Co-op partners

I used to not want to play games at all without a co-op partner. Now, I've pretty much given up on having a consistent co-op partner to play with.

Oh, sure, when I was a kid I played games alone all the time. Sometimes I'd play with a friend or something, but usually it was just me. And when I finally got to play a co-op game, it was spellbinding. I never wanted to play solo again. And I mean, MMOs count as co-op, kind of!

Anyway, then I had a consistent co-op partner for a few years in a row. And it was amazing.

And then we stopped playing games together. And for a long time I just didn't really play games much. Sure, sometimes I'd play by myself, but mostly I just... didn't play at all.

Now I'm starting to get more empowered. I used to think that I wasn't good enough to beat a game if I was playing by myself, but that's obviously false. I can do great on my own. I AM doing great on my own, finding new games, enjoying them by myself. Sometimes sharing experiences with other people, just... not people I'm plaing with.

I just think it's more fun to play with someone else, to have someone to share the experience with, you know? Am I wrong?

But of course, everyone has told me that it's good not to rely on having a co-op partner anyway.

But it's real hard to take them seriously.

Oh, you yearned to play with this one girl, but you swallowed those feelings because she already had a partner to play with, and you're playing single-player. Great, so we can at least commis- Ah, and now they've invited you to join their static. Awesome. That's just wonderful.

Oh, one should never feel like they need a co-op partner to beat a game, but then you and your play partner had a big fight, and you were ruing the idea that you'd have to play by yourself! Oh, and now you're resolving it and you're going to keep playing together? Fucking Great for you.

And every goddamn where you turn there's another goddamn story about two assholes who are doing great because they're together, or there's yet another goddamn song about how wonderful your significant goddamn other-

"Uh, Reya! I believe the subtext here is rapidly becoming, uh... text."

... Sorry.