Bah, humbug. Where did the fun in gaming go? *Rant*

[Kopikatsu]

MMOGs, FPSes, Fighting Games, and 'Strategy' games are the games that are most likely to have a 'competitive gaming scene'. Some competitiveness in anything is good for a variety of reasons, primarily because you strive to be better at that task/subject/etc. But in gaming, at what point does it become too much?

I'm sure that some of you (Probably most of you) won't agree with all, or possibly any of what I say. Because it's an opinion. Just sayin'

'Strategy' Games: Some of you may be questioning why the quotes are there. Well, strategy games actually contain only one strategy. If you've ever seen tournament play of a strategy game, then you know what I mean. If you haven't (Perfectly understandable. I'm kind of ashamed that I have.) then I'll just tell you this. There is a single strategy which is considered to be the 'best'. Tournaments are basically 'Who can enact this single strategy the fastest?' Yes, you heard (Read?) that correctly. Strategy game tournaments are actually a test of how quickly you can use hotkeys and nothing else. I don't know about the 'Pros' who take part in these tournaments, but I don't find that fun...at all. I remember when me and my friends would play Empire Earth III in the middle of class. We didn't look up the very best strategy and then all four of us try and do that faster than the other three could. In one of the tournaments I watched (Starcraft II), some of the participants actually broke down and started crying if they lost. That really doesn't sound like they're having fun to me.

Me and my friends just made whatever the hell we wanted and screwed around with it, and know what? It was fun. (Example, me and mah BFF JILL (Who is a guy, and not named Jill) covered half the map in anti-air turrets/vehicles. My other two friends made nothing but very inexpensive jets from their aircraft carriers. The resulting battle was so amazingly epic, it crashed most of the computers...but the aircraft destroyed all of the AA and our bases, so meh.)


Fighting Games: This one can be summed up in a single phrase which I'm sure many of you are familiar with. "NO ITEMS, FOX ONLY, FINAL DESTINATION" I recently got Marvel vs Capcom 3 and I can say this about it. In an hour of playing online, I'm fairly certain that you will receive more hate mail than you would have if you said you were a cat-raping pedophile and posted pictures on 4chan. Basically, what I learned from the mountains of hate mail can be summed up with this: "If you use Arthur, Dr. Doom, Magneto, Trish, Dormammu, Akuma, Hulk, Wesker, Dante, X-Factor, Phoenix, Zero, call assists, or basically do anything but stand there with the lowest health characters and let them KO you, you are a scrub and unworthy to play any fighting game ever because of how much you apparently suck at it. Also, if you use Sentinel, your mother preformed a variety of depraved sex acts with complete strangers apparently. (Of course, then they disconnect so they don't get a loss and you don't get a win. It makes getting the 'win 5 in a row' trophy really, REALLY hard.) Also, if you use the 'Simple' control scheme for any reason at all, then you should kill yourself. (At least, that's what part of GF's message board seems to think.)

I don't really see why ANY game should have hate mail and ragequitting. It's a game, you're supposed to be having fun! If you aren't, then something is terribly, terribly wrong.

Obligatory 'topic relevant' comment: Me and my best friend play MvC3 fairly often. Do we sit there for hours and hours every day, training to make sure we're 'Pros' and beat everyone at the game? No! We just there and mash buttons, and know what? It's fun!

FPS: This is probably the least affected in the bunch, depending on circumstances within the game. I'm sure that many people who play FPSes know that some guns, setups, equipment, etc is considered to be 'optimal', even if everything in the game is perfectly balanced and you become a 'scrub' to the opposing players if you use even a single part of the 'optimal' setup and run the risk of being kicked/banned by the host. So, say you use become a 'scrub' to your own team if you don't use the entire layout. Actually, there are many, many servers/rooms/etc whose host will kick you from the room if you aren't doing it the 'right' way.

