A part of this week's Extra Credits has me worried...

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Alakaizer

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Aug 1, 2008
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Yesterday I watched Flash game [http://extra-credits.net/episodes/mechanics-as-metaphor-part-1/] beforehand so as to better understand the points being made in the video. To better understand what about my playthrough is worrying me, I'd recommend you play the game and watch the video.

I started the game, tried to go to the first group, saw the bits flee and disappear, and thought it was rather funny. For the next thirty seconds or so, I ran haphazardly up the corridor, amused as all the groups ran away from me. Then, it stopped being funny and all I could do was find and get rid of every square on the screen, even backtracking to the bottom of the corridor to ensure that I had not missed any of them. I continued, stalking up the corridor, erasing every bit I came near with, satisfaction increasing as the corridor darkened, until there was nothing left.

Afterwards I watched the episode, and realized that my reaction to the game was not like any they had described, and now I'm kinda freaked out with no idea what to do, so any advice or insight would be greatly appreciated.

Captcha: stone's throw; how far I feel like I am from losing my humanity.
 

Amethyst Wind

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Apr 1, 2009
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I wouldn't worry. You approached it from a completionist gamer perspective rather than as a social metaphor.

The options they espoused weren't ALL the available options, just the ones that they could focus on to fit their theme for the episode.
 

jebbo

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Jul 17, 2009
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Erase ALL the bits! *Pumps fist*
Feel good when they all disappeared? Shame there wasn't an achievement. You sir are a completionist and like all completionists have a touch of the obsessive about your gameplay. And this is why I refuse to acknowledge GTA games anymore
 

SonicWaffle

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Oct 14, 2009
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jebbo said:
Erase ALL the bits! *Pumps fist*
Feel good when they all disappeared? Shame there wasn't an achievement. You sir are a completionist and like all completionists have a touch of the obsessive about your gameplay. And this is why I refuse to acknowledge GTA games anymore
But without you, who will deal with the pigeons? The city's pest problem is out of control! Won't somebody think of the children?!
 

jebbo

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SonicWaffle said:
But without you, who will deal with the pigeons? The city's pest problem is out of control! Won't somebody think of the children?!
I considered them but then decided I was happy to let the little brats get shat on from a height.

GTAIV was a rare example of a game that couldn't hold my attention to even finish the main storyline (something that still annoys me to this day - one day I'll play it again...), I was never going to hunt those flying rats down. San Andreas though... Find ALL the oysters!
 

The Scythian

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Jun 8, 2010
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I thought the game was about avoiding the other bits. This game only succeeded in making me feel more lonely. Ugh.
 

MasochisticAvenger

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Nov 7, 2011
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Umm... realize you're playing a game and calm the hell down about it? Don't worry, your family and friends will still love you.
 

The SettingSun

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Oct 4, 2010
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I played it and found it quite fun. It was sort of artistic the way you could dash towards a load of blocks and watch them scatter.

You're over thinking this. A flash game with little blocks isn't a judge of humanity.
 

Broady Brio

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Jun 28, 2009
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This game is strangely accurate to how I feel to people.

At first I tried to connect to these "Blocks", then I just gave up, knowing they would scatter and proceeded upwards til the end.
 

BlindTom

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There was no metaphor in that game. The metaphor was conveyed via sad music and text. It even had instructions and an explanation of what it was about. Derp. Perhaps you are someone who plays games as games and therefore focused on the game mechanics and their failure to convey anything to the effect of loneliness?
 

Keoul

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Apr 4, 2010
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Yeah I gave up pretty soon.
I ended up avoiding the large groups and only going for the dots that were alone as well, too bad the jerks rejected me too >:c
I'm surprised you didn't notice the underlying loneliness earlier as it was hinted via the name, music, and the goddamn ending. You truly are just a completionist :p
 

Cyfu

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Nov 25, 2010
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Alakaizer said:
Yesterday I watched Flash game [http://extra-credits.net/episodes/mechanics-as-metaphor-part-1/] beforehand so as to better understand the points being made in the video. To better understand what about my playthrough is worrying me, I'd recommend you play the game and watch the video.

I started the game, tried to go to the first group, saw the bits flee and disappear, and thought it was rather funny. For the next thirty seconds or so, I ran haphazardly up the corridor, amused as all the groups ran away from me. Then, it stopped being funny and all I could do was find and get rid of every square on the screen, even backtracking to the bottom of the corridor to ensure that I had not missed any of them. I continued, stalking up the corridor, erasing every bit I came near with, satisfaction increasing as the corridor darkened, until there was nothing left.

Afterwards I watched the episode, and realized that my reaction to the game was not like any they had described, and now I'm kinda freaked out with no idea what to do, so any advice or insight would be greatly appreciated.

Captcha: stone's throw; how far I feel like I am from losing my humanity.
Yeah, I did the same thing. I thought I was supposed to. When I heard that the blocks were people I just thought "huh.. I didn't think that at all. I just wanted to get the best score possible"
 

BarbaricGoose

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May 25, 2010
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I pretended I was a serial killer murdering a bunch of children. No, I'm serious.

And then I was saw the author's text at the end, and I kinda felt bad. And then I realized I'd been playing it without sound, which made me feel even worse, as the piano music was quite good.