[ SECRET POST #2084 ]

[case]

⌈ Secret Post #2084 ⌋

Warning: Some secrets are NOT worksafe and may contain SPOILERS.

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Notes:

Secrets Left to Post: 04 pages, 094 secrets from Secret Submission Post #298.
Secrets Not Posted: [ 0 - broken links ], [ 0 - not!secrets ], [ 0 - not!fandom ], [ 0 - too big ], [ 0 - repeat ].
Current Secret Submissions Post: here.
Suggestions, comments, and concerns should go here.

Comments

[fscom]

15. http://i45.tinypic.com/qox89g.jpg

[(Anonymous)]

Oooh. You're gonna hate me. I was in a a game fandom for a LONG time before I ever played the game. Not only that, but I even wrote the majority of my fic for it before I'd ever played the game. Even worse? I didn't watch a let's play. I got what I could from what a friend typed up for me, Wikipedia and various fan pages.

I wouldn't even own the game if my friend hadn't tracked it down and given it to me for Christmas (it was a PS1 game)

You know what you're gonna hate most? I was perfectly capable of writing good, popular, IC and canonically correct fic like this.

All in all: FUCK YOU

[fearlessfirefly]

And this is why I'm hesitant about joining video game fandoms through watching LPs, despite not being able to afford video game consoles and being too busy to play through most of the games I'd like to play. Because some folks will think of me as a lesser fan and a "lazy cheater" despite the fact I'm doing the best I can with my limited resources and time to get into what seems like a very interesting video game fandom. I understand why OP feels the way they do but . . . yeah.

Although, at least they aren't just going off the game's Wikipedia page? There are just some things that can't be accurately construed through a Wiki profile, imho (although I'm sure someone could prove me wrong on that point).

[kaileighblue]

This feels team Fortressy.

It does seem weird that people would say they are fans of something without having experienced the something.

[(Anonymous)]

I just don't understand it. I don't get being in a fandom if you aren't really into something.

Though by the same token I don't understand why you even care. If they want to be in fandom that badly then leave them be.

Plus if they watch videos repeatedly they may have a better memory for games then I do despite playing them, I tend to forget a lot of things unless it's a game I've played recently or if I go look it up on wiki.

[hornpile]

hmm. I guess I sort of agree? The thing is that I often find myself becoming really interested in different games but without having a way of actually playing them so I get sort of stuck like this- but I've never really got right in to a fandom for one, so I guess it doesn't matter. I suppose it would probably be more of an issue if they were actually writing fanfiction or something? I don't see why it has to be a big deal though.

[dethtoll]

eh, i dunno. at least there's LPs, right? i get way more judgmental of people who discuss books without having actually read them.

but really, people should at least be familiar with the game before they start writing slash. it's only fair.

[(Anonymous)]

You know, there are quite a few people out there with valid reasons for not having the coordination to play video games regardless of how hard they try to do it.

So fuck you for making assumptions about laziness.

Also, poverty.

[murderershair.livejournal.com]

I kind of agree? I mean, I think watching LPs are a perfectly valid way to experience the story if you're interested but unable to get your hands on the game for whatever reason, and it's fair enough to be in the fandom if you've just watched the LP. It's the people that haven't even watched LPs and have clearly no flipping idea what the characters are like that annoy me (KINGDOM HEARTS FANDOM, LOOKING STRAIGHT AT YOU).

[placeblocks]

What's the difference between watching an LP and actually playing through the game though? In some cases it makes sense where you get to make the choices yourself for a different outcome (say, Mass Effect), but if it's just a straightforward LP of a game that doesn't have any real "choices" (a Zelda game, perhaps), how is it really any difference? They get the same experience. Even in a game like Mass Effect or something where the LPer IS making choices, the viewer is still experiencing the game in much the same way as someone playing it. In many ways, they're getting a much BETTER experience. I'm TERRIBLE at games. I've played so many and never defeated them because I can't get past that final boss, or that tricky puzzle, or I just plain can't afford to keep shelling out for a monthly-payment plan. Being able to watch an LP instead is so much easier for me, and I learn just as much about the character as I would if I played it myself.

