Easter, Remakes, and New Games

Happy Easter! I'm back from my lovely vacation with my family. Had a great time meeting my nephew. I love him so.

 So I've dusted off my gamecube after 4 years of not turning it on. The HD remake of Twilight Princess got me feeling nostalgic. I don't have an HD tv...I don't really see much of a difference between SD and HD because of my vision issues. But I also got really nostalgic and part way through my twilight princess, I started up ocarina of time and played that.

That game is real hard on me sometimes. I was swearing a LOT in frustration. (I'm bad about that. Mostly F-bombs. After falling off a ledge for like the millionth time.)
In comparison, TP is so much easier. :) It was the game that got me back into gaming so it holds a special place in my memories. The beginning is always my favorite part.

I want to play Majora's Mask again too. But I'm tempted play it on my 3ds, but I won't. I own the game already. I don't like to buy remakes if I have the console.

I've also been playing Fire Emblem: Fates. It's...interesting so far. Not sure if I like it as much as Awakening, but I am glad weapons don't keep breaking. Currently playing the Conquest storyline. I'll make a game thoughts on it later.

So that's what's been on my plate. Nostalgia, a good easter holiday...oh and a job promotion.

Holy Week 2016!!

We are nearing the end of Lent. I'm looking forward to ruining my diet again. LOL.
Seriously, it's been a good season of fasting. Not perfect but good.

So let me break down and get a little more personal than I usually do on blog. Because internet...there is no such thing as privacy.

This year has been a year of great blessings for me. I have a job and just got a promotion in the company. No longer do I work the awesome night shift, but once again return to the world of 9 -5 and two day weekends. Still poor but making it work.

This holy week I'll be blessed to see my parents physically for the first time in about 3 or 4 years. I may be 31, but I still need my mommy and daddy. I also get the pleasure of meeting my nephew for the first time before he turns 1. Still a baby and not a terrible toddler. :B For this little bumpkin, I learned how to sew stuffed animals...and then I became enthralled with the activity and started sewing for all my friends with children. (Even today Palm Sunday I'm going to a birthday party for a friend's child. I made a stuffed kitten. )

We also just had the feast of St. Joseph, one of the many Saints I should ask for more prayers. Seriously, I've been slacking on that front. I always had a group that I recited to before evening prayers.

Kind of been going through a weird patch of spiritual dryness that Lent didn't ease very much.
Still having trouble finishing books. Because when I'm home I'd rather be gaming or sewing. (Or sleeping after work wears me out.)

I'm also in a semi-emotional place where I'm in the singles rut but don't feel called to religious life. And this week I'm going to be with my baby nephew, married brother, and married friends. (I hope I don't 3rd wheel things.) I blame hormones a bit for this one.

I'm also considering starting a Catholic Gamer group for meet ups because I'm not going to meet like minded peeps on my own here. Also need to branch out beyond my clique here in Texas. It's be cool to have a convention group or something. :B

Wishing you all a Happy Holy Week and blessed Easter Season.

2016 Year in Games Review

So I really haven't played as many games as I thought I would this year but here are a few of my stand out favorites.


 1. Undertale - yeah I think this is at the top of a lot of lists. I now have the soundtrack on my iPod and some fanart as my facebook banner. Because gooood.

2. King's Quest - True return to form with enjoyable voice acting, beautiful art and storytelling...also fantastic puns. We got two chapters to this episodic game.

3. Backstage Pass - Finally got some voice acting in. :) Really kind of a refreshing date sim where the protagonist isn't a vulnerable amnesiac who let's men lock her up in dog cages. I guess that's the difference for a u.s. based date sim. Or maybe I haven't found that route yet.

4. Inquisition - It goes on the list...because it just does. Also yay for the DLC. Finally got through ONE playthrough of it. Nice set up for the next bit in the series. Bravo team...bravo.


So what am I looking forward to?
Ummm...I don't know really. I like to be surprised so I haven't been following any game news recently. :P Although I've wanted to play an older game Masamura Demon Blade...because I enjoy Vanillaware's art for the most part. And Odin Sphere is one of my top favorite games of all time.

