You and Your Horse: Weird Attachments in Games

[tobi the good boy]

Pokemon hard-mode run of Fire-red. *Shiver*

Throughout my journey as a pokemon trainer, life was hard. I had travelled from the comfortable familiarity of my home in pallet town all across the Kanto region, every new route or cave bringing with it a new companion to walk along my side in my quest for glory.

It was true, I was indeed a great pokemon trainer and because of this I had managed to avoid the pain of losing one of my comrades for a great deal of time... In fact, in my hubris, I was almost certain I would never lose one of my friends. That we would make it to the top arm in arm our resolve unbreakable. How wrong I was...

A thrumming reverberates aloft the mighty seaside winds, pounding... radiating through my chest, its seismic rumbles running alongside my very heartbeat.

"What's that noise?" I query, my eye's shift swiftly to my faithful companion, Tyrant, the Nidoking. His glare sharpens, looking right past me into the distance, the softness fading from beneath those royal, purple plates.

We walk closer, the salty, euphoric aroma of ocean slowly fouling as we drudge onwards with the scent of rancid cheesepuffs and mountain dew.

I pass a sign that reads Route 12, an unknown region...

"Oh boy!" I shout, my sudden realisation that I would be making a new companion this day overwhelming the ominous aura that staled this beauteous land.

We press on... time goes quickly and finally I meet my soon to be team mate, A hulking beast of Gluttony and Sloth, A monster known only as: Snorlax

"Quick let's wake him up!" I shout to Tyrant, the smile on my pixilated face brimming just ever so brighter.

He turns to me "Nido.. Nido-Nido..." His cries aggressive and tinged with the spice of fear.

"Don't worry, we'll be fine." I confort him, my words reminding him of the times we've shared ever since he was but a baby Nidoran going toe-to-toe with braindead spearows.

I delve into my trainer bag and fumble for a few moments before retrieving a cylinder of red and white... The Poke' Flute.

I breath deep, the gales of the great blue filling my lungs, Then exhaled into the instrument, my enthralling melody piercing the veil of the monsters slumber.

_______________________________________________________________________________

I'm sorry... I just need a moment.

...
...
...

_______________________________________________________________________________


The hulking poke'mon lifts itself onto it's stubby legs, the deep aqua of it's back a sharp contrast to the tan yellow of its stomach. It grumbles and yawns at it's sudden jolt into consciousness, each passing second fuelling the rage hidden behind those squinted eyes...

"Go Tyrant, use Surf" I yell, I choose a weaker attack to test the waters, to see just how much health the creature has (I wanted to capture the thing after all not kill it). The attack hits, but does barely any damage, It holds it's ground far better than expected.

I ready to issue another set of tactical and strategic attacks but the creature bests me this time, A great gaping maw growing wider and wider releasing a gust the stench of craft dinner and dr pepper. A wave of vile wafts over me and my pokemon, I begin to notice those very same eyes of rage and fear begin to droop. Snorlax used Yawn...

Of course at the time I knew the effect of the attack quite well, I was no rookie trainer but my naivety had led me to believe it wouldn't be an issue...

I pressed on... barked the order to use Brick break, my hopes that the super effectiveness of it would damage it enough to capture, as it's health dwindles I watch the fury inside of it grow... It retaliated, this time far more aggressively than a simple yawn... Body Slam.

A boulder of leathery skin launches forward, towards the wall of jutting poisonous spikes known as Tyrant, fear completely absent from those slitted windows of beastial hate.

I shudder, the health bar of one of my dearest friends drops by just over a quarter, the contorts of pain racing through his body apparent on his face before instantly felling to the embrace of night... Yawn had taken effect. Tyrant was fast asleep...

"DAMN IT" I yell at the top of my lungs, an impasse. Jumbled words race through my head 'Do I try and capture this Snorlax and let Tyrannt take a hit?' or do I 'pull him out and miss an chance to tame this majestic fatso?'

The opportunist that I was, I decided to try my luck... the worst mistake of my life... I'm sorry *wipes away a tear*

 

[Dr. Doomsduck]

Skyrim, in one of the stormcloak quests you have to attack a carriage full of imperial soldiers. Now that carriage had a black horse walking with it. So, me being the good sport that I am, kill all the soldiers, take their gold and ride off into the sunset on their horse. No biggie. When I reach the next city I unmount and the horse starts walking off into the opposite direction (probably trying to go back to the carriage).

