Every now and then, I load up a game I have not played for a while and have some fun. Usually, such games are either those I have not won, or just enjoy playing. Fallout 2, one of my all-time favorite games, was the choice of the evening. I loaded up an old game.

Brett Sirocco, wanna-be sniper, happened to be the game. Brett decided to breeze into New Reno, it was a good place to kick butt and chew bubblegum. Having more ammunition than sense as well as being out of bubblegum, combat ensued.

As if paid for by the Society for the Beautification of New Reno, he went about sweeping the streets of any pusher, dealer, or gangster he could find. Once he hit near the Shark Club, things got interesting. An ill-aimed shot by one of the drug dealers brought Bishop’s boys into the fray. In turn, a mis-aimed burst from one of Bishop’s goon’s Tommy gun caused Salvatore’s men to jump into the fight.

I had little to do but sit back, pull up the sniper rifle, and drop whomever was getting away. In the end, there would be only two men left standing, and Brett would be the rest. Not only having a wealth of experience points, Brett had made a number of friends. Those kind of friends that never complain and just lie around. The good kind of friends, you know, those that do not resist pulling their weapons from their grave cold grip.

At that point, I was about ready to make another killing with a rapacious participation in the New Reno gun buy-back program. That was when I realized the down side of a sniper: not a lot of strength. I had set everything in a nice pile in an alley and was prioritizing them while lamenting not getting the Strong Back perk. It was then a sudden dread washed over me.

"Now watch some jerk happen by and run off with all that loot while I am low on ammo." I thought. It was an odd thought, Fallout 2 was only a single player game. The realization struck me within a moment and somehow I felt a bit deflated. Somehow that snuffed my fun.

Why was that? Simple: I had been playing more games over the web or a network against or with other people. With the absence of a witness, the whole massacre seemed less amusing, but that is the nature of such things.