What defines you as a gamer ?

mohit9206

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Oct 13, 2012
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So i started playing Deus EX:HR today and noticed when you start a new game it has 3 difficulty options.The description for the 1st difficulty option pretty much defines me as a gamer and why i play games.It said"You play games for their story and experience and not for their challenge or competitiveness"
However this does not mean i don't play online comepetitive games like fps games,it only implies for single player story driven games.What particular quote from a game's difficulty option defines you as a gamer ? Or what defines you as a gamer in general ?
 

tippy2k2

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Well as you stated, what defines me as a gamer changes depending on the game.

For the most part, I used to be a super duper challenge gamer. Then I got a wee bit older, lost a lot of free time due to "adult responsibilities" like food and shelter :(, and now I have almost 180'ed completely.

If I'm struggling in a game, I'll drop the difficulty (granted, this isn't often. I HAVE been gaming my entire life after all). If there's grinding involved, I will almost assuredly not even pick it up anymore (when the RPG's used to be my jam as a kid), if I have to play X hours to "get to the good part" (World of Warcraft, Final Fantasy VIII, etc.), I will abandon the game.

I took pride in never quitting a game, no matter what. In the past few years, I have dropped a few games due to frustration (Witcher 2 for a crappy battle system and Dark Souls due to the sheer amount of technical problems). In the past, I'd have just gutted those games out but now I don't have the time to waste if I'm not enjoying myself. I know this problem will only get worse as I grow (I'm 27 btw with no lady friend or kids...think of what it'll be like if that happens D:)

I won't always do that since some games the challenge IS the game (Dark Souls[footnote]Remember, I dropped it due to technical glitches, NOT difficulty[/footnote], Sport games, multi-player like CoD, etc.) but in general, I have become an "entertain me!" first and game play second gamer.
 
Oct 10, 2011
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I don't think there is any particular quote that I've seen, but I always choose the hardest difficulty, despite playing most games for their story and experience. I don't care about the achievements or trophies, I just thoroughly enjoy challenge.
 

mohit9206

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username sucks said:
I don't think there is any particular quote that I've seen, but I always choose the hardest difficulty, despite playing most games for their story and experience. I don't care about the achievements or trophies, I just thoroughly enjoy challenge.
One thing i don't like about the "challenge" thing is that harder difficulty generally means enemies have more health and do more damage while you have less health and do less damage and some other things like less ammo,less health packs etc.The enemies themselves aren't any smarter.I want harder diffulty to not just be like former i want the latter and until that happens am sticking with easy difficulty.
 
Oct 10, 2011
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mohit9206 said:
username sucks said:
I don't think there is any particular quote that I've seen, but I always choose the hardest difficulty, despite playing most games for their story and experience. I don't care about the achievements or trophies, I just thoroughly enjoy challenge.
One thing i don't like about the "challenge" thing is that harder difficulty generally means enemies have more health and do more damage while you have less health and do less damage and some other things like less ammo,less health packs etc.The enemies themselves aren't any smarter.I want harder diffulty to not just be like former i want the latter and until that happens am sticking with easy difficulty.
Maybe it would be better if difficulty changed AI intelligence rather than health and damage, but it still works for me. If the difficulty forces me to change my strategy more often, I'm all for it.

In shooters, I have to be much more careful about sticking to cover when I could die from a few shots, and low ammo means I need to be more accurate. In strategy games I'll need to focus almost all my efforts to countering the enemy rather than winning with numbers.

I think the best kind of difficulty comes from multiplayer. Trying to organize a team that won't follow my every command can be frustrating, but even a coordinated group of 2 or 3 people on a team of 12 can make all the difference. It's even better when the enemy team also has teamwork. Even so, I've never been able to get myself into the really competitive games like LoL.

I guess I can sum it up by saying I play everything like it's a strategy game. Also, never trust me with a sniper rifle. I have been playing shooters for over 10 years, and I can shoot even a pistol with the accuracy of a laser... but if the gun is classified as a sniper rifle, even without a scope, the only time I'll kill anyone is when a teammate is in my line of sight with the enemy. Hint: the enemy isn't the one who dies.
 

NihilSinLulz

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I find the added challenge in certain games gives the story and atmosphere more weight.

The best examples I can think of are Demon's Souls/Dark Souls, The Mega Man Zero games, Halo, Monster Hunter--basically if the game is supposed to have dangerous enemies that only should be able to conquer, then I want the enemies to actually be dangerous.

