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[Shifty]

This is huge, and simply changing health/damage definitely accounts for too much of the 'difficulty scaling' we see in games. Some of that is fine/expected, but I always liked the old Goldeneye model as a good starting point. Instead of making the same stuff more of a chore, add more objectives to force you to use new strategies and spend time in different areas of levels, etc. I'm sure some games still do it, but while optional objectives show up, I don't see the added/removed based on difficulty level very much.

That difficulty model was so good, I really miss it. The only other games I've found that use it are Thief 1 & 2.

Real shame that the "why waste time making content most players won't see?" mindset more or less killed it after the jump to HD.

 

[Nymphae]

You need to go. CC is easily one of the best Tournaments held every year in terms of production value and execution. The whole point of going to a tournament is to just play as many people as you can, socialize, and experience what it's like to play the games you like in a competitive setting. No matter how green you think you are: you won't be the worst player there, and you won't be the newest either. People are generally very nice towards newbies in the FGC, despite what some people that have never interacted with it outside forums/stream chats might think. It's also the best way to find out where the locals are in your area so you can have people to play on a consistent basis.

Go.

Also, try hitting Facebook and searching for groups in counties/cities relatively close to you. Chances are quite good there's a scene under your nose that you didn't know about. Canada is large, but it has many active scenes, as evidenced by the popularity of CC.

Thanks for the advice! I think I will make the trip this year, I was excited to go last year but couldn't make it. Just need to get a bag for my stick!

I will definitely look around FB for some local groups, not sure why I never thought to do that really lol. I kind of feel odd reaching out to people on social media that I don't already know, you know? lol but whatever, gotta find some players! I wish I hadn't missed the arcade scene growing up, I was going into high school around 2000 and by that point the arcades were dying out hard. I did have one memorable match of MvC2 in the arcades once with a kid who was half my size, I assumed I'd wipe the floor with him and he destroyed all 3 of my characters with Spider-Man lol.

 

[#Phonepunk#]

yeah pretty much. i think grinding is built into a lot of games, and if you are enjoying it, it's fine. go for it.

that said i don't subscribe to the idea that all play on a video game must be progress. Dark Souls helped teach me this, like if i die and lose a TON of souls, but i have been spending time practicing and getting better and better at combat, and just playing/enjoying the game, i haven't wasted my time.

some old school RPGS, like Final Fantasy VII, i have enjoyed grinding, particularly if you are trying to find a special item or spell. if a game is fun to play then it's fun to play even if you aren't progressing the linear narrative.

 

[juliotendo]

Depends on the game.

For the most part, I play games to experience and get lost in their worlds for a bit. Sort of like enjoying a good book or a good film.

If it becomes a chore or requires a silly amount of practice I sort of lost focus and move on. This isn’t to say I don’t like challenging games, but you won’t catch me investing too much time in competitive multiplayer games etc.

 

[Hobbesian]

This contains a ton of assumptions about me personally, personal attacks, and is dripping with pretentious condescension. Seriously, goddamn man. I though there was a rational discussion going on in this thread but maybe not?

Dude, get off it. This isn't ResetERA where blowing your dog whistles will sic moderation and PC hounds on your opposition because you made some ignorant statements and someone is willing to directly call you out as being ignorant (or even a bit bigoted). Yeah, I sarcastically called you “Tony Robbins”. You’ll live.

Meanwhile, you were trying to psychoanalyze me based on a single forum post and implying that I’ve got “problems” based on your tiny sample of information and I’m somehow not supposed to feel slighted by that?

One of us needs to get over themselves and it isn’t me.

Stop strawmanning and just admit your perspective on this issue is ignorant so we can move on.

Nowhere do I say fun and self-actualization have to be mutually exclusive.

Yes you did. Just not directly.

And while some segment of internet strangers care when you get gud on YouTube/Twitch, I'm still pretty comfortable saying that most people don't pay much if any attention.

No one cares about how comfortable you feel about dismissing lucrative industries and the communities that drive them based on bigoted feeling towards people who take your favorite hobby more seriously.

Some people want / like to do that stuff, that's fine. I don't begrudge anybody. You seem to have a bigger problem with the behavior of others than I do based on your visceral overreaction to my post, as you say several far more inflammatory things than anything I said.

Ha. "The modern zeitgeist". Get over yourself, man.

“Visceral overreaction”? Any other game journalistic cliche’s you want to toss into this hodge podge of bad faith arguing?

At least I’m willing to be open about the assumptions I’m making about you.

 

[Faust]

prag16 , H Hobbesian - Lay off the personal insults and focus on the topic of discussion. Let's not derail the thread any further with your bickering. If need be, take it to PMs.

Thank you.

 

[prag16]

Mod post acknowledged, and as much as it pains me to have to allow Mr. Hobbes to get last word in (and what an explosive word it was), I will not continue down that path. But just have to say that based on my history on both sites I had a sensible chuckle at this part.

