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[McNum]

Interesting. I've never experienced this. It's possible this is because I've been multiplayer gaming since I was a child. For those who experience anxiety playing with other people: how long ago did you start multiplayer gaming?

I've been playing online for a little over a decade, I think. Played Star Wars Galaxies as the first online game I really got into. I still get stressed out when I play online, especially fighting games or similar versus games. I also hate voice chat, I'd really, really rather go without, or at least have it default to friends list only if it has to be there.

It's funny, I keep buying fighting games, thinking this one is going to be the one I go online with and play a ton of matches. Between all versions of Street Fighter 4, MvC3, and Tekken, I have about 50 matches. Total. Played more Super Smash Bros. Brawl online than UMvC3.

I do have an idea on why I get stressed out about it. I play video games to relax, tune out for a while. When I play another person, I can't do that, I have to be on and alert. Both because I want to win, and because I at least want to give the other guy a good fight. But then I don't relax while playing anymore and well, why pick the Online Mode menu when the Offline Mode menu offers a much more relaxing game?

The only game I've ever felt completely comfortable playing is City of Heroes. And even then it was a bit of a learning process for the first few months. I still got all nervous when going into a PvP area, so I, like most of the players, left those alone.

 

[LowParry]

I usually have this my first couple of matches online with a fighting game. Eventually I'm relaxed and having a good time. Not really sure why I feel that way to start.

 

[Paranerd]

I get more nervous posting on NeoGaf and fearing that someone's gonna call me an idiot!

 

[Wonko_C]

It is exactly this.

I suffer from anxiety as well. "Fear is the worst kind of prison", or so the slogans say. I hate these kinds of self-help platitudes, but only because I know they are true. I haven't really gotten over my anxiety, and I'm not sure I will, but I've gotten through a couple of first humps that now I'm trudging along and not at an impasse, as I once were. What got me through were kind people like the ones who are posting in this thread right now, and taking a couple of leaps that my risk-averse mind considered make or break. That magnification effect that the mind applies to these anxiety causing things is at the heart of this, the more you are cognizant of it the better your chances are of beating it, or in my case working around it. Knowing that a few of brave people I looked up to had the same fears also helped.

I wish I were fearless, or at least less cowardly, but I'll have to make do with constantly reminding myself: that things aren't as impossible as my mind makes them seem to be. Pain, loss, failure aren't nearly as bad. They still suck, but nowhere near as bad. The rewards, if only that bastard mind would magnify those instead .

Good luck. (To myself as well.)

I'm sure if you end playing multiplayer with GAFfers you'll have fun anyways, they seem like good people .

P.S. A technique I found useful was to consciously belittle the negative outcomes of the action that I'm anxious about. Loudly repeating "So what if such and such bad thing happens? Screw that." Silly, but you'd be surprised how well it works.

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I get more nervous posting on NeoGaf and fearing that someone's gonna call me an idiot!

Haha, I get that at times. Sometimes I when I finish typing my posts I end up scrapping them and not posting at all.

 

[ksdixon]

I sometimes get it for having to ring people on the phone. You know like calling for a Taxi, or ordering a takeaway?

 

[Salsa]

I used to somewhat, although it was more about being shy

now within 2 minutes of mic with randoms im just laughing my ass off and talking to everybody as if I knew them from way back

this is PC btw, not XBLA of course

 

[Taglioli]

YES! Horribly. But I get anxiety from a lot of things. And it has nothing to do with the mic. Just playing with someone else I don't know makes me nervous, no matter what type of game it is. When playing on a console I get really nervous when someone just sends me a message, and sometimes I just turn my console off when I get one. It's ridiculous. I think I'm getting better at it, though.

I also get anxious posting on online forums...

 

[SpartanForce]

Nope, never.

 

[nel e nel]

After a few beers it's not so bad though.

 

[nel e nel]

Interesting. I've never experienced this. It's possible this is because I've been multiplayer gaming since I was a child. For those who experience anxiety playing with other people: how long ago did you start multiplayer gaming?

That's very possible, it's also possible that some of these folks have some sort of anxiety disorder or panic attacks. My wife suffers from this and I don't and it's really hard to understand/relate to if you've always been sociable.

 

[dragonlife]

A bit, yeah. Mostly in fighting games.

 

[joezombie]

I'm fine with fighting games since they're over so quickly and I can always just get a new match in seconds. I'm also fine in shooters because they're not 1 on 1 so as long as I'm reasonably high on the leaderboard it's fine

RTS are the killer though. 1on1, and games take at least 10 minutes each. Losses are too tough to take, and feel worse then wins feel good

 

[Goldenroad]

No because I do not play games that seriously. I mean, I take games seriously, but I play them to have fun. As soon as any experience I have with any game stops being fun, I stop playing.

Regardless...I find online play to actually be more relaxing sometimes than a intense single player experience.

 

[Korosenai]

No, I don't get anxiety at all.

I'm a really competitive player, but talking to other people or knowing that they're going to talk to me/trash talk me doesn't bother me at all.

Only time I get anxiety or sweaty palms is when it's a close match and I know I might lose.

 

[Gaogaogao]

the reason I play call of duty is because there are really low stakes, and a lot of control of the situation, so I feel its alot easier to relax with than other online games.

 

[Nizz]

I think I'd have performance anxiety if I ever played with GAF, lol. I've seen people here put up impressive numbers/stats in online FPS games and I'm probably average at best.

Most of the time I play with randoms and never use a mic.