[SubConscious]

I like to immerse myself in the game. I personally believe it cheapens the experience to play the game like it's a shooting gallery.

I tend to be a rather cautious person by nature, so I probably wouldn't have made a very good U-boat Kaleun in real life. I try to keep in mind that my decisions don't just impact my life, but the lives of young men who are counting on me to bring them home safely.

I think playing the game on the higher/highest realism settings has given me a greater appreciation and understanding for what the U-boatmen dealt with in WWII. They suffered something like 80% losses over the course of the war. In this light, survival is the exception.

Finding the balance between doing ones duty and trying to ensure the survival of the young men who comprise the crew and officers can be a challenge, but it's a wonderful challenge. I just thank heavens that it's just a game.

My father served aboard three US Navy destroyers in WWII from 1939 to 1945. The Hammann was sunk along with the Yorktown by torpedoes from a Japanese I-boat at Midway; the Bristol was sunk by a U-boat; and the Isherwood was struck by a kamikaze at Leyte Gulf. As a kid, I asked him why he didn't keep in contact with his friends from the Navy. His reply was "They're all dead."

I think about this when I play SH3/GWX.