How do you deal with it when some of your friends go "why you always playin' Elder Scrolls, all you ever do is mod and play Elder Scrolls games." And not just that, more importantly: how do I deal with when my friends are CONSTANTLY nagging me to play some [censored] MMO that I don't know or care about, and they won't respect my boundaries? I politely told them no at first and explained that I simply prefer single player RPG experiences, and that I'm generally not into MMO's. Then they started giving me flak, then it escalated.


They just don't understand. They don't see the beauty of deep, imaginative role-play, and creating stories, and how the ES series allows this. I want to go at my own pace, create a story, immerse myself, get into the lore and all that. But these guys are the types who go "DURR PLAY THIS WITH US AND REK SCRUBS, WE'LL GET U TO LVL 55 SO FAST I PROMISE AND U WILL BE AMAZING" It's not even a good MMO, it's a piece of [censored], and I won't name what it is in case somebody reading this likes that game, also because it's not related to TES and wouldn't wanna spawn arguments about non-TES related things. (It's not Elder Scrolls Online, I love ESO. In fact, ever since this whole fiasco, I've been playing ESO a lot more often to rub it in that I'm not playing their stupid game. It's one of the few good MMO's out there.)


I've tried to be as respectful and cool-tempered as possible with them about this, I even tried the game before knocking it, so I know from first-hand experience that it's a bad game, I tried to be as open-minded as possible. Then they start nagging me about "why haven't you logged on in so long, probably back on Elder Scrolls I bet."


Man... I swear to god I'm almost at my limit with this. I don't like getting into arguments with people, I'm generally a very reserved, even-tempered guy who doesn't like conflict. But I could list so many things I don't like about their game, and why I don't want to play it with them, I could write paragraphs upon paragraphs of criticism on its flaws, it would set them off so bad (or maybe they would back off if I roast hard enough), but it's all reserved inside of me for now because I don't want to ruin a friendship over a VIDEO GAME.

How absurd is that? I've never had a friendship ruined over a video game! And I don't want it to be a first.




Anyways, sorry for the long rant, I just had to get that off my chest.


Have you had people make fun of you for playing TES a lot? How would you generally respond/react to that? And what would you guys do if put in a similar situation to mine? Thank you, I love this community.

I surround myself with people who have tastes similar to mine. Nobody has ever criticized me for playing TES, or any other video game. If anybody ever tried to give me grief I would tell them to mind their own damn business. If they persisted, they would very quickly no longer be my friend. I don't need people in my life who tear me down. Friends should be supportive.

I live with a woman who not only plays Elder Scrolls games, but is also a prominent Elder Scrolls modder. Her four daughters also play TES and other roleplaying games. In fact one of her daughters met her husband through playing Final Fantasy XI: Online. My oldest and dearest friend, Shelly Mars, plays TES and is a member of this forum. Just about everybody I spend time with plays TES. Those who don't, know better than to make fun of me.

Oh god. I just wrote them a really long and aggressive multi-paragraph roast expressing everything I've been feeling deep down inside about all this. I hope this doesn't end our friendship. I can't even bare to look at the facebook replies until I'm ready.

That sounds awesome. I wish I could have friends as deeply invested into TES as me. The only person I have in that regard is my older brother, although I suppose a good brother is more of a true friend than anyone.


I love my brother. In fact, tomorrow I'm going over to help him move into his new house, it's gonna be a big day. Me and him can talk about Elder Scrolls all we want while we're working on the move.

Ha ha your OP made me smile, Leggo-las. What a contrary story you've posted!

I also don't have anyone who criticizes me for playing Elder Scrolls, or videogames in general. My daughter for instance thinks I'm a "cool mom" because I still game in my forties! In general though, I don't go around telling people (other advlts) I'm a gamer, unless the subject comes up, and the person I'm talking to is also obviously a gamer.

I mean, there are parents at my daughter's school who have the typical anti-videogame views we all know about: GTA in particular is bad according to some soccer mom-types I know, this game in particular is the bane of their existence. If I'm around these people, I just don't bring up the subject. They wouldn't get it, anyway.

