At least in Canada, most people I know think Liberal = anything left, Conservative = anything right. Maybe Americans are the same.

Yeah, that’s totally fair. You’re definitely not alone in those feelings, it’s just not something I personally share.

I’m almost the other way around in that I’m pretty easily satisfied with most games. I don’t have much time for gaming these days, between work, raising a kid (still just a baby), and trying to be a good husband, so by the time I’m actually able to play something, I usually just want to shut off my brain and play something to have fun with it. It’s usually after they’re both asleep, so it’s either game or sleep myself. With that being said, sticking with a game is a different story. I bounce off a lot of titles these days. I’ve been trying to get into Morrowind for years, currently on another attempt. I’m really enjoying it so far, and I have enjoyed my other attempts too, it’s just never hooked me before. I really hope this time I get properly hooked and get to sink a good amount of time into it. It’s not a game I can turn my brain off for but I also don’t need laser focus for it either, so it’s a good balance. If I get too mentally drained I play either Oblivion or Skyrim, both of which I have so much time in I can practically play asleep, plus it keeps me in the Elder Scrolls mindset. My problem before was my backup game was always a Soulslike, which is usually my preferred genre these days, but then I get sucked into that rabbit hole and don’t touch Morrowind again for a while. I’m hoping that sticking with the same series keeps me in the mood for it and I can play it a bit more consistently.

Like you said, weird brain thinks how it does, there’s not much I can do about it. Except maybe trick it into wanting to play a game I know I’m going to enjoy. It sucks I need to force myself to do something I enjoy though. Oh well.

That’s awful, your friend shouldn’t have to deal with all that, it’s ridiculous. Looking like I do, I thankfully don’t have to worry about that, plus I’ve heard many countries are more receptive to Canadians than Americans. I’m not sure if it’s true but it’d make sense.

I’ve been trying (again) to get into Morrowind. I’m enjoying my time with it, I just really hope I stick it through to the end this time. I want to put a lot of hours into it but any time I try to get into it, something comes up or I get distracted. I’ve put a couple hours into this character now, hopefully I can keep it up.

I’m glad you finished Halo 3, it’s too bad it didn’t live up to your expectations though. It’s understandable for a series with so much hype, but I was still hoping you’d like them like I did. I also played them when they were coming out though, which could play a factor in it. I hope you enjoy Halo 4. It’s my least favourite of 1-4 but it’s still a good game. It’s definitely more polished and modern feeling.

Yeah, the cruise was great. It was my first and so far only, I’d definitely do one again, as long as it doesn’t dock in the States at all.

I’m white as a sheet, blond hair and blue eyed, if I were a bit taller I’d be the poster boy for the Aryan race probably, so I think I’d be fine. Now if I were to discuss politics I might get in shit but I know how to keep my mouth shut when I need to. I’m not avoiding the States for fear of my life or anything, I’m the farthest thing from a visible minority, plus I’m married to a woman who could pass as being white and have a very white kid, so family trips wouldn’t be an issue either, I just refuse to go to a country that threatens my country’s sovereignty and is bringing about the fourth Reich. It’s more of a principle thing.

I’ve always wanted to visit Germany. I’ve never been outside Canada aside from a few visits to the States (won’t be going there anymore) and once to Mexico, plus a cruise that visited Mexico and Cayman Islands. I’d love to travel to Europe, and Germany would be high on my list of places to check out. Maybe one day. Won’t be any time soon though unfortunately.

Likewise to you too. It’s Remembrance Day in Canada today so it feels a little weird playing a game where you kill people, but I don’t think the States has Remembrance Day so it makes sense they released it on November 11.

I had a friend do the same with Elden Ring, it’s a shame since it’s such a great game. I get it though.

About Skywind, I’ll probably give it a shot at some point eventually but a big part of Morrowind is its gameplay, as unintuitive as it may be sometimes. Skywind certainly wouldn’t be a replacement for Morrowind like a truly faithful remaster might be, but would be fun in addition to playing the original. Someone’s actually making Morrowind in the Elden Ring engine too, I’m really curious how that’ll go.

I picked up both Lies of P and Disco Elysium so maybe I’ll give them a chance whenever I put Morrowind on pause again, though I have been meaning to jump back into Oblivion so we’ll see. I was also in the middle of a Skyrim character playthrough when I jumped to Morrowind so I might finish that first too.

I didn’t love the Headless either but they weren’t the worst and weren’t mandatory.

I’d definitely recommend finishing Shadow of the Erdtree if you liked Elden Ring. It’s definitely harder than the base game but it’s definitely worth it to me. And Dark Souls III is fantastic too. If it weren’t for the swampy areas near the beginning it would be a near perfect game to me. The DLCs are really hard but really cool too. DS2 never hooked me, I got a few hours in but never finished it.

Morrowind’s combat is definitely divisive but once you get used to it, it’s great. It really rewards investing in a weapon type, as the higher your skill level in the weapon, the better your chance is to hit. The difference between an apprentice swordsman and a master swordsman is way bigger than in Oblivion or Skyrim. It can definitely be punishing in the early game though for sure. I’d think of Morrowind less of a precursor to Skyrim and more as its own thing. Skyrim and Oblivion are quite similar, but Morrowind is very different, almost a different genre entirely. If you do play Morrowind, definitely play it on PC with OpenMW. It’s basically the only way to play it these days.

The first Dishonored is definitely my favourite, but I really liked 2 as well. I haven’t played the last one yet, I’ll get around to it eventually.

