It really depends on the game, and how competitive it is. For multiplayer games, I usually gravitate towards competitive, but for most else, I gravitate towards maximizing enjoyment (be that hardcore or casual).
Casual Enjoyment vs The Ash Ketchum Approach?
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I used to be all competitive and shit, especially with Pokemon.
And then somewhere around the 500th cookie-cutter enemy team (Garchomp, Suicine, Creselia, olay!) I got sick of it, got the fuck out of the meta and went and had some fun fighting the Elite Four with a Ratticate and Furret.
I'll occasionally dip my toes into competitive environments nowadays - stupid WoW locking transmog sets behind PvP walls - but by-and-large I'm just a filthy casual, whose ultimate goal is to have fun.
And then somewhere around the 500th cookie-cutter enemy team (Garchomp, Suicine, Creselia, olay!) I got sick of it, got the fuck out of the meta and went and had some fun fighting the Elite Four with a Ratticate and Furret.
I'll occasionally dip my toes into competitive environments nowadays - stupid WoW locking transmog sets behind PvP walls - but by-and-large I'm just a filthy casual, whose ultimate goal is to have fun.
If going for "The very best" means playing through single player with as few deaths/losses/bullets fired/grenades thrown and whatever, sure.
But I'll never really dig into multiplayer unless I like the game enough or it's what my splitscreen buddy wants to play. Which means Forza, Halo [up to 4] or some other shooty game on the xbox, and Orange Juice on the PC.
But I'll never really dig into multiplayer unless I like the game enough or it's what my splitscreen buddy wants to play. Which means Forza, Halo [up to 4] or some other shooty game on the xbox, and Orange Juice on the PC.
The first is not casual gaming and the second is a terrible way to put it because I hate Pokemon.
I'm kind of in the middle. My skills are decent, but I don't have the time to spend to really "git gud", and honestly, I don't care enough to be super competitive. More than anything else, it's the other players that put me off online multiplayer, so I tend to play far more single player story driven games than online stuff.
I mean I've been playing overwatch with the hope that I could become VERY good at it. I don't think I will though.
I'm also not very hyper competitive. I win some, i lose some. As long as I'm getting my match bonus, be that XP or GTA $$$ I'm cool. Ya know?
I'm also not very hyper competitive. I win some, i lose some. As long as I'm getting my match bonus, be that XP or GTA $$$ I'm cool. Ya know?
I used to be pretty competitive. Would play Counter-strike and try and practice and learn any stupid little thing that would increase my kill-death ratio. And I would get fiercely annoyed and angry with myself if it dropped. I also used to play Unreal Tournament and Quake 3, and a bit of Warcraft 3 at a somewhat competitive level. Until I realized what an ant I was in the mountain of freakish competitive players. Then it drifted more into just having fun with buddies at small LAN's, or home.
Nowadays I'm hardly competitive at all, and couldn't care less about being good. But I do get annoyed if I feel I suck at something, and try to reason it out and make sure it doesn't happen again. Like regularly being the first to die in Killing Floor 2, man that is embarrassing. I guess you could say I'm competitive with myself, I do like to up the challenges and difficulty frequently.
Nowadays I'm hardly competitive at all, and couldn't care less about being good. But I do get annoyed if I feel I suck at something, and try to reason it out and make sure it doesn't happen again. Like regularly being the first to die in Killing Floor 2, man that is embarrassing. I guess you could say I'm competitive with myself, I do like to up the challenges and difficulty frequently.
I suppose I gravitate towards fun more, but that doesn't mean I won't end up the best anyway. That's just how awesome I am, hurr hurr hurrr. Sometimes though, trying to be the best at having fun is a thing. So I try to mix it up. Take for example a game I play all the damn time; Team Fortress 2. If you want to be the best, you choose the best class and the best weapons and you do your best to be the best. You see these people all the time. They're maining soldier or demoman or sinking hundreds of hours getting good at sniper, and everyone that's getting stomped by them is rolling their eyes thinking these tryhards are ruining the fun. I tend to agree. They're ruining it for themselves. I make a game of it to see how hard I can keep playing well while using worse classes or joke weapons.