I generally only tone down difficulty for games meant to be played in multiplayer such as RTSs, and fighting games as the difficulty is added by having the AI cheat. JRPGs are another genre I usually tone down the difficulty as higher difficulty usually just means more grinding, which in turn kills the pacing.
 

Eve Charm

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Eh I kinda like the to customize the difficulty to a point where I can beat it trying without dying. It can really kill a game if I have to replay an 15-30 minute part again of a game I'm not really enjoying...

Other then that sometime switching it to an easier mode or new game plus is pure joy murdering everything even if taking a few hits action hero style.
 

TehCookie

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I'd say it's because I enjoy a wide variety of games. I'm not a casual gamer or a hardcore gamer, I enjoy both. I have ones I prefer more than others but I can usually find something in every genre I like.

As for difficulty level, the normal "you're familiar with games". Though like I said above I like a variety, depending on the game I play different settings from casual to Dante Must Die. Also I find it hilarious easy is called casual, and even funnier when it's one that's easier than easy mode.
 

EBonhawk09

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mohit9206 said:
So i started playing Deus EX:HR today and noticed when you start a new game it has 3 difficulty options.The description for the 1st difficulty option pretty much defines me as a gamer and why i play games.It said"You play games for their story and experience and not for their challenge or competitiveness"
However this does not mean i don't play online comepetitive games like fps games,it only implies for single player story driven games.What particular quote from a game's difficulty option defines you as a gamer ? Or what defines you as a gamer in general ?
This pretty much describes me, as well. I also enjoy some games simply for their gameplay, including platformers such as Ratchet and Clank and most indies.
 

FPLOON

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cloroxbb said:
Nothing defines me as a gamer. A label is neither needed or wanted. I play whatever I want, however I want, on whatever platform I want. :)
This.
I wait until someone tells me that "I'm a gamer" and I just roll with it... I don't tell people I'm a gamer, they'll just see me as one, based on what they think a gamer is...

Than again, I do play a variety of games... so I can't be labeled as "a gamer of the X genre" by a long-shot...
 

Sigmund Av Volsung

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I tend to enjoy a good story above good mechanics, but I don't want things being too easy either.

That's not to say I don't appreciate good mechanics, I still think that Chivalry is a whale of a time, it's just that I want a good story along with those mechanics(unless the game is mp only).

For instance, Spec Ops: The Line, The Walking Dead(Telltale), Portal, Half Life 2: those are all games that I thoroughly enjoyed, most of which have a strong story focus and good writing, but what I really enjoy is when game devs do mechanics as metaphor, to me, the game gets elevated beyond being simply "good": why I love Half Life 2, Portal and Spec Ops The Line.

As for other things:

-There is no such thing as an objective review, all reviews are subjective opinions

-There is no point in arguing over a person saying that they liked game "x" it is their opinion, in arguing you want to manipulate them and tell them that they are wrong and you are right, which is just a shit thing to do

-I only use Metacritic to see the worst review for a given piece of media, those tend to be the most honest ones

-Any review score above an 8/10 is delving into more subjective territory(ie emotional impact, personal preference)

-If a person gives TLoU/Bioshock Infinite etc. (any good popular game) a 0/10 (unless their copy is broken) then they are an idiot(also see: point 2)
 

Rednog

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Answering the last part as to what makes me a gamer in general:

This is a definition of what I consider a gamer that I've used quite often in threads and I believe also applies to why I call myself a gamer.
Rednog said:
You're a gamer if you play games and they're pretty much a major form of entertainment to you and it would be difficult for you to replace it completely with another form of entertainment.
 

imperialwar

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"you are a dabbler, and arent afraid to restart a game to test out a new character concept(RPGs). You have difficulty completing games as your time is so thinly spread between life and your various game projects. However when focused you are one of the better gamers out there, using your 23 years as a gamer to get to know the ins and outs of any game on the market" Thats me :)

"you have found your almost perfect game (WoW) as your 8 year dedication shows. But as much as the game has everything you want in a game it also has everything you hate. (dumbass trolls, AH over priced and terrible newbs as well as major class balance issues))
 

babinro

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"You play games for their story and experience and not for their challenge or competitiveness"

This applies to me quite nicely. Despite growing up with some very challenging gaming experiences starting from Commodore 64, I've always preferred it when a game gives me the option to radically reduce the difficulty. For me, gaming is about enjoying the experience that is being offered first and foremost. If that experience is worth of revisiting than I will begin to challenge myself and explore higher difficulties.

