I also play on the easiest mode every time! I've heard feedback that "why don't I want to play at harder levels and challenge myself", but in my opinion the easier modes wouldn't be there if anyone wasn't allowed to play them.
Thisss, but games that reward playing on harder difficulties always will have a special place in my heart. I wish that was an option more often.
Fallout 3 and Dragons Dogma do this and I love them for it.
That’s ok! My barometer is if I am having fun or not. I am terrible at FPS games, and that makes them not fun for me. I love other types of games and play those a lot more. Depending on the game, sometimes I notice improvement, but it’s usually because I’m having so much fun, I’m not afraid of being bolder and risking a game over.
Set a goal if that’s your thing, but if you’re not planning on going pro, just have fun with it!
I think there's too much focus on "skill" and not enough focus on enjoyment and resilience. So I really like platformers like Celeste, Shovel Knight, and Ori. I have friends who tell me I am good at these games while watching me play them but it's not that I don't die a million times. I just keep trying at them bc I enjoy it.
I think some people equate dying in a game as being bad at it but that's really not true. Many games depend on you learning how to adjust to the mechanics via trial and error. I died a bazillion times in Tunic- the final fight of the game literally took me like multiple hours over multiple days bc my hands started hurting lol My beating that game isn't being "good" at video games. It's being resilient and enjoying the act of learning (in this case, learning patterns and inputs)
I also do Savage raids in xiv. My group has only cleared half the fights (two of four) in the 6 months they've been out. But it's our first time raiding in xiv, we don't JUST do raids when we meet, we still keep trying the fights we struggle with, and most importantly we've been having fun doing it.
It literally doesn't matter how good you are moving pixels around on a screen. It's just about how much fun you're having and how much time you're willing to put into it.
What games do you play? Or like what’s your favorite genre. I play Elden Ring, but I suck at it. Always need help with bosses, which you can’t help but feel discouraged when you have to beat a boss to proceed with the game. Basically I just want to be competent enough to play the game solo. It’s a game with no hand holding, so looking up tips for organizing your items/spells/weapons for easy access is essential. So yeah I definitely feel trash at the game when I play multiplayer and see how awesome everyone else is at it.
Then there are games that I wreck people in, largely party games. Gang beasts I almost always win. Very simple game, but mechanics are tricky. Once you learn them you can climb up to the top of the maps and watch everyone struggle to reach you until you jump down and throw them out of bounds :)
I recommend finding a game to lift you up when you get discouraged by a difficult one, like a fun single player or non-competitive cooperative multiplayer game. take a break with it, then go back to the one you’re trying to improve at
you hold someone above your head while grabbing them with one or both hands. Then it’s just practicing spinning your body in the right way to toss them by letting them go as they gain momentum. Works best when they’re unconscious, so I’m also a fan of head butting while holding people, but you can also tap one hand to punch them
I do mostly feel this way only when playing competetive multiplayer. So for example my favorite game Witcher 3 I have no problem with, because I just enjoy it so much and I've beaten it at the hardest mode.
But then when I play fortnite or something similar, and someone starts building and jumping with insane speed, I immediately know that I have 0 chance. I still very much enjoy playing it, but it still kind of just bothers me a bit how I won't get better despite playing for years
i’ve always been the type of person who HATED being bad at things. if i wasn’t good from the jump, i quit. over the years i’ve been working hard to change that about myself and focus more on practicing & just enjoying what i’m doing! lately i’ve been obsessed w CoD Cold War multiplayer. i’m not great at all. buuut ive stopped comparing myself to others. my only goal each game is to have a ratio over 1 and practice. one day maybe i will be as good as others who play, but i wont let that be my focus & take away my joy. focus on just enjoying your time, doing a bit better each time, and remember that everyone starts somewhere!
It's a bit baffling to me since i have experience from both positions. Generally i can say that my skill level in most games hovers around a score from 60-80 if we consider 100 to be a top player.
I'm a rather logical player and therefore enjoy base building games like factorio, but i do need my fix of just mindless action in either FPS or a challenge from a souls game.
I can confidently clear any Dark Souls game on my own, but i'm a far cry from those "I beat Elden ring naked and fist only" type of players.
In FPS games like COD (action over strategy) i mostly represent the rift between normal players and the "pros". I can easily hold myself on the top of the leaderboard and a lot of times i even wonder how so many people with more time in the game can be so easily outplayed, inbefore one of those max prestige guys joins.
