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I was at a friends house for a dinner social where a few of the other males are or were CoX players and through conversation it came up that me and my wife were not only playing but enjoying CoX together. One of my friends who plays on Guardian (SERVER TRANSFER TOOL PLZ) said I should write a guide. So after a few days of the idea brewing... here it goes!
Disclaimer: If anything following gets you into trouble don't blame me! Blame PvP!
Background: I am a long time gamer, and was introduced to D&D in Kindergarten by a local 3rd grader. Thus when college rolled around I told myself that I should not hook up with gamer chicks and get a 'normal person' to balance my personal zen.
Well that worked pretty good until the lure of the game started to pull me back.
Now my wife is Japanese and is quite familiar with consoles and arcade games etc and has nothing inherently against playing video game. Officially I can play as much as I want but there are some hazy boundaries where I have either played too long, or too often (or too long and too often). I think personal hygiene might be a barometer.
So it was obvious that if I was ever to level... I better get her playing so that it is a family activity!
1) Getting her to play is actually the answer to how can I play more video games.
So how do I do that?
First off money is often a concern in a lot of homes and her single biggest complaint was the monthly charge. Worse to keep up with me my second account (or her account) would also need to run CoV for SG access. Her complaint was that she wouldn't mind playing every now and then but she would not play enough to make it worth it.
2) I created a separate checking account for myself and called it my allowance. I negotiated what would be a reasonable allowance for me per month and I pay completely for both accounts. Thus she doesn't feel that she is wasting money.
I do a rotation at home with my computers. I keep a main box and rotate my older parts to the 2nd machine which my wife uses. We had previously screwed around with Guild Wars and she complained that she couldn't see things well... To sweeten the experience for her... I secretely updated her machine.
3) Her new Dell flat panel monitor for Christmas was really all a part of my evil scheme. I wrote it off as a business expense. (hey we both work in software, I can termserv in once in a while
and possible another guide! Hand of Osiris's Guide to Writing off CoX as a Tax Deduction). Thus this rule says make sure her gaming experience is fun and if she looks over at your uber machine and she is playing on the old turd burgler box, perhaps you can try switching machines... ouch I know that hurt.
The next thing I had to overcome was her other interests. Somewhere along the line I got roped into Dancing with the Stars (ok I have a few years of dancing myself -try it works good to pick up girls if you are Rico Suave out there). There are a few other shows she likes as well, including a few that I like.
4) Digital Recorder. Make more time in your life by getting one of these life changing devices. WARNING: Only use it for good not evil! Where evil is defined as, "I can skip commericals so that 30 minute shows are 18 minutes I can watch MORE TV" vs. good "I can watch all my programs in less time it took than before." You can still have all your meaningfull moments of togetherness its just that those moments of cuddling on the couch have secretly shrunk from an hour to 45 minutes and from 30 minutes to 18 minutes. Mu ha ha!
We all know that the best gaming is when there are lots of peeps online so that teams are easy to find and opponents in PvP are plentiful. This means video gaming on Friday night, all day Saturday, and Sunday during the day.
5) To overcome "You are wasting our nice Friday night, why aren't we going out." or "It is a beatifull day this weekend, lets go somewhere". There are 2 tricks.
First off make good use of Thursday nights as a going out\date night. This then 'frees' up Friday night because you just went out. You can also try the "I am tired from a long week of working, lets just watch a digital recorded tv program."
I have also found that making a nice dinner Friday with lots of heavy starchy foods (pasta), lighting a few candles, and opening that bottle of wine that you conveinently keep refilling her glass can free up a whole night of gaming for you! Yes it is my most evil scheme and it works 95% of the time as she gets sleepy and goes to bed. WARNING: This can backfire as something called "cuddling" or "sex" might be requested.
To overcome wasting a nice sunny Saturday. Schedule gaming. I put it on the calendar that I would like to play video games on some Saturday a few weeks in advance. This allows you to pull off TF's or attend server events.
Make sure that you start early and end mid-day or start late afternoon. Then use the other half of the day to do something nice.
You can also move to Seattle where the number of nice Sunny days is severly limited and because you are a lazy SOB and haven't planned anything to do, you just turn your head and say, "It is nasty, lets just play some video games. I only need a half bulb to level."
6) Emphasize the Team. If you give her the idea that she is playing video games with you this will allow her to play more video games. It is you she wants to be with, not any desire to play CoX so emphasize the team experience.
do so by: Coordinating outfits, Names, Story Description.
You can satisfy your inner power gamer by creating 2 toons to explicitly coordinate their powers together. It is very interesting to see how you might make a toon if you knew that you would never ever play without this other toon. Most player guides actually fall apart and become sub optimal. Also NEVER EVER play 'your half' of the duo without the other. If she is always having to SK under you or just be caged into being a 'debuffer/healer and watcher' that might not be her game.
7) We have all been on horrible PuG's or watch some noob \regen scrapper cause a team wipe because he thinks he is still soloing. (the leroy jenkins effect). Your spouse is that person.
DUO only and on Heroic (or whatever is easy for you two) until she becomes more and more comfortable with the game. Even learning the keyboard movement. I had to spend a lot of time in KR teacher her how to jump.
Consider FLY as a travel power for her and slot it quickly. Remove as many frustrations in playing as possible. A high surviveable toon might be in order too where you can just run up and button smash.
I overcome a lot of problems by the TP pool on my blaster. Recall Friend and Team TP. She has Fly and Team Fly. We both fly and tp! (team fly still sucks REDUCE THE END, UP THE SPEED, LET EVERYONE FLY AT SAME SPEED -WHOMEVER IS FASTEST, MAKE IT RESISTANT TO -FLY)
Also Grant Invisiblity stops her from agroing mobs flying all crazy all over the place. Also no one likes to be mezzed so I have Stimulate too.
The next step is to play the DUO with SG teams where you announce to your SG that she is a NOOB. I created a macro button (I don't use it anymore as she has graduated to average) that I would also use to explain to PuG's that she just started.
In addition DO NOT GET FRUSTRATED AT HER CRAPPITUDE. Just die with her and return to base, like a good husband. Thats why I really suggest playing on an easy difficulty.
I also put in our Looking for Team message for each that you must also invite the other toon.
So there it is! Remember that she is playing because she wants to be with you!
So you ask what do we play. Team Ninja! She plays Shinobi no Yumi (Death by Bowshot or Secret Archer) a TA\A Defender and I play Yumiya (Bow and Arrow) a Archery\nrgy blaster. Ironically she is WAY stronger toon than me and is our criticaly in our success. Recently there was a defender post about TA\A being the most difficult defender to play well, so I tried to 'switch' toons with her. She told me to stick it and keep playing my crappy blaster. doh!
(while she proceeded to EMP a single yellow minion)
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Your knowledge-foo has become ninja-like. You ARE DA NINJA!!!
