"All words are symbols that represent unspeakable realities. Which is also why words are magical." (Donald Miller tweet)

Wednesday, August 03, 2011

gaming pastor

Saturday, Spike and I had some free time. There was no shopping, cleaning or erranding that HAD to be done. We went to the theatre, but nothing looked interesting. So Spike looked at me with a little pleading smile, and said, "We could play video games..."

Have I ever mentioned what an awesome wife I am? Because I am. And so we gamed.

We played this. Not a zombie or vampire in sight. No speeding cars. No need to select from a plethora of guns. Therefore ... it should be an enjoyable game, by my reckoning.

Which brings my reckoning into question.

First - no plot. I kept waiting for the story to start, thinking we were going through tutorials. We were not. This was the game. And I was already failing.

Second - I stink. Not literally. In person, I almost always have a faint whiff of Strawberries and Champagne about me. But I could not maneouver the robot that was me. Left thumb to move it, right thumb to aim vision. Which means I can be moving left while looking right. This explains why I kept walking into walls when I thought I was obviously proceeding through an open doorway into the next room.

Third - the computerized voice that is the Master of the Game is rude. "I don't see how I can make this any easier," it says calmly after I fail yet again. ExCUSE me?!!?? Snide remarks about my odds of winning if only this were an eating contest really ticked me off. I wouldn't put up with this nonsense from a human. Why on earth am I letting a machine talk to me like this? This is not fun.

I actually had to get up at one point and take a coffee break. If one is getting irritated while having a fun afternoon with one's dearly-beloved, something is wrong. Dearly-beloved came upstairs and offered to do anything else. He explained that the computer has a virus and is acting weird - THAT'S the point of the game. So I need to stop taking offense, and stop waiting for a storyline. I did, however, need to learn the difference between turning and sidling.

So I tried. I got better. (Which is not at all to say that I became competent.) And I got less irritated. Coffee helped.

It usually does.