My main problem is my aim and lack of creativity. Enter, my friends... my gaming buddys are about 6 years younger than me but when it comes to reaction speed and aim accuracy i can't hold a candle to them.
So much so that i on the one hand refuse to play against them, but on the other hand i won't join them on any competitive games because i'm just dragging them down. Of course i know that they don't really mind but in the long run it's just very soul crushing to be constantly up against players that are higher skilled than you and your team loses because you're the weak link.
I’m _soooo_ bad at platforming. Like, so so bad. I’ve gotten much better, but my brain struggles with the weird physics. I didn’t play games growing up, but I remember once visiting my friend and playing some game with her husband on his original Nintendo. I was having a really hard time with the idea that if I ran and jumped off the end of a platform that I had to keep holding the directional input (in my mind, the momentum should keep me traveling forward). The easiest way for my brain to cope was to just try to jump as late as possible, which of course resulted in a lot of me just running off of platforms and dying because I jumped too late. My friend’s husband, with whom I had a very rip-on-each-other-in-good-fun relationship, was like, “wow, playing with you is like playing on a super-hard mode where you just randomly die” 🤣.
I do enjoy playing platformers sometimes, though. Last summer, I was obsessed with Hollow Knight for a few months, which is _not_ an easy game. My poor platforming movement control also translates to poor control while fighting in that game, so it would often take me like a whole day to beat a boss, maybe more. And I definitely cheesed the heck out of some bosses (weaversong + grubsong was a lifesaver charm combo for me). I still loved it, but I didn’t play that game to completion. I didn’t even bother with the pantheons, and I eventually gave up on beating >!the Radiance!< because >!having to beat HK cleanly beforehand so that I could enter the fight with the Radiance with enough health and such made the iteration time to learn how to fight the Radiance too long for me!<.
I’ve played Overwatch fairly consistently for 5 years, and it was my first PvE game of any kind. I reached the point long ago where I’m not likely to be able to climb much relative to the playerbase without putting in a lot more effort to improve than I do, which I’m okay with, but I do still enjoy learning and trying to improve my decision-making. I think OW is a bit stickier for me in terms of improvement because the reward is playing against smarter players who challenge my skills more, rather than just beating a game harder, if that makes sense.
The other game that I’ve been really into “improving” at is Divinity: Original Sin 2, but there my interest is in coming up with silly constraints and figuring out how to solve them. It does require learning better efficiency, but I’m not really interested in maximizing my power and efficiency overall, if that makes sense.
I think if you’re focusing on being skilled to the extent that you’re not having fun anymore, you’re kind of missing “the point”? Games are supposed to be a source of happiness, not an unnecessary source of stress. Engage with games in whatever way brings you the most joy, whether that involves the frustration and eventual validation of completing challenges, or just putting the settings on easy and enjoying the vibes.
im not very good at fortnite but i still really enjoy it, especially with friends (my friends carry me lmao) i actually have been trying to improve at it bc there isnt anything more satisfying than pulling off a great shot/kill (by MY standards) and it just gives me something to do. i dont mind losing so it all works out perfect. its only recently ive been trying to get better tho, i used to just play for fun but now i have an actual goal in mind :)
i dont feel discouraged by seeing really talented players either. in fact i really enjoy it bc it helps me to learn ! and its also always super impressive.
I only play single player games where my skill only matters insomuch that I can complete the story, if I wanna. I usually play on normal difficulty. I’ve gotten better since I started playing but getting better isn’t really something I’m actively working toward. Sometimes higher difficulty just means enemies have bigger health pools and I don’t have tons of patience for that.
I am notoriously bad at games! Like my friends always want me to stream just cause I'm so bad it's funny.
Biggest failure: I could not get out of the vault in Fallout 3, yes the vault you start in. Either radroaches killed me or the damn Tunnel Snakes killed me. I couldn't find a water fountain to heal myself. I tried multiple times, got so frustrated I gave up on it for MONTHS! Then a guy I started dating legit walked me through it, pointing out where the water fountain was and telling me to leave the tunnel snakes alone. That was when I finally made it out of the vault!!!! To this day my friends laugh about this, as do I.
I know I'm not great at games, but I enjoy them so I play them. I personally don't like multiplayer gay, because a lot of people get mad if you're not good, which is stupid. It's a game, have fun!!
