My MLG Mom

My mom explains how Guild Wars 2 has changed her life.

The picture above is of mother and me dancing on the Charr diving board of Lion’s Arch from the game Guild Wars 2. I play almost every day and she plays nearly twice as much as I do. It always surprises me when I am reminded of her skill because she didn’t play a single game until I was fifteen. Now that she is so awesome at Guild Wars I thought I’d ask her how her relationship with gaming has changed.

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Q: Why is Guild Wars 2 your favorite game?

A: It’s the only game I ever played.

Q: What made you decide to play it?

A: You (my daughter) really liked the game and used to make me play it when I didn’t really want to.

Q: What were the biggest challenges getting started playing Guild Wars?

A: I didn’t know how to move the character. The mechanics of using WASD were really hard for me. I just ran into things. I didn’t have any of the instincts that people who have been playing the game for a long time have for what to do next. I would get stuck. That was the hardest thing. I didn’t have any instinct about what was likely to happen next because I had no experience with games.

Q: What changed to make you play it without me?

A: Once I could move the character and I understood enough to get what the quests were I got hooked into wanting to do the next thing. I got into going to new areas and realizing there was more and more and more.

Q: How did meeting the developers of Guild Wars on my Make-a-Wish in 2009 change the way you thought about the game?

A: Meeting them made me curious about what they created. Their pride in what they were doing made me want to go in the game and see all the things they were talking about. That continues to be cool. Now when I see neat things in the game I wonder who thought of them. I would really like to tell them all the things I like. I wish there was a way they could know about my appreciation of the game, but that doesn’t normally happen.

Q: What are some of your favorite things in Guild Wars 2?

A: I have a whole list. I wrote it for the developers.

  1. “Sell junk”
  2. GIANT GREEN ARROW
  3. Vistas
  4. Getting XP for exploring
  5. Crafting, especially cooking
  6. “Deposit all collectibles”
  7. Not having to level up each pet
  8. Waterfalls
  9. Swimming
  10. Jumping  puzzles –although I am horrible.  Takes me hours
  11. Quaggan loves me.  Ooooooo
  12. You can stink at combat and get in a big crowd and no one notices
  13. A random person stopping to resurrect you
  14. Really awesome scenery everywhere, especially underwater
  15. Water drops on your camera after being under water
  16. Fighting until you are in your underpants
  17. Sylvari
  18. Clever statements by NPCs (e.g. – Occam saying it was the simplest solution..)
  19. The way the Charr run.  Lope, lope
  20. The logic of where to find ingredients
  21. How high an Asuran can jump
  22. The grass moving as you run through it
  23. The goggles at the Charr diving board
  24. Silly Heart Quests like carrying chickens or playing with puppies.
  25. Getting killed by fireflies.  Actually not really, but it makes me laugh.

I like it that the game is fun for PvE. You can play it as an adventurer. You can play the story by yourself and have a great time.

Q: Do you consider yourself a gamer?

A: No.

Q: Why not?

A: I’ve only ever played one game.

Q: Why have you never played other games?

A: I just don’t have any interest in playing another game. I’ve thought about this. I think it’s because what I like about Guild Wars is what I like about gaming and my needs are met by that so I don’t feel like I need anything else. I want to go on and do my dailies. After that I don’t need to just play a game. I’m done.

Q: How do people react, though, when they find out that you play that one game?

A: They are shocked. I get a little embarrassed.

Q: Has Guild Wars influenced your life in any way? Something people don’t understand?

A: Yes. Now I have something so that when I have free time I know automatically what to do. I still like to do other things. I like to garden, read books, swim, but when I’m done with work I like to get my dailies. It gives me something fun to look forward to.

I’m glad my mom plays Guild Wars 2. Since she started playing we’ve gotten a lot closer. I think she is a happier person now that she has something fun to do every day and we certainly have more to talk about. Saving the world with my mom in Tyria is one of the best things we do together. I’m glad I put in the time to teach her to not run into every rock so that now we can kill enemies together.


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Author
EmilyOrange
GameSkinny intern, college student, and lifelong nerd.