Please feel free to add your own tips to this thread! Here's mine.
- Wear good headphones--particularly when playing any game that is meant to immerse you. You can buy the fanciest surround sound speakers you want, but nothing will ever compare to having the speakers right up against your ears. You'll be amazed what new kinds of sounds or nuances of music you hear in games when using headphones.
- Turn off the lights and eliminate distractions. Get comfortable. How will a horror game manage to scare you if you're chatting online with a bright monitor illuminating the room while playing it? Sever yourself from unnecessary communication when playing a game you really want to get into.
- If you get "forum/Facebook pangs" that result in you spending more time on social networking websites than you desire, then limit your social networking. If you need help, consider browser addons such as "LeechBlock".
- Avoid game publicity and media. No matter how objective you think you are, you are still human. If someone says "The graphics in Uncharted 9 suck!", you will inevitably over-analyze the graphics while playing the game. Avoid reviews, opinion pieces, trailers, and news of games you already have an interest in. The second you become interested in a game, stop looking up screenshots and YouTube videos of it and wait for the game to come out--and then play it. If you look up every trailer and screenshot, you will know the content of half the game before you even begin playing it!
- Play what you want when you want. Do not torture yourself over the idea of a "backlog". Meticulously planning your video game adventures may bring you a sense of satisfaction, but does it bring you fun? If not, then allow yourself to jump from game to game on a whim. Enjoy the ride, even if it involves trying five different games before you hone in on the one you really want to settle in with.
- Buy games you want, not games that other people tell you you should want. Would you pay full price for that Steam sale game? If not, think twice about buying it at all; you may be more interested in the price than the game.
- Live with and enjoy your video game choices and failures. Your favorite character died permanently in Final Fantasy Tactics? Keep going--don't load a previous save in an attempt to "fix" things. Instead, overcome adversity. When you beat the game without that character, you'll be able to look back and say, "Even in their darkest hour, the rest of the party continued on without him and ultimately saved the world." Enjoy the unexpected; let yourself be surprised by where the game takes you. Don't be such a perfectionist if it negatively impacts your enjoyment of a game. "Mistakes" are not only awesome, but they add replayability as well.
- Don't bog down your gaming with FAQs, walkthroughs, and spreadsheets to optimize your every move. Play the game on your own as much as possible and exercise your abilities. No one will be able to accomplish everything in every game by themselves, but if you simply try, you will find that you are capable of way more than you initially assumed. Overcoming challenges is a wonderful feeling. Do it.
- If you get stuck in a game, don't stress out. Look up hints or the solution. Due to declining amounts of QA in modern gaming, games have more bugs than ever and it's possible that you're stuck because of a bug. If you're the type who must complete a game without any outside help, then limit yourself to one hint-related Google search per day!
- Take care of all your other responsibilities before sitting down to game. You'll enjoy the game much more without that "Do your homework!" voice bothering you.
- Your enjoyment of any activity is extremely affected by your health. Chemicals such as dopamine are directly responsible for the way you feel. If you want to immediately improve your sense of being, do some stretching/exercise (cardio if you can!) and drink some water or pure fruit juice--and then game.
If you spend your time of your first gaming playthrough over-analyzing small bugs and criticizing how 'off' the game feels, you won't enjoy the game.
Basically; if you come in with negative expectations of a game, you probably shouldn't play it.
Basically; if you come in with negative expectations of a game, you probably shouldn't play it.
Stop reading Kotaku, polygon.
Worship and prostrate before Banderas if on PS4.
If playing on Xbone, shout "screw you Don Matrick" each time you power up the console.
If on PC , well you are apparently already are enjoying. No tips there.
Worship and prostrate before Banderas if on PS4.
If playing on Xbone, shout "screw you Don Matrick" each time you power up the console.
If on PC , well you are apparently already are enjoying. No tips there.
Last edited by scsa; 11-29-2013 at 05:30 PM.
Don't be Derrick01.
I thought of another one:
- If you're going to mod a game, be smart about it. Limit yourself to one or two mods per day and then play the game. Do not spend 5 hours modding a game with 100 mods only to play the game for 10 minutes! By limiting how many mods you download per day, you not only avoid mod conflicts/problems, but you force yourself to decide which mods you really want.
- If you're going to mod a game, be smart about it. Limit yourself to one or two mods per day and then play the game. Do not spend 5 hours modding a game with 100 mods only to play the game for 10 minutes! By limiting how many mods you download per day, you not only avoid mod conflicts/problems, but you force yourself to decide which mods you really want.
Know about flaws in a game before you play it so you'll be ready for them. This is the only thing I look at reviews for and it keeps me mentally prepared for the bad parts. Not being blindsided by a major flaw can make it seem far more minimal.
Don't read GAF till you're done
I think #1 is avoid the internet altogether.