I'm sure that winning a game is more enjoyable for most people opposed to losing, but what lengths would you go to in order to win? I see it as shunning one of your friends from your social circle because you don't like who he picked for the fantasy football league. Anyway, there isn't much more to say than that. (The reason I added this one was mostly because I'm a bit sour at being banned from multiple servers on a few different FPSes because I use a shotgun...for everything. Then get accused of hacking when I twitch kill someone coming around a corner. A HEADSHOT AT BLANK POINT RANGE WITH A SHOTGUN ISN'T SOMETHING YOU GET BACK UP FROM. ...Anyway...)

Disclaimer: When I say strategy game, I mean Real-Time Strategy. Not like Chess.

/End rant.

tl;dr Do you think that some people take video games to a level of competitiveness where it stops being fun and starts to become a job? A job that doesn't pay, I might add.

Offtopic: Apparently Fox News has a group of people who play video games and review them. These same people said that Uncharted 2 was possibly the best game ever made. MIND = BLOWN

 

[Trolldor]

I can't have fun on competitive games mostly because in 'vs' games I prefer dog matches.

I quit Counter-Strike primarily because everybody just camped it up by the end, where as in the early days of 1.6 you could have rounds that went for thirty seconds because everybody actively moved through the damn level.

I miss the tactical shield, noob rage was always lulzy.

 

[Kopikatsu]

I can't have fun on competitive games mostly because in 'vs' games I prefer dog matches.

I quit Counter-Strike primarily because everybody just camped it up by the end, where as in the early days of 1.6 you could have rounds that went for thirty seconds because everybody actively moved through the damn level.

I miss the tactical shield, noob rage was always lulzy.

Ah, another RS user. Yeah, I always took the shield and the most expensive handgun for the CT side. (Forget the name of it).

For some reason, every stood there and kept shooting the shield, even though they knew it wouldn't do anything. It was like a deer in headlights...good times.

Anyway, ijji has two 'twitch' FPSes. Genesis AD and AVA. Both are pretty good at avoiding camping. Genesis AD because you have a good deal of armor and a jet pack (Which isn't like a flying in the air type thing. More like a boost forward/to the side/back type thing. Basically, if someone camps, just boost over them and blast away).

Most maps in AVA don't allow for camping, like Pyramid and Towns...something. Just massive bloodbaths everywhere. (Also, both of those maps allow easy double digit kill streaks with a shotgun)

 

[Mallefunction]

It depends on who you play with. If you play with whiny brats who only care about winning, then yes, multi-player (aka MMOs and Fighting games) sucks arse.

I have fun with all my games, even when I die. Half the fun of Prince of Persia is watching him fall off and scream after I miscalculate a jump, only to rewind the incident and watch it again XD

The problem is that now video games are pretty main stream and people see winning them as actual achievements/failures versus a good time/story. That's why a lot of fun is being sucked out of the gamer community. People are focusing too much on trophies and achievements instead of just enjoying themselves.

 

[The Madman]

If you really think that's all there is to most strategy games, you're mistaken. I wont disagree that they often lack a certain element of fun, I usually find myself more intense and sometimes frustrated than smiling cheerfully while playing the more intense online strategy games such as Starcraft 2. But to say that there's only one way to win... that's just silly.

Still, the reward with playing those sorts of games online generally comes from a sense of victory when you win rather than playing the game itself. Poker isn't fun at all either in any sort of serious environment, but the thrill of a perfect game winning hand played at the right moment? Glorious! Same with Chess or any number of non-electronic counterparts.

Which isn't to say there aren't some strategy games out there which are fun throughout. That's why I enjoy Dawn of War 2 myself! In 3v3 especially it's just so over-the-top violent, so explosive, so ridiculous I find it hard not to grin like an idiot half the time I'm playing.

 

[Irridium]

Different people like different things. All the stuff you listed is actually fun for some people.

 

[DeadlyYellow]

The majority of people on the internet will do nothing to warrant the time wasted listening to them. You're better off just muting everyone and playing how you want. Make your own fun.