Some people start hard, exert themselves as hard and as fast as they can, come, get bored, and go. I like to take my time. I like a little foreplay. Use some of the weirder toys, tease dominations, see how much fun can be had in as many different ways as possible, and always chase that new way to play. But some people want to play it like Ash Ketchum and just bag 'em all. I shake my head.
Ahem...
Can games have those 2 styles coexisting? Yes, many games do. And many games do suffer from developers intentionally dividing along those lines, or more often, trying to balance it both ways and falling short.
Many games try to do their best to please both aspects, but one of them usually ends up disappointing. Take for a very recent example Dark Souls 3. The invasion system is very heavily weighed in the favor of the invaded host intentionally to reduce the stress on the casual player, but this comes at great expense to those doing the invading, more so if what they assumed was that the standard invasion PvP would be more or less even as it was in the previous games.
Though that may not be a clear example. There are standard duels for battling on even ground, but the normal wilderness invasions exist in a state of limbo being non-consenting in a deliberate clash between the two styles of PvE and PvP. What's happened to that compromise mechanic is that it's become very weighted against the player that set out to be the best vs the one just trying to survive and keep their game fun.
"Compromise" has been made for the worse in this case.
You see the same thing in other games. MMOs have always had the standard "casual" player vs the "hardcore raider" so much so that the casuals very often never enter many of the raiding dungeons where the raiders play. In World of Warcraft they've tried their hardest to bridge that gap, but the unfortunate result they have is "tourist mode;" piss-easy raids that disgust some hardcore players. If this mode were a wretch I'd spit on them. Sure, many more players are having more fun and enjoying new content in their favorite game... but at what cost?!
Similarly there are those that like Structured PvP to be the best at, and I pity them so. They're playing in a game that has PvP as an afterthought.
Some people start hard, exert themselves as hard and as fast as they can, come, get bored, and go. I like to take my time. I like a little foreplay. Use some of the weirder toys, tease dominations, see how much fun can be had in as many different ways as possible, and always chase that new way to play. But some people want to play it like Ash Ketchum and just bag 'em all. I shake my head.
Ahem...
Can games have those 2 styles coexisting? Yes, many games do. And many games do suffer from developers intentionally dividing along those lines, or more often, trying to balance it both ways and falling short.
Many games try to do their best to please both aspects, but one of them usually ends up disappointing. Take for a very recent example Dark Souls 3. The invasion system is very heavily weighed in the favor of the invaded host intentionally to reduce the stress on the casual player, but this comes at great expense to those doing the invading, more so if what they assumed was that the standard invasion PvP would be more or less even as it was in the previous games.
Though that may not be a clear example. There are standard duels for battling on even ground, but the normal wilderness invasions exist in a state of limbo being non-consenting in a deliberate clash between the two styles of PvE and PvP. What's happened to that compromise mechanic is that it's become very weighted against the player that set out to be the best vs the one just trying to survive and keep their game fun.
"Compromise" has been made for the worse in this case.
You see the same thing in other games. MMOs have always had the standard "casual" player vs the "hardcore raider" so much so that the casuals very often never enter many of the raiding dungeons where the raiders play. In World of Warcraft they've tried their hardest to bridge that gap, but the unfortunate result they have is "tourist mode;" piss-easy raids that disgust some hardcore players. If this mode were a wretch I'd spit on them. Sure, many more players are having more fun and enjoying new content in their favorite game... but at what cost?!
Similarly there are those that like Structured PvP to be the best at, and I pity them so. They're playing in a game that has PvP as an afterthought.
Somewhere in between right now. Trying to get substantially better at fighting games since the latter half of last year. Slow but rewarding process.
I want to be the very best! That I have ever seen!
To collect them is my great test! To complete them is my cause!
I will research across this web! Searching for answers!
This medium... to understand... The purpose that they share!
