Overheard Dinner Conversation
By
After_Shock,
Posted on: 2007-05-09 06:08 in CoH and CoV General Discussions
Eh, you see people in public talking passionately about sports teams, or celebrity weddings, or model airplanes, or American Idol, or god knows what all. People the world over have all kinds of ridiculous, shallow, "meaningless" interests.
The people you saw had an interest in gaming, and it's something they had in common and could share conversation about. Maybe they could have talked about politics, or building suspension bridges, or brushing roses against their cheeks or the beauty in the eyes of a laughing child, or something equally Real and Significant. Personally, I find it really difficult to share Real and Significant interests in public, because my social groups aren't constructed around those subjects. They're generally constructed around the leisure activities we share in common, the pastimes we choose to pursue when not earning a living, because a personality type drawn to a certain kind of activity will naturally get along well with others of that same type.
In other words, MMO gamers can get along well with other MMO gamers, and when they hang out IRL, it's a natural topic of conversation. The only reason not to talk about it would be Geek Shame, which is thankfully a form of guilt that "nerd culture" has been able to move beyond in recent years. (Most of us, anyway ... sounds like you're still harboring a hefty burden of shame ... just let it go.)
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Heh, you're the one who went to a restaurant named after an IO Set.
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Good point.
The City of Heroes Community is a special one and I will always look fondly on my times arguing, discussing and playing with you all. Thanks and thanks to the developers for a special experience.
True story:
When I bought this game originally back in Whenever 04, on my home with it I stopped at a Long John Silvers for lunch. While sitting there reading the Prima guide (it came free with the game), I overheard these five teenage girls at a nearby table. They were discussing runewords and skills in Diablo 2. Having spent far too much time in that game myself, I immediately recognized what they were speaking of.
No, I didn't say anything. I was pushing 30 at the time, and they would've just decided I was macking on 'em. I didn't have anything to add anyway, as their character of choice was Barbarian and I liked Amazons and Assassins.
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True story:
When I bought this game originally back in Whenever 04, on my home with it I stopped at a Long John Silvers for lunch. While sitting there reading the Prima guide (it came free with the game), I overheard these five teenage girls at a nearby table. They were discussing runewords and skills in Diablo 2. Having spent far too much time in that game myself, I immediately recognized what they were speaking of.
No, I didn't say anything. I was pushing 30 at the time, and they would've just decided I was macking on 'em. I didn't have anything to add anyway, as their character of choice was Barbarian and I liked Amazons and Assassins.
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Wanna see my Zod Rune?
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What would you rather talk about? What is wrong with talking about an MMO as opposed to say the depressing news of the world?
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Hey, you're from Austin! That's where this happened! Were you eating at Freebird's last night?? 
-mb
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This is exactly what I was thinking. The burritos are famous. Shows where my priorities are...
Welcome to Nerd Hobby Club. Rule number 1:
YOU DO NOT TALK ABOUT NERD HOBBY CLUB.
(message boards are exempted)
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Geek friends of mine used to have fun going to late-night restaurants and engaging in absolutely meaningless, but very animated gibberish conversations as they ate, just to watch the faces of the people who were listening in. It became a little game (they were actors) to keep the voice and tone totally serious while stringing together absolutely meaningless phrases- and responding appropriately.
Now they just post on gaming forums.
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Couple of my friends and I used to do that except not about games... about sex... with made up gibberish words.
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Hehehe I was with some friends in Ohio, one of them is a lesbian and the other a run o' the mill dude...and the girl friend kept going on: "So does the taste of this remind you of anything?" and then we'd suddenly break into RPG talk.
You'd see a lot of ears perk up then and there.
Questions about the game, either side? /t @Neuronia or @Neuronium, with your queries!
168760: A Death in the Gish. 3 missions, 1-14. Easy to solo.
Infinity Villains
Champion, Pinnacle, Virtue Heroes
Heh. Being a gamer geek may be slightly more acceptable these days, but the day a 30-year-old scary-looking guy is able to chat up a bunch of pretty 16-year-old girls without attracting the attention of law enforcement...
...may never come. 
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It's always cute when nerds who play MMOs make fun of other nerds who play MMOs. 
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Yes, my glass house is VERY fragile. I try to remember that when I go looking at other people's glass homes.
- Green Lantern
"Say, Jim...woo! That's a bad out-FIT!" - Superman: The Movie
Me 'n my posse: http://www.citygametracker.com/site/....php?user=5608
Whenever I am talking geek with my ex or friends or whoever, I simply don't care what other people think. I look at those weird glances and smile reaaaal big. Then I go back to talking about pvp'ers and ganking and faceplanting and slotting.
Whenever I HEAR someone talking geek, I jump in. I don't hesitate, I'm a gamer chick. Many guys out in public talking about a video game or whatever that I might have heard of or played *don't know many girls* and it kind of takes them off guard.... heh. (And I'm only partially kidding there)
And it's for this whole reason that I actually keep copies of the 'bootleg edition' disk for COH in my backpack. To give out to people who may see the forums on my laptop when I'm working, or whatever. I tell them about MY game.