 

[Kae]

I think I pretty much agree with you, I mean for example in a DOTA style game called League of Legends that I play, I find it quite strange how a lot of people are always angry because they are losing, and oddly enough the part that I enjoy more about the game is when you are abouyt to lose and you are getting attacked from every possible angle, I just find that last attempt at survival bit ridiculously entertaining, especially since it rarely happens because most people just get pissed of and use the surrender button.

 

[Kopikatsu]

I think I pretty much agree with you, I mean for example in a DOTA style game called League of Legends that I play, I find it quite strange how a lot of people are always angry because they are losing, and oddly enough the part that I enjoy more about the game is when you are abouyt to lose and you are getting attacked from every possible angle, I just find that last attempt at survival bit ridiculously entertaining, especially since it rarely happens because most people just get pissed of and use the surrender button.

League of Legends...I know people who play that.

Anyway, I know what you mean. In AVA, I find the most exciting part of the game is when the other team has pretty much taken over your base and its a desperate struggle to even escape the slaughter, then when enough of you make it through the hail of bullets alive, you go back to save the rest of your team. Generally, everyone just dies horribly and your team ends up losing if you get into that situation, but still fun.

 

[Space Spoons]

There are people out there that take gaming a bit more seriously than I do, but I don't let it bother me. The way I see it, we're both after the same thing, that thing being "fun". The only difference is that to them, the game's only fun if they're dominating, whereas I'm happy just to play, regardless of whether I win or lose.

Different strokes for different folks, I guess.

Also, regarding Marvel being a job that doesn't pay...
There was $15,000 riding on that match. Sure, it's not a payout you'll see more than maybe once a year, and yeah, only the top 2% of Marvel players can actually compete at this level, but... Hey, it's not nothing. Respect where it's due.

 

[MrJKapowey]

I'm sure that some of you (Probably most of you) won't agree with all, or possibly any of what I say. Because it's an opinion. Just sayin'

'Strategy' Games: Some of you may be questioning why the quotes are there. Well, strategy games actually contain only one strategy. If you've ever seen tournament play of a strategy game, then you know what I mean. If you haven't (Perfectly understandable. I'm kind of ashamed that I have.) then I'll just tell you this. There is a single strategy which is considered to be the 'best'. Tournaments are basically 'Who can enact this single strategy the fastest?' Yes, you heard (Read?) that correctly. Strategy game tournaments are actually a test of how quickly you can use hotkeys and nothing else. I don't know about the 'Pros' who take part in these tournaments, but I don't find that fun...at all. I remember when me and my friends would play Empire Earth III in the middle of class. We didn't look up the very best strategy and then all four of us try and do that faster than the other three could. In one of the tournaments I watched (Starcraft II), some of the participants actually broke down and started crying if they lost. That really doesn't sound like they're having fun to me.

FPS: This is probably the least affected in the bunch, depending on circumstances within the game. I'm sure that many people who play FPSes know that some guns, setups, equipment, etc is considered to be 'optimal', even if everything in the game is perfectly balanced and you become a 'scrub' to the opposing players if you use even a single part of the 'optimal' setup and run the risk of being kicked/banned by the host. So, say you use become a 'scrub' to your own team if you don't use the entire layout. Actually, there are many, many servers/rooms/etc whose host will kick you from the room if you aren't doing it the 'right' way.

/End rant.

Strategy - I've found (on AoE: III) that you can have loads of fun in even a semi-regimented strategy:
- Me and my friend host own match (Nomad, Large Siberia)
- Build a massive base together, him Russians, me Ottomans.
- We both defend, me replenishing units as they die, him training Over Powered raiding cav if his normal troops die.
- I have lots of cannon.
- He completely owns one of the opposing players bases with like 50 OP raiding Cavalry.
- The enemy pulls back, I follow.
- One player is forced out of the match (base gone, they've lost) by the blitzkrieg.
- The other is crushed between the anvil of Imperial Janissaries and Imperial Great Bombards and the hammer of Imperial Oprichniks.

