What have you learned through video games?

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pkScary

Limp Gawd
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Aug 11, 2004
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In a particularly boring class today I was thinking about the term melee, for no particular reason. It occurred to me that I learned what melee meant through Starcraft. I would've learned what meleeing was many years later if it wasn't for Starcraft. A few other words I've learned from them, off the top of my head (I think you'll notice a trend in here) -

Tier (building and unit tiers in Starcraft)
Pre-requisite (along the same line as tiers)
Zerg and Gank (now valid words in speaking with geeks)

I was 10 when Starcraft was released, btw. Feel free to share any random, somewhat useful things you've learned in games. Oregon Trail and Math Blaster not allowed.
 
I learned quite a few new words when I played Final Fantasy VII in 5th grade. Of course, going by that translation I probably learned half of them wrong but hey, what the hell right? :D
 
It occurred to me that I learned what melee meant through Starcraft.
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hehe melee, i´ve learned that from dungeons & dragons!
 
I've learned that even though you're equipped with machine guns, rocket launchers, and grenades, you still need a key to get through that stupid door. :(
 
Counter strike taught me gun names, and i can identify those guns IRL.
Diablo 2 taught me the names of some weapons.
Civilization taught me about the Zulu people.

I picked up a few vocab words from Magic the Gathering.
 
only the red ones.

I learned how to type on mario teaches typing. I also learned alot of sword type weapon names from diablo 1. Umm.. a bit about the various wars via all the war games in the last few years. And i guess you could say i learned everything i know about pc hardware and software from the love of gaming. Specifically, ut99 and quake 3 arena got me to upgrade and eventually build my own pc's.

oh yea, i never new what a Trebuchet was untill I played DAoC.
 
Playing my first flying sims when I was young taught me avionics words such as pitch, attitude, and yaw.



 
I've learned all kinds of history from video games. For instance:

Playing Aces over the Pacific (an OLD game), I learned about all the strengths and weaknesses of the different types of planes used in the pacific WWII theater. I used to be able to rattle off the max speeds of different planes, their armaments, etc...

Other WWII games have taught me about some of the different historical tactics used for the invasion and also the different types of weapons used. For instance Day of Defeat and Red Orchestra gave me a very humble respect for the ungodly power of the MG42. (you know the MG42 is a scary gun when the Allies acutally had to implement special training to prepare soldiers pscyhologically for when they encountered one of these things)

Playing Rome:Total War I learned a lot of interesting history about the military tactics used by the Romans (and some other groups). For instance...who knew you could freak out a charging elephant by lighting pigs on fire. :D (now that's a creative tactic.)

Leared about many different modern weapons and their strengths/weaknesses from FPS's, especially Couterstrike.

So...I've actually learned a ton of good info from games. More importantly, I actually seem to retain it better too!
 
Amongst other things, I've learnt:

Long hanging walk ways always break right in the middle as you walk across them.
Zombies laying on the ground always get up (to quote Mesh "They all do something").
Pistols dont work underwater, only crossbows do.
Jumping around like a moron makes you harder to hit.
If in doubt - open the door while ducking.
 
In FarCry, I learned that a boss Helicopter can take about 10 rockets and not be destroyed. It just starts to release some smoke.
 
I can't even measure how much I've learned from playing a certain MUD for about eight years. I don't currently play, but over the years it not only improved my vocabulary, but it maintained/improved my literacy and typing skills.
 
jaguax said:
I've learned that even though you're equipped with machine guns, rocket launchers, and grenades, you still need a key to get through that stupid door. :(
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QFT. All the firepower in the world can't get you threw a wood door. And a crowbar couldn't break a window until a few years ago.
 
jaguax said:
I've learned that even though you're equipped with machine guns, rocket launchers, and grenades, you still need a key to get through that stupid door. :(
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But you can carry all of your weapons and items weightlessly and without bulge or encumbrance! :D
 
For some odd reason, when you are hunting demons, there is no such thing as duct tape so you can attach your flashlight to your shotgun.
 
A videogame helped me get out of the suicide drill, at the end of a basketball practice, back in High school. The coaches would ask some question, and whoever got it right got out of the last drill. This particular day they asked for the names of the four horsemen of the apocalypse. The game Hexen had just been released, and this is how I knew the names.
 
sprite collisions, polygon visibilty, depth sorting...

interface reaction metrics, dynamic environment creation....

Oh you meant *playing* video games?
 
after playing warcraft 3 for a long time, i now multi task in daily life. if i have to microwave food, go to the bathroom, then leave, i now actually think about optimizing my time (usually more difficult problems then eating and pooping :) )
 
I learned to look through the key hole of a door before opening it is a good way of avoiding those who you would rather not meet.

(Hitman)
 
This one isn't going to be pollitically correct but I learned to shoot properly and lead targets playing duck hunt and an old sniper arcade game. I had never shot trap before for real. Went with some buddies and did fairly well for my first time out.

As for true book type stuff. I learned how to change things in the .txt files in Tribes to add things change FOV from 90 to 180. Learned how to install mods on Tribes which helped me later in other games. Learning XML coding due to WoW for addons. Even got me intrested in some C++ classes that I want to take.

As for actual skills. I basically taught myself ( with the help of the [H]ard ) how to upgrade and eventually build my own PC even trouble shoot mainly due to video games. If the latest don't run on your PC you have to do something right. If that blue screen or CE pops up you have to figure it out if you want to.

Even learned how to pilot RC airplanes and helicopters using a buddies model flight simulator. All in all video games I think have helped to round me out as an adult.
 
I learned that even though Zombies are down on the ground, they can still get up without their heads.

Between gaming and Max Brooks books I'm 100% ready for that upcoming Zombie Apocalypse.
 
Aside from the weapon thing mentioned earlier due to Counterstrike, I've noticed that I can pick out a lot of different fighter aircraft from pictures and know their names. This is mostly due to the very unrealistic (although still fun) Ace Combat series, which always had tons of planes and good models for them.

F-16, A-10, F/A-18, F-15, Mig-29, Su-35, Su-37, Su-47 (gotta love the forward swept wings) Mirage 2000, Tornado etc.. I spent a lot of time just looking at the models after unlocking the plane and even more time trying to hunt down the various aces in their unique planes.

The modification Forgotten Hope for Battlefield 1942 also did something similar, but with various World War II vehicles. Nice to know the names most of the combat tanks the Germans used during the war...just to know.
 
I learned that all Aliens throughout the universe are 100% completely evil, and they must all be eradicated if the universe is to be safe for Humans.
 
I learned from the Hitman games that if you kill someone, it is best to casually walk away versus running which will alert the others. And to always wear leather gloves, unless you change costumes.
 
it taught me that even if you are good, on the internet there are millions of people ready to frag your ass in an instagib match. Ohhh how i miss Deck 16. :p . Any UT:GOTY fans out there?
 
I learned just how bad the Russians had it in WWII from playing Call of Duty 2. I had heard before, but that really illustrated it.
 
That's_Corporate said:
That the US government are nothing but pawns, all the way up to the president.
[MGS2]
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Also learned that even though you have a large mobile nuclear walking tank, it really just takes one person to take it down...or even 8 of them (MGS2)

So fear not of nuclear war. Fear not
 
daemionsos said:
I learned just how bad the Russians had it in WWII from playing Call of Duty 2. I had heard before, but that really illustrated it.
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OH man watch the movie Enemy at the Gates. WWII perspective from Russians. Good sniper movie.
 
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