Which FPS Actually Takes Skill?

[Alexnader]

I think there's a difference between knowledge and skill that people aren't taking into account. I'd count knowledge as knowing what to do and skill is what it takes to execute it. So an engineer can "know" where to put his sentry nest etc in TF2 however does not need a lot of skill to execute construction. Whereas a sniper may know the best spots to camp and know which targets are a high priority but still needs skill to execute the shots necessary to be successful.

Of course engineers require skill as well but not to do their main job of building things.

 

[Caligulove]

I don't think everyone even has a common definition for what 'skill' even means. When it comes to multiplayer games, I don't consider 'skill' to be anything like reflex, hand-eye coordination or even problem-solving skills- especially when it comes to online FPS games, I think it really comes down to your skill at learning the game, the system, and then exploiting or taking advantage of the system to suit your needs, aka the people that are accused of 'hacking' all the time.

To that degree, any game needs 'skill' of some sort to be good at, especially something competitive like scoring, achievements or leveling in things like Call of Duty, Battlefield or even CS. Most people are just obsessed with K ratios.

So in a lot of ways, I think that the so-called dumbing down of some FPS games, to make them easier is really just making it harder on the people that can exploit and learn the system, it brings a greater challenge and anything without challenge is just boring.

 

[Proyoginator]

TEAM FORTRESS 2!!!
that game is so perfectly balanced only someone with true skill could get ahead.
Call of duty gives you too little health, so it comes down to a reaction time/connection test (sometimes) still fun though.

 

[SteewpidZombie]

Americas Army: Realistic to the point that several shots kill, there is usually no respawns till end of round. You have to do actual training to qualify to play as a Medic, Sniper, or Heavy weapons soldier. Plus it has things such as your gun jamming, and your character actually taking time to attach/detach silencers, aswell as the slow reload of rifle mounted grenades.

Warrock: Game is unrealistic, but playing a sniper takes skill. Bullets have a weight and trajectory/velocity. The further a enemy, the higher you need to aim. Moving enemies you need to aim ahead of them, and if VERY far away, bullets may take several seconds to hit. (Also, the maps are INSANELY huge if playing the big ones).

Call Of Duty 4: Out of the last few released, no.4 was the most skillful. Movement speed was slowed down to a more realistic amount compared to the others, perks weren't overpowered or numerous compared to the others, and killsteak spamming wasn't as much a trouble or game changer as the newer games. I personally found myself able to move slowly and carefully to tactically eliminate enemies in 1 vs 3 engagements where good aim and cover would help. (Instead of just spraying and rushing).

 

[wfpdk]

halo.

 

[Blazingdragoon04]

My vote is for MAG. You can't just go running in and wipe out an entire team, you need to actually communicate well, help out your allies, and if you are squad/platoon leader then you need to give orders and know when to use your special abilities when you really need to.

Its a shame all the skilled players play for one god damn team though... kinda imbalances the game.

 

[Yostbeef]

No game requires any formal skill,competitive gaming is joke to me.Of course if Joe Gamer has played a game for a hundred hours he's gonna be more familiar with the game than I am so of course he's gonna have the edge until I waste just as much time playing as he has.Common sense and basic reasoning skills are all that's required to play a game and if you have nothing better to do than play TF2 for four thousand hours you better be good at it.

 

[Sikachu]

And how can you compare that to someone who knows all the killspots in CS:S and where to attack first?

I don't mean to be rude, particularly since I agree with the general point that you're making, but if you think that the skill in CS comes from knowing the "killspots and where to attack first" you really aren't scratching the surface of complexity in that game. But I suspect you're just making a good argument poorly, and it is difficult to explain to someone who doesn't play the game how much processing and consideration goes into every (and I do mean every) action, so it isn't your fault.

 

[Sikachu]

No game requires any formal skill,competitive gaming is joke to me.Of course if Joe Gamer has played a game for a hundred hours he's gonna be more familiar with the game than I'm so of course he's gonna have the edge until I waste just as much time playing as he has.Common sense and basic reasoning skills are all that's required to play a game and if you have nothing better to do than play TF2 for four thousand hours you better be good at it.

Yeah, just like the kid who plays football the most is the best footballer in the world HURRRRRRRRRR

 

[Jfswift]

I feel that Team Fortress 2 does take skill. It's difficult to master all of the classes and coordinate with a group to win.

 

[natster43]

I would say the Battlefield Series.

 

[stormcrow5]

BF2 for PC (2005) hands down

 

[Xanadu84]

They all take skill. It's just that games have a certain element of randomness, diminishing returns, and feedback loops. With a low randomness, a more skilled player will win 99% of the time (the chess area). With a high randomness, a skilled player will win 51% of the time (More in the Mario Party area). A game with more randomness will feel like it has less skill, because the payoff for skill is less pronounced. This is compounded by diminishing returns, where after a certain level of proficiency, your odds of winning stop increasing dramatically. You still improve your odds, but not by much. Also, many games have negative feedback loops where a person who is far ahead is hindered, and a person who is behind is helped (Think Blue Shell/ Bullet power up in Mario Cart). This levels the playing field even more, and makes a game feel less skill focused. However, unless it's a solved game, then any amount of skill must still be improving your game. It just might not be by an appreciable amount.

 

[black_omega2]

So I see basically all of the major fps's have been covered so I'd like to bring up a lesser known Third Person Shooter called GunZ.
This game takes a combination of high skill, lot's of repetition, and a good know-how of the various play styles. Seriously, once you hit around level 30 the difficulty just ramps up insanely, and if all you know is how to spray and pray you will get no where.
Definitely something to check out if you're feeling bored with all these fps's, but do so at your own peril.
Oh and pro-tip, learn to k-style as quickly as you can, it'll pay off if you stick around long enough to get to the higher levels.