VIDJAGAMES!
Gotta play them all! It's me and/or Mii!
It's not much a Destiny!
VIDJAGAMES!
Oh, we can be friends! In this co-op to defend!
VIDJAGAMES!
Gotta play them all! It's all so true!
Our instincts will pull us through!
You beat me and I'll beat you!
VIDJAGAMES!
Gotta play them all! Gotta play them all?
VIDJAGAMES!
OT: As a casually hardcore kind of person when it comes to gaming, it really does depend on how much I'm willing to invest my time over a set period of time... which, it tern, leads to some obvious questions I must ask myself:Is time management really a big deal?
Will I have to pull out the pencil and paper again?
Am I going to force myself to connect my PS3 controller to my laptop because I wanted to play it with a controller anyway?No matter how tough the initial question can be, it does not change my fact that I'm playing for my own definition of enjoyment...
Other than that, given what's canon of Ash Ketchum, he will never be the very best because the goal post keeps moving not in his favor...
To collect them is my great test! To complete them is my cause!
I will research across this web! Searching for answers!
This medium... to understand... The purpose that they share!
VIDJAGAMES!
Gotta play them all! It's me and/or Mii!
It's not much a Destiny!
VIDJAGAMES!
Oh, we can be friends! In this co-op to defend!
VIDJAGAMES!
Gotta play them all! It's all so true!
Our instincts will pull us through!
You beat me and I'll beat you!
VIDJAGAMES!
Gotta play them all! Gotta play them all?
VIDJAGAMES!
OT: As a casually hardcore kind of person when it comes to gaming, it really does depend on how much I'm willing to invest my time over a set period of time... which, it tern, leads to some obvious questions I must ask myself:Is time management really a big deal?
Will I have to pull out the pencil and paper again?
Am I going to force myself to connect my PS3 controller to my laptop because I wanted to play it with a controller anyway?No matter how tough the initial question can be, it does not change my fact that I'm playing for my own definition of enjoyment...
Other than that, given what's canon of Ash Ketchum, he will never be the very best because the goal post keeps moving not in his favor...
It depends on the game individually. When I play Battlefield or CoD I wanna do good, but with CS I couldn't give a fuck. With Arkham games I try to be the Batman, and that means being absolutely perfect, a continuous combo in combat or a never-seen stealth run.
The only times the genre of a game affects the effort I put into it are when it is a stealth game or a fighting game. In a stealth game, I do my best to never be seen, take out every threat, and figure out all the options. Fighting games? I could not give less of a fuck.
The only times the genre of a game affects the effort I put into it are when it is a stealth game or a fighting game. In a stealth game, I do my best to never be seen, take out every threat, and figure out all the options. Fighting games? I could not give less of a fuck.
I play until I stop having fun. For some games, that includes dominating the competition, or getting 100%. For most games, it's far short of that. As a rule, I'm not interested in the competitive scene in the first place.
Casual all the way.
Casual all the way.
I play at my own pace. Sometimes I'm very committed sometimes I'm not it all depends on many variables such as the game itself, backlog, upcoming titles, etc.
Little bit of both. I play to have fun, but to me it's fun and accomplishing to succeed through mastering the controls, so to speak. If I like a game I'll always strive to improve and get better at it, knowing full well I may not become the best. As long as I get better than I were when I began, that's a win.
I fall into Camp 1. I am definitely not the best at any game out there, and I don't give a shit. My enjoyment is the game itself, not in my ability to be better than others at something.
But that's how I am at pretty much anything. I don't really have a competitive streak in me. Conflict of just about any kind bothers me, as it tends to foster negative behavior more than anything else, particularly in the gaming community. So I tend to stick to single player games, or games where the human players are working cooperatively to beat the game. Games like Payday 2 for example.
But that's how I am at pretty much anything. I don't really have a competitive streak in me. Conflict of just about any kind bothers me, as it tends to foster negative behavior more than anything else, particularly in the gaming community. So I tend to stick to single player games, or games where the human players are working cooperatively to beat the game. Games like Payday 2 for example.
