SteposVenzny

I immediately bought the Oblivion remaster because I guess I’m that basic. They have done away with my beloved IV LIVI BLIVIO title screen and replaced it with some Doom art, and when exiting the sewer at the beginning I immediately see an Oblivion gate across the river before the point in the story you’re supposed to find them (apparently the new progression lock is that they’re present but non-interactive before then). It seems like it was made with fear that new players would react poorly to the sort of cutesy fantasy that comprises the majority of the game and it needs them to see hellfire quickly so they know it’s “actually” a cool game for cool guys. All the stranger then that they’ve added these bouncy new dialogue animations that would feel at home in The Sims.

But for all my nitpicking, it is still the Oblivion I love and the new visuals are a treat. I really didn’t expect such bold artistic swings as these wacky new heads on the Argonians and goblins or my character’s acrobatic knife moves.

I’m a Khajiit Bard named Stabby Cat who accidentally procured an armored horse because I never bought that DLC before and did not know the consequences of talking to that random Orc. I’ve leveled up twice just from sweet talking shopkeepers to get better prices from them. I crossed paths with a pair of NPCs who immediately complained to each other that they had nothing to talk about, then one thought of a topic but got shut down hard by the other’s direct refusal to participate.

Feels good to be back.

EDIT: I've since learned that my non-interactive Oblivion gate was a bug and not actual game design.

I’m gonna have to side against Doc Brown on this one, as much as it pains me to say.

If so, they haven't told me.

They’re not pretending to be your friend, they’re trying to be your friend. They’re prolonging your interactions, sharing their thoughts and feelings with you. They want to spend this time not feeling lonely.

The extent to which this is age related is that they probably don’t have as much energy to split between their work life and their social life as you do. If that ever becomes a struggle for you, that cliche of old people playing a lot of card games and board games exists for a reason. Organizing regular games gives you people to hang out with without always having to figure out when and how.

As for the rest of it, the struggle with change and the arrogance, all I can say is to try to be humble but then that’s good advice at any age. It’ll even help you cope with annoying coworkers right now.

Only the one that I’m actively using, except on rare occasion where I want to go back and forth as reference material.

Nice yes, listening no.

I will never be judged for or attacked by the things I tell her but ten seconds later those things have been overwritten in her mind by different things that she also won’t judge for or attack with.

It made for a complicated childhood.

Pantomime drinking and then shrug.

I don’t count Jr because he has a Jr in his name. The other two are just Donkey Kong.

Donkey Kong Country's Donkey Kong wasn't actually the Donkey Kong from Donkey Kong. I kinda hope this redesign is gonna be justified by saying he's a third one.

It’s not complex enough to have intentions of any kind, so the only danger is that people will do incredibly stupid things with it.

Imagine duct-taping a sharp knife to a Roomba. The Roomba has no concept of what ankles or stabbing even are. It will roll around the floor as it always does, devoid of either malice or compassion, and any ankle-stabbing that ensues can only really be described as your fault.