]

1.Mercenaries 2 taught me about Venezuelan geography.
2.Champions Online taught me supers heroes a overrated and jerks.
3.Fallout 3 taught me that people are never to be trusted.
4.Dothack taught me that MMO's are evil.
5.Dead Rising 2 taught me duct tape is magical.

 

[emeraldrafael]

Always look around the corner

serpentine damnit, serpentine!

There's always another solution (though it usualyl involves a quest and/or dungeon)

Size doesnt matter when its skill

Anything and everything can be improvised to suit your need, its all about how desperate you are and the time you have.

 

[the spud]

1. Elves are pricks.
2. There are always ways to get out of every situation, no matter what. And if things don't turn out OK, I learned from CoD that you can just quantum leap into someone elses body.
3. You should generally listen to wise old men.
4. Do not save the princess. She is a grown woman. She can take care of her self. Sometimes baby bird has got to fly.
5. In oblivion, I learned that law enforcement learned psychic powers as part of their training.

 

[Broomy Broomfield]

That "The right man in the wrong place can make all the diffrence in the world"

 

[Free Thinker]

Oblivion: Lawmen are psychic, omnipotent beings who sense when you do a wrong deed. Towns are no longer safe for criminal scum who violate the law.
Halo: Always wear Trojan brand power armor when T-bagging.
Mass Effect 2: You can have multiple favorite stores.
Mass Effect 2 again: You can have the deadliest people in the galaxy for team mates, but you can only bring 2 per mission.
Any Bethesda game: SAVE OFTEN! You never know when the game will freeze.

 

[Burn2Feel]

1) There is some element of good or good will in everyone; nothing is done for absolutely no reason and nothing is totally malicious (listen to the reasons behind everything characters do)
2) There are no heroes, just very brave/stupid people who are soon forgotten (ANY FPS makes you a private or other low ranking officer, and yet you're expecting to do some crazy ass stuff without so much as a thank you)
3) Pretending to be a priest or chav will make the law look the other way no matter what you get up to (all thanks to Assassin's Creed - yet to try this one out though)
4) If it can be picked up, chances are you'll need it at some point in your life
5) Parkour is a legal and recomended way to get around any major city

 

[Scarim Coral]

1 Patience can be a vitre or it can be a jerk.
2 Inspect an object onto everything.
3 Racing is much cooler in game than it is in real life.
4 How to survive in a horror game.
5 I paid attention to details alot more.

 

[DrunkDonut]

Never ever piss of a bald guy with a red tattoo who is also covered in ashes of his dead family.

 

[Kahunaburger]

Never ever piss of a bald guy with a red tattoo who is also covered in ashes of his dead family.

Words to live by.

OT: Witcher 2 taught me to never drink standing up.

 

[WouldYouKindly]

1. Volume of fire is no substitute for accuracy

2. Playing by the rules earns you friends and defeat.

3. God mode type cheats and challenge breaking mods are no fun

4. If there's a wise old man he'll either try to kill you or die when it's least convenient

5. Somehow your average adventurer can carry 250 lbs of gear.

 

[Saviordd1]

1: From the medal of honors games I started to get interested in history.
2: Dragon age taught me the true stupidity of prejudice
3: Assassins creed 2 and brotherhood helped me quite a bit with the Renaissance
4: Medieval Total war 2 helped me with the medieval ages of Europe a bit
5: A bunch of games taught me little lessons so much so I can't name them all

 

[Biosophilogical]

1. Soldiers are Wolverine without the adamantium.
2. The Russians will invade America via Alaska
3. Medics aren't Altuists, they are just point-whores (except me, I play the medic because I'm a nice guy).
4. Ice powers will enhance anything if used properly.
5. Non-gamers are evil. Honestly, I have never played a game where the antagonist was portrayed to enjoy video/boardgames.