Please read my FEAR/Portal/HalfLife Fan Fiction!
Repurposed
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Heh. Being a gamer geek may be slightly more acceptable these days, but the day a 30-year-old scary-looking guy is able to chat up a bunch of pretty 16-year-old girls without attracting the attention of law enforcement...
...may never come.
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Hey little girl, I got Phat Lewtz in my van!
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Hey little girl, I got Phat Lewtz in my van!
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The combination of that and the freaky eyes, wow, we have a winner! I don't know if I've ever had a voice just apply itself to a posting in such record time before.
Tai
"You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one."
� James A. Froude (1818-1894)
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The song came first.
To the OP, another puhflooogervillian playing CoH/V? Howdy, neighbor. You talking the Freebirds between Parmer and Howard?
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Nope, I was at Hancock. Never been to the one at Parmer, which is strange, considering how close it is to where I live.
-mb
Mmmm, Freebirds....
I frequent the one in Westlake.... great, now I'm hungry.
TW
My Arcs:
Unbearable Funk #3573
Tale of the Creatures From Another Forbidden Planet #97983
My Deviant Art Page
Regarding Chipotle vs Freebirds: I usually eat at Chipotle rather than FB. I like Chip's Carnitas and that the sour cream is free (everything tastes good with sour cream!). But Freebirds has some interesting choices that aren't available at Chipotle, and they serve chips with queso. Yum.
-mb
PS: And how'd this thread get 4 pages long? It didn't even deserve one page.
Edit: Urp, 5 pages!
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PS: And how'd this thread get 4 pages long? It didn't even deserve one page.
Edit: Urp, 5 pages!
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Your's is post one on page three for me.
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Geek friends of mine used to have fun going to late-night restaurants and engaging in absolutely meaningless, but very animated gibberish conversations as they ate, just to watch the faces of the people who were listening in. It became a little game (they were actors) to keep the voice and tone totally serious while stringing together absolutely meaningless phrases- and responding appropriately.
Now they just post on gaming forums.
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Couple of my friends and I used to do that except not about games... about sex... with made up gibberish words.
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Ive done that too
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It's always cute when nerds who play MMOs make fun of other nerds who play MMOs.
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I eat lunch once a week with a bunch of friends who work at Amgen (Thousand Oaks, CA). They spend the whole time talking about their Raiding and general antics in their guild in WoW. I spend the time mocking them (as I am the person who got them to start playing it as an introduction to MMORPG's over a year ago).
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The song came first.
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What song? <whistles innocently>
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I know you aren't being serious but...
FREEBIRD!
Note: Set aside ten minutes to watch this
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Jeebus, I think it'd be easier to play on a real guitar, man...
Anyway, Freebird!
"Through Avarice evil smiles; through insanity it sings"
Forum Troll Rule #1: Anyone who disagrees with my point of view is either a fanboy or an idiot.
I'm a proud carebear.
Oh boy. In one of my classes there are these two that talk about World of Warcraft from the very start to the end of the class. Not really the best thing they can do, since they've paid $1000 for the class. They never seem to even do the in-class exercises. Sheesh.
Playstation 3 - XBox 360 - Wii - PSP
Remember kids, crack is whack!
Samuel_Tow: Your avatar is... I think I like it
Hey, that Freebird's is in the rotation for dinner on my regular Thursday night PnP gaming session with my buddies. Come by some thursday evening around 7 or 7:30 -ish...we're the (mostly) long-haired geeks talking about G.U.R.P.S., music, movies or City of Heroes.
I used to get together with some friends once a week at a local Chili's to discuss our results/plans for the turn of Middle Earth Play by Mail wargame we were on. Imagine a couple guys in suits and ties, and a couple guys in T-shirts & shorts, all with briefcases sitting around eating chips, and discussing how best to assassinate the Witch-King of Angmar and mobilize troops to protect the southern flank of the Greenwood from the Dog Lords heavy cavalary.
I think we got the best looks when we pulled out the full size grid maps of middle earth and began putting pins and markers out to plot troop movements.
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Sigh. Please, if there is a higher power, don't let me ever turn into that.....
-mb
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No worries MB. As long as you continue to be ashamed of the thing you enjoy because it is not yet socially acceptable enough, you'll never be that free. So smile, relax and go about your completely conventional day (we wont tell anyone youre a gamer)!
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I used to get together with some friends once a week at a local Chili's to discuss our results/plans for the turn of Middle Earth Play by Mail wargame we were on. Imagine a couple guys in suits and ties, and a couple guys in T-shirts & shorts, all with briefcases sitting around eating chips, and discussing how best to assassinate the Witch-King of Angmar and mobilize troops to protect the southern flank of the Greenwood from the Dog Lords heavy cavalary.
I think we got the best looks when we pulled out the full size grid maps of middle earth and began putting pins and markers out to plot troop movements.
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Pics or it didn't happen!
Judgmental much?