And frankly, it's not like there aren't terrible fanfic writers out there who HAVE played the game. And there are amazing ones out there who haven't, and probably more who haven't but don't tell you they haven't because you'd be needlessly judgey about their fics if you knew. A good writer can do the research and write amazing fics, and a bad writer can play the game 100 times and still suck at writing a story. Your complaint is just lazy people not researching or writing good stories, not whether or not people learned canon from playing themselves or watching an LP.

[(Anonymous)]

No, sorry, screw you. As someone who "earned" the right to be in various older video game fandoms, I am GLAD we live in an era where people don't have to suffer through sloppy controls to get to the non-shitty parts of video games.

[galerian-ash.livejournal.com]

But sometimes, there are legitimate reasons for never having played a certain game. For example, take Tales Of The Abyss. It was never released here in Europe, but I still took part in the fandom -- buying doujinshi, looking at fanart, etc. I would've loved to play the game, trust me! (And for what it's worth, I've never watch a Let's Play in my entire life.)

There can be other reasons too; eye problems, money issues, whatever. So even if you might have a point, I think it's unfair to brand everyone a "lazy cheater".

[(Anonymous)]

as long as you know the story behind the source material, what's the damn problem? what if I'm bad at video games? what if I'm living from paycheck to paycheck and can't afford to buy a console and a bunch of games? maybe I am missing out on the GAMEPLAY (and ONLY the gameplay) by not actually, physically playing a game, but what the hell is wrong with just enjoying the story?

basically, fuck you, you're the reason videogame fandoms are bullshit.

[cloud_riven]

Back in my day, we had to play the game twice. Once on normal, and the second on high difficulty. And you weren't allowed to have more than one save file in case of multiple endings. NO. You finish that play through, and you start from the beginning if you're unsatisfied. None of that shortcut nonsense.

Hm. Actually, in those days, we knew how to appreciate the password system. But that's not the point!

Until you proved your worth by taking a picture of end credits on your tv screen, you were definitely not allowed to write fanfiction of Heavy fucking Medic while watched by the chocobos you know exactly how to breed. Fandom these days though >:(

[(Anonymous)]

I'm on the fence with this secret.

On one hand, yes, I agree, since it seems utterly strange to enjoy something you didn't experience first hand. The very nature of videogames is experience them, to inmerse in the story and the game dynamic. I know I couldn't enjoy fandoms for games I haven't played, no matter how good the story is (for example, KH). It is just not the same for me.

But, on the other hand I do know people who hadn't played the games and who still make good and interesting contributions to fandom, so IDK. And I really hadn't thought about other people's playing abilities until this thread, so I guess that's a valid point.

[(Anonymous)]

Heh. Heh Heh. AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHHHAHAHAHAHHAHAAAAA!

Keep judging and trying to find those of us who have only watched the games. Your witch hunt will be successful and will soon weed out the unfaithful fans!

I know this will blow your mind, but I do both. I never buy a game until I watch a walkthrough on Youtube. And contribute to fandom for months before I sit down and play it. Don't want to waste my money on something I might not like, you know. ;)

[(Anonymous)]

I agree. I don't get how people who don't play games connect with people who do. People who play the game can talk together about that 'really hard boss fight that took multiple tries' or bitch about shitty controls or talk about how many hours they wasted on doing some side quest. A person who hasn't played the game can't do that.

[(Anonymous)]

where is this idiotic notion coming from that unless you PLAY THE GAME you're not immersed or enjoying it by watching it?

is it more acceptable if you sit next to your friend and they play through it?

using the controls to fire the gun, slash with the sword, move pieces around to solve a puzzle are not the only parts of the fucking game. this immersion people keep going on about? the ones IN THE CUTSCENES? the ones in the conversation button pushing?

the only difference is pushing the fucking button to choose a response. so whether you choose the response or someone else, HOW is this IMMERSION PRINCIPLE even fucking valid?

[(Anonymous)]

*researchs Let's Play*

*goes in search of video game anon would love to play but can't afford, to watch and start writing fic for*

*tells the secret op to shove it up their ass*

[(Anonymous)]

YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK?