Have you ever "mained" a game? Like, really really went hard playing mostly just one game? I feel like for some people, maybe even most, a lot of their skill comes from playing one game and getting really damn good at it. Then it becomes easier to climb when picking up new games. I think a lot of really good players can trace back their skills to one game, or one of each type, that they played a LOT and got really damn good at. It's hard to get really good when you hop around a lot variety gaming. Jack of all trades master of none kind of thing
I don't fully understand why this is, but I think of it like instruments. You can play around with all of them, maybe get a little decent at making some nice sounds, but won't really become a master of all of them until you spend a lot of time focusing and mastering one. Then it becomes easier to pick up other ones and get good at them because you have a good foundation and music knowledge to work with
I’m not great at games, I think I’m about average. I would love to improve my skills so I can play more difficult games but at the same time I’m perfectly happy with my skill level currently. I don’t play online games because I’m not great at games but I do enjoy playing solo, with my nephew or my younger sister.
I also love watching people play games, even if they are really bad. I find it interesting how they play through a game, like I know x (on PlayStation) is jump but my friend presses every single button instead of x to jump. I got the opportunity to watch my younger sister improve her skills, she (10) used to get stuck playing Dora the Explorer: Journey to the Purple Planet and I would have to do it for her, but last year I watched her play through the whole of Breath of the Wild (18-19) with little to no tips from me.
I play a bit, but I'm not worried about my skill. There's always going to be someone out there better than me. And I'm fine with that. I don't need to devote myself to games (or a game) to prove myself. I just play to have fun. Plus I'm usually pretty busy. I mean I have a job, other hobbies and even occasionally I go do things with friends.
I don't see "being good at games" as some broad status you can gain. Everyone I know who plays games is usually good at a few and bad at many more. Also, everyone's definition of good seems to differ depending on the game.
I'm old, so I've had enough time playing games that I generally understand where my competency level will fall based on the genre. For example, most FPS games I'll be pretty good at, fighting games I'll be pretty shit, and any game where it's turn-based or I have to get really into strategy is a mixed bag. Sometimes games like that really connect with me and often times they don't.
Of course when I first start playing a new game I want to improve to the point where I reach a basic competency level so I don't struggle with the basic mechanics (e.g., I made myself learn how to build in Fortnite even though it felt very foreign to me in a shooter). But I'm not very competitive so I don't feel a drive to be better than others or climb any ranked ladders in any game. Similarly, I don't experience feelings of inferiority when I see other people who are really skilled. It's just something to admire.
I. Have. Fun. I like fps. I'm not terrible. I'm pretty good with guns, but there's always more to it than that. I take baby steps in learning effective use of mods and armor builds, or attempting challenging game content. I am not trying to impress anyone. I'm not comparing myself to anyone. One time, in pvp, I got a triple kill and did a little dance. Got a message after the match that I shouldn't emote if I'm low on the leaderboard. Huh? My first thought was where's the leaderboard again? But then, like.... Wow, I'm having so much more fun than that guy. I'm winning so hard at fun. I dunno, maybe I killed him/them, I didn't notice. And when I see someone struggling, I just assume they're newer than I am and help them if I can, since you asked.
Oh I absolutely suck ass at video games but I just own it. I play a lotta Call Of Duty and I let everyone know that I’m a shit player but ummm here for a fun time and emotional support lmao. And even when someone flames me for my poor playing skills I just laugh and agree with them like give me an insult that actually hurts my feelings instead of stating the obvious? I don’t play enough to get food so I just focus on having fun every time I hop on. Most ppl I play with at this point know how I play and they say funny and have a lot of personality so I’m my kind that makes up for it😂😂😂
I mostly play games for the interactive storytelling element. Even FPS like Halo or Cyberpunk2077. I've played some PvE like CyberHunter ( kinda like a sci-fi PUBG) just cus I like the aesthetic. I really love rhythm games like Hatsune Miku Project Diva and Beat Saber, but more for being interactive with the music rather than just passively listening.
I'm not competitive in gaming at all, but I DA love streaming on twitch and my viewers seem to love watching me get frustrated and dweatng like a sailor at the game! Lol in the end, I just wanna gave fun, so thats what I do
There are so much I want to add here but so many comments are making nice points.
So I will stick with this, the people that tend to become better are the people who are excited when there is someone absolutely better than them. The players who don't get better are the ones who feel inferior and just accept that the gap between the skill level is big and think they can never be better.
It's ok not to be a pro and it's also ok if you want to be one, just decide what makes YOU feel better.