I think this year I should dust off my older consoles. I mean that literally. They're dusty. And play some of my old games or games I've bought for my WiiU that I need to get through like Resident Evil 4. I KNOW...I'm late to the game. But I liked 6...and I need to finish 5. Not as fun as 6 for me.

Peace and Happy New Year.

UPDATE: I just realize that there's a new Fire Emblem game coming out. Shut the front door.
One same sex couple possibility but still...marriage and kids. :) Yay w00t. Putting it on my wishlist...oh wait...crumbs. There two story routues but two separate games? Well played Nintendo...well played. >:(

What I've been Playing lately...

Just a bit of a fluff post really.

- Been working through Dragon Age Inquisition multi-character playthrough. I just have one more character to get through to the end before I can full enjoy playing through Trespasser DLC.
The DLC had some issues load that took a lot of trouble shooting to figure out but finally got one character in there...and I'm still having some issues.

- Playing a lot of VNs and making voice over commentaries. I might publish them but I don't know if I will. These games can be kind of triggery.
Played: Seduce Me which I would definitely NOT recommend.
Amenisa: Memories again. Somehow it was creepier the 2nd time around.
Now I'm playing Nameless...again creepier than I remember.
Finally Backstage pass...this was was made in the USA and I met the creators. I know it's legit and not super creepy.
Also found a few VNs for my iPod which I'll eventually get around to.

- Lots of iOS games. It's how I pass some of the time at work. Cooking Dash 2016, Dragon Age Heroes, and a few VNs.

I also got the newest RPG Maker MV even though I've never finished an RPG maker game. This is what happens.

And the new chapter for King's Quest is out. :) If my internet stops being a jerk maybe I can finish downloading it.

Curse you Steam.

Merry Christmas Everyone. Happy Gaming!

Life Changing Games

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. :)

I Got a New Computer and a New View

Another personal experience that has oddly deepened my faith. All experiences can be ways God talks to us.

So I've been anticipating the release of Dragon Age Inquisition for many months. I pre-ordered a digital copy, downloaded it early and the moment it was unlocked to play I started it up.

Or I tried to. At first things were just slow so I figured it was just because of Origin. Then it just didn't load. After fiddling with settings and continually meeting the same black screen, I decided to google my issue. It took only a short time to realize that...yes...it was true. My machine was not powerful enough to run the game even on minimal requirements.

Now, in the months past I tried to avoid media about the game. I did look into the min requirements and I went out to get a newish computer and new monitor for it for about $400. However, it didn't quite cut it.

As you can imagine, I was very, very disappointed, but I hadn't given up hope yet. I found a website that would check my system specs against the game requirements to see what I was lacking. Alas, the RAM and Graphics card were not able to handle the game needs. And becasue of the computer model I got, I can't change out the graphics card.

But I have other computers so I tried to see if any of them could cut it. My 10 year old dell desktop had the graphic card power but did not have the CPU or the RAM or the operating system. My laptop was close. It lacked the RAM and graphics card as well.

So I went into a fury of research to solve my problem quickly.
At first I thought, I could just upgrade the parts of my 10 year old dell. I ordered a new OS and decided to go to the electronics store for lunch at work. It was then during more of my research and help from friends who build machines that well...my desktop although customizable could not handle a new cpu without a new motherboard. And the case could not take retail motherboards. So I thought, I would have to buy a new computer again!? The price tags of gaming computers are much higher than others. I didn't want to drop 1000 dollars to play this game.

Almost on a whim, but mostly salemanship, I decided to get a build. I customized my PC, got it assembled at the store and now I have a new custom PC...and it cost less than a gaming pc. :)

It's pink! :) I call her "Eevee".

Thinking about it now, I think this computer cost about the same as my current laptop so it was a good deal. However, I felt a weird guilt.

