Online Casual Gaming

[vcsjones]

I'm a bit old and don't have a lot of time to dedicate to gaming as I once would like to. I do own all of the new hardware, and I decided such with such an investment that I need to look at some of the unused capabilities of it, namely online gaming.

I'm not exactly sure what I am trying to get out of this post, be it venting frustration or advice, but something.

So I started playing the game that revolutionize online gaming for the console generation: Halo (that's debatable but let's not get into that discussion). Upon immediately joining a match, I was greeted by several members that were more than willing to talk about my mother. Further, after playing for a while, I can't help but feel powerless to not get my ass handed to me by a 12 year old every match. It's quite frustrating.

I later moved to Resistance: 2 for the PS3 and had better luck with that, I still struggled with actually keeping up, despite being in ranked servers.

How exactly does one play "casual" online gaming without getting their ass completely kicked?

The immediate advice would be "practice and get better", but the wife only allows so many hours a week. I know... I'm whipped... [facepalm].

 

[D_987]

Practice, I guess. Try playing with friends or Escapists in order to improve before taking on ranked. If you haven't played through the solo campaigns I recommend you try them first as you will gain a strong idea of the various guns and gameplay styles.

 

[This-is-Hip-Hop]

All it takes is a carefree attitude, you are not going to get good immediately, espically if your casual, which is more then fine, in fact I endorse it. Casual gamers are usually the poster boys for everything thats right. You bring common sense into the industry and often times a bit of maturity into gaming.

And as for the community, well, you should always stick to the high ground when it comes to other players. I do, and not only do you not get into fights with strangers, you also get that bit of elitist feel to yourself, which should be kept in check so you can keep on playing without incident.

As for being whipped by your wife, I find nothing wrong with that, It just means that she loves you enough to want to spend time with you.

-This-is-Hip-Hop

 

[vcsjones]

You picked a bad time, dude.
Come back later. We're in the midst of a bunch of children at the moment.

Yeah, 4chan. I'm familiar with them. I'd rather choose to just ignore their presence as acknowledging then in any way empowers their ego, it seems like a lot of members on this forum are taunting them, which is actually not such a good idea. They can regroup.

I am a moderator on Microsoft's forums which they frequently raid (4chan, 7chan, and the late 420chan), and pretty hard as well. They are no stranger to me.

Best thing is to just ignore them completely. Let the moderators do their work, they know there is a problem that needs to be dealt with.

 

[Uszi]

I think by definition if you're playing casually, then you're not committed necessarily to the outcome of the game. Win or lose, you're here to have fun.

Casual can have a lot of meanings though, I suppose. Interestingly, if you found my definition acceptable, it categorizes the flamers and haters you're playing with as casual gamers, more often then not. I have a friend who plays GoW:2 mearly for the opportunity to burn the more serious players. He won't get a single kill, and will yell at his teammates to stop sucking while he tells dead baby jokes mid-round.

I think a lot is said in defense of "casual" gaming, so I find it interesting to lump trolls in their with them. But I actually can't see them as anything but casual. Maybe if they go to great lengths to troll, then they are no longer casual gamers. But who ever heard of a Troll working hard to get everyone's goat?

How exactly does one play "casual" online gaming without getting their ass completely kicked?

The immediate advice would be "practice and get better", but the wife only allows so many hours a week. I know... I'm whipped... [facepalm].

Play less competitive games with lower time commitments?

 

[SimuLord]

I have found that online gaming is greatly more enjoyable when it exists in the form of challenge matches with people I actually know and like rather than relying on an ingame matchmaking service with a high probability of placing me with a total smacktard who if he were my kid would get the console taken away and a Louisville Slugger across and possibly up his ass.

I've got plenty of friends online, most of whom are gamers---why bother with smacktards?

 

[Corpse XxX]

When playing Resistance 2, play the co-op multiplayer online.. Then you dont get your ass handed to you seeing as you play on the same side with 7 other people..

I have not played it that much, but beeing the "spec ops" is what i find the easiest, always on top three best players each round..
Remember to use the secondary fire with the Marksman gun excessivly, those electrical orbs are fantastic.. Usually get from 70-150 kills each round..

 

[freetogoodhome]

Find people you like and play with them. If you're enjoying yourself the result doesn't matter.

 

[FluxC]

Gaming is supposed to be about having fun. Don't think that you're required to be an amazing gamer from the word go. You can pick up any game and play it casually (Huge RPGs excluded). But you're not going to be very good compared to the people who spend most of their free time doing it. But if it's casual gaming you're after, does this really matter?

As for the people you met who liked talking about your mother. There are, and will always be, cunts who's small minds are not satisfied with actually playing a video game, that they have to insult and make stupid noises down that mic at people. I imagine a large majority of these idiots are sufferers of ADD who were given a mic and a PS3/360 by their parents to keep them out the way. Of course this is just conjecture; These people could just be acting like this, simply down to being, well..fuckwits.

But if you do want to play online, without having your arse handed to you. Just pick some less competitive games such as LittleBigPlanet or Fifa. It does sound like you're going for the FPS genre, and unfortunately, that is one of the toughest to shine in.

 

[Theo Samaritan]

So I started playing the game that revolutionize online gaming for the console generation: Halo (that's debatable but let's not get into that discussion). Upon immediately joining a match, I was greeted by several members that were more than willing to talk about my mother.

Xbox Live is filled with people like that. The problem with having such an open service, and everyone on it owning microphones, is that inevitably most of the people on it ware either ashsoles or children.

Computer gaming is the way to go if you want a touch more maturity, and PS3 gaming as you mentioned as well I suppose.

The issue is that I cannot really name any games that award being casual that are not sharing/content based games such as LBP, Garrys Mod, Spore etc.

 

[Bofus Teefus]

I've had fairly good luck finding non-dimwits to play on Xbox Live, and have been playing Left 4 Dead which is notorious for having an awful online crowd. When you're playing with random people, try to pick out the good ones (or the complete morons if that's who you click with) and add them. This is what I had to do with L4D, and I'm at the point where I hardly run into the common problems (team-killing, blocking, etc) anymore.