Dylan G's Video Gaming Experience

Gaming communities are the heartbeat of the games themselves and make them incredibly special and rewarding. These communities are unique and unlike really anything else that resembles a chat or group. These communities can be huge, they can have hundreds to thousands of members. What's really cool is that these groups bring people from all walks of life and from all over the world together. A game can unify people from all over the globe, and I think that is so awesome. Games can allow for you to bond with people, share gaming experiences, and enjoy the game everyone loves together. For example, my game, Stardew Valley, has countless Reddit pages and I'm sure Discord and Groupme chats have resulted from the game as well. These communities influence the game's story because you are influenced by your community, and being amongst a group of people undoubtely changes your experiences. Instead of playing alone, you can now share your gaming fortunes with others, and you will d...

The themes of Stardew Valley are quite simple actually, as they match what you need to do in order to be successful in the game. A huge theme in the game is teamwork and conectivity. In order to be the best you possibly can be in the game, you have to work well as a whole community and try to benefit each other. Everyone in your world needs each other in order to strengthen their farms and their possessions. Without community and being able to work well with others, this game would be more difficult. Additonally, another theme in Stardew Valley is critical thinking and ingenuity. Ultimately, success in the game comes down to you and how you approach your farm and your life. Without thoughful solutions to your problems, you are going absolutely nowhere. You have to use your tools effectively, acquire the right supplies, and do everything you can in order to be the most successful on the farm and in the community. I think those two themes are very prevelent when trying to figure out this...

My response to my game reveals that I can get frustrated or upset at times, but as long as I am in control of my situation, then I am ultimately fine. In Stardew Valley, I am calm and at peace most of the time. That is because I don't really have outside forces coming after me, I am in still in control of how I succeed in the game. I think both games that I played tell a lot about myself as a person. When I was playing Red Dead Redepmtion II, I was stressed because I needed to fend off so many things just to survive. In Stardew, I am merely worried about myself and doing what I can to improve my welfare on the farm and in the community. I think my experience also reveals a lot about my video gaming habits in general. I've never really been one to play violent or "thrilling" games, and that's because I don't like that kind of stuff in general. While I normally play only sports games, I feel like Stardew represents the type of game that I can handle. I've fo...

The challenges that I mentioned in Assignment #1 have certainly changed as I am now playing Stardew Valley. This game is much better for me then Red Dead Redemption II because it is much more peaceful and care-free. As aformentioned, the challenges in Stardew Valley are very different than RDII. In Stardew, instead of desperately trying to stay alive in the West or fighting off violent rivals, you need to finish the quest of making your grandfather proud and make your farm incredible. You need to make the right decisions in order to maintain the welfare of yourself and your farm. I will say that the challenges in Stardew are much less frustating and aggravating then my previous game. While SV certianly still has obstacles, the challenges are attainable. The greatest challenges for me are maintaining the farm, having good relationships, and most importantly, making Grandpa proud. I respond to these challenges with mild frustation, but ultimately it's not that big of a deal. Ulti...

The game has posed immense challenges for me, perhaps more then it should be. The game's story makes the gameplay quite complex, especially for someone as incompetent at video games as I am. Dying or losing the game is possible in a lot of ways. From almost the very beginning, you can get shot trying to find lodging in the bitter cold. Aditionally, throughout the game, it's possible for you to run into multiple competing gangs, who obviously may not be so nice to you. Additionally, the US government is not in favor of what characters like mine are doing, so they can use the force of their powers to supress gangs like mine. The game allows you some creative freedom and some really interesting movements. You can ride your horse, make decisions for your gang, and hold and use weaponry. You have to decide how to interact with people, and how to deploy your weapons and what supplies you have. Unfortunately, on this day on gameplay, I got shot and killed again trying to secure ...