Over this game I was willing to drop a lot of money and make sacrifices to play. It felt a bit misdirected. Possibly because on Sunday we hear about the parable of the talents. The priest at the mass I went to also had a long (too long) homily on tithing. Oh yes, giving a percentage to God is what is demanded of us. But to someone working on an hourly wage, it takes a lot of faith. The priest had very good points that were hard to hear. So when I was so reluctant to give some of my wages for the Church, how could I turn around and give 90% of a paycheck to getting a computer.

It was a bit of an awakening. I live alone and may have fallen into the trap of selfishness.
But then I looked at it another way:
1) I have passion again. Which is something I haven't had in a long while it feels.
2) I reached out to friends and gave them an opportunity to offer their expertise.
3) I learned a lot about computer hardware.
4) I am impatient...and a bit impulsive. But I did do research first.
5) I brought God into many aspects of this. (I did end up tithing a bit to my parish this week. Because Catholic guilt works that way.)
6) I have two computers I want to give to someone else who may need it more than I. (Granted I can't donate them really after this big purchase.)

So my struggle with that homily and this big purchase for a single game has actually deepened my faith and relationship with God. I prayed last night after plugging everything in that this wasn't a bad thing. I might suffer for it, but I felt it was worth it. If I could do that for a game, I could certainly direct towards other things as well.

On the downside, I was brought to much frustration too. Working with technology is never easy. Nothing goes as planned. Another life lesson I guess/

Yoga and Faith

So my younger sister in abroad in India right now on a sort of mission trip. She's been checking out Buddhist temples and such. It reminds me of Yoga for some reason and how that relates to faith.

Yoga and I have not always gotten along. When I was in high school, I had a Yoga routine from a book that I practiced while listening to my Celtic Relaxation CD. I was getting pretty good. Also I was a teenager and probably a bit more flexible than I realized. Never could do the splits. It was a good way to relax after school and feel good.

In college, I took a class in Yoga with a large group. I was expecting it to be sort of like my home practice. However, it was not so relaxing. I could see other people and what they were doing. I could see myself in the wall mirrors. I kept attempting to correct my pose, obey the instructions and push myself farther. I felt I needed to keep up with other students and the instructor. I had very little endurance and often spent much of class in the Child's Pose ...or Turtle Pose I forget. I felt bad every time I had to do it.

I don't know how I did it but one day after yoga, my legs hurt so badly I couldn't walk. I took medication and skipped a yoga class before going back and telling the instructor what happened. You have to be careful in Yoga.

Many years later still, I moved to Austin and a friend invited me to Hot Room Yoga. It was very difficult. Even if the heat was suppose to make things a little easier...it didn't. Again, I mostly sat in Child's Pose in a pool of my own bodily fluids.

Now in many cases, a Yoga instructor also brings in some Eastern spirituality and tries to incorporate it into the class. Those who don't know better can fall into a kind of New Age philosophy. Myself on the other hand, never really listened to that part of the instruction. Yoga and other kinds of exercise was a form of prayer to me when I practiced alone. I could focus on what my body was doing, where I was and just sort of meditate. (Or in some cases, giving up suffering for souls in Purgatory or begging for strength from the Holy Spirit. :D)

Yoga practice usually talks about emptying yourself, but I was more about filling myself with the Holy Spirit.

One day in Yoga class, the instructor changed the music that we were listening to. The usual fare was Eastern Ohm chants, Native American Flute, or other Relaxation CD stuff. One day she played Gregorian Chant for our background music. I can't tell you how alive and easy Yoga was that day compared to all other classes. The chant was directing my thoughts towards holy contemplation and the humorous image of medieval friars in cobra position.

Point of this post? I don't know. Perhaps there's something to be gleaned. Have fun. :)

Upcoming Games I'm Looking Forward To

I honestly think that sometimes I'm the hardest audience to reach when it comes to advertising. I don't have cable or even basic. I have awesome ad blockers, I don't read newspapers, and I've been pretty lax watching YouTube videos on E3 and such. Word of mouth or Facebook are the only ways.

OR in such cases I'm actually a fan of a series. So here's my list.

