Poll: Which is more important: Luck or skill?

[Tawrich]

I'd say both are always needed and the real problem lies in finding the perfect balance between the two. That being said the main focus should not be on skill or luck but on fun. In a multiplayer scenario you will always have whining coming from both ends , either a highly skilled pleyer gets a grenade thrown at him blindly which explodes right next to his head and starts pissing and moaning at the luck of the other person or a person with no skill whatsoever gets pissed because he can't move from point A to point A + 1cm without getting shot in the head by previously mentioned skilled player. The only real way of handling this imho is being very selective with who you want to play with to ensure that you get the experience out of the game that you want.

Then again , perhaps we should not call ourselves ( or others ) highly skilled if they cannot counter a piece of good luck from the opponent ( granted this is not always an option ).

 

[Elamdri]

Luck is good in a competitive gaming context because it encourages players to take risks and then rewards/punishes them accordingly. Without luck, there really is no risk, and if there is no risk, there's no fun.

No, guessing and assuming what your opponent's strategy is and try countering it is not luck.
Its actually thinking and knowledge of how humans work, i won so many ppl in fps games because they are unbelievably and predictable...
I mean its like 5% of the players will even think doing the next obvious move.

Luck would be when u have 3 choices and u choose 1 randomly or have 0 brains and choose 1 because you think its good, that is luck since there is no thinking.

I'm really not quite sure what you're trying to say.

My point is that a little random chance can add some depth to combat, since it forces you to improvise when things don't go your way. For instance, when you shoot your gun, and you're on target, but you miss because of the gun doesn't put all the bullets exactly where you aim. Or when you shoot your sniper rifle without scoping and manage to no-scope. These things are luck, or more accurately random chance, and they add a little to a gaming experience.

 

[Danceofmasks]

Skill.

So much so that without skill you shouldn't be able to win. Ever.

 

[Numb1lp]

Skill.

So much so that without skill you shouldn't be able to win. Ever.

Unless you're lucky all the time. But then is that skill, because it is your norm? Hmm, brain food.

 

[Danceofmasks]

Skill.

So much so that without skill you shouldn't be able to win. Ever.

Unless you're lucky all the time. But then is that skill, because it is your norm? Hmm, brain food.

No, that's not what I'm saying at all.

I'm saying, if a game allows "being lucky" = "win", then it's a SHIT GAME.

 

[Elamdri]

No, guessing and assuming what your opponent's strategy is and try countering it is not luck.
Its actually thinking and knowledge of how humans work, i won so many ppl in fps games because they are unbelievably and predictable...
I mean its like 5% of the players will even think doing the next obvious move.

Luck would be when u have 3 choices and u choose 1 randomly or have 0 brains and choose 1 because you think its good, that is luck since there is no thinking.

I'm really not quite sure what you're trying to say.

My point is that a little random chance can add some depth to combat, since it forces you to improvise when things don't go your way. For instance, when you shoot your gun, and you're on target, but you miss because of the gun doesn't put all the bullets exactly where you aim. Or when you shoot your sniper rifle without scoping and manage to no-scope. These things are luck, or more accurately random chance, and they add a little to a gaming experience.

What you say is luck, no scope is luck. not hitting a target u aimed at is an internet connection problem or not killing someone due to bad aim is skill problem. I cant imagine a scenario where there is truly luck and is aiding gameplay

Luck does not add depth, its simply bad for the game design(not profitability)...

When you talk about luck, first thing to remember is that there is two types of luck. There is luck that just happens. For example, you take a corner and there is someone waiting with a shotgun, that's luck. When someone tosses a blind frag and it hits you, that's luck.

Then there is luck built into the game. For example, in FPS games, guns are not 100% accurate. You could have perfect aim, host advantage, and Still miss a shot because the game didn't place the bullet where you were aiming. That's also luck.

My point is, I think a little random chance can improve a competitive experience. Would you watch a sports game if you knew the outcome of every game? Probably not. Same for video games.