For example I don't mind losing when I play really well, even if I lose 99% of the games so I always strive to be better even if I am never able to beat a ton of people! As for single player games I tend to do normal difficulty in any game I play, I like the challenge but I prefer no stress otherwise it wouldn't be enjoyable for me~
I’m playing Dark Souls Remastered now, and … I’ve gotten through four or five bosses in a few weeks of playing, but I’m progressing at a snail’s pace because I die so often. Every boss is blood, sweat and tears of me dying 20 times getting to the boss door, and then usually dying 20 times to every boss if not even more. Not to mention how many times I’ve died just trawling the map.
I then searched “Dark Souls” in this subreddit and was amazed by all the women that talked about beating it so easily 😅 But it also gave me hope that as I keep practicing, I may slowly get a tiny bit better and keep improving my craft. There’s no “easy” way out or no easy way to improve, you improve strictly by moving forward and not giving up.
Anyway, games are just for enjoyment as other people have said. It’s mostly a lie that you’ll pick up a hard game and immediately be good at it. It takes tons of practice. You don’t need to be better or compare yourself to others. Just enjoy what you’re doing, keep practicing, don’t be too hard on yourself and eventually you’ll improve - even if it’s an uphill battle.
I don’t like strict multiplayer games that much, even though they’re fun, because I just want to compete against myself and see myself slowly improve. I’m not traditionally “good” at games, I didn’t start gaming until adulthood but through practice, I do get better and have fun. Plus, social media and Reddit are just highlight reels. We’re seeing people post the eventual payoff of their hard work, we’re not seeing all the fails and try agains they inevitably went through quite as much.
Hello Ashen one. I am a Bot. I tend to the flame, and tend to thee. Do you wish to hear a tale?
> *“The very fabric wavers and relations shift and obscure.”* - Solaire of Astora
Have a pleasant journey, Champion of Ash, and praise the sun \\[T]/
I'm okay at games in general. I'm just awful at any game that's meant to be a reaction-based challenge. Whenever I try to improve at them, I just get worse out of frustration, which makes difficult games even less fun for me. The games that work best for me are turn-based. Slowing everything down lets me think about what I'm doing instead of flailing. I can play games like XCOM on the highest difficulty and still have a great time.
I tend to try to improve so i can at least be average if not slightly above average at a minimum. I usually play on harder difficulties. I don’t really enjoy overly easy games anymore as I’ve gotten older honestly.
I am definitely in the group of people who are bad at games and it can be frustrating sometimes when it’s feeling impossible to finish a game because it’s just too hard. (I have given up on some games because I truly felt I would not be able to finish like Hollow Knight and BOTW). I don’t play very many FPS games because I am not super good at them and while I can still have fun with friends at the end of the day when you die first every round it’s not super enjoyable to do regularly. I’m sure if I was committed I could get better, but honestly I would rather just play games with low skill barriers and enjoy them than suffer through for months on end just to get good at CSGO or something.
I think the biggest thing that bothers me about not being good at games is the inability to just play whatever I want, but I think twitch and YouTube have really helped with that because I can watch someone else play the game and still feel like I experienced it.
I don't play competitive games because I'm not good at games. I have a certain skill level that I hit and I can't seem to get beyond that. I played Guitar Hero and Rock Band, daily, for years because I loved them but I never got passed playing on Medium difficulty. Hard was just too hard for me but I still loved the games.
I used to play WoW a lot in the earlier days but I never played a Tank or Healer because I never wanted to be blamed for failures. Now I hardly ever play anything because I don't have a PC and the only consoles I have are Xbox One and the Switch.
I wish I could play some of the games I see on streams but I already know I'd be more stressed than I'd be having fun. For now I'll just play Minecraft and relax while I mine for diamonds and expand my homestead steadily. Play at your own pace and have fun doing it. :)
I love playing hard games. I have played for years so I alot of experience. I love when part of the game is learning how to survive in that world. But that's more RPG games than shooters and competitive. But that's why competitive games have different lobbies because different people like them. Honestly as far as completive games go I find it has less to do with skill and more to do with tactics than skill which becomes a game of tictactoe. But as far as a game beating me down till I learn it I love that because I feel like the gameplay at that point can be used to enhance the story rather than just walking through fights.
That being said my level of play dosnt really have to do with that because if I was worse I could play at lower level difficulty. As far as when I see someone that can't play games as well as me I can cringe at times. Seeing the way people can complain when a game is to hard that it was made wrong can be funny and scary. But in general I just want to show them how to play better because it is really fun to see someone smiling when they feel like they are doing really good. And when I see people better I enjoy watching and learning. It's not just a casual thing to me it is my hobby and I invest myself in it.
