Online shooters - too much stress?

[Zersy]

SNIP

Damn right I have.

Infact I stopped playing online games all to simply enjoy my single player games.

Batman AA. (What a awesome and polished game)

Bionic Commando Remarmed. (Oh the lovely side scrolling)

Metal Gear Solid 4. (The amazing feeling and story)

Burnout Paradise. (Only a few races left till that elite license)

 

[Saphire]

Honestly, I have to say that I can go either way on the topic. I had been participating in CS:S in CAL up until it disappeared and there was a thrill during the match. You wanted to be the last man standing and wanted to have a (as much as I despise this word) "clutch" performance to win that round for your team. I find that when I play that game anymore, if I'm not doing well... I get irritated and like you said stressed. Although I do have to say there is a certain euphoria to be had from having a high KD that drives me forward to play better.

On the other hand, I do sometimes miss just playing that game for fun... it's probably because of all the time I put into it, I just don't want to be shown up by people I perceive as worse than me. But there are definitely games like Fallout or WiC or whatever where I can relax (I guess destruction is cathartic). Those experiences are far more common so I've found myself drifting toward the more relaxed spectrum of gaming.

 

[Spitfire175]

I agree absolutely. Online shooters are overflowing with glassy eyed mosters who power their max-sensitivity mouse/controller with energy drinks and take out. I see very little "fun" in getting shouted at for checking my corners and/or not jumping and sprinting everywhere.

I prefer single player or co-op multiplayer with a friend, preferrably in LAN.

 

[r0qu3]

I stopped competitive gaming around CS 1.1 and Q3....

...I never was really competitive on games since my biggest aim
is to have fun. And sometimes a slower pace and more available actions
drive me back to some relaxing rpgs or playing arcade games
against friends for high scores.

But competitive gaming did also good things. Better servers, better systems....

...i think some of you remember setting up a Duke3D LAN game...so the overall
usability went up i think...

 

[mstickle]

My exapmple is very recent. I've played Halo 3 online since release, I totally sucked at first. But it didn't bother me, now i think I'm pretty good and I'm comfotable with a 50/50 chance of a win. But I only ever played halo's MP.

A week ago I decided to have a go at MW2 (I've only really been playing FFA) and I was back to being just plain terrible. I couldn't stand it, it just made me so mad. But then I thought to myself if I just keep trying I'll get the hang of it. Thankfully I did, but once I started winning I got mad if I didn't. But over the last day or so I've realised - the less I care about winning, the better I do and more importantly, the more fun I have.

I think it's all about your attitude going in. You can play competitively, you just have to remember to have fun. Even if you aren't winning.

 

[Croaker42]

For me..... for the most part its CSS. Though I do choose to play with some really top notch players. On a deacent night I pull a 1:1 kdr. On a great night I push a 2:1 But droping below a 1 starts eating at me, if it sticks after I go through a gun rotation (Guns I know work for me.) I start raging at little things. Thats when I know its time to quit.

I found the best way to get over kdr stress is a 7&7 or a Gin and Monster. That and booze improves my aim. Kind of makes me wonder why I dont drink more.

 

[metalmmaniac]

i feel the same way, OP. the frustration that can build when i play online is amazing. I play mp rarely and usually only with friends, that way i don't make a total ass of myself. haha

 

[Dcill]

I play single player games usually on their hardest setting in order to prepare for the online frenzy I will experience. It's usually frustrating and difficult, but I enjoy the challenge it gives me. I know I will keep coming back until I win. Mainly because I'm good at games and I like to push myself.
I would have to say that this applies to almost anything in life I suppose. When I was younger I used to play a lot of baseball. When I first started out I was really good at throwing a tennis ball against my garage door and catching it. I sucked at catching fly balls or grounders. So I practiced with a friend so I could get better. I also went to batting cages in order to learn to bat better, then went to practice with real people in order to apply it to my game. This allowed me to evolve at my own pace as a player.
I believe a lot of this attitude has transcended to the video game world. Since I've stopped playing sports I have tried to find a new way to be competitive. For me it is really fun to try and out do people. Come up with new and better strategies. I do get upset when people get angry for me trying to be a smart player though. I think people forget that the point of most of these games are not to die. So it gets annoying when someone rants at me for being a "camper." No I'm merely placing myself in a tactically advantageous position. Find another way to kill.
Also I for one totally enjoy meeting fun competitive players who are good sports,will challenge me, but understand it is just a game in the end. I see nothing wrong with people that just want to have fun and escape from everyday life. Which is how my wife plays, she likes going online and meeting new fun people to have a laugh with. Once people start acting like assholes she usually leaves the game or decides to be done for the night.
I generally think that all of this applies to the kind of gamer you want to be. I for one would love to get on an MLG team since I'm skilled and enjoy playing multiplayer to win. It challenges me and pushes me to be better. Still there are those that just enjoy the community aspect of it and like messing around. Which I think is cool too and should be promoted more. Have fun with your game no matter what it is you like doing.