Now, to me, that was that.

But then the next time I fast-travel to another city, guess who's waiting for me at the gate? That's right, it's the black imperial horse. Of course, he starts walking away again but I can ride him without all the guards going monkeyshit over stolen property.

So, I named him Stinky and we just have a sort of arrangement nowadays: We meet at the fast travel points, he takes me to wherever I need to go and then wanders off again. Though, occasionally I have to chase him down after catching a butterfly or something.

I CANNOT watch him die and reload every damn time it happens(I'm ashamed to admit that it happens quite a lot). Now rationally, I could buy a regular horse and just have it wait for me wherever, it's probably way more efficient than chasing down your own mount. But what the heck, Stinky's got character.

I did not just get attached to a virtual horse, I also got attached to a bug in the system.

That's healthy, right?

 

[ChupathingyX]

The bodyguards in Dynasty Warriors 4.

One of the default bodyguards is named "Nicolas" and I became instantly attached, always ensuring the survival of my bodyguards.

 

[Davey Woo]

Every time my horse died I reloaded the save. I didn't care how far back it was, my horse would never die!

 

[Frostbite3789]

I remember keeping Orhpeus for like, 40 hours into Persona 3. Mainly because I thought he might be needed later, but also because he's a fuckin' boss.

Replace Orpheus with Lamia for me. She came out with having an ice, fire and lightning spell. Poison all. The AoE insta-kill darkness spell. A panic spell.

She's just so useful, but gets nothing new. I know I need to combine her into something new, but the new thing is never as good.

 

[Kungfu_Teddybear]

I was attached to Mjoll the Lioness in Skyrim. After many adventures together we fell in love and were married in the temple of Mara. We continued our lives happily as renowned adventurers until one day we came across a bandit camp, I will never forget that day.

We charged in weapons drawn and began eliminating the bandits, Mjoll cutting them down with her sword and I crushing them with my warhammer, until, Mjoll ran right in front of me as I swung my giant hammer at a bandit. A cutscene began where I then beheld the new headbutting execution for the first time. I couldn't find a video of the execution so I'll describe it. Pretty much you put your warhammer behind your opponents head, pull them in closer, and then begin to repeatedly headbutt your opponent in the face.

I did that to my own wife, I pulled her close to me and then began to brutally headbutt her in the face over and over until she was dead. I'll admit, this execution is awesome, but did I really have to discover it like that? -.-

 

[Unsilenced]

The marines in Halo were a big one for me, along with pretty much any similar such AI companions. They may have been dead set on jumping in front of my bullets, doing combat rolls into the path of my tank, and pushing me into the way of grenades, but god damn it.

They were my COMRADES.


In COD2 once I even found a character that had my name. My last name. I immediately decided that he was clearly my great grandfather and defended him like nothing had ever been defended before. Unfortunately, as I recall, he had a crippling landmine addiction.




I've become more cynical as I've played more games though. Now I hate all NPC allies, because they ALL have crippling grenade fetishes and must jump on ALL THE FRAGS! And then there are the ones that can actually push you, like in Clear Sky. Holy shit.

In that game, the first step to any assault is to slaughter anyone who is going to try to be your "ally." Otherwise failure is guaranteed.

 

[AmrasCalmacil]

I got attached to most of the things people have mentioned, but I'll try something new.

Alistair. I was unbelievably gay for Alistair.

Alistair shouts at me after the exorcism?
Reload game, do it differently.
Alistair leaves after I deign to let Loghaine live?
Reload game, kill that treacherous bastard.
Alistair sacrifices himself to save me?
Reload game, YOU WILL HAVE SEX WITH MORRIGAN, YOUNG MAN!

 

[Versuvius]

Fallout 3/NV. Hunting/Varmint rifle. It might be weak but it'sbeen with me since the word go, modded to oblivion and back and has gotten me through some tight scrapes. I hate to see it go. Skyrim: Any swords i forge, i feel like i'm doing the blade/hammer/whatever an injustice by pawning it off. Hrm. Most other games i'm detached enough to not grow an attachment to anything save maybe characters (ME 1 for Wrex. 2 for Mordin/Tali/Garrus).

 

[DustyDrB]

I'm kinda sad but not entirely surprised that this thread doesn't have more posts. If you made another "video game crush" thread, then we'll have a hundred people singing the praises of Alyx Vance and Samus.