FPSs - I play console, so I can't really be booted from servers but I do find people go 'Ah, N0o8y weapon!' or 'OMFGWTFBBQLOLOMGROTFLMFAO! U IZ HAXXORZ!'. This occurs even if they are stupidly bad - one kid complained I was aimbotting whilst through his mic he was saying 'Which controller is on at the moment...This one? No.' (etc. etc.) He wasn't moving at all.

 

[Zhukov]

Yes and no.

I wouldn't say I play games "seriously" but I do play with the objective of winning. To the point that I get irritated when I see teamates screwing around. However, I don't have a break down if my teams loses. Hell, I've had highly enjoyable matches where I ended up losing. It doesn't ruin the enjoyment.

The real problem here is sore losers. Really, what kind of sad creature quits the game early to prevent the loss being recorded? That's just pathetic.

Personally, I think the real fun is to be had in the close matches. You know, the ones where the payload is stopped within inches of the final cap, or where the survivors only just make it to the safe room after a desperate struggle, or where the final m-com is destroyed with only five tickets left. Win or lose, those are the most fun.

 

[Space Spoons]

There was $15,000 riding on that match. Sure, it's not a payout you'll see more than maybe once a year, and yeah, only the top 2% of Marvel players can actually compete at this level, but... Hey, it's not nothing. Respect where it's due.

if all you're making is 15k a year then you should drastically reconsider your employment. It's also not secure job where you are guerenteed a paycheck.

Marvel is as much a job as gambling is.

It's not as far-fetched as it seems. Guys that play at this level earn their living through sponsorships, supplemented by playing through smaller tournament circuits throughout the year, plus the occasional big payout "All-Star" tournament like Season's Beatings or EVO. Not factoring in what they earn in sponsorships, a player that keeps on top of his game can easily rake in maybe $2000 a month in winnings, which I guess isn't extremely lucrative, but is definitely enough to make a decent living on.

That said, you're pretty much spot on in believing it's not a sure thing. Maybe 90% of the game playing public can't challenge them at all, but if they do lose, it's a pretty serious setback.

 

[Thaius]

Some people like competition. To them, people who think games should just be fun, not taken seriously, are annoying. There's not much more infuriating than when you're genuinely trying to help your team win, only for some douchebag who thinks "it's just a game" to screw it up because he'd rather play drunk for fun than actually put effort into his game.

Point being, there are two perfectly legitimate sides to this story. Don't rant about how the other side is wrong, just stay out of their way and let them do their thing.

 

[BENZOOKA]

I'll post something I've posted on another thread some time ago

I very rarely even look to have just plain old fun in a game. I want:
interactivity
to see numbers increase
solve problems
form plans and strategies
test my reflexes
increase and use my skills
accomplish something
to compete
and so on...
...and feel whatever doing those things does to me.

It's almost never just fun, but other stuff that is better than fun.

I don't play online shooters and such seriously all the time though. It depends on the skill level of other players, and how I want to play at the moment.

 

[KarmaTheAlligator]

I agree with OP, games should be about having fun and taking a break from being stressed. That's one of the reason I only play online with my friends, because we all have similar skills in games (i.e. we suck) but we have buckets of fun because we're bad, and it definitely takes the sting of losing away.

One of my favourite games of all time is Alien Vs Predator 2. Why? I always play as the alien, and no matter who wins, I have the time of my life just messing around and climbing everywhere. And also being clever when hiding.

 

[Fappy]

Confession time: I didn't read the whole post because its 9 in the morning and I'm suffering from vertigo at the moment. I do however believe I got the gist of your post.

People play games for different reasons. Some like the competitive scene. Some just want to have fun. I personally have had to spend the last several years learning this fact and reminding myself that its okay that I am not the best at "X" game and that trying to do so is completely counter to why I play games. I play them to have fun, and I usually do. I have grown to despise many competitive experiences not because of the games but because of their rotten communities and conformist sensibilities.

Simply put, don't let it get to you. If you play games to have fun then don't worry about your ability or the best strategies/comps or what someone will think of you if you play Jin and spam ice-car (I will hate for that). They can fuck themselves. You spent 60 dollars (or a sexual favor) on this game and you can attempt to get from it whatever you want.