In every gamer's life there are often a few games or series that are very special to us. They changed us or helped us grow. It is definitely a part of gaming that doesn't get enough focus, but games have powerful potential to change minds and lives.
Here are mine.
A Bug's MUCK
Now here's something I may need to explain a bit. Online MUDs and MUCKs were pre-cursors to online MMO gaming. These were text-based adventures with multi-player played over Telnet. The biggest differences were that MUDs usually had a game system with loot drops and enemies and stats like MMOs of today. MUCKs however, were more like improv classes where people would group up as characters in a story and act out a situation. It was a LOT of fun for me as a creative person.
How does something like this change a life? Well, the benefits of improv apply a bit here but something more important was learned. I learned how my words both written and spoken could be misconstrued. What might be considered too extreme an action. It helped me adjust socially in a way that I couldn't in my current social situation. I could look and experience another person's point of view. Which is great in terms of empathy, viewing both sides of an argument and so on.
There was also a hard lesson about romance that may or may not have colored the rest of my romantic life or lack thereof. (Trust became an issue, but also the realization that everything was my fault. I was the creepy one.)
Legend of Zelda
Previously, I never considered myself a "gamer" although looking back on my childhood I was in many ways. However, particularly the title Twilight Princess officially brought me into gaming "seriously". I bought my first console for that game and it was the first game I ever preordered. It was the first game I actually got excited about and "fangirled" for.
It also marks when I was first able to share in gaming with peers. Previously I had only gamed with younger kids or my siblings. I started quickly learning about other famous series like Final Fantasy, Halo, and DDR.
At that point I was pretty much a Nintendo only fangirl.
It brought me into a community and into analyzing game design.
Dragon Age Series
Dragon Age came into my life long after I had established myself as a gamer, but my passions had cooled about games. Partly because I was working in the game's industry and poor. My co workers were also big into gaming and titles and introduced me to SO many good game titles.
It was a game that reawakened my inner fangirl. I should be embarrassed how much of the extra stuff I have for the game. I have the Table Top RPG and the special dice even though I don't have anyone to play it with. It's also plagued/inspired my imagination in many ways.
It is the game that got me into Cosplay and sewing. Granted this was very recent but the games and characters have stuck with me since 2009.
This series ALSO improved my ability to work with computer hardware. I had to get a new video card and install things all by myself. *proud* For Inquisition, I had to straight up buy a new system which I got custom built. :3
Big Buck Hunter Pro
There's one out of left field, right? I only say it changed my life because it was my life for a couple years. I worked on the mobile version of the game and the TV plug'n Play version. I have credit as level designer. :)
