Listen up, gamers! I decided to write a rant for this issue simply because I got really upset after making a stupid mistake that is common amongst people like us. We all play video games. There are times when we face-palm ourselves for something we did or even worse, something we didn’t do. An event like this recently occurred to me so please allow me to share my story.
It was a Sunday afternoon and I had absolutely nothing to do at my friend’s house. Normally, I’d play some Skyrim, but I left my x-box at home, so I decided to play The Sims Medieval. To my surprise, the game was far more entertaining than I had expected. So I made my monarch, built my castle, and sure enough four hours went by. Within those four hours, I had created a blacksmith, two priests, a physician, a spy, and a knight, not to mention I customized all of their houses as well. After doing roughly five quests, of course, I get the dreaded “The application has crashed.” pop up. First thing I think is, “Whatever. It saves after every quest.” Then I remembered…I was not playing Skyrim anymore. This was a game where you had to save manually, which I had not done since I created my kingdom. Naturally, this resulted in me calmly shutting my laptop, walking to my friend’s room, shutting the door, and yelling.
So, as a column writer I feel that I should pass on some tips to help all gamers avoid any sort of rage situation like this. Keep in mind some of these will be tedious to follow, but better safe than sorry as I always say.

Gaming Tip #1 – Save your game frequently.
The last thing you want to happen is to lose everything you worked for. I know that feel, bro, and it isn’t a good one.

Gaming Tip #2 (goes along with 1) – Do NOT save your game upon entering a dungeon or instance of some sort.
While it is a great idea to save your game often, you should avoid saving when entering an unfamiliar area, especially if the game does not give you multiple save slots. Doing so could result in you being stuck. Let’s say you forgot an important item outside of the dungeon that you’re trapped in, but you saved after you were locked in, and there’s no way of getting back. You’re in trouble, my friend. Try saving BEFORE you enter a new area in the game. It could save a nasty temper tantrum.

Gaming Tip #3 – If you must rage, keep it to yourself.
Sure, we’ve all had that one moment where someone in an online multiplayer game has pushed us to our edge. When this happens, don’t rage on them. Turn off your headset, yell as much as you need to, and then turn it back on. It may not be as fun as yelling at the person, but it keeps you from being reported, letting your anger get out of control, and getting successfully trolled. Remember we must strive to be the troll, not the trolled.

Gaming Tip #4 – Don’t spend any more than you need to on a video game.
I recently noticed that the more a game progresses, the more add-ons it gets. Unfortunately for us, those add-ons cost money. This tip is a no brainer, but we all get that impulse to just get something because we can.
Try to avoid buying any add-ons for a game unless it is a game you thoroughly enjoy and play often. I bought Cataclysm for World of Warcraft and almost a week after I stopped playing. Don’t make that mistake. It could save you some money for some gas in your tank, and we all know the price for it is getting sky high.

Gaming Tip #5- Explore, explore, and explore!
Never forget to get familiar with your surroundings! Who knows what you’ll find lying around. Could be a side quest, a quest item, weapons, or even that 1000g you needed to buy a house! It’ll definitely take some time, but it’s a good investment. Just keep it in mind.

Gaming Tip #6 – If you begin to get frustrated with a game, take a break.
I know video games are fun, but sometimes they can be just as irritating. Don’t forget to take a break once in a while. You have to eat and sleep too.
Well you heard it, gamers. Now please actually follow these! It could stop you from breaking a console, pc, and maybe even a window. Keep your cool, guys.
Until next time, stay golden!