Irrational Gaming

Do you have any weird gaming quirks or superstitions?

Here are some of mine:

1. I still always hold down & B on the second Pokeball wiggle.

Even an intensive cognitive behavioural therapy course couldn't shake this habit. I'll remain haunted by this playground lore till I drop.

2. Mass Effect is coded to destroy my computer.

Not once, but twice I got as far as the final boss on ME, only for my computer to go kaput with a fried motherboard. This has put me off the second game even though this is clearly a coincidence and not a malevolent spirit, right?

3. I have to hold my Switch dead still or it'll turn off.

I had a charger pack for my gameboy colour which was prone to disconnect unless it was held in place during gameplay. I learnt to hold it still. Later my 3ds would randomly turn off at times if it wasn't kept totally still, either a dodgy battery or wiring... or the ghost of my gameboy charger. Either way I can't move my Switch without wondering if it'll turn off.... At least while it's saving.

4. I pray to Santa in sports games

The year was 2008, the game Madden 07. A friend and I had guided our created team, the Bath Spartans, to a 1 point lead over the hated New England Patriots. Neither of us had seen the ai miss a field goal, and if the pats hit it they'd win the game. So we prayed to Santa and won the game.

5. The Security Vans are after you

Ok this one isn't videogame related. You know those vans that collect cash from tills. You know, where the driver is all in body armour and that? So when I was 5 my mum told me they were men who went around arresting misbehaving children and it scared the shit out of me. I still get the willies when I see them.

Nice thread idea!

Only got a couple at the minute but I'm sure I'll think of more later.

1. Metroidvanialike exploration.

I tweeted about this one the other day but if I see a path that goes downwards in these games I have to fully explore it first before anything else, even if it's looking like a dead end I'll push on until I know for certain.

2. Rainbow Six Siege reloading.

I always press the crouch button when reloading my weapon to the point where it I do it without even thinking about it, this isn't a good habit to have especially if you are rappelled on the building as the crouch buttons flips you upside down.

Muss wrote:

5. The Security Vans are after you

Ok this one isn't videogame related. You know those vans that collect cash from tills. You know, where the driver is all in body armour and that? So when I was 5 my mum told me they were men who went around arresting misbehaving children and it scared the shit out of me. I still get the willies when I see them.

They should make this into a horror stealth game, can you dodge the security van man?

I've definitely got a lot of these. Ill have a think and give you something after work.

The_Jaster wrote:

They should make this into a horror stealth game, can you dodge the security van man?

And in an Alien/ Aliens move the sequel can be called Men with Ven.

The_Jaster wrote:

Nice thread idea!

2. Rainbow Six Siege reloading.

I always press the crouch button when reloading my weapon to the point where it I do it without even thinking about it, this isn't a good habit to have especially if you are rappelled on the building as the crouch buttons flips you upside down.

This sounds like a bad habit but I definitely do something similar.

In the Madden games, you would hold down the throw button if you wanted to do a bullet pass. In the old games - PS2 era - you would want to do this every time as the slower lofted passes were very likely to get intercepted. Fast forward to today and there's a massive emphasis on using the right pass in the right situation. But I can't ever get the 2000's Madden out of my system, so no matter what I do it's bullet pass every time during critical moments... which means I get intercepted quite often.

Not a superstitious person by any means but I sometimes I treat chance as something I can influence or feel out by pure will. "This attack with a 60% chance will definitely hit. I feel it."

I have to collect all the rupees I get from cut grass in Zelda games even if I have a full wallet. Same with items.

I sometimes treat AI enemies as human-controlled characters and act like I can figure out their 'habits'.

Here I was thinking we were going to talk about BioShock Infinite.

Does the TV volume needing to be an even number or a multiple of 5 count?

Anyone who ghost doesn't is a monster!

I always let credits play out for fear of missing something. To my knowledge that's never been a thing but I do it anyway!

I'd also say always running left when a 2D game starts, but that's not so irrational because often there is a secret there to be found

If given the option to create a character, I'll be a woman. Don't know why, just feels different and in games like Saints Row, often adds to the hilarity.

I often do this random check, to see if the character is walking or sliding. This is from Sonic Adventure when I discovered Sonic would slide as he stepped - always bugged me. It's also nice to see walking animations on characters when 99% of the time you're running. Another thing is I'll hold down sprint in sports games, especially football ones. Even if the player has no sprint left.

In driving games I often drive on the pavement, probably from the Burnout days.

The_Jaster wrote:

1. Metroidvanialike exploration.

I do this, to make sure I'm not missing anything.  Not sure that's irrational!

