You know what really sucks?
...Trying to make a genuine friend online these days.

It seems like, behind the aegis of a computer screen, coupled with the anonymity of the internet, people have a tendency to cultivate obnoxious personas that have risen to premium c***bag levels.

Are you tired of "fake friends", and "empty interactions"? Then look no further.
I'm looking to make a genuine gaming buddy, with the potential to become great friends. The caveat? I'd like to have shared interests, and a similar mentality on things.
I know. Call me crazy.
And I'm probably fighting against all the odds here, but Goku taught me to never give up! And so, persist I must.

Now, a little bit about me (so you can get a feel if we'd be a good match from your perspective):

- I'm a 38 year old Australian guy.
- No kids (so, no annoying pests to leech our gaming sessions)
- Straight, and in a relationship (in case you were getting some "he's fishing for a date" vibes.)
- Not currently working.
- Decent Rig (self-built last year), so I can play anything currently on offer. And I have a microphone.

My interests?

- Anime. I'm talking old school; Berserk, Cowboy Bebop, Princess Mononoke, Trigun, Akira, Samurai Champloo, DBZ, Hajime no Ippo. Although, some of the newer stuff can be decent, I do gravitate toward a good story that doesn't overstay its welcome.

- Shows and films such as Futurama, GoT before season 7/8, Rick and Morty, Older Simpsons, The Office (US), Spartacus Blood and Sand, Seinfeld, Boondock Saints, Starship Troopers, Fight Club, Wreck it Ralph, Aliens, LotR, Harry Potter (and more).

- Board games (I own a small handful), like; Nemesis, Zombicide, Bestiary of Sigillum, Talisman, and more. I've wanted to get into D&D, but haven’t had much luck with it lately.

- Videogames (obviously).
While you can look at my steam games list to get a feel for some of what I play, in general I DON'T enjoy any sporting games, and the majority of plain FPS games (COD etc).
Some games I enjoy (but aren't limited to) are, Final Fantasy, Souls-likes, Divinity, Expedition 33, Vampire the Masquerade - Bloodlines, The Longest Journey, Grim Dawn, Terraria, Dune Awakening, Helldivers 2, Myriad old Roms (Zelda, Banjo Kazooie, Breath of Fire etc), Yakuza, V Rising, The older Borderlands games (1 & 2), Subnautica...and so much more.
I enjoy MMORPGs — right up until they become endless loops of grinding the same dungeon 100 times just to get slightly shinier gear to… you guessed it, grind the same dungeon again.

- I love a good story, and as such, do enjoy RPGs

- Fitness and Martial Arts (I've been training for a bit over two decades).

- Some notable mentions are that I am teaching myself Piano, I am learning Japanese (Basic Level currently), and learning to draw.


Now, what types of things am I looking for in a friend?
Well, apart from the aforementioned 'Shared interests and similar mentalities', I'll list a few specifics:

- Someone friendly, with a sense of humour (It can be incredibly draining to communicate with someone as dry as sandpaper).

- A selfless and considerate person. (I've definitely had my experiences with 'loot hoarders' and people with overall selfish approaches to life).

- 10 fingers and toes. (okay, that was a joke).

- An articulate person with a modicum of wit.

- Someone of a similar age, with similar life circumstances.
Brutal truth time? I'm not interested in making any young friends (I'm talking 18 year old, etc). The generational gap, and your definite addiction to reels, scrolling, and social media, will create a bulwark that I don't think even Krillin could overcome.
In all seriousness though, I genuinely am just looking for someone who is mature.

- It'd be fantastic to find someone who is down to have some regular sessions, have some fun banter, and even just shoot the breeze while we enjoy some mutual interests.


As for etiquette within gaming sessions?

- I like it when my teammate is down to actually enjoy the world/story, rather than rush from point A to point B like they've heard there's a naked picture of Sandra Bullock (in her prime) awaiting the first to arrive.

- Communication is a must. I mean, otherwise I'd just play with myself. BY myself...ahem. By myself...

- No rage gamers or perpetual blame-gamers either. Sure, we can get pissed if a boss crushed us, but if you're going to throw your keyboard at your cat, and put the blame on me every session, you can keep walking. I'm not interested in those shenanigans.

- I'm equally down for chilled sessions, or competitive (co-op) sessions, depending on the game and our mood.


Other than the gaming specifics, I understand that making genuine friends nowadays is hard. Even doubly so for people as we get older. And so I am looking to make a genuine friend that is down to actually make a #nohomo connection ("Not that there's anything wrong with that" ;)
If we connect and things gel quite well, I'll even share my whatsapp/messenger details so you can send me photos of your feet and crush my soul at the fact that I was strung along, yet again, for weeks, by someone who secretly wanted to get into my pants.

And, if any of the above has offended you, or you aren't interested? Keep kickin' that can down the road - you're obviously too cool for me.
I'm not interested in justifying the fact that I am allowed to like what I like.

"All genuine, detailed replies will be highly considered. Thank you for your time."