I'm currently forcing myself to finish Bioshock Infinite.
I don't want to, but I have to. It's an addiction.
I don't want to, but I have to. It's an addiction.
Stay off the internet.
It's a cruel and cynical place.
It's a cruel and cynical place.
Does anybody still read the manual carefully before playing a game? I know they're getting slimmer by the day (mainly due to the information being presented in-game instead of on paper), but I always like to glance at it before playing.
I don't think I want to worship his prostate!Stop reading Kotaku, polygon.
Worship and prostate before Banderas if on PS4.
If playing on Xbone, shout "screw you Don Matrick" each time you power up the console.
If on PC , well you are apparently already are enjoying. No tips there.
I totally disagree with that! I loved the Mass Effect 3 ending until I went online after finishing the game and read through all of the ending plot analyses. The ending made perfect sense and was perfectly awesome until I read the many reasons why it wasn't.Originally Posted by RoboPlato
Know about flaws in a game before you play it so you'll be ready for them. This is the only thing I look at reviews for and it keeps me mentally prepared for the bad parts. Not being blindsided by a major flaw can make it seem far more minimal.
They say ignorance is bliss for a reason.
-Every game has good points and bad points, you often need to play through the bad to get to the good.
-Make a list of the games you finish as the year goes on, it helps to put your 'accomplishments' in perspective and tends to make finishing a game more meaningful when you can add it to your list.
-Try to play only 1 or 2 games to a time. When I finish a game I like to play a little of alot of games for about a week and then 'lock in' on one playing that till I finish it. I usually do 2 games at once, one game witha story and one thats pure action.
-Don't be afraid to get lost in the hype and buy games on day1, saving money isn't everything. A large part of gaming is all in your head and if you're super hyped to play a game you're often going to give it much more of a chance and be willing to overlook many of its flaws.
-Don't ever give up on final bosses, use a guide if you have to. THere's a couple games stuck in my head right now where I quit on the final boss and to this day I still wish I had beat the game.. we're talking games I played like 10 years ago.
-Make a list of the games you finish as the year goes on, it helps to put your 'accomplishments' in perspective and tends to make finishing a game more meaningful when you can add it to your list.
-Try to play only 1 or 2 games to a time. When I finish a game I like to play a little of alot of games for about a week and then 'lock in' on one playing that till I finish it. I usually do 2 games at once, one game witha story and one thats pure action.
-Don't be afraid to get lost in the hype and buy games on day1, saving money isn't everything. A large part of gaming is all in your head and if you're super hyped to play a game you're often going to give it much more of a chance and be willing to overlook many of its flaws.
-Don't ever give up on final bosses, use a guide if you have to. THere's a couple games stuck in my head right now where I quit on the final boss and to this day I still wish I had beat the game.. we're talking games I played like 10 years ago.
Fuck you and all headphone fetishists. You are wrong and will always be wrong.
For a lot of open-world games, try turning off the music for a far more immersive experience.
#1 "Wear good headphones" is the truth.
I couldn't even hear the cars cooling down in GTAV until I decided to put on my surround sound headphones at the later end of the game. I wonder how much more I missed.
I couldn't even hear the cars cooling down in GTAV until I decided to put on my surround sound headphones at the later end of the game. I wonder how much more I missed.
Limit your play time.
If you play games to much, you get bored of them easily.
If you play games to much, you get bored of them easily.
Bullshit to the headphones idea. I'll take the surround system with the full proper range produced in a proper environment over having something plastered to my head any day. Crank it up and actually get to feel the sound instead of isolating it.
Now that I'm married I've played Black Flag and GTA5 a few nights with headphones on so my wife can sleep, its a true REMOVAL of the experience. This using a pair of HD650's from my work studio. You can not recreate that stage and power in headphones, you just cant. Who ever says you can has not had there whole house shaking with the sounds of canons firing from every direction.
Now that I'm married I've played Black Flag and GTA5 a few nights with headphones on so my wife can sleep, its a true REMOVAL of the experience. This using a pair of HD650's from my work studio. You can not recreate that stage and power in headphones, you just cant. Who ever says you can has not had there whole house shaking with the sounds of canons firing from every direction.
Last edited by Pagusas; 11-29-2013 at 03:59 PM.
Don't let your girlfriend move in.
A nice steady snow storm or rain storm exponentially increases my enjoyment of whatever game I'm playing lol.
Disable Fraps
If you enjoy just stereo, then yeah maybe.
Don't buy game after game in the same genre if you have trouble playing one of them. If you haven't gotten to play the latest Civ V expansion yet, and you want to play it, buying Endless Space also just because it's cheap won't help you.
In short: Don't be stupid with your purchases. It's one thing that you don't care about a backlog, but you could very well be wasting money still.
In short: Don't be stupid with your purchases. It's one thing that you don't care about a backlog, but you could very well be wasting money still.
