Ask Slashdot: Good Ideas For Creative Gaming With Girlfriend? 337
First time accepted submitter TimBur1e6 writes "Suppose you had just moved 1000 miles away from your significant other, but you wanted to continue to create shared life experiences. You could text, or talk by voice, or even video chat. And those would all be good things to do. However, there's a difference between telling someone about your day, and actually spending time together. What are some fun and constructive ways of spending time together on the net? In particular, what are good things to do with a significant other who is less into combat, and more into collaboration, exploration, creativity, and storytelling?"
Easy (Score:2, Interesting)
Fufme http://www.easylife.org/fufme/
Write a story together (Score:5, Interesting)
Start by developing an idea, tone, and theme for a story that you can collaborate on and write. There's a lot of fun details to flesh out to make the world feel alive (especially if the story isn't just set in modern times) like establishing kingdoms or galactic alliances and whatnot. If you one you likes to draw or doodle, you can get some fun map-making in. You can setup short term goals like "this week, we should each try and write up a character profile for someone in the world" and then share the ideas you've come up with when you're together online again.
I know it's not a straight-up game in the way you were asking, but it could easily become one that's shared between just the two of you. Most rewarding is the actual progress you make on something that will last longer than the next WoW patch cycle. And who knows, maybe you guys end up releasing the next big book series as a result, or pioneer a new pen-and-paper RPG setting. As long as you did it together, you've created unique memories with each other, despite the distance.
Re:You've fucked up. (Score:5, Interesting)
Baloney. Long distance relationships are, for certain, difficult as hell. But they can work, and things as asked by TimBur1e6 are legit ways to feel together. My fiance and I watched movies together (both of us having downloaded the same file, starting it at the same time) while on Skype, and it really did engender a feeling of closeness.
Re:Get busy living or get busy dying. (Score:5, Interesting)
You are assuming a lot about the OP's relationship, and none of it is warranted or remotely appropriate. The only thing that's been expressed so far is that OP wants to find ways to interact with his girlfriend despite their distance. He didn't say why he was moving, for how long, when he's going to see her again, how long they've been dating, what they've liked to do together in the past, etc. etc. etc. So how about instead of being a presumptuous asshole and deriding OP for no reason, you make yourself useful and recommend some games or mod up good replies.
Re:Let's see... (Score:3, Interesting)
Heh. I don't think it necessarily applies to the submitter since he is asking for a specific purpose, but I definitely don't get those people who are always trying to find a significant other who is into the same recreational activities that they are or who try desperately to convince their significant other to be into those same things.
I need a made to be someone I'm attracted to and who is attracted to me. Who I can get along with, talk with, have sex with, have mutual accountability with, and share responsibilities and major life goals with. I already have people I can go bowling with -- they're called friends.
Re:Second Life (Score:5, Interesting)
Bingo, lotsa' couples use SL exactly for this purpose. There are restaurants, live music events, parks, amusement park rides, canoe trips, shopping, golfing, bowling, book clubs, art exhibits, games within the environment, educational classes, clubs, adult erotic fare of all sorts, and zillions of people to share/socialize/befriend, many of whom are in the same boat.
You can pick up or rent a house or apartment and decorate together to have your own shared place.
I even knew a couple who explored things they felt too silly to do in their own bedroom, from two computers in the same apartment, within the safe confines of SL.
It's also amazing how effective a virtual hug can be when someone prompts it. It does give you a sense of being in the same place, together.
Re:You've fucked up. (Score:5, Interesting)
I can tell quite a few of you pussies have never been in the military.
...or had an s/o travel on business a lot. While I don't do it long-term, I do know folks who work on remote assignment for months at a shot, or spend at least half the year cumulatively away from family, girlfriends, etc.
On occasion, I usually go off for a week or so to some remote big city on business, but the missus and I keep in daily touch by phone, online via chat, and usually even by (*gasp*) facebook just to share some weird shit we stumbled across that day (me while walking about town, her by pointing me to weird shit back home).
The big trick is communication. Talk about everything and anything, at least once a day. Watch a show together while chatting or on the phone. Do something romantic. Oh, for instance? I'd draw a heart on the beach with our initials, take a photo, and email it to her. In San Francisco there's a zillion heart sculptures - snap a photo of a different one each day and send it along with a little poem. Take a photo of yourself watching a sunset, email that, and then call her telling her about stuff on your mind while she opens that photo. The point is to let her know you still think of her, and how much you love her. She'll appreciate that a whole lot more than tchotskes or souvenirs.
Most important of all - If you're gone a long time, and if you can swing it, find a way to get back there on a periodic basis to be with her, or find a way to get her out to you.
Now this go 'round, I saved a few extra pennies and brought her along (it's our anniversary, and she'd never seen this city before) - but that gets pricey after awhile... So we adapt, and enjoy the times when we are together. No end-game involved. Maybe TFA dude is doing something similar. Maybe he expects to be reunited shortly. No business of mine, but I'm happy to help when I can.