Apparently, people are stunned that I was unaware of the existence of the Harvest Moon series until I researched and wrote up the Wonderful Life preview. Once I realized how virulent... er... excessive... no, wait... established the series was, I began to sympathize. Now, these same people are coming asking me "Mike, why didn’t you like this?" "Mike, don’t you like RPGs at all?" "Mike, can I have 40 bucks?" Well, I thought I should take these things one at a time.
Why I Don’t Enjoy Games Like "A Wonderful Life" - Personally, I try to steer clear of hypocrisy. I dunno, I tried it before, I coughed pretty badly, it just didn’t take. Not that I’m condemning the hypocrites, you wanna do your thing, hey, I’m cool with that. It’s just not my style. Before I get more questions along the lines of "Hypocrisy? Wha?", let me clarify: The game is called "A Wonderful Life". However, the entire reason for its being is to prevent anything of the sort. See, a "wonderful life", to my reckoning, is one that involves human interaction. Not interface with humanesque, 3D rendered character models at a steady framerate. I mean either physically speaking to someone in person, or through a respected communications medium. Contact is also a big plus, in the spirit of any of a variety of emotions. I don’t care how depressed you may feel, how out-of-sorts you may be. You’re a GAMER, Goddammit! You are a member of an elitist conclave of like-minded individuals who scraped and clawed their niche in the fabric of American - indeed, international - society from the blathering horde out there who came to video games in the first place only because they were impressed by the bright flashing lights; the kinds of people who think Madden 2004 is a good way to spend their time. You can interact with these barbarians, be my guest. A good number of our people are blessed with the skills to move among their numbers and not be harmed, myself among them. In fact, should you be able to pull this off, I highly commend you for it, and encourage you to continue to learn their ways and culture. Such knowledge is never wasted.
Harvest Moon cannot kick in for pizza. Harvest Moon cannot spot you five dollars until next Friday. Harvest Moon cannot get you another soda while you work on clearing out a level of geometric spacecraft piloted by men hell-bent upon preserving the dark, despotic will of a tyrannical shaman over a galactic population reaching into the trillions. Or, you know, something to that effect. All Harvest Moon and those of its ilk can offer is a sure-fire ticket to loneliness, ridicule, and most likely, madness.
Do I Like RPGs At All? - Of course. Now, bear in mind, this is in the proper structure. I like RPGs like Dungeons & Dragons, primarily because they are what I term a "beneficent RPG". They foster an atmosphere of creativity and camaraderie with the other people in your party. See, D&D is a game mainly played through human interaction of the sort detailed in the last section. It can be adapted for online play, but at a loss in my opinion. I know, I play online regularly because my real-life DM has a job (the bastard), and the town in which I currently reside frowns on that kind of thing because Pat Robertson got to it before gamers could. Games of this style are something I have no problem with. In fact, I encourage them. You learn a lot more about yourself through the characters that you play as, the paths you take through the campaigns, and the way you deal with the people both real and represented by the DM. Ignore the Christian Right on this, they just needed a hot-button issue when they raised their fuss. Get a gaggle of friends together and play some D&D, you’ll thank me for it.
Can you have $40? - No. I’m flat broke, and hitting my father up for money for college expenses like he’s a swinging Irish financial piñata. I plan on getting employment at a video game retailer in the nearby mall, or an institution bearing some semblance to it. Ask me after that.
Well kids, that’s all from my head for now. I hope I’ve enlightened you somewhat, if only to my position on this topic. And if I’ve verbally beaten some sense into you, hey, more’s the better. Take care of yourselves.
mike@wiicafe.com
