Immersion or Delusion?

[spaceboy]

Sometimes I get so engrossed in the game I do things for no apparent reason (gamewise) because I would typically do that in real life.  Am I blurring the line between reality and gaming or just enjoying the game in a "realistic" way?

Example 1: I've been known to actually park my vehicle under the car port at my safehouses - to the point of actually backing it in sometimes.  Now sometimes I just pull up haphazardly, but why would I spend the time ever to back it under the port?

Example 2: If I am doing the trek from Pala to Mike's and back I almost always take the stupid Datsun back to the bus stop instead of the truck sitting at Mike's (as if it is one of my buddie's and I don't want to steal it).  Of course I "stole" the Datsun sitting at the bus stop lol.  I know there is no chance of attack between Mike's and Pala so I don't need the truck.  I just can't really explain my actions.

Does anybody else do similar strange things or is it just me?

[Dweller_Benthos]

I always, well most times anyway, when I'm driving somewhere, pull my truck off the road and park it before leaving it to go do something. Don't want to block the road, mostly in case a patrol comes along and can't get by and is waiting for me on the way back.

I also take the Datsun back and forth between Pala and Mike's, it drives a little faster it seems, and if I'm just going to the bus station again, why take the truck? I don't always park it nice there though, I figure the valet can earn his pay and park it.

[JRD]

A few days ago I found myself parking my jeep under the trees canopy. It was broad day light and I didn't want to leave it under the sun at noon... you know, when you get back to the diver's seat you feel your butt burning and you can barely hold the wheel so hot it is.....
And yesterday, after sprinting a long distance, my vision blurred and I actually stopped to rest for a while instead of walk. Then I realise what I was doing and went on with my mission..... :P

[spaceboy]

... you know, when you get back to the diver's seat you feel your butt burning and you can barely hold the wheel so hot it is.....

lol, maybe that's it, it was a blazing sun last time I parked under the port. 

So then you guys are just as delusional as I am...

[JRD]

So then you guys are just as delusional as I am...

Oh yeah... sometimes, when I step in dirty water like those murky, oily puddles in Mokuba or the Junk yard, I take my feet off the floor....
And if I'm not wrong, D_B is the guy that found himself blowing off a hot turret to cool it down...

[PZ]

You guys are funny...

... although I do much the same; I pull off the road when parking just to be polite and not block the road like some rude drivers do.  I too have parked my vehicles in the car port.  My most memorable one was a safe house with a double car port and due to circumstances (roving patrols) I actually had a .50 cal and a MK 19 truck backed in side-by-side - was quite satisfied with my recent acquisitions...

... on the other hand, I can't resist stealing the truck (or the boat) at Mike's - I guess that I'm just an 'ol car thief at heart...

[spaceboy]

Once when I was trying to get good AI discussion fodder I was strolling through Pala at night and sat down (squatted i guess) on the curb next to a local merc.  Was hoping he'd start up a conversation with me - I'm mute you know...  Also I walked into the front porch area of a shanty "leaning" against the railing just hanging with the locals.   

None of them really befriended me though - I guess I'll always be an outsider.  One guy said, "Hey, you're that freelancer"  - He really said that.

Anyways, I was spurned, so on my way out I tossed a few parting gifts down the street and hightailed it to the bus stop.

[DKM2]

I always walk around or jump any stream if I can because I don't want to risk getting my guns wet.

I don't take the truck at Mikes unless I have to , because I find it doesn't always spawn
again when I come back.

Only thing I guess compared to real life would be walking instead of driving, to save gas.
Sometimes I forget to park off the road, so I have to walk back and park it properly.

Ohh and killing the fifth buddy in the north before getting the sixth one is always a downer.
Usually it's the rescue buddy. I start a fire and burn myself till he comes.
After he fixes me up, I shoot him in the back. I need a new way to do this.

Nice one is stopping and take the time to look at the sunrise or sundown.
Might be your last.

I'll try and remember spaceboy, back into the carport.

[PZ]

DKM2's post brings up a question that I've had - do the weapons degrade more quickly if you go swimming?

[spaceboy]

Ohh and killing the fifth buddy in the north before getting the sixth one is always a downer.
Usually it's the rescue buddy. I start a fire and burn myself till he comes.
After he fixes me up, I shoot him in the back. I need a new way to do this.

Nice one is stopping and take the time to look at the sunrise or sundown.
Might be your last.

I'll try and remember spaceboy, back into the carport.

DKM2, somewhere in this site I reference your method of getting the buddy out to kill him (starting a fire then jumping in) I had remembered it from fc2world but not who's idea it was so I couldn't give you credit.

Your not alone to stop and admire the sunset, i know most of the "killers" on this site have done that as well.