Episode 5 of the Wolf Among Us: 

This comes out this week. It will be the big finale for the series. And maybe the murder mystery will finally be solved and I can have some peace and closure. I've also officially become a Bigby Fangirl. I'm up to volume 9 in the comic collections. (The romance, the adventure and adorable babies. ^^)

I got distracted. Sorry. Next game.

Dragon Age Inquisition

The third title in the series that has been firmly planted as my favorite Bioware series. Again, a big enough fan where I have lots of extra paraphernalia both official and unofficial. (Except the novels...I don't like reading. LOL. j/k)

The graphics look amazing so far and I'm looking forward to an open world with Mounts and such. I actually have been trying my best to avoid too much media on the game. I don't like knowing too much before I play. Unfortunately, it's in my facebook feed all the time so I keep getting to see the companions. (I'm glad they got Freddie Prince Jr. to do a voice again. I liked him in Mass Effect 3.)

I've already got it pre-ordered so I'll get the Bog Unicorn. >_> A unicorn in a game will ALWAYS entice me.

Hyrule Warriors

Mixing Dynasty Warriors gameplay with Characters from the Legend of Zelda series. I am thrilled to the bone to see this new twist and some of my favorite characters return. ...I also tend to buy fighting games with Link in them. I swear I don't always do it on purpose. I don't know too much else so it'll be fun to finally have another good game for my WiiU.

Zelda WiiU

Not coming out for awhile, but I've seen early screenshots of a potentially more "open world" (I see this term a lot in gaming recently. Oh trends.) Again, I'd love to see more games on my WiiU. Also, bring back the horse...I love the horse. :)

DreamFall Chapters

Almost 8 years after Dreamfall the Longest Journey the sequel is coming out this years. I have also really enjoyed getting into this series and it's characters. It'll be nice to finally have so many loose ends taken care of.

God in Sci-Fi and Fantasy

As I played through the Sci-Fi romp Mass Effect, I thought of other sci-fi titles in other media that I have experienced. Star Wars, Star Trek, Stargate, Battlestar Gallactica and pretty much anything that takes place OFF our planet seems to leave God back on Earth. Seems a bit odd seeing as he's the Creator of the Universe according to our Faith. Everything in the heavens and on Earth, visible and invisible.

Science, the New god 

It was in a philosophy class IN a secular school that I re-encountered the notion of the "religion of science". Now this wasn't news to me, but the concept and reasoning was understandable. People are comfortable with the idea that Science will explain everything. Anything can be done through science. It has it's rules, laws and methods. The faith put into science is certainly greater than what a lot of people put in any one religion.

Science can be wrong but, it makes sense and follows logic. The mistake can be corrected by approaching the problem differently. It has a following of defenders that will vouch for science with a passion equivalent to an evangelical. But Science is not the enemy of faith. This Extra Credits video illustrates the point very well.

In most future settings, the only true god is Science. But it can't answer all questions. Some questions must be dealt with in philosophy or theology. BOTH these fields use reason and logic similar to science, however, it goes into metaphysics. Things that may not be readily observable.

Deities, the Old gods

On the flip side of the coin, many fantasy worlds have some form of religion and deities. Generally, these are set in "simpler times". There is no democracy, no off world travel. If there's flight it is by "magic" or flying creature, not invention. In this quaint setting, there is also an old quaint belief system. Maybe there's some formality to the religion but it's there often to govern magic. Thus giving the impression that religion is an "old-fashion" thing, something for a simpler people and a somewhat oppressive system.

I think the only "sci-fi" or space travel set story that uses any kind of supernatural force is Star Wars. (Ah...I said force.) That's why I often think of Star Wars as more of a "space fantasy" than a sci-fi movie.

Not to let fantasy off the hook so easily because often a fantasy story can be about defying the gods and killing the gods. (Killing God must be a human thing. *shrug*)

Mythology

Our modern mythology just goes to show how far away we have fallen. Now I only remember the quote from the TV mini-series of "The Odyssey" where Poseidon's "big moral lesson" was "Man is Nothing without the gods." All the punishment suffered was due to hubris.
Modern myth now glorifies man has the pinnacle, a creature that no longer needs the gods. C.S. Lewis describes us as being "men without chests" that is to say "no heart". We find our gods in our own intellect and heads.

