Do you ever become your character?

[Screamarie]

Okay so lately I've restarted playing Saints Row 2. The other day while waiting for a resturant to cook my and my family's dinner since I'm too lazy to do so myself, I started thinking about what was needed to get done in the game. Needed to clear out some more strongholds and hopefully finish up the Sons of Samedi missions, then go on to the Brotherhood.

What I realized while thinking this was that I was using the word "I need to" and not in that third person "I gotta get this other person to do this", but in the "this is my responsibility to take care of" kind of view. I even went so far as to thinking that "I didn't like the way the leader of the Brotherhood talked to me."

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not crazy. My bad-assedry only goes so far as the game, I wasn't shooting anybody up at the resturant and I obeyed the rules of the road getting there and getting back. I didn't assume the persona outside of the game, but when thinking about it and when playing the game, the woman that I had created to lead the Saints was "me." Soon after this realization, I noticed that if I thought back to playing Mass Effect, my femshep was another "me."

So it got me wondering if anyone else does this? Or am I just that pathetic?

 

[RandallJohn]

Nah, I don't think that's pathetic. I do that, too. Helps me get into the game. I find that I have an easier time doing what needs to be done in a game if I actually try putting myself in the shoed of the character.

I even do this with games that have no inherent story for individual characters. All of my WoW characters have backstories, and I've taken or denied quests based on whether or not my character would.

Plus, it's more fun imagining I'm the one who just brought down a 12-story fire-breathing dragon.

 

[The Salty Vulcan]

Okay so lately I've restarted playing Saints Row 2. The other day while waiting for a resturant to cook my and my family's dinner since I'm too lazy to do so myself, I started thinking about what was needed to get done in the game. Needed to clear out some more strongholds and hopefully finish up the Sons of Samedi missions, then go on to the Brotherhood.

What I realized while thinking this was that I was using the word "I need to" and not in that third person "I gotta get this other person to do this", but in the "this is my responsibility to take care of" kind of view. I even went so far as to thinking that "I didn't like the way the leader of the Brotherhood talked to me."

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not crazy. My bad-assedry only goes so far as the game, I wasn't shooting anybody up at the resturant and I obeyed the rules of the road getting there and getting back. I didn't assume the persona outside of the game, but when thinking about it and when playing the game, the woman that I had created to lead the Saints was "me." Soon after this realization, I noticed that if I thought back to playing Mass Effect, my femshep was another "me."

So it got me wondering if anyone else does this? Or am I just that pathetic?

I'll admit it. In the few RPG games I have played (and thats what Saints Row is really. A big, sand RPG) I have found myself thinking along these lines. For the most part I think its a sign of a good experience, one you can become attached to. I do admit though that whenever I get a weird signal on the radio, I instinctly reach into my bag to retrieve a pokeball and beat up Team Rocket.
I out pathetic you

 

[Turbulenssi]

I do this a lot in RPG games. I also tend to talk to my computer while playing (this has caused few awkward and embarrassing moments with family and girlfriend).

 

[Sehnsucht Engel]

I do that myself, all the time, with different games. I mean I'm the one playing the character. He's not really someone else.

 

[Super Toast]

If I get to make my character, I am my character.

 

[Unca Bob]

Yes, all the time.

 

[Screamarie]

If I get to make my character, I am my character.

That's probably true with me too, but I'm not certain as I've never examined it to closely before. I'm often not privy to my own thoughts. It's just constant rambling up there so I rarely pay attention.

Can other people say this? Or does it matter to you whether you made the character or not?

And if anybody would like to share stories, I'd love to read.

 

[EmzOLV]

I don't think it's pathetic. Shortly after handing in my dissertation, I spent 5 days solid playing FF12. I played it so much, that on the 6th day I woke up and was seriously concerned because I was in the wrong world and couldn't find my weapons. I began to panic as the room looked so unfamiliar.

Then after 20 minutes of panic and anxiety, I realised, nope, this is the right world. I took a break from the game after that. It was worth it. Now work gets in the way of such a long period of time playing games, which is useful actually cos that was really disconcerting!

 

[Nimcha]

After playing through Mass Effect 2 for the second time I did have a few dreams which were quite... disturbing. They included but were not limited to sexual encounters with random asari <.<

 

[GraegoriHauss]

Yep, this is in fact my favorite thing to do in video games. Mostly because the game words are often more appealing than the real world.

I play games to escape. Go figure.

 

[Jezzascmezza]

Yeah, I sometimes do this.
And... I inevitably feel like a complete idiot after doing so.

 

[busterkeatonrules]

Myself, and every other gamer I know, have been thinking of - and referring to - the game character as "me" for as long as there have been games for us to play.

I think it's a practical concern more than anything - when you're playing a game and decide to tell someone what needs to be done next, you COULD of course say, "OK, I've got to get Mario to jump on that Goomba", but saying "OK, I've got to jump on that Goomba" is shorter, more efficient, and there's no way anyone's going to think you're planning to go and jump on a Goomba yourself.

Besides, it IS sort of true, as Mario certainly won't be jumping on any Goombas WITHOUT input from the player!

 

[dogenzakaminion]

I do it all the time. I think most people do, at least if it's an immersive game. Isn't that what immersion is anyway? Gets even easier in RPG's where I create a character to essentailly be "me" in the game world.

 

[Betancore]

I think that's the point with many games - to immerse yourself in it to the point where you're not the player, controlling an avatar in a game, but you're actually in the game yourself. In some games, it's easier for me to do this than in others, but I usually think of the character as being myself, since I'm the one controlling it.

 

[EHKOS]

Heh...femshep...

OT: Not to your extent but I get a total god complex from games like Prototype. If I use a Gameshark for infinante health I do too. Also I would like to state that I only use it after I beat the game.

 

[binvjoh]

I do that a lot. I really like immersing myself as much as possible.