As for backing in, the good thing is you can turn your head so far you are clearly turning your shoulders as well.  The thing is nobody I know backs up like that anymore with your right hand behind the passenger seat and looking through the back window.  My parent's generation is the last to do that I think.  So maybe it's a bit of nostalgia for me too.  Maybe FC3 will have the option of backing up a truck with a trailer attached to a hitch; doing that well = manhood.

[DKM2]

DKM2's post brings up a question that I've had - do the weapons degrade more quickly if you go swimming?

I haven't done any specific tests, but it seems that it does.
In one game I was in the water alot and using the golden AK,
It seemed to become tarnished, then jammed alot, and soon almost useless,
alot faster than other games where I avoided water.
and even quicker with the regular version of the AK.
My thought is yes they do degrade faster in water.

[Dweller_Benthos]

And if I'm not wrong, D_B is the guy that found himself blowing off a hot turret to cool it down...

Wasn't me, but I remember someone saying that. I usually swing the barrel around a lot, don't know if it helps any though.

After a few hours of driving crazy through the jungle not caring if I "accidentally" hti something or someone, I have to be real careful when I get into my real car not to duplicate any of those moves. The police might have something to say and using FC2 as an excuse probably won't w@&k.

[JRD]

Oh... and one other thing I do is to avoid being close to propane tanks and red or yellow barrels.
Not that I run into many of those during my "real life" time, but when I do I'm afraid someone shoot it and blow me into pieces.... and since I got FC2 my eyes seems to be very sharp to spot them anywhere!
And when I see a jeep in the streets, I have to control myself not to run and hide....

[spaceboy]

Oh... and one other thing I do is to avoid being close to propane tanks and red or yellow barrels.

Fear of propane tanks may make me move to charcoal this summer...

[PZ]

After a few hours of driving crazy through the jungle not caring if I "accidentally" hti something or someone, I have to be real careful when I get into my real car not to duplicate any of those moves. The police might have something to say and using FC2 as an excuse probably won't w@&k.

I can't count the number of times I have to resist the urge to run down the deer or turkeys when I'm on the road in my real car!

[retiredgord]

Hehe..it seems everyone is watching their personal driving..me I get the urge to "borrow" my neighbours jeep and do some off roading on the farms nearby.  I will not do it tho..just my FC2 guy Marty trying to take over.

[spearhead_22]

Well, although I too do all the delusional stuff like you guys do...I've always tried to avoid hitting a deer, zebra or a bison while driving. If I see one running towards me or in front of me, I just stop my vehicle and let it pass. Even though it won't matter much, if I hit it, coz it's just a game, but for some unknown reason, I'd feel sorry if I accidentally ran over an animal.   :(
But...ah, that isn't the case if I see a merc on the road. I'll in fact try to run him down! ;D

[spaceboy]

That's a great one spearhead, I totally forgot about the animals.  I too swerve to avoid hitting them.  For some reason running over the AI animals makes me feel bad, but I can kill the AI people all night long. 

It's probably a good thing they didn't have civilians in the game...I would have been a basket case if any women or children would have been collateral damage.

[DKM2]

I avoid the animals too, not the humans though. I'm a bad man, but peta views me as a hero.    TIA.

[PZ]

I just came back from running an errand and drove back to town using the freeway - there was this rest stop that was also a truck weighing station - instant flashback that I had to suppress - almost tried looking for an AS50 to take out a large propane tank exactly like the one that Bravo recently highlighted in his northern rail yard video!

[Art Blade]

LOL... careful with mixing game and reality :)

Regarding animals, I don't care about them in the game. I run down whatever moves and isn't faster than me  ;D  It made me laugh a couple of times when I came across a road with like a couple of dead zebras and buffalos on it (wasn't me, then). I reckon the AI doesn't care either...

I don't know what our mercs do out there sonetimes, I remember I saw something like that before, only there were some dead mercs on the road too. Looked like they had a tank race going on before I showed up.

[PZ]

It's interesting what the mercs do on their own time... I went on a weapons convoy mission once (they usually keep traveling in a circuitous route) and noticed using my map that the convoy had stopped.  When I went to investigate, they were all standing around chit-chatting, smoking, and generally just passing the time of day like any of us might do.  I almost regretted pulling out the flamethrower... almost...

[Art Blade]

just finished reading this topic from start. It's funny you should wonder why we do things like parking properly. The game environment is just so realistic, you do things you would do in real life. For instance, keep your car on the road rather than cross country style, or brake for animals. Of course that only applies as long as we don't fight - then the game is on. I noticed I had the same reflexes but decided heck, it's a game, just drive cross country and run down zebras :) Oh and I do stop to admire sunsets etc :)

[spaceboy]

I have come across burning cars from crashes, it amazes me that at least it appears they really are out there in real time doing their things.  It's fascinating really.

I still brake for animals though about 97% of the time.  Call me crazy.

[PZ]

That's a good point spaceboy - the mercs do seem to be doing their own activities regardless of whether or not you're in the immediate vicinity.  When you think of it, that's quite a bit CPU processing that our units need to take care of.