That is not to belittle man, because humans ARE great. God himself took on our form and became human. If you believe such things...which I assume a Catholic geek would.

A Godless World

 There is something very unsatisfying for me about a world without God. It's empty or tragic or un-human. However, in our pluralistic culture, we don't want to exclude any one faith. Therefore, it's easier to just not include religion or make up a "safe" religion. In a strange way though, it makes a life-giving sacrifice almost more of a sacrifice. There is literally no promised reward. Just boom...dead, but everyone lives. You're the hero.

I guess the redeeming quality there is that luckily these games and worlds are open to interpretation. For me at least, like in the real world, I see a glimmer of God's work within human art and story. To me it is very significant that in Mass Effect the big bad Enemy is defeated on Earth (where God walked) by a human (a form which God himself has taken.)...or it could be taken as American Imperialism if you want to feel so cynical. Star Wars, while relying heavily on Buddhist philosophy, has an afterlife in which those in the past still affect the physical world. I'm not familiar enough with other Sci-Fi series (besides the comedy series Red Dwarf) I can't point to more examples.

Conclusion

Dear writers and authors, if you are of the Christian or Catholic persuasion AND not just culturally following your religion, I encourage you to write more. I'm doing my best. But I would love, love, love to read/write a book about a Catholic priest sent on a missionary trip to another planet with another race. I've already got Out of the Silent Planet that does the opposite.

Doxacon: Christian Geek Convention!!

Doxacon
So check this noise out, there's a sci-fi fantasy con in Springfield, VA July 19-21. OH should mention that it's also a faith based convention!

As Liz Lemon would say: I want to go to there.

Happy All Saints Day

For fun I'm going to list a couple of saints that I think relate well to the game industry or entertainment.

St. Isadore of Seville - Internet, Computers, and Computer Programmers

St. Francis de Salles  - Writers and Journalists

St. Luke - Artists

St.Catharine of Bologna - Artists

St. Cajetan - Gamblers

St. Veronica - Photography

St. Aloysius Gonzaga - Patron of Youth

St. Claire - Television

Gaming Communities

Intro
When we build a community together, it should be based on mutual respect and a shared passion. Why is it that gaming and gamer communities seem so hostile? Why do they exclude potential game enthusiasts? Personally, I always feel extra wary about joining a gamer forum space more than other interests. It's strange to me because any other interest of mine: art, horses, religion etc I could find an online community and feel totally open to joining. Sure you have that "new guy" smell about you for awhile as you find your place, but eventually you settle.
Let's take a look first at the very nature of online communities.

Anonymity and Freedom
As much as my hipster soul despises their ungodly popularity...Penny Arcade makes a very valid point about Anonymity.
http://penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19
The anonymity of the internet allows you as a user to invent a representation. You are FREE to do what ever you want. You can pound on piano keys and make noise, it will make some other person laugh and applaud or call you a genius. It takes away social repercussions. When not faced with an actual human face it feels less like interacting with another person. You are really interacting with a machine and a wall of text.
However this illusion of freedom is a TRAP. (Insert 'its a trap' joke here.)

It seems at least to me that part of the reason for this animalistic  behavior is because social pressures do take a lot out of us. A person may feel a lot of stress performing like a social person and behaving as expected. However, put on a mask and suddenly you are whatever you want to be. In a sense we can hide our own humanity by going online. We would type things that we would never say to anyone's face unless we were bold enough to ignore certain social expectations.

On the positive end, it allows a person to explore possibilities in a "safe" environment. For a personal example, I use to think that a person just needed to tell someone about Jesus and the Church and they would magically convert. Online, I used to speak my mind about this without regard to the other person's feelings or faith. If they did not fit into the cookie cutter shape I thought a good Catholic was then they needed preaching to. Yeah I lost a lot of friends online after that. However, I came to a profound realization that 14 year old me NEEDED to know. And I grew from it. As an anonymous user, I could say all these preachy things however, I was too shy in reality to talk to most people about religion.



