My friend Oleg is a jazz pianist and avid gamer, living in Shanghai. He recently finished Pathologic (Russian version), and the way he chose to play was probably a little different to how most of us played
He sent me this e-mail. I thought it was a really interesting account, and asked his permission to share it with you:
I do think that it's one of the most interesting games ever, and a hell of an experience.
I also find the game's open-endness amazing. I screwed up main quests, let characters die, yet I was still able to finish the game.
I simply slept through half of it. On Day 7, I got tired of everything. I didn't know how to cure my "adherents" who got sick because I failed to complete main quests.
So I visited every store in the city and bought the entire supply of food. I already had some food I'd stolen from innocent people's houses.
I then went to Capella's house and, without saying a word to her, went to sleep on her bed.
I slept for five days. Things changed around me. The army arrived. The sexy Inquisitor arrived. But I kept sleeping, periodically munching on dried meat to keep myself from starving.
I slept peacefully, ignoring my duty. On the 12th day, I left Capella's house. The sky was unusually clear. The city was empty. Most of my adherents were sick. I had no means to cure them. Burakh called me. I went to visit him and he said he wanted me to cure his adherents.
I laughed in his face.
"Fuck you", - I said. - "I slept for five days, letting MY adherents die. Why the fuck should I care about YOURS?!".
Burakh was silent. I then whistled happily and went to the Cathedral. The Executioner was standing there, sadly pointing his beak at me.
"You haven't cured your adherents", - he told me. - "You cannot enter. We won't trust you with a decision concerning the fate of this city".
"Oh really?" - I said. - "I'm SO sad! Gee, I have Fallout 3 to play and you think you can scare me with this shit?"
I approached him closely. He could feel my breath on his beak.
"Let me tell you a secret", - I said, similing maniacally. - "I'm not a doctor. I'm a jazz musician!!".
I turned abruptly and went off, leaving him alone. I climbed into bed and slept. I saw the destruction of the city.
It was over.
...
Okay
The point is, how many games let you role-play like that?!