I get an even worse reaction from the constant saver. It righteously bugs me when I see someone make a move, save it. Make a move save it. Take a hit, and go back to the previous game and try to avoid it. It's like playing a game one frame at a time.

It's just wrong and it's just weird. I remember watching someone play one of the Master of Orions like that. They'd previously wowed me by saying how easy the game is on impossible, and then I saw why. They'd offer a treaty and reload if the answer was no. They'd do this over and over again. Gee, it must bee tough being alien races when you are the ultimate master of time, space and endless do-overs.

I guess how you play games just comes down to why you play games. I play them like a narrative. It's a story of highs and lows, triumphs and defeats. It's about being an arse and digging yourself into a hole and the epic battle to dig yourself out again. I don't imagine my kick-arse hero obsessing about getting a band aid for every scratch so I can't bring myself to do it that way either.

I guess other people don't see the story, they just see the goal. Maybe they see the story as the cutscenes between the game bits. For them playing the game involves manipulating the game and its rules as much as possible to get the gold star.

(I just turned around and asked my girlfriend whether she wanted to be referred to as my girlfriend, or as something less identifying like my “roommate” or something, when it came to me bagging her playing style. She turned to me, and said, “nah, I can cop that. But, it's more about not wanting to do the same bit over and over again, especially when the save points always seem to be so far apart.” I wanted to make some comment about that's what you get for being a console player, but I'm not quite *that* adventurous.)

So, yeah, I've realised I'm a gameplay snob. There are right ways to play a game and incredibly lame ways. I don't care if you have fun gathering up every little bit of security possible, or painfully plotting your way through ever encounter with meticulous care (and game guides) or winning through the power of save and reload ... you're just wrong and you're just not playing the game right (unless you're my girlfriend, in which case ... are we still on for movies tomorrow?).