I THINK ANYONE WHO HASN'T PLAYED THROUGH A VIDEO GAME ON THE HARDEST LEVEL AND NOT RELIED ON CHEAT CODES AND WALK THROUGHS TO BEAT THE GAME ARE THE BIGGEST LAZY CHEATERS OF ALL!

DON'T HAVE ALL THE ACHIEVES? LAZY CHEATERS!

DIDN'T TAKE DOWN THE BOSS UNLESS THEY HAD ALL THE EXTRA DLC BADASS EQUIPMENT? LAZY CHEATERS!

DIDN'T DO ALL THE SIDE QUESTS? LAZY CHEATERS!

DIDN'T TAKE THE WEAKEST CHARACTERS IN THE PARTY? LAZY CHEATERS!

HAVEN'T BEEN THROUGH ALL POSSIBLE SCENARIOS FOR END GAME AND KNOW EACH ONE INTIMATELY? LAZY CHEATERS!

YOU'RE NOT A REAL FAN UNTIL YOU CAN QUOTE ALL CONVERSATION AND RESPONSES IN CONTEXT! LAZY CHEATERS!

COME TALK TO ME ABOUT REAL VIDEO GAMING WHEN YOU CAN SHOW ALL THAT. OTHERWISE? YOU'RE JUST A LAZY CHEATER GAMER WANNABE.

[ariakas]

It... depends. On the one hand, there are games these days that are pretty much just glorified movies. Watching them on YouTube and playing them on Very Easy are practically the same experience (as the guy who did a pacifist run of Blops showed, lol). There are also perfectly good reasons why one wouldn't be able to play the game: those particular controls give them motion sickness, they're colourblind and the game doesn't have colourblind options, the game doesn't have adjustable settings and the default is too hard for them.

But on the other... for one, there are some games, especially games with a focus on exploration, where you did not have anything close to the same experience if you watched a Let's Play. In something like say Fallout 3/NV, you're not choosing where to go or which sides to pick or what approach to take in any given scenario, and unlike Mass Effect there's a hell of a lot more than two options. Games where the atmosphere practically makes the game, too, are not the same watching as playing. And games like Dark Souls, where the entire point of the game is not the story (lol you have to spend hours reading item descriptions to even figure it out, and very few people even bother) it's constructing an effective character build and the satisfaction of having your tactics pay off in a scenario that is legitimately challenging. More over, the frustration of dying and losing all your souls is irrelevant to the YouTube watcher - you can just skip to the end of the video when s/he finally makes it. So, no, there was absolutely nothing about Dark Souls that you would experience watching a video of it that is anything even remotely like the experience of playing.

Secondly, while I know of several non-players who are excellent fanfic authors and artist, sometimes, well, part of gaming fandom is talking about the gameplay. The aforementioned strategies and builds. It's always vaguely disappointing to hear "lol I don't know I never played it" because that means it's something you and your friend don't have in common. Sort of like hearing that someone didn't read your favourite book, they just watched the movie/read the Cliff's Notes, I imagine.

I don't know though, I'm torn. It's disappointing to find out a fandom friend can't play co-op with you because they don't even own the game and never have, but many games really are glorified movies, at least in the single-player mode. That said, lololololololololololo others are really, really not, and no you did not "get the same experience" watching the Souls' games/the STALKER games/the Fallout games/the Deus Ex games from watching YouTube. You caught a few glimpses of someone else's experience.

[(Anonymous)]

This secret has produced the most hilariously defensive responses I've seen in a while. Quick guys, try to burn me while defending your fanfiction writing street cred!

[(Anonymous)]

I agree. even in mass effect watching an lp and actually playing

I don't think anyone can appreciate the romantic tension without playing it, not fully

[violettomoe2.livejournal.com]

I don't think I can say anything about video games because I've been a bit guilty; I've never been a vocal fan of ones I haven't played (but eventually played), but I would voraciously read about the plot and miscellaneous things.

BUT I do become irritated when people simply use their knowledge from exaggerated fanon and poor adaptations when the original is easily available.

[(Anonymous)]

Gameplay is part of the story. It's integral to the feeling and the atmosphere. The joy is in how they all work together.

And games are fun. I have no idea why somebody would be so adamant not to play them.