Megan and Ben have a relationship that would be the envy of many – they met due to mutual interests, spend hours working together on common goals, and throw fabulous dinner parties for their friends.
All of which tie directly back to their shared hobby: gaming.
More than just being the way they pass the time, gaming is part of how they communicate. Ben is often deployed or stationed out of town, and gaming is both a way they stay in touch when they are apart, and a way to celebrate their teamwork when they are together.
Read on to hear more from Megan about how being gamers makes their relationship even better.
How long have you been playing video games?
Megan: It may not be completely accurate, but I think I may have been weaned on games. I was playing Gauntlet, Zelda, and Mario before I was in school, and before that I was getting my diapered ass handed to me on text based role playing games before there were more than one color on computer monitors.
I may or may not bleed ones and zeros if you cut me. But please don’t, I don’t have any extra lives saved up.
Did games play a part in how you met your significant other?
Megan: We definitely met and bonded first over a video game: Kingdom Hearts. Freshman year, ’02. I was so completely stuck on the boss fight with Ursula, I was at my wits end. Ben came over with his brother, who was dating my roommate at the time. I don’t know what tricks he used, but he beat her for me in under 5 minutes flat. With no ranged magic use. I still don’t know how he pulled that off. Both infuriating and incredibly awesome.
Do games play a role in your relationship now?
Megan: Games play a huge part of our relationship right now actually. Since he’s gotten back from deployment, we haven’t been able to spend as much time in the same room together as either of us would like (he’s still on base a few hours away, but is up on the weekends), so being able to game together during the week makes ALL the difference.
Even though he had the pre-order of Borderlands 2 sent to me, I saved it and waited to play it with him. Our characters are the same level and (mostly) the same achievements because we only play those characters together. Being able to get online during the week when he isn’t here is fantastic. We DO play other games together, but it’s mostly Borderlands 2 right now. Commando and Siren make a frightfully good team. Especially when you’re actually wearing matching character skins. Vladof Sickle skin is best skin. Style points there, sadly no damage bonus for looking badass.
What’s your favorite game to play solo?
Megan: Admittedly when I’m playing solo, I like strategy or sandbox games. I’ve been kind of sucked into Minecraft lately, and Sid Meyer’s Civilization. Overall, though, my top favorite to play alone is definitely Fallout. Something about the setting, the style, the music, the openness… it just sucks me in. I’ve lost entire weekends to that damned game.
What’s your favorite game to play with your significant other?
Megan: I definitely like playing FPS games with him. I find them more fun when I’m playing WITH someone. Borderlands definitely tops the list, either one. Both Left 4 Dead‘s as well. I have been known to join in on some CoD or Halo, but since I don’t own them they don’t get out to play much.
What is the best thing about gaming together?
Megan: The best part of gaming together is how well we work together as a team. After ten years we’ve both gotten used to each others style of gaming. Sometime I actually think we’re hiveminded when we’re playing, we both teamwork together so well it’s suspicious. One of us is better at driving, one is better at shooting from the vehicle. I won’t say who, but I will say SOME of us are better at maps and navigation than others.
What is the worst thing about gaming together?
Megan: That is until we’re playing something versus, and then it’s brutal. We do kind of know each other’s weaknesses pretty well and can use them to our advantages REALLY well. I don’t start duels with him in Borderlands. It doesn’t end well. We usually have the same cache of games, and can trade off pretty well. As one would expect there are some games that just don’t make the cross. I may never get him to play Minecraft, likewise I will probably never finish all of Assassins Creed.
Any funny stories about being a couple of gamers (or gamer couple)?
Megan: Even though I’ve had Mad Moxxi on my to-do list for years, I still haven’t made that costume. Yet. But what I HAVE done, is a Psycho costume for him a year or so ago. It was pretty badass, the pants dyed out perfect, and has the perfect physique for the character. Being able to combine my costuming hobby with our shared love of the game was pretty sweet, and seeing him all in the whole getup was really fun. There may be plans to revisit it (redo the mask) and upgrade it to a 9Toes costume. Of course this means I’ll HAVE to do Moxxi, because if there’s 9Toes there HAS to be a Moxxi.
Also, a few years ago, while Ben was running a tabletop game I was playing in, we actually did an entire Fallout themed dinner. Nuka Cola (regular AND Quantum), Mirelurk cakes, Pork’n’Beans with a surprise radroach in it (plastic), and even fried Cram. We went all out. It was an odd combination of foods for dinner, and only three people at the game had played Fallout, but it was pretty awesome. We’re planning on another with the New Vegas foods sometime soon. Probably at the D&D game we’re doing right now. Yes, we also do that. We’ve been tabletop gaming together almost as long as we’ve known each other.
How does gaming make your relationship better?
Megan: Aside from giving us HOURS AND HOURS of time together, which is awesome, gaming together makes us work together better. We communicate better and work as a team better, which in my mind, is a major part of any relationship. It’s the kind of fun we can have together, but also with other people and have all kinds of social interaction.
The Lesson of this Love Story
Megan: I always hear that couples thing of “well, we don’t want to go out, lets put a movie on and eat popcorn.” Which we do sometimes, but honestly, more often than not it’s a case of
“Go out tonight?”
“Eh….Borderlands?”
“Borderlands.”
Then we high five. And set people on fire. Like ya do.
Many thanks to Megan and Ben for giving us a peak inside their awesome relationship! We’d love to see the menu for your next Fallout themed dinner.
Published: Feb 11, 2013 04:20 pm