Hard times and the gamer

So things are a little tight financially these days but what else is new.

Still, I have a gaming PC, a gaming laptop and a few beers in the fridge and the bills are paid for this month at least.  Don't ask about next month...

Like the song says, "All the bills are paid, got it made in the shade, all I need... is a beautiful girl!"

Except I don't have Van Halen residuals to count on and Diamond Dave would probably have an easier time with the girl part...

So while I pass the days hating the calendar I'm thankful to have a little distraction.  Lately that means spending some quality time with Battlefield 3 and Skyrim.  

So far I've got 27 hours in Skyrim and 34 into Battlefield 3.  I wrote an earlier article about how these two games appeal to different sides of my gaming personality and that assertion has held up.  I've been enjoying them so much that I often feel guilty about it when other aspects of my real life come to mind.

With Battlefield 3 (BF3) I've been focusing on improving my player profile by actually paying attention to specific aspects of the game that can improve the experience.  The best way to do that without cheating or building a new game rig is to focus on earning achievement awards.

 For example; you can earn equipment upgrades for reaching certain milestones in specific disciplines.  An engineer, for example can earn upgrades that can get you better weapons useful to the player class. 

You can also earn upgrades for concentrating on certain types of vehicles. Recently, I've just unlocked an anti-aircraft missile for those times that I end up in an anti-aircraft vehicle.  I've delighted in surprising more than a few helicopter jockeys that were caught off guard.

Skyrim is a different story.  I've been following the main quest storyline while picking up a few side quests on the way.  I end up with the side quests as a result of wandering around the very open environment.  As I do, I usually find another hamlet with its own set of dramatic turns demanding your attention. 

Some locales are friendlier than others.  I recently read a humorous article on PC Gamer where the author expresses his disdain for the city of Riften.  Having visited there and ultimately ending up with a 3000 gold bounty for dispatching everyone living there I'd have to agree.  Hey, they deserved it!

The focus in Skyrim is more about the experience than the level ups.  While getting more powerful weapons is a good thing whilst trapsing around a world full of things meaner than you it's not the focus of the game.  Steam does log achievements for completing certain quests or level progressions but it's little more than bragging rights with no effect on the game itself. 

I've found that the only thing that can affect my time with either game is time itself.  I don't prefer one over the other and would not trade one for the other.  Sometimes I'm in a mood for tanks and guns and could care less about medieval sorcery or dragons.  Other times, just the opposite. 

Right now I have time to entertain both titles.  I've even been spending more time with Disney's Split Second and Activision's Blur to address my craving for arcade driving.  Steam just had a sale on Flatout 3 which will likely replace one of the other two titles. 

I have a long history with the Flatout series having found each incarnation of the franchise better than the last.  I'm hopeful this latest offering will deliver the same.  My friend and I still play Flatout 2 fairly regularly so a new version is an exciting prospect.

Once things start moving again in the other parts of my life I'm sure I'll have less time for all of these games which will be sad.   At least I won't feel that pang of guilt about all the time I'm spending on them.  Strange paradox since I don't have much else to fill it with anyway but my guilt is more about my upbringing than dereliction of my responsibilities. 

At some point you run out of projects, leads and/or money so it's best to keep your mind active with something that doesn't remind you of your current woes.  They say nothing's forever, even your worries so what better way to deal with the low spots than with some quality gaming.