 

[conmag9]

Varies by the system. RL? Skill. RPGS? Depends on which game, but Luck tends to have a much smaller degree of impact than skill (New Vegas on the other hand...).

 

[Light 086]

I'd say both. You could be better than everyone in every way, then slip on the stairs and break your neck, walk onto a bridge that collapses, cross the street and a drunk runs you over, walk into a room that someone tossed a grenade in, be in the wrong place when a mortar comes down... you get the point.

 

[emeraldrafael]

Snip

... How is luck cheating? Also, Yes, I believe I would rather feel nice that I won with luck, cause I'm Alive and can continue fighting. I didnt say you had to rely just on luck, but it doesnt hurt to have it, especially if you're out classed. Some of the greatest wins in the world were dependent on luck.

 

[Elamdri]

My point is, I think a little random chance can improve a competitive experience. Would you watch a sports game if you knew the outcome of every game? Probably not. Same for video games.

What u say is really minor since the weapons are very very accurate at the first shot, missing that is really higly unlikely and that maybe could be called luck. The recoil fire isnt random either, i am pretty sure in most games it has a pattern and pro players know that and use it to their advantage(although its really difficult to calculate range, or exact place the no,8 shot will drop but u have a general idea. A computer though would easily be able to do that though. 8 bullets in 3 seconds 8 headshots)

What do u mean by that? that skill is predictable?

I watch an rts replay between 2 high skilled players, i am interested to see what strategies/deceptions they will use and how well they will use their units to win.
The result isnt expected, each one will try to trick each other and as a viewer i am interested what exactly they will think to do that

It's minor when you're close, but the farther you get away, the more the deviation from the center of the screen increases. It also depends on the FPS and the gun. I remember how random the bullets used to be on some guns in Counter-Strike.

What I'm trying to say is this: While luck should not be the main mechanism of a game, it has it's place.

In the RTS context, you could have one player who's lucky enough to scout his opponent's base first, while the other player went in the wrong direction and doesn't end up getting to his opponent's base until it's been walled off. That's PURELY a luck situation, but it has a big impact on the game. However, it's only so useful as you are willing to capitalize on it. If you have that advantage, and you don't push your opponent, then you lose the benefit.

 

[emeraldrafael]

Snip

Dont feed the troll, it never helps.

 

[Elamdri]

Snip

Dont feed the troll, it never helps.

I'm not terribly vested in the conversation, so no real consequence to me if I go poking the bears.

 

[Theron Julius]

More important overall? Skill
More relevant in a given situation? Luck

 

[Drake_Dercon]

Competitively, it should be only skill. That's what makes games competitive, if luck can determine anything, then skill becomes diminished (There is an exception for strategy wargames, though, but only in damage).

Cooperatively, luck doesn't need to be removed entirely, but players will feel less competent if someone survives on luck alone.

In single-player mode, luck can really only apply to RTSes and RPGs (besides the chance that an enemy might move into a more hittable position).

 

[TehCookie]

Skill all the way, I have no luck and any game that relies on luck I get screw up the ass in. I don't have much skill either, but then I can only blame myself.

Spoiler

ahh such misfortune

 

[KissofKetchup]

Although I voted skill, I still believe in the saying "I'd rather be lucky than good"

 

[theNater]

I think it's important that different games have different mixtures of skill and luck required.

When I go home for the holidays and sit down with my parents and nephews for a fun family game, it's best if we can find a game that is almost entirely luck-based, as there are no skills we all have to any remotely similar levels.

However, playing those same games with my peers would be unsatisfying, because I know there's an opportunity for a good challenge going to waste.

 

[ecoho]

snip

ok since theres no way youll lision to my reason and i wont lision to yours can we agree to disagree?

 

[Cazza]

Luck but only if you can keep it up.

 

[Aerograt]

How many people get rich off of the lottery? "Skill" can usually be called upon by a player at a moment's notice, luck is totally random and out of everyone's control.