There are rare exceptions when I'll play a game on a difficulty higher than it's easiest. This would typically happen in an RTS like StarCraft 2 because it differs so lightly from prior games in the genre. I know that I can pick it up on Hard and get the type of experience I'll enjoy. I'll then replay it on Expert if I feel the game is worth another playthrough.

Somewhat related topic:
I also firmly believe that if you bought a game you deserve to experience the entire story. I'm the type of person that LOVES how Dark Souls 2 is offering an easy mode...or how Mario games are giving you an invincibility mushroom if you die to often...or how Donkey Kong Country will play itself if you hit select. It's not fun to play $60.00 on a game and get stuck early on because of your own lack of 'skill'. You deserve the chance to get the full experience and I think all gaming companies need to embrace this.
 

Carlmike94

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Dec 26, 2013
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For me it's the ability to enjoy a number of different games, and different parts of the game (story, gameplay, music etc) and most important; both wanting to play them, and looking forward to it.
I can get fairly passionate about games, and I didn't want to ramble so i kept it short and simple.

This was actually my first post (ever), hope I didn't completely misunderstand the question, or cross some guideline.
 

thejackyl

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"You play games for their story and experience and not for their challenge or competitiveness"

For the most part, yes. I never enjoyed difficulty in games, unless it's part of the game. See: Dark Souls. I loved Dark Souls, because only two sections seemed unfair (both involve knockback and bottomless pits).

I tend to enjoy games where the story is more important than the gameplay (As long as the gameplay is fun), but I also hate grinding in games. I usually don't play games like Diablo or Torchlight for any longer than it takes to get through the story.

All that being said, I do like some challenge. I do remember playing Dante's Inferno through on Normal and getting to the trials. I ended up switching the game to Easy and it got embarrassingly easy in my opinion. I normally play games on Normal, or Normal +1 depending on how the game is balanced
 

Tuesday Night Fever

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I mostly play games for their story and the experience, but I always max out the difficulty.

Partly for the challenge, but also partly because games are often way too short to justify their price tags. By playing on the hardest difficulty I'm at least slowing myself down enough that I can get maybe a few more hours out of it.

And that's a pretty big maybe. A relative gifted Call of Duty: Ghosts to me on Steam as a Christmas present, and I beat it yesterday on its highest difficulty in a single sitting between breakfast and lunch.
 

Lawnmooer

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Apr 15, 2009
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There's no quote that can define me as a gamer... To be honest, I don't think there's anything specific that can really define me as a gamer (To most people, I'm defined as a metalhead foremost an alcoholic secondly and rarely will people actually start considering me a gamer... Mostly because outside of other gamers there's not a lot to talk about to actually show any gamer in me outside of walking past a game shop and giving my opinions on games)

I play games for enjoyment.

Whatever form that will take... Be it a good story in an RPG, some good mechanics in an adventure game, smooth controls in a platformer, praying to RNG gods in roguelikes, weighty weaponry in an FPS, the eternal grind in a JRPG, the sense of community in an MMO, the strategic battle in an RTS or the combination of teamwork and decision making in a MOBA.

I will play a wide variety of games, focusing on different aspects to suit whatever mood I'm in.

I typically play on normal/hard difficulties, due to how easy games are these days (Be it simplifying to appeal to a wider audience or just years of skill built up applicable to most games I play) - Heck, I even found Demon's Souls and Dark Souls pretty easy, with just a few annoying to deal with areas/enemies. Though I will on occasion set the difficulty down to easy purely to reduce time spent pointlessly (For example, playing Skyrim on the hardest difficulty is pretty fun until about level 30ish when you become unkillable and the difficulty just gives enemies a billion health so they take forever to kill, even with the strongest weapons possible (Using the best skill potions to make the best skill enchants to do the best upgrades)

I don't play games due to their difficulty (Though Demon's/Dark Souls notorious difficulty did intrigue me), but the challenge can turn a mediocre/repetitive/dull affair into something more fun and thus give more entertainment.

I also don't play for competition too much (I used to play TF2 a LOT, but stopped because of being banned from servers for "Hacking" when I beat people fairly using skill) with Dota being the only competitive game I play currently (While I do also play WoW, I don't PvP in it... Though that's mostly because it's PvP is just so bad and I really hate certain aspects of it)