Calibrate your TV.
Don't play sound through your TV speakers.
Save $ for a subwoofer.
Bring friends over.
Don't play sound through your TV speakers.
Save $ for a subwoofer.
Bring friends over.
This is a very interesting one.-Don't be afraid to get lost in the hype and buy games on day1, saving money isn't everything. A large part of gaming is all in your head and if you're super hyped to play a game you're often going to give it much more of a chance and be willing to overlook many of its flaws.
Pretty much all of us are aware that, when you buy something, you are more likely to enjoy it just because of the amount of money you spent on it (Google "fun synthesis"--there are books about this phenomena). Many of us frown upon this idea because of the blatant subjectivity.
But is it worth consciously rejecting customer satisfaction when it's so... satisfying? What's better or more important: being objective about a game, or the opportunity to enjoy a game?
Stop playing if you're not having fun. Don't play out of obligation or loyalty or a need to force yourself to enjoy what everyone else says is awesome.
Realize that your system of choice doesn't matter and stuff like FPS and Resolution need only be at a playable level say locked 30 @ 720p. Only fun matters.
I like Banderas gifs as much as the next guy, but I'm not sure I want do anything which involves his prostate (or mine for that matter).Stop reading Kotaku, polygon.
Worship and prostate before Banderas if on PS4.
If playing on Xbone, shout "screw you Don Matrick" each time you power up the console.
If on PC , well you are apparently already are enjoying. No tips there.
take care of your homework? I haven't had homework in nearly 20 years
Playing Devil's Advocate here: How many of you have enjoyed a game more because of the existence of an online community for it? How many of you, on a random guy's suggestion, have gone back to a game you previously disliked and then ended up enjoying it a lot?Originally Posted by stuminus3
Stay off the internet. What some random guy who is nothing like you who you'll never meet in your life thinks about something you enjoy is completely irrelevant. Ignorance is bliss indeed.
I've been guilty of all of the above at one point or another.Stop playing if you're not having fun. Don't play out of obligation or loyalty or a need to force yourself to enjoy what everyone else says is awesome.
Then I'll revise it: "Don't have young kids that can't participate with you while you game"Originally Posted by teruterubozu
Actually some of the funnest gaming moments have been w/my daughter. So no.
Not really a tip but for me something that helps me enjoy a game more is the price I purchased it. Which for the most part is how I will always judge a game. If you bought the game for 5 bucks I think it's ok to let some thing's slide and the like even if the budget might have been that of a AAA game. On the other side if the game has a low budget i.e. Deadly Premonition take it for what it is. Since perhaps it might still end up better than you think despite the clunkiness.
The only other tip is to try a game at least twice.
Sometimes your first try at a game might not be very good. But who knows what the second experience might be like with just a little more knowledge added whether from watching videos or reading forums. I would have given up on Resident Evil 6, Deadly Premonition, and Demon's Souls. Had I not looked up some tips and the like.
The only other tip is to try a game at least twice.
Sometimes your first try at a game might not be very good. But who knows what the second experience might be like with just a little more knowledge added whether from watching videos or reading forums. I would have given up on Resident Evil 6, Deadly Premonition, and Demon's Souls. Had I not looked up some tips and the like.
I have played Half Life 2 @ 25 FPS with lowest settings on a piece of shit computer and still had fun. The equivalent of a child playing with the cardboard box while his peers check out the cool robot toy that was inside it.Originally Posted by killatopak
?!!?!!?!?!?!?!?!? Not sure if I am able to believe this. Last sentence I do believe.
Don't be all, "You poor thing!" Once you have experienced the lowest rungs of gaming, everything else seems like a luxury.
Don't play any game that you need to get tips to enjoy.
When I stopped having fun, what I did to change that was to start playing games like I did as a kid again. What I mean by that is that instead of trying to keep up with all the latest stuff, switching from one thing to another like all these podcasters I listen to, I buy one game and really squeeze every ounce if fun out of it, only moving on when I've really exhausted the one I'm currently on.
1) smoke weed
I had so much fun with Wing Commander on a 286. That was like flipping postcards, the framerate was so bad. I loved the HELL out of it.Originally Posted by The Smoking Bun
I have played Half Life 2 @ 25 FPS with lowest settings on a piece of shit computer and still at fun. The equivalent of a child playing with the cardboard box while his peers check out the cool robot toy that was inside it.
If possible, visit the game's location in real life at least once during your play through, makes the game lot more interesting. One of the reasons why UC3 is more memorable to me than 2 was because I was in Yemen when I played it.
This. Screw headphones and get yourself a decent HT setup, it's not that expensive and doesn't take long to setup.Fuck you and all headphone fetishists. You are wrong and will always be wrong.
Last edited by Decarb; 11-29-2013 at 04:13 PM.
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