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A Game Geek Grrl

© Laura Brown

I'm a game geek. I admit it. I play PC games when I should be packing up for our move this week. I play Majesty when I should be answering email. I play Carmageddon when I should be returning a phone call. I play Caesar3 when I should be proofreading an article. I play Age of Empires when I should be getting the next load of laundry into the washer. I'm a hopeless game geek grrl.

There's nothing wrong with being a game geek. Just that procrastination habit. If you're like me once you buy a new game you just have to figure it out until you master it and then play it until it gets too easy and you need a new game. Each game is a new challenge and test of your ingenuity.

Some games give you extra options which are available on the Internet. They know people need updates to keep the game fresh and patches to fix bugs. Try the website for the game maker. You can find it on the CD or the original packaging. If not, just look for your game in the Google directory.

Explore the downloads, see what they have available as patches, updates, scenarios, add-ons and so on. Some games have a ton of updates and even software to help you design new levels and scenarios. Some, like Carmageddon have new cars designed by other gamers. For those you need to find the personal sites. Google works well for this. Just type in what you want between quotes. Such as "Carmageddon cars".

Also, you will find a lot of sites which offer game reviews. These sometimes include useful information like walkthroughs, cheats (which you might not choose to use), game FAQs, and downloads for patches and updates. If you see a patch make sure you actually need it, for your version of the game.

One other great thing about being a game geek online is finding other game geeks for your game of choice. Get together online and play against each other. GameZone is a popular site for online gaming. You need to register at their site and download software but from there it's pretty straightforward. Of course, you do need to have a copy of the game you want to play.

My favourite games tend to be the city building type. The Caesar series, Civilization, Age of Empires, Stronghold and Majesty to some extent. You get to run the world your way. It doesn't always work out. People revolt, other armies try to crush you, the economic situation doesn't perk up and there are pesky natural disasters. But, if I'm peeved at losing to the computer, I have the final option. Shutting them down! Yes, maybe it's silly, but if my world domination isn't going well I restart and begin a fresh conquest. After all, it's my computer.

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