The "Real Me":
I was reading someone's personal story on a forum about how online gaming helped him discover his 'real self' or who he really was...a girl. (I'll leave my gender identity rant for another day.) And I know that road because I've walked it myself, thinking that the "real me" is the one I show online because I can be more opinionated and honest without repercussions.  In a way, this can be a method of affirmation for a person. To set a goal or a plan or a role model to aspire to is a good thing to do...that is if the role model is a good person.

However, as a mature person, I know that the "online me" or any avatars I put out is not the 'real me'. Only God knows my True Nature. I am not certain of this inconsistent person called "me".
Instead of saying that my online persona is the "real me", I can say that sometimes it's a way to put for my honest thoughts. For example, what I'm typing here would probably never really come up in conversation and if it did would be drastically more convoluted and unclear as I attempted to gather my thoughts in mere seconds instead of the several hours it will take to actually finish writing this whole post.

The desire to find your true self is a lifelong mystery. But you won't find it by exploring an online persona.

Geek Culture: Introspective
 There are many things I admire about geek culture as it begins to dominate our culture. But I also recognize its darker side. Perhaps it comes from the "bullied" pasts or the "rejection" from others but geeks tend to be all about revenge. On one hand, being a black sheep gives a sense of being original and unique. However, it is easy to reject others because they don't fit in with the other black sheep.

Sometimes I tend to find geek culture very exclusive as it struggles to hold down its identity. This leads to hostility towards "outsiders".

Niche: Cultures within Culture
As gamers age and start raising families they find that their interaction with games has changed. That the people they used to play with are not really the kind of people they like to associate with anymore. So what happens? The community splinters a bit into categories of young and old.
However, on the surface (this refers to site design) the communities look the same. Older gamers do not want to lose their identity as a gamer just because they have aged.

The gamer club is very exclusive. While members may not be outright hostile, there can be a strong sense of "I don't belong" from a new member. If efforts aren't made by a community to make a new member find their place among them then new blood will be poured in less frequently.

For larger communities, it is important to have areas that provide niches for people to settle into.


Conclusion
Time to wrap up these thoughts. They are not very profound and are mostly observation based. There is very little I can offer to change the nature of a gamer community or forum. There are some visual design choices that would help make a community seem more "open". Black and Yellow, metal colors or web colors do not provide good atmosphere or branding. (Black and Yellow are warning colors that tell you to "stay away".) Having the community moderated by mature individuals helps as well.

Overall, the close-minded mentality should open up. There are some niche hobbies that are far more open minded and welcoming to new comers than gaming. A year ago I was very interested in Asian Ball Jointed Dolls. (I have a few.) The community was very supportive of new comers to the hobby and those who were curious. They know the hobby isn't for everyone but they won't hate you if you're not interested. They also don't mock you for not knowing something about the hobby. There is a sense of patience that I think the gaming community would do well to adopt.

Video Games should be for people of all ages and walks of life. Communities should reflect this openness.

Welcome to CG

This is a bit of an experiment for me. I have another blog where I write about gaming however, it also doubles as my project center. I thought perhaps it would be worth my time to separate the gaming points here with hopefully more depth and thought. Unlikely but there's always hope.

It also occurred to me that I can probably offer a rather unique perspective from other game related blogs. Usually I tend to identify myself as a female gamer which is an often misunderstood minority which in actuality is not so much a minority as ignored. But that's for another day. No, I think I'd like to add to my minority-ness. I'm also a practicing Catholic and follow Catholic moral teaching. This has a heavy impact on how I play games and view them.

See, I like gaming a lot. And often times, video games seem to be put in a negative light so it would suggest that this activity is opposed to my moral teachings. However, it's quite the contrary. I have played games that have made me seriously think about my own thoughts on a subject. I view everything from the lens of my faith and education. My master's degree was in Serious Game Design, which is a specialized field. It also entrenched me in research about games and gamer demographics.

In this blog, I intend to share my thoughts on certain game titles, game design, perhaps a review or two, and issues in gaming.