I really need to give Lies of P a proper chance. I played it for an hour or so but never picked it up again. I do own it, so I have no excuse except for time. Which to be fair is quite limited these days.

Slay the Spire and Disco Elysium are both games I’ve looked into but never played. One of these days for sure.

If those two bosses were either removed or reworked, and there was better relatability (not sure how it would work, given the style of game, without making major changes so it’s probably impossible), it would be my #1 game of all time probably. As it stands, I can replay Elden Ring far more without it feeling repetitive, and couple that with Shadow of the Erdtree, which, hot take, I believe to be the best content they’ve ever come out with, keeps Elden Ring at the first spot. Dark Souls would be a strong contender but the last third of the game holds it back for me. Dark Souls III is also close, and is probably second place for me, but the first bit of the game is a little rough. Elden Ring does have a rough portion too, but the open world makes it largely skippable. It’s got tight competition from other games outside the Souls series too though. I’m starting to get into Morrowind finally and could eventually see it eclipse Elden Ring but we’ll see. Skyrim and Oblivion are both really high on my list too. Dishonored and the Arkham games are also really high, along with both RDR games.

I’m curious, what’s your favourite Souls game? And your favourite non-Souls game?

More mini bosses rather than bosses but the Chained Ogre and Blazing Bull really bother me. They aren’t the worst to fight but they’re such different fights from the rest of Sekiro that placing them so near the start of the game really messes with new players I feel. Sekiro plays very different from the other Souls games so I feel it’s necessary to really nail the beginning portion to teach players the importance of deflects, but then you’ve got these two, where you’re better off dodging/avoiding attacks and that could confuse new players. If they were placed at the mid-game I wouldn’t have an issue with them.

If you want an actual boss, probably the Crystal Sage. Every time I replay DS3 I either sweep the boss and find it boring, or get one-shot from behind. I hate gank bosses in any implementation and this one is my least favourite.

That’s what makes it so good though.

Fair enough. Nostalgia is definitely a huge part of why I love the Halo so much. I still think I’d like them if I tried them today for the first time, but my history playing the game for so long definitely improves my opinion on it for sure. I’m glad people like you are still able to enjoy the game without the decades of nostalgia for the series to sway you. The early games are fantastic.

I’m glad you made it through Halo 2 okay. I think I mentioned it a few weeks back but I definitely found 2 to be the hardest in the series on higher difficulties. Most of my love for Halo 2 came from the multiplayer actually. Dual wielding SMGs on Bloodgultch was peak video gaming for me. I still think CE is overall my favourite Halo game but 2 has always held a special place in my heart.

Canadian here, I’d stay in my country. But with that being said, not where I currently am for sure. If by money not being an issue you mean I don’t need to look for a job, then I’d build a house in rural Newfoundland right on the ocean. If I have to look for a job but just don’t need to worry about housing expenses, then a nice house, oceanfront, probably BC. Not a major city, I hate big cities, but if I need work then I’d go somewhere close to a big enough city that I could find work no problem. Being able to see the water when I wake up in the mornings would be a necessity in this hypothetical scenario. I’d prefer the ocean but could do a Great Lake too if need be.

I don’t work in a field where it’s possible to work from home but if I did then I guess the same situation as not needing a job, as I can remote work in that case.

That’s just what I’d want though. Realistically, I have my wife and daughter to think about too. Raising a child isn’t easy and having support from my parents and hers has been very helpful, so I’d probably stay where I am, just in a nice house. There’s some smaller bodies of water near me, or larger bodies of water not too far away, so lakefront in my general area probably.

We just signed a lease on a new place. Most of the paperwork we could do online but a couple things needed to be dropped off in person at the realtor’s office. It’s a decently large office and there’s TVs there with info and stuff for staff. A few panels that show up talk about seminars for how to better sell a property, and one of them was called “The AI Revolution in Realty”. I have no idea how AI can help with selling a place, everyone I know wants to view places in person. I guess if you’re selling a place to someone overseas who’s about to come here for school (pretty common where I live), then maybe AI can help deceive them so they’re more likely to purchase/rent? That’s the only thing I could think of. Realty is a decently in-person job, that’s not something AI can be integrated with. Maybe I’m wrong and there’s a good explanation for it, but I can’t think of one. It’s the most forced integration with AI I’ve seen personally.

Starfield got a lot of hate, some of it well deserved, but I still enjoyed my time with it. I put maybe 60 hours into it, which to me is a long time for a game, so maybe my expectations are low, but I’ve got a family now so I don’t have the time I used to for video games. I’ll probably replay Starfield in the next couple years. It’s not a perfect RPG by a long shot but if you’re okay with a mostly linear game, and don’t mind loading screens, I’d say it’s worth it. It sort of reminded me of Fallout 4 a bit, in that the gameplay is well polished, but for an RPG it’s quite linear, only a couple good side quests (factions mainly) and most of the effort was put into a few aspects while lots of the world feels a little empty. Starfield takes it a bit further than Fallout 4, and I’d say Fallout 4 is a better game than Starfield, but you get the idea.

I’m anaphylactic to lentils and peanuts, and less allergic to other legumes too. If I ever became vegetarian or vegan I think I’d starve to death.

I’m not currently requiring budget protein (I’m still poor-ish but not as bad as some) but my bills are about to skyrocket soon (need to upsize apartment, looking at around ~$600 increase per month) so I might need to look at budget options soon.

I read this in Jeremy Clarkson’s voice before I even read the last line. It’s like my brain knew.