Kriken wrote:

I have to collect all the rupees I get from cut grass in Zelda games even if I have a full wallet. Same with items.

Had to forcibly break myself out of this one.

I'm sure I have some of these!  Apart from hoarding items in RPGs (which I presume most people do), I can't think of many right now.  Something to ponder.


EDIT: Oh, I've got one. I much prefer my Pokémon to cover a range of levels, say 25-28. That feels more 'natural', and less 'forced', than when they're all around the same level. The Lady does exactly the opposite, switching monsters out to keep them all within a level of each other.

You’re a scummy piece of shit Balla. Sort your fucking life out... I am slightly more concerned that your gf hasn’t left you for your misdeeds, mind...

Balla wrote:

I do this, to make sure I'm not missing anything. Not sure that's irrational!

Hmm....maybe not but I've always felt like these games want you to take that left to right path first yet I've never done it.

Trying to second guess which direction the developers intend you to pick first is part of why I got a bit frustrated with Gris, as I kept getting it wrong and missing secrets because it stops you from going back

Not one for me but Balla and his weird thing about games with choices and all that to shape your own story, why he won't get Outer Worlds when it comes to Switch.

When I think about ZombiU, I touch myself.

Crumpy Andy wrote:

You’re a scummy piece of shit Balla. Sort your fucking life out... I am slightly more concerned that your gf hasn’t left you for your misdeeds, mind...

Ouch!

The_Jaster wrote:

Hmm....maybe not but I've always felt like these games want you to take that left to right path first yet I've never done it.

Oh wait, I misread - I don't specifically take the vertical path, especially not if it's going up. But yep I don't think that's irrational, probably just what you've been trained to do in Metroidvanias to get all the goodies.

masofdas wrote:

Not one for me but Balla and his weird thing about games with choices and all that to shape your own story, why he won't get Outer Worlds when it comes to Switch.

Yep, this is the most irrational one of the lot.

Super weird

Disgusting.

Drunkalilly wrote:

Yep, this is the most irrational one of the lot.

>doesn't like the most joyous game of last year

gjones wrote:

Disgusting.

>doesn't think the Switch is worth buying

masofdas wrote:

Not one for me but Balla and his weird thing about games with choices and all that to shape your own story, why he won't get Outer Worlds when it comes to Switch.

You get my drift? Muss has invited you all into his glass thread to show off your own stones, and you're all hurling them at me. Including Muss. Stick to yer own irrational gaming bits, chuffsters.


Speaking of: saving before every battle in Pokémon, just in case something goes belly-up. Including the Bug Catchers on Route 2.

There was a point where I would always press the analogue sticks in during replays in the likes of PES and Rocket League, don't know why I started doing it but I don't think I do it anymore. Worse than that I used to chuck my controller in the air and catch it whenever I scored, after a few unsuccessful catches though I soon got out of that habit.

Balladeer wrote:

>doesn't like the most joyous game of last year

Eh?

Balladeer wrote:

You get my drift?  Muss has invited you all into his glass thread to show off your own stones, and you're all hurling them at me.  Including Muss.  Stick to yer own irrational gaming bits, chuffsters.

Sorry Balla It's just the polar opposite to my tastes. Not trying to have a go, to each to their own. I'll never understand the aversion to games with choices, but it's a beautiful thing.

I don't have Saveritus on Pokémon games, but I do save before almost every - you only get one shot - percentage check in RPG's, even when I go into the game fully committed to not "save scumming" (which is a stupid term that I hate). Most of the time I just play on but sometimes I really want to know what would have happened.

It's the same reason why I never really play in Iron Man modes. I don't mind a permadeath here or there in a squad game like X-Com, it's an important part of the game, but when your whole squad is pulverised because you badly misplayed I'd like the option of trying again.

Don't worry about it, I know it's only #bantz. On a serious note, I think pointing out other people's irrationalities could easily lead to 'you're stupid irrational for not liking this game', which is a path we've been down before many times and isn't much fun.  

Until recently I would definitely have had completionism in here - not being able to move on until I've got every last major collectable, or at least finding it a real wrench to do so.  It killed my playthrough of Yoshi's Woolly World, for example.  Fortunately I've managed to shake that in recent years.  Seeing as it's the same 'must get/see everything' that makes me not want to play choicy games, in the future - who knows?

'One-hit to kill' modes are not fun unless they're single Mario Galaxy stars.  I don't do those.

Drunkalilly wrote:

Balladeer wrote:

>doesn't like the most joyous game of last year

Eh?

HONK