It has been a long time since I’ve actually been so absorbed in a game that I disregard sleep. Disregarding my education is one thing, but to do it to my beloved sleep is pure blasphemy. For two nights in a row I have without fail played Skyrim until dawn. I feel dirty and un-productive yet I continue to do this to myself.
I also continue to ignore the main story quests in favour of doing side quests given by the inhabitants of Whiterun and Riverwood. Why? A sense of community, surprisingly enough, is my reason. When Fralia Gray-Mane requested that I find out the fate of her son, I was more than happy to oblige. Even though the reward was merely a pittance (200 gold) and gave me nothing in terms of advancement in the game. Strangely enough, I feel content in this town, a sense of belonging if you will.
After gaining favour with the Jarl by killing my first dragon Mirmulnir, I was bestowed with the title of Thane. No clue what it means, not even my newly appointed assistant could offer a coherent answer. My assistant Lydia has become an internet legend for reasons unknown. Perhaps my fellow gamers out there enjoy the idea of having a female assistant who listens to your every command and lives with you.
Do video games teach us a sense of community? Considering many big titles such as World of War Craft (or pretty much any MMORPG), the presence of community, working together and accomplishing tasks, proves impossible for a gamer to work alone, regardless of levels. Although Skyrim is not a MMO, it nonetheless gives you this sense of community through interesting characters and beautiful level designs, making it that much easier to immerse yourself in this wonderful world.
This makes me excited for the next generation with graphic power improving more and more, meaning more engangement and hopefully more life in more characters. But of course this excitement stems from my belief that I shall survive this these coming months, my body is nearing shut down from lack of sleep, deadlines are being neglected and of course it is the year 2012…
Dragons Ate Me 