Are you Escapist or Explorer?

[Fedora Master]

I'm the Racist

 

[911 Jumper]

Video games are a poor medium for exploring serious subjects

 

[Saldrone]

If i play a Fallout game for both "escapistic" reasons and to "explore" allegories to real-world issues, i'am explopistic?

 

[Zlaja]

Humans are complex animals and change our minds on a whim. Me 20 years ago and me today like exploring different things and think very differently on real world issues

If I could travel 20 years back in time, I would start by beating the shit out of my younger self.

I'm a fucken gamer, buddy and don't you forget it!!

Nazi detected!

 

[Hell Swarm]

If I could travel 20 years back in time, I would start by beating the shit out of my younger self.

Only problem is then you would be a better fighter next time you need to time travel to kick your own ass. And eventually youth wins over experience because you're both so high level you can't just kick your own ass any more on a whim.

 

[gurugeorge]

In Bartle terms I'm an Explorer, but in the terms set here, Escapist.

In theory, "exploration of current issues" in games can be done, even in a fantasy context, but since nowadays all games are saturated with The Message, any such "exploration" is going to be monomaniacally one-sided, therefore not really an "exploration." So Escapism it is.

However, that said, games and entertainment product have always been to the libtarded side of messaging, it's just that in the past libtards were allowed to be intellectual (instead of being forced to be cheerleaders for The Message, on pain of ostracism), so they were able to "explore issues" intelligently, whenever they did. The only game that's done that recently (in the sense of being made by an ideologue, but looking at other systems of thought intelligently, in the way most libtarded entertainment product used to do) is Disco Elysium.

 

[Hell Swarm]

However, that said, games and entertainment product have always been to the libtarded side of messaging, it's just that in the past libtards were allowed to be intellectual (instead of being forced to be cheerleaders for The Message, on pain of ostracism), so they were able to "explore issues" intelligently, whenever they did. The only game that's done that recently (in the sense of being made by an ideologue, but looking at other systems of thought intelligently, in the way most libtarded entertainment product used to do) is Disco Elysium.

Our current issues are no different to the 90s in terms of TEH MESSAGE. I remember picking up an old Amiga magazine from Archive.org and it had feminist rants right in the opening pages of the first issue. Nothing changes with propaganda.

 

[NecroLord]

I'm a fucken gamer, buddy and don't you forget it!!

I'm a games enjoyer!

WTF is wrong with you? Can we cure this horrible disease?

Never.

 

[notpl]

I initially thought this was going to be able exploring games to exhaust the intended content vs finding ways to break them open and escape boundaries, which is far more interesting.

 

[gurugeorge]

However, that said, games and entertainment product have always been to the libtarded side of messaging, it's just that in the past libtards were allowed to be intellectual (instead of being forced to be cheerleaders for The Message, on pain of ostracism), so they were able to "explore issues" intelligently, whenever they did. The only game that's done that recently (in the sense of being made by an ideologue, but looking at other systems of thought intelligently, in the way most libtarded entertainment product used to do) is Disco Elysium.

Our current issues are no different to the 90s in terms of TEH MESSAGE. I remember picking up an old Amiga magazine from Archive.org and it had feminist rants right in the opening pages of the first issue. Nothing changes with propaganda.

What's changed is the alacrity with which you can be shut down if you don't toe the party line.

 

[JarlFrank]

What's a "reality"?

I've checked out from it long ago.

 

[Zombra]

I'm not sure how to answer this. Both choices seem way too specific to imply that one must be one or the other.

I do enjoy games with good story, and good story to me means that it makes me think and feel. Whether or not it gives me a textual perspective on current day events is not really relevant and I certainly don't look for games that are direct allegories for contemporary politics, but I don't look for games that aren't either. Whatever the case, when I play a game that explores opposing fictional ideologies, I think that translates into provoking thought about real world ideologies even if they don't map 1:1. When I play a game that explores interpersonal relationships, it provokes thought about real world relationships, and so on. I think all good fiction broadens the mind on some level. Science fiction and to a lesser degree fantasy are filled with provocative questions, usually asked subtextually. This is what I prefer in fiction, including games, when I can get it.