Backseat Gaming, Save Scumming, and Cheating: On the Gray Nature of Morality and Shared Experiences

I know that title sounds philosophical, but don't worry, I am still riding the Witcher train - in case the jargon didn't tip you off. 

This week I did something that I rarely do in any games - I reloaded the game to an earlier save point because I didn't like what happened. For the uninitiated, this is called save scumming. That I rarely do this is not a judgment on those who partake, it is simply a matter of preference. My sense of curiosity likes to follow the thread of choices I make and how they affect the game. If the game is good, I will replay it to see where the other choices lead. Also, save scumming feels like cheating. to me. Intellectually speaking, I don't consider it cheating, but emotionally it feels like it is. So, why did I do it then?

Well, for the 2nd time in the game so far (the first was Coleman) I needed information from an NPC who wouldn't give it to me.  This is not the way I see myself-as-Geralt, as needing anyone, but here we were, being told to "shove off" by a messenger in the Hairy Bear Inn.

In an ironic twist, I've been told in chat to save scum. This is called backseat gaming which is not considered cheating but is even more taboo than save scumming. 

Learn about my Sins, Witcher ...

I slept with the witch Abigail. I did it in a moment of empowerment. I did it to spite the villagers and the game. I did it because I liked her. 

Abigail

I finally finished up the outskirts of Vizima this past week. I killed the beast, the end of the major questline in the area, and I helped Abigail, one of the main people in that questline. The beast itself was rather disappointing, to be honest, so I will be focusing on Abigail instead. 

Abigail is a single woman living in her own house in the outskirts. She is an alchemist. She supports herself by selling potions to the villagers (for better or worse). She is pretty, but more or less looks and dresses like all the other women in town. Her home looks neat and orderly. She even takes in the orphan Alvin. 

Does this sound familiar? It should, historically, these types of women were accused of witchcraft. In the game, Abigail is an actual witch (she does not hide this) and other than the reality of her witchcraft, her story falls in line with depictions of historical witches in the physical world. 

And what did we learn about saving the game....?

Save often. Save before every battle. Save now.

"I know this before."

Sometimes all the theory in the world won't save me from myself. I learned that (again) the hard way last Sunday when I completely bombed in Witcher, making mistakes that I know not to make. The worst? I played for a little over 2 hours without saving and then died in a crypt I entered knowingly underprepared. Of course none of this was helped by the fact that my entire plan for playing through the games was basically doomed from the get-go, but more on that after that break. In the meantime, here's some eye-candy to make everyone feel better.

I Was Almost OK with this Sex Scene...

The first sex scene in The Witcher is effectively in the tutorial. Given what I have heard about this game (it's sexist, misogynistic, clunky, and skippable) I shouldn't have been surprised, but I was. I had assumed all the nookie would wait until Geralt's training wheels were off, but I suppose he needs practice at this too.

Here's the context for those who haven't played the game before. The Witcher is an action RPG. The player is Geralt of Rivia and the opening cut scene establishes that he lost his memory from a battle injury. (Because this is an RPG and I am more accustomed to using first-person vocabulary in these types of games I will be doing so for the rest of this post.) The scene shows my being taken to a castle by friendly NPC and it is in the castle that I can first take control of Geralt. I know at this point that I am a witcher, that this castle is a place that trains witchers, and that witchers are ostracized magical fighters.

The sex comes after the break ;)

Introducing Witcher Wednesdays

I can't believe... my last post was 4 years ago. Not sure I should've acknowledged that.  It's fine! I am back and will be starting with a series of posts called Witcher Wednesdays (other topics will be slowly introduced between now and the start of Fall semester).

What are Witcher Wednesdays? On Sundays, I will be playing through the Witcher games (starting with the first one) on Twitch and then posting my thoughts and analysis on those sessions here on Wednesdays.

Why Witcher? There is no denying it, we all love the Witcher series in some form or another, whether it's the books, the Netflix series, or the games. As a gamer, I naturally started with the games, though I missed 1 & 2 when they were released and didn't have the time or funds for 3 when it was released. So I actually first got sucked in by watching other people playing on Twitch. Later I would binge-watch the tv series with my roommate and loved it (or Henry Cavill as the Witcher) so much I was sad when it was over. Reading the books is definitely on my list, but that one will take a while. In the meantime, enjoy this little teaser.

So, I start this week - or I did start. I started Witcher 1 last Sunday and will post my first blog on that play session tomorrow. If you'd like to participate in making game decisions you can join me Sundays 1 - 4 PM (central time) on my channel GamerAnthro. If you can't make Sundays, you can watch the video archives here.