Meh, whatever. I tend to make threads in the wee hours of the night after drinking many beers. They tend to be ramble-ey.

I'm not quite at the point where I'm putting notches in my ME3 multiplayer sniper rifles yet. I'm still deciding if I like the Mantis or Javelin better.

I think weapons count. I've heard people lament the loss of their favorite Skyrim weapons after a Fus Ro Da-ing Draugr knocked it out of their hands and sent it tumbling to places unknown.

And in Team Fortress 2, I think I have an unhealthy obsession with my Degreaser. It hasn't been removed as my main Pyro weapon in a year and a half.

 

[Kahunaburger]

+1 to Halo mehreens. Also, as the Arbiter, I tried to protect my Grunts. What kind of Elite would I be if I let those little dudes die on my watch?

(By the way, this is a good example of how the Halo series is better written than people give it credit for being. Sure, it's simple, but any game that makes you feel a sense of attachment and/or responsibility for the expendable cannon-fodder that don't have names, aren't a significant asset in most fights, and have a bad habit of derping into friendly and enemy fields of fire is doing something right.)

 

[Dr. Paine]

I'm kinda sad but not entirely surprised that this thread doesn't have more posts. If you made another "video game crush" thread, then we'll have a hundred people singing the praises of Alyx Vance and Samus.

Personally I don't think I have any such attachments, or at least any with such detailed stories as you guys have. I had a penguin when I still played Maplestory. It was cute and picked up my items for me. That's about it. I wish P4's Izanagi had decent stat growth so I could keep using him throughout the game because he's a badass. I'm not quite at the point where I'm putting notches in my ME3 multiplayer sniper rifles yet. I'm still deciding if I like the Mantis or Javelin better.

Ah, I forgot guns!

I grew incredibly attached to my Mantis in Mass Effect 2, and later the Widow. And in 3, once I got it, the Black Widow never left me and I never had to take another gun with me.

(Captcha: gift horse. ... rather appropriate, I suppose.)

 

[Lovely Mixture]

Stalker games, I would reload and reload until the outcome of firefights would have my fellow stalkers alive. Of course, with the unpredictable nature of the game people can die when you're not around them, which makes it more depressing.

But this is taken into a whole new level in Call of Pripyat in which you have to lead a special team through the underground passage to Pripyat encountering fucking Snorks and later crazed fanatics.

Some Japanese games I play have a unit limit, so you can't grab all the special units, I'm usually ok with that if I can get the units I want. But in Big Bang Age you have to decide between two units multiple times and I couldn't handle that.

I wish P4's Izanagi had decent stat growth so I could keep using him throughout the game because he's a badass.

I'm only a mild fan of P4 but I know what you mean. My sister plays the game a lot and so when she's went through her Persona roster and I failed to see Izanagi and asked why and she responded with "his stats weren't good enough" I was horrified.

 

[lettucethesallad]

Dogmeat in Fallout 3. I was so attached to him that I kept making him wait for me in my Megaton house so he wouldn't get hurt or die.

Actually I tend to get attached to a lot of characters. Cute monsters are hard to kill too, I'd rather just run around them. I hardly ever attack anything that doesn't attack me first. I guess I'm a big softie at heart.

 

[Odbarc]

Horse; The ultimate MEAT shield.

 

[TaintedSaint]

I too am also attached to my horse in Red Dead Redemption. So far he is still alive and well "i'm new to console games first time playing red dead" His name is Fernando.

 

[flying_whimsy]

I'll travel alone if given the option in games just so I can avoid watching support characters or animals die (or get in the way). I feel oddly guilty when horses or bodyguards (especially in Dynasty Warriors) die while I'm in the thick of it; I'd rather go it alone than let them risk their lives for me.

Oddly enough, I was really close to Midna from Zelda Twilight Princess: she was with me in every dungeon, every battle. I used to talk to her in game just so it wouldn't be so lonely in those dungeons. Since she's not likely to return in a future zelda game, I think she actually broke me for the franchise.

Anytime I think of playing another zelda game I think of trekking through dungeons in the middle of the night without her and completely lose interest.

 

[Ralen-Sharr]

Skyrim - Parthurnax is easily the most fleshed out character in the whole franchise. I'd have fought the whole of Skyrim to keep him safe. (and unlike the Blades he'd actually have my back)

Mass Effect - so many great characters, and moments around them. I'd go into it but that'd likely be a wall of text. Anyone who has played these games probably knows where I'm coming from anyway.