Petting dogs in video games is a calcified meme at this point. It is not uncommon for studios to devote hours of valuable development resources to create custom-made dog petting animations in an attempt at sound viral marketing.

In addition, the popular 2022 game "Pentimento" offers unique petting animations based on the size of the dog. These are all in an effort to please players and get them to mention dog influencer @CanYouPetTheDog on Twitter.

But in the case of Firaxis' tactical superhero RPG Midnight Suns, released last Friday, petting a dog is not just a moral decision. This is the first case in which the fate of the human race may depend on how many times you call a puppy "good boy."

People may think that Charlie is a bad dog because he is from hell, but in fact he is a good dog who deserves constant praise. (I should add that this is not even the first time I've been able to pet a dog from hell - I was able to pet Cerberus in 2020's "Hades.")

Here's my butterfly effect theory that petting Charlie in Midnight Sands might save the planet:

If you fail to pet Charlie, it could have a could be severely affected.

But the implications are even more significant. While Ebony is hard to find in the vast expanse of Midnight Sands (she may only be there on certain days; she may not even be in the area at the time of the game), she is a very important part of the community. I recommend looking for the paw icon in the Midnight Sands map), the bonuses I received were substantial. On one occasion, petting Ebony instantly healed an injured hero. And last night, when I petted the cat, all the characters in my party leveled up. Never before has petting a head had such an effect on my power level.

Thanks for coming to my PET talk.