Gothic was the first RPG PC game that I bought and then played on a PC that I built back in 2001. I did not like it at first; in fact, I rage-quit after about half an hour because there was no tutorial and I could not figure out the controls. I gave it another try after I cooled off a bit, and somehow, I got hooked. I played the game several times in several different ways, I played the sequel, and when the third game came out, I somehow ended up on one Czech gaming forum when trying to sort out a technical issue, and I became a moderator and then an admin on that forum for several years. That experience taught me some things that proved to be useful in other aspects of life too, and in fact, in a roundabout way it also led to me discovering Richard Dawkins’ writing and later Pharyngula.
I am not playing games now that much. The last game that I played and really enjoyed was Witcher 3, and I only played that because I liked the books on which the game was based.
However, I might be purchasing the Gothic Remake and have a major nostalgia attack later this year.
Open thread, talk whatever, just do not be an ass.
but was it gothic?
like, was it more about gothic ethnicities from the dark ages, gothic architecture, or death/gloomy aesthetic? if you happen to know.
what sorts of things did you like about it? was the fandom focused on the setting or the characters or strictly the game experience?
@Bébé Mélange, I do not know why the game was named Gothic. One theory that I read online states that the creators wanted a name that would evoke a sense of darkness and settled on Gothic because it is recognizable in a wide variety of languages. The game is what is now known as a typical medieval-style sword and sorcery fantasy action RPG. It has a gloomy aesthetic, and the architecture of the central fortress could be viewed as somewhat gothic-y.
I liked about the game was the total freedom to roam the world and a sense of progress. There were no invisible barriers; all restrictions were imposed through the presence of unbeatable monsters. The only way to beat those monsters was to learn the necessary in-game skills. There were also three possible playthroughs, with slightly different stories, albeit all leading to the same end.
The fandom initially concentrated on game-related things, like tips and tricks, speedruns, etc. This repeated with the release of sequels. German fansite made a whole Gothic film, and the Czech site of which I was a member made subtitles: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAA_R_v_1IE
Some people made comics using the game cheats and screen-capture software. We also organized small graphics contests designing game-themed desktop wallpapers and similar.
And because there was a limited amount of gaming content to talk about, there was also a section of the forum dedicated to “Off Topic” discussions. There were a few creationists trying to argue their case against evolution, and when arguing with them, I ended up on the complicated path from YouTube to Richard Dawkins, to Pharyngula, and ultimately, here.
Most of the forum users were teenage boys, with a few adults like me in the mix, albeit the oldest member was a woman in her 60s.
good answer, an interesting view on an internet culture i’ll never know. thanks!
Hello.
The last thread was almost dead for a long time, though I did write a personal update just before it was closed. Not sure if anyone saw it, since it did not appear in “recent comments”. A link to that thread would be nice.
That said, I basically only ever report my observations on the weather, nature and the night skies, with occasional remarks on my gardening hobby and personal events. There was some lovely cool rainy weather earlier this month, so the nature is thriving here. Had a lovely Midsummer weekend. Right now it’s a bit too warm for my taste, though not nearly as bad as the horrible heatwave in west-central Europe. Wild strawberries are ripening early, and the yield is good for a second year in row. Expecting same with the bilberries soon.
Last night, there were showers of rain just before sunset. I then saw from my balcony the highest, most complete and long-lasting rainbow ever. Not the brightest though, since the light of setting sun was weak behind cloud haze in the northwestern horizon. Around midnight, when the sky was mostly clear, I went out and saw blankets of mist forming in the park and the waxing gibbous moon setting rose-red in the southwestern horizon.
Today it rained so hard that (according to the news) the gutters at my local public/university library burst and lots of water somehow flooded inside. It may not have ruined any books (since those aren’t kept on the floor, unlike in my own home), but building itself will need to to be renovated. That alone will keep the library closed for some time, and likely cost more than replacing a good stack of books. Bummer.
The total amount of rain hasn’t been very much, just enough to maintain lush greenery. The local crop fields are nevertheless apparently suffering from excessive wetness in many places. The fields seem to be generally poorly drained.