Banshee

November 12, 2020 2:29 am Published by EverEden Leave your thoughts

Again, like all these types of posts, if you aren’t a gamer…it still stands. Just quit yer bitchn and read. It’s not all about a game.

There is a game called Phasmophobia. It’s like one of those ghost hunter shows where you watch idiots scream and carry on after asking the empty room if anyone is there. In the game, you can play with up to 4 people and everyone is on mic/headset, so you can talk to each other as well as the ghost you’re hunting. You start in a trailer with the instruments you’ve bought with money you make from previous missions or use the limited default ones the game gives you at the start. When we set out, we usually have EMF readers, torches, motion sensor cameras, still cameras, a Spirit Book, thermometers, glowsticks, sanity pills, Spirit Box, smudge sticks and more. I play with at least 2 other people in my gaming crew and it takes us a couple of trips to transport all of this nearer the house or into the room we are investigating because each character can only carry three items at a time.

I usually grab the EMF, a torch and a camera. The other people take the thermometer, video cameras and the Spirit Book and box, as well as glowsticks. The thermometer is used to find the coldest room in the house and then you start there. When we find the coldest room, we start placing the cameras so we can observe from the trailer, the EMF , the Spirit Book and box. The ghost can use the spirit book sometimes to write threatening messages and tell you to GTFO. The box is used for the ghost to speak through and will usually just say something short.

The house/school/asylum you enter is dark and, as with most social groups, we quickly fall into appropriate roles/established dynamics by accident. I’m the middle man. It’s been interesting to figure that out. I take charge if/when I need to, but I like the freedom to do wtf I want. Playing with me is annoying, I know. I’m asking the ghost if they’re single, I don’t mean to but I wander off thinking “it’ll just take a second for me to check this out” then the other people lose me or have moved to another room.  Aside from that, it’s good fun and it’s very good to know I have other people I trust to be in a crazy situation with me, (again, it’s a game – but the immersion…!) The houses are dark and you can turn on the lights but the ghosts usually trip the switch and power goes out, prompting your group or a brave person to find the breaker and reset everything. Until recently, I’ve never had to do that. I’d also never even held the thermometer.

Ghosts will literally hunt you and lights flash. They sneak by and make death-rattle creaking sounds, sometimes only one person will hear them breathe from behind.  You can “die” in the game, doomed to watch your friends complete the mission knowing that you’ve lost all the items you were carrying and need to earn money to replace them. I’ve died once. It sucked. It’s creepy and because you’ve been running around in the quiet dark so long, it’s actually scary to be stalked, chased and get your bones snapped. It’s even worse when you say “show yourself” and the fucking thing DOES.

Last night, I decided to do a mission. Alone.

Every mission suggests at least 2 people. I was scared of dying and losing all my equipment because usually one of the other people does the more dangerous stuff eg: goes back in to try and snap a pic of the ghost for extra credit/money. They also lay glowsticks in a path so we know where to hide if the ghost starts hunting etc. Usually myself and another person stay in the trailer or stand behind him in the doorway while he does this loose cannon crap. XD (which I love btw)

It was unnerving to open the front door and use the thermometer to find the haunted room alone. That’s usually someone else’s job. Setting up the cameras is someone else’s job too. I speak to the ghosts sometimes but I’m nearly always on the EMF and still-cameras taking pics of dolls that have moved or fingerprints under UV light. This time all of it was up to me. When I spoke to the Spirit Box at one stage, I asked the ghost to show itself(one of the objectives was to snap a pic)…and I literally jumped and choked on my own spit. It just appeared near the window in a baby’s room, dark matted hair, weird stance, then disappeared! The Spirit Book suddenly had “DIE DIE DIE” written in it and the EMF was on level 5 and screaming.

Before I loaded in I was scared to make a stupid mistake so I didn’t want to try. I also didn’t want the responsibility of all the equipment; setting it up effectively, using it the right way. But look around IRL, literally every level of every industry has some dumb a-hole sitting on a board of directors or in a management position who is incompetent to the extreme. And, THEY DON’T EVEN CARE. It seems people who have intelligence and foresight, who see potential issues and second guesses themselves are the people too scared to move forward even though they’re capable. I know it’s “only a game” but it made me think about my role in a social dynamic and the lack of confidence to do things alone. The worst outcome last night would have been losing all my equipment and having to wait until my crew is around so I can borrow theirs and earn money to buy stuff again.

I knew what to do and how to do it, but I’d never done it. I didn’t want to try because someone else may know better. Lesson is…just do it. In this situation the main things were: there weren’t hugely terrible consequences, and I was learning. It also takes balls because out of all the people I usually play this game with, no one would do this alone.  It’s creepy. A lot of times, people need to be told that it’s okay to make mistakes if you’re new, returning to something or having a terrible day. The perfection I expect from myself has dictated actions I take (or don’t take.) Give yourself a break. You’re learning.

“The Banshee is a natural hunter and will attack anything. It has been known to stalk its prey one at a time until it makes its kill.” – wiki

I identified it after a few scares, made money…and got out with all my bones intact. Am I going to try it again? Probably. I know I’m able to handle what gets thrown at me. And if I fail, I can just try again.

 

 

 

 

TLDR:
*Phasmophobia is a good game to play with friends and scare yourself

* I played it alone. 

*I discovered that sometimes I don’t take chances because I believe other people are better than me. 

*When I do stuff, I kick ass. Banshee ass.

 

 

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All content is no copyright infringement intended. All posts are opinion only and are subject to change due to experience, kicking ass and learning how to adult more effectively. If you don’t like it, don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya. Elements of original content may be reproduced with expressed permission from Ever Eden.

 

Tags: banshee, confidence, dynamics, EMF reader, game, gaming, ghosts, glow up, growth, horror games, learning, middle man, mistakes, phasmophobia, Spirit Book, Spirit Box, spirits, thermometer, Wisdom