This isn't ResetERA where blowing your dog whistles will sic moderation and PC hounds on your opposition

 

[Hobbesian]

Thanks for the advice! I think I will make the trip this year, I was excited to go last year but couldn't make it. Just need to get a bag for my stick!

I will definitely look around FB for some local groups, not sure why I never thought to do that really lol. I kind of feel odd reaching out to people on social media that I don't already know, you know? lol but whatever, gotta find some players! I wish I hadn't missed the arcade scene growing up, I was going into high school around 2000 and by that point the arcades were dying out hard. I did have one memorable match of MvC2 in the arcades once with a kid who was half my size, I assumed I'd wipe the floor with him and he destroyed all 3 of my characters with Spider-Man lol.

Trust me, I get it. But everyone is new and has to be a fish out of water at some point in their lives, no? That's how you grow. Just another example of how getting involved in the scene get help you evolve as a person.

Just make sure you call next at whatever setup you decide to sit down at. The arcade roots still have a bit of their fingers in us, so it's a bit of an unwritten rule to not let anyone play on a setup unless they decide to speak up!

Also, try Googling for Discord servers in your area. You might get luck that way as well.

 

[Nymphae]

Trust me, I get it. But everyone is new and has to be a fish out of water at some point in their lives, no? That's how you grow. Just another example of how getting involved in the scene get help you evolve as a person.

Just make sure you call next at whatever setup you decide to sit down at. The arcade roots still have a bit of their fingers in us, so it's a bit of an unwritten rule to not let anyone play on a setup unless they decide to speak up!

Also, try Googling for Discord servers in your area. You might get luck that way as well.

Joined my local FB group! Looking forward to meeting some local players and finally getting some real practice in!

I suppose I should try Discord as well, I've never tried it and have never really understood it's purpose, but it seems like that's where a lot of community discussions take place nowadays. Better get with the times!

 

[OldGamer]

Over the years, I took a bell curve in this sort of gaming approach. I started practicing and getting good at games, then for many years just treated them very casually, then back to trying to master the games in question in recent years.

Though these days, I am more patient with the games I play and am more willing to take a long time getting good.

Honestly, it just depends on how committed you are in getting good in games and mastering it or if it is just passing entertainment. Though, online/multiplayer games should be taken a bit more seriously interms of real effort to succeed since its kind of a disservice to others to just drag a session down if its just to mess around.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

Over the years, I took a bell curve in this sort of gaming approach. I started practicing and getting good at games, then for many years just treated them very casually, then back to trying to master the games in question in recent years.

Though these days, I am more patient with the games I play and am more willing to take a long time getting good.

Honestly, it just depends on how committed you are in getting good in games and mastering it or if it is just passing entertainment. Though, online/multiplayer games should be taken a bit more seriously interms of real effort to succeed since its kind of a disservice to others to just drag a session down if its just to mess around.

What kind of games are you trying to "get good" at?

 

[Hobbesian]

Joined my local FB group! Looking forward to meeting some local players and finally getting some real practice in!

I suppose I should try Discord as well, I've never tried it and have never really understood it's purpose, but it seems like that's where a lot of community discussions take place nowadays. Better get with the times!

For sure you want to get involved in your community's Discord, if there is one. I hate the idea of it, but that's where the majority of discussions are going for online communities. It sucks, because Discord can't archive all conversations, so I think the movement is stupid (and so does everyone using it), but the momentum is way too strong. But, yeah, ask your Facebook group for a Discord invite. Also, any game that you might be interested; It would behoove you to check out the Discord for the general community for that particular game.

 

[Nymphae]

For sure you want to get involved in your community's Discord, if there is one. I hate the idea of it, but that's where the majority of discussions are going for online communities. It sucks, because Discord can't archive all conversations, so I think the movement is stupid (and so does everyone using it), but the momentum is way too strong. But, yeah, ask your Facebook group for a Discord invite. Also, any game that you might be interested; It would behoove you to check out the Discord for the general community for that particular game.

Yeah it makes me feel like an old man ffs lol. I'm slowly falling behind technology, I just don't have time or the interest level to keep up with every new damn platform. TBH I find Twitch confusing enough, I barely use it. But I'll give our Discord a shot to see if it helps me find and train with local players.

Good timing for joining my group too, found out about an USF4 Tournament next Monday at a nearby mall! Not sure if I'm going to enter yet but I'm definitely going to go and check it out. I think it'll probably be played on the USF4 machine at the mall arcade, which has horrible hardware. I'm not a fan of bat tops, and it uses oddly space punch and kick buttons in 2 perfectly horizontal rows that are just slightly uncomfortably far away from eachother. Also I think it has a fucking circular gate lol. But it'll be nice to get in some tournament experience, no matter how small.

 

[dust bunny]

Depends on the genre. The better I get at fighting games, (real) rogue likes and shoot em ups the more fun I have with them. Games where practicing feels rewarding and leads to even more engaging gameplay. An upwards spiral.