It varies greatly for many titles (competitive multiplayer and fighting games come to mind), but I generally gravitate toward the middle ground of the two.
I do play games to enjoy them, but I also get invested in them to actually want to complete them and actually be good, if not borderline competent, when playing certain games. Examples of this include making lists and spread sheets when it comes to planning and recording progress in various RPG games.
In Pokemon, I use lists to determine what Pokemon I need to catch, what level to raise them in order to evolve them, and the moves that they will learn. I also use spread sheets when it comes to super training and developing competitive Pokemon.
I've done this for other games outside the genre, most notably Blackligh: Retribution, as there are several customization options that can turn your standard machine gun rifle into a long range sniper rifle.
I also legitimately attempt to get better at competitive multiplayer games and fighting games, taking some time offline to get my layout and stats right for the former and memorize moves and combos for the latter.
I do play games to enjoy them, but I also get invested in them to actually want to complete them and actually be good, if not borderline competent, when playing certain games. Examples of this include making lists and spread sheets when it comes to planning and recording progress in various RPG games.
In Pokemon, I use lists to determine what Pokemon I need to catch, what level to raise them in order to evolve them, and the moves that they will learn. I also use spread sheets when it comes to super training and developing competitive Pokemon.
I've done this for other games outside the genre, most notably Blackligh: Retribution, as there are several customization options that can turn your standard machine gun rifle into a long range sniper rifle.
I also legitimately attempt to get better at competitive multiplayer games and fighting games, taking some time offline to get my layout and stats right for the former and memorize moves and combos for the latter.
The enjoyment of competitive gaming for me is seeing the game played at the penultimate level. I like being good because the fun to be had when you play well, while understanding everything, is immense. Beating other people is just the mechanism through which one hones their skill. In the end, the same love for the game that you described is at play there, just, a much more devoted one, willing to risk ones ego and worth ones free time and in some cases travel expenses.Happyninja42 said:
I don't know how other genres and their playerbases are but 2D fighting games are like this.
"I just wanna be...Kinda good.
Like some other people are.
I'd catch them if I could,
I wont get very far."
Honestly, I work 52 hours a week and my weekend isn't long enough to settle in and enjoy anything for any given length of time. I've spent the last few months, upset and depressed with myself because I can't let myself get into a game because of the limited time I have per session. My favorite Genre, RPG's, have become difficult because I often don't have long enough in a single play session to even complete a single quest, let alone any side distractions.
Then a few weeks ago, I realized that my problem is playing a game with accomplishments in mind. So instead I starting sitting down and playing random games, stopping whenever and where ever I needed to.
Thanks to the PS4 and Vita, I don't need to get to a save point or anything like that. I simply put the system into rest mode when I have to stop and jump right back into the game when I can play again.
It's been rather liberating. But as such I put aside any hopes of being "good" or "the very best" in any game anymore. Once I let the thought of actually beating a game get out of my head, I've found myself finally able to pick up and just play again. It's awesome.
Like some other people are.
I'd catch them if I could,
I wont get very far."
Honestly, I work 52 hours a week and my weekend isn't long enough to settle in and enjoy anything for any given length of time. I've spent the last few months, upset and depressed with myself because I can't let myself get into a game because of the limited time I have per session. My favorite Genre, RPG's, have become difficult because I often don't have long enough in a single play session to even complete a single quest, let alone any side distractions.
Then a few weeks ago, I realized that my problem is playing a game with accomplishments in mind. So instead I starting sitting down and playing random games, stopping whenever and where ever I needed to.
Thanks to the PS4 and Vita, I don't need to get to a save point or anything like that. I simply put the system into rest mode when I have to stop and jump right back into the game when I can play again.
It's been rather liberating. But as such I put aside any hopes of being "good" or "the very best" in any game anymore. Once I let the thought of actually beating a game get out of my head, I've found myself finally able to pick up and just play again. It's awesome.