 

[Crosshead]

Despite being a long time gamer, I only came into the online thing with World at War. And I was SHOCKED by how much harder it was than just playing with my friends. And at first, it bugged me.
And then I looked at the numbers. I bought MW2, and when you work out how much time people must have spent playing it to be at the levels they are at already....I feel less bad. Maybe I'm not the best (Though these days I'm OK), but I'm not spending 8 hours plus a day playing it. And God knows I wouldn't want to.

 

[Jandau]

I find most multiplayer games stressful. Not just shooters, even RTS games and MMOs. Back when I played WoW, I used to relax by soloing and go through pressure and stress when in groups (the fact that I usually played a tank or a healer didn't help). This is the main reason why I gave up on most forms of multiplayer, with the exception of gaming with my friends on occasion. It's not that it isn't fun (it can be), it's just that it's not worth the mental fatigue I have to endure.

 

[MiracleOfSound]

Yeah this thread sounds like me. I get really stressed if i can't win or keep getting killed. I go crazy. I smashed my laptop once after being killed three times in a row on Delta Force (first shooting game i ever bought a few years ago). Now i find any game i can't relax unti l i win or at least don't get killed at the same spot. I can cry when i fail several times, literally cry with anger and hurt that the game doesn't like me lol.

Haha that's some intense nerd rage there dude... I know how you feel, I've almost been in tears of frustration once or twice but I just quit before it gets too bad.

 

[Twad]

Depends on the game. I prefer COOP with friends, but every now and then a good competitive game is fun. Games against human opposition always teach you new tricks.

 

[ssgt splatter]

Well, most of my problem is that I know I'm better at the game than this. Over the last 2-3 days I've been doing, well, shitty. It might be because MW2 feels and handles differently than the first one and I just have to adjust to it before I start racking up my usual 6-9 and 8-12 killstreaks.
The sniping in MW2 has definitly changed from MW and it's becoming a little annoying but the suppressor attachment is a welcome addition.

I never play competitively. In MW2, if we're literally 12 seconds from a loss and I'm last man standing, I'll go "Fuck this" and jump off a cliff.

Mmm, maybe I should do that just to piss my teammates off when they are counting on me to win. If the odds are against me then it usually ends up in the enemy team's favor.

 

[SenseOfTumour]

Put me down as 'only in it for fun', I play TF2, and don't play many other shooters, because I find people get far too serious and angry about it.

In TF2, sure, we'll try to push leetle cart, or grab the intel, but mostly we'll just be having fun, running around and shooting the other team, and that's why I stay on newbie servers, where I won't be called a fucktard because I hit my uber 0.3 of a second too early for the heavy I'm helping.

 

[HE Shaunshaun]

i love playing halo 3 online, even though it can be rediculously stressful. with people team killing, having bad connections or just generally sucking. the thing i like about all this though is being able to put up a fight.

just recently me and a friend managed to hold off a loss for ages on a 5 vs 2 match. this didnt make me feel like i had lost, it just reminded me how damn good i am.

 

[Exocet]

I remind myself during weekends that gaming is fun and stats are worth nothing by drinking and gaming with couple buddies.
Playing DOTA wasted is a great stress reliever.
Seeing the other team trying to play seriously while you and your buddy are doing barely coherent action,getting killed everytime while the rest of the team cheers at the suicidal attempts.

Morale of the story,drinking is good...wait a second...

 

[Dcill]

I think a big thing about playing multiplayer games online and them being fun is who you play them with, or what gametype you are playing if alone. Upon recently purchasing MW2 for my U.K. PS3 I can't play with any American friends. I solely play free for all. Since most of the time people don't talk to me, or I'm playing with people from Spain!(no offense Spain. I just don't speak spainish.) Anyways I really think what makes online gaming stressful is who you are ultimately playing with. If it's a group of friends and you all know one another then it's all good fun. When it's a bunch of American college douche bags that do nothing but play all day long. I can see where it gets stressful and unfun.

 

[Hamster at Dawn]

I don't give a shit about online games. Call me a noob but when I play online I just piss about. There was a time when I was in the same boat but I took a good hard look at it and I too realised that it was pointless and frustrating. I think coop is the way to go for social interaction in games.

 

[Et3rnalLegend64]

Nah, I'm not the massively competitive type. My brother seems to be leaning that way though. He gets so pissed when he's on a losing streak or keeps saying it sucks when he can't get 20 kills in one match or something. Some kids have to cool it a bit.