They especially wouldn't understand how gaming is essential to my mental health. Gaming actually helps me, as a stress-reliever, and as a way to broaden my outlook and "get away from it all".

Tell them to leave you alone. Simple as that.

Of course, I don't have many friends these days.. so feel free to ignore this advice. What do I know

Use CHIM to show dominance!

That's weird to get into fights with your real life friends for saying you don't want to play other video games with them.

Why not just play other video games with them? Isn't that what friends are for? Not only to be supportive of you, but that you should be doing stuff with them sometimes as well. Otherwise what's the point of having friends if you don't do anything with them?

My friends don't care at all what video games I play at least.

When they ask me to play other video games, depending if I have those video game(s) I will play them with my friends.

I'm not gonna flake on my real life friends.

If something comes up and I can't play with my friends or hang out then I tell them and they always understand.

I'm from the "old school" generation where you went out and engaged in physical activities with friends: sports, hiking, bike riding, and so on. When weather or darkness got in the way of having real fun, THEN you stayed indoors and played games instead, either with friends or alone. Now, it doesn't seem like people do much in the way of outdoor activities anymore, and video games have become the primary choice, not the backup option.

I can sympathize with not wanting to play some simplistic hack & slash MMO for more than a couple of hours total, because I'd soon be bored to the brink of insanity by it. I'm less sympathetic with either you or them putting the video games ahead of other activities, particularly when you know they don't care about TES and they know you don't like their MMO.

Then other factors come into play, like physical disabilities or illness, where there aren't any other viable options but to find things to do indoors.

Yeah we are one of the few people left who with our friends actually go outside and do stuff.

I always mostly on the weekends go with my friends to restaurants for dinner or some places that have billiards (pool) to play.

While me being old and I can't really play sports because of joint pains I occasionally go with my friends at the lakes by my area that have bike trails and we ride our bikes for most of the day on some weekends.

I go camping like every two years as well with my real life friends.

Every Summer we go to the beach and just look at the ocean and swim.

So did I. I'm nearly 40. It took me awhile though to learn that only I matter. Friends come and go. Some drag you down to hell even. Or the trouble you could get in dragged you to hell.

But to be less dramatic about it, there's no reason to force extroversion if you're really an introvert. If people don't like it, tell them to piss off.

if people know that I like TES, they think I'm weird for a different reason. I love the single player TES games and TESO, and I don't play any other games than those. I'm really into specifically the TES lore & world in general, and a lot of people think the fantasy genre is weird or uninteresting at best. it doesn't help that my favorite races include khajiit & argonian LOL. all of my closest friends like TES so it doesn't matter

so what else do you and your friends do then? it kind of sounds like you have nothing in common, haha.

I already did play it with them for awhile, as said in my OP. Gave it a chance, didn't enjoy it in the least, tried to politely say no, then they throw a huge s***show about it and make fun of me for playing TES.


Also, I play DnD with these guys every Tuesday night. So I see them in-person plenty enough as it is. I prefer to keep friend time/socializing as in-person, and game time for me on my own and play what I want.






EXACTLY! Extroverts can't seem to understand that alone time = priority for me, as opposed to socializing being the focus. Don't get me wrong, I enioy being outgoing once in awhile, but too much is too much, it's overbearing!






Yes. I shall achieve full CHIM and show them my muatra. Then I will unleash the power of c0da and make them back the vehk off.


NORDIES GET OUT


REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE

I understand completely. I just grew up in a way where I thought I had to meet that expectation. Society, family, friends.. they all make you feel bad about it. It really wasn't until I was 30 or something that I started actually caring about what I actually want more.

TES is an overrated mountain-climbing simulator that does little to offer the player a "deep" role playing experience since the vast majority of the quests lead to one outcome, while not offering sufficient opportunities to craft a truly personality for the player character through interactions with other NPCs.

Heed the words of your friends, for they are right to critique your taste in interactive entertainment.

However, considering that your "friends" seem to be MMORPG fanbois (and thus beyond salvation), you should sever all ties with them.

The depth lies in what the Mountain is saying to you... in your soul.

And yes, I'm partly serious.