Spectating to get better

[HomeAliveIn45]

Recently, a friend told me that his first few hours of playing TF2 were spent spectating other players to familiarise himself easily with the game.
I was surprised at his self control, I normally salivate much before I play a new game. My question is this, would you spectate for a lenghty amount of time to get better, or just play?

 

[shatnershaman]

For an RTS I watch 2 A.I's face each other on Insane
For FPS I just play you can't get a good feel of recoil,reload time,range etc of the gun by watching.

 

[mjhhiv]

Recently, a friend told me that his first few hours of playing TF2 were spent spectating other players to familiarise himself easily with the game.
I was surprised at his self control, I normally salivate much before I play a new game. My question is this, would you spectate for a lenghty amount of time to get better, or just play?

I play. "Practice makes perfect", as they say - but yeah, like shatnershaman said, you just can't get a feel of the game by watching it.

 

[Rob Sharona]

Spectating is useful to get better at a game after you've played for a long time. I've got better at COD4 by watching people who didn't suck at it like me. Similarly watching things like speed runs can make you better.

Spectating from the beginning though? Surely that takes the fun, surprise, challenge, excitement and satisfaction out of playing through the first time?

 

[9574121795741217]

I always look at gameplay footage for games I'm about to buy. Usually it's to familiarize myself with the game and so I know what to expect. I spend about thirty minutes online watching youtube videos before I go to Gamespot to buy the game. I did spend a few hours hour spectating in Brawl and TF2 before I actually played.

 

[Daemon888]

Huh? Better? I mean I sorta get what you are saying but seriously it's a game... games are meant to be played... that's why they are fun. Remember fun?

 

[Jumplion]

It certainly helps if you are already good at the game to watch better people play it.

However, if you're just starting i say go in head first and hope for the best. You have to know what the person is dealing with when you spectate before you can understand his or her tactics.

 

[shatnershaman]

It certainly helps if you are already good at the game to watch better people play it.

However, if you're just starting i say go in head first and hope for the best. You have to know what the person is dealing with when you spectate before you can understand his or her tactics.

Unfortunately seeing no scoping 4 people in a row in 10 seconds has yet help me do it. *sigh*

 

[stompy]

I watch others play from time to time, but I'd rather play myself. I reckon if you want to watch a video to help you get better, fair enough, but I don't tend to do it often.

 

[shatnershaman]

You could always look in saved films and find where your friend was sniping you from so you can go beat him to death with his own skull.

 

[mjhhiv]

It certainly helps if you are already good at the game to watch better people play it.

However, if you're just starting i say go in head first and hope for the best. You have to know what the person is dealing with when you spectate before you can understand his or her tactics.

Agreed. I used to watch the better players in the theatre of Halo 3, and it helped quite a bit. If I watched them without knowing the game a little though, I'd imagine it wouldn't have done me any good.

 

[ElArabDeMagnifico]

I spectate a lot, now, when I buy a game I usually jump right into it and learn everything the hard way. I may or may not have read the manual but the manual can't show you the ropes of "online" - it can only tell you the rules. Spectating can be very rewarding but I won't do it for a long time, but oh man, in TF2 I learned some nasty tricks spectating - made us win dustbowl quickly.

 

[Copter400]

I'm not sure how long I spent looking for gameplay stuff for Bioshock.