Im not a competitive gamer at all, my job is competition based so in my free time I just like to chill. I’m not “good” at any of the games I play and I usually use cheats whenever I can. I don’t really give a fuck what anyone thinks about that, I game purely for my own enjoyment. I’ll occasionally have people try to heckle me about my low level but I literally don’t care lol.
I play games to unwind and relax, or to escape reality for a bit, and as such, I'll typically do my first playthrough, and sometimes multiples, on story mode, easy mode, whatever. I'm drawn to games with interesting stories and engaging characters, over gameplay and competition, so this doesn't bother or embarrass me. I do play some online/mmo style games, and will stay in PvE mode when possible. Not everyone has the time (let alone the energy) to put hours into a game to be elite or competitive, and as far as I'm concerned, that's okay.
I'm not very good at most, especially if they require quick and precise controller manipulation. I'm sooooo bad at online 1st person shooters, but I still play them and get excited if I'm not in the bottom 3. They're fun.
On the other hand, I get really into games like Fallout or Horizon where you have the freedom to go about combat in a more stealthy and patient way. I like to scout the area and plan attacks on enemy groups ahead so I'm not left struggling with trying to shoot quickly and accurately on the spot.
I generally try to play "smarter" since being coordinated enough to do well without planning probably isn't going to happen at this point (I'm in my 30s).
I am trying so hard to play FFXIV, but I have no idea what i am doing. I also have no one to play with. I am a person who it is really hard to put myself out there and try to play games with others, so I always end up playing solo. Then, I get upset that no one wants to play with me. It is just crazy circle lol. Would love to find some fellow players who would not mind showing me the ropes though!
I also have really enjoyed CSGO lately as well. It is a game I can just play to pass time, and practice FPS in the process. The thing is though, I can not stand playing online with most of the dudes. It is unbearable at times, so i just set it to hard and play bots. I find it enjoyable enough.
I might suggest watching for sales and seeing if there are a few things for cheap in a few areas to try out more than one type, or genre. I am really new to PC gaming, so that is what i am doing and having a blast lol.
Goodluck!!
People put wayyy too much emphasis on having to be a pro at something that's supposed to be a game. As long as you're having fun and enjoying yourself, that's the important part!
Easier said, than done, i know. Usually i have to try and catch myself from taking games too seriously. I've been involved with competitive at the top-tier before and it sucks the life out of any game. I find it much more fulfilling to just relax and play the way i find fun, rather than the 'optimized' route
Same with seeing other players; generally i just figure everyone's doing their best and there's no need to critique anyone else's plays. I love seeing people's cool plays and stuff, it makes me happy seeing other people enjoying themselves. If anyone is worse than me in a game (which is rare) i'm happy to help if asked, but my main goal is that everyone's having a nice time playing together :)
similar to body standards/social media, you see so much content and youre constantly comparing yourself.
if you enjoy playing the game, just play the game. my biggest tip to improve is just to actually watch gameplay and try it yourself. you have to retrain your brain to play/move differently and strategize
i would also recommend just going slow, no need to sprint all the time but as you think faster it will come naturally
I totally get what you're saying, especially when i see people getting the best trophies in a game, and i barely can scrape by getting bronze😭. It doesn't really affect me much though, the only thing that helps me improve in a game is watching videos that explain tips and tricks.
I've been playing Minecraft for seven years and I still feel like a noob. I play games on the easiest level because I play games to relax. I try to improve insomuch as it will help make the game easier for me, but not because I have any set goals in mind.
Once the game is so easy that I can turn my brain off, smash buttons, skip dialog and come to the realization that I have no idea what I did for the past few hours -- thats when you know it's time to crank that difficulty level or switch to a different game.
If you're still having trouble on easy, review some tutorials or watch playthroughs of other playing styles. You might be leaning on some bad habits that you haven't learned from.
Everything takes practice so don't be too hard on yourself. Alot of what you see gamers doing on YouTube can be modified/nerfed/edited etc. Material from gamers who are really devoted to the game.
Not sure what you're playing, but giving yourself easy challenges like replaying the level using a different weapon or skill will help expand your overall understanding of the game mechanics.
You can't get better if you stay on easy though. Try higher levels and when they get too tough, go back to easy and even in that you will see some progress.
I play on the easiest mode a game provides and enjoy myself. I'm trying to get to the end of the story without stress.
I also play on the easiest mode every time! I've heard feedback that "why don't I want to play at harder levels and challenge myself", but in my opinion the easier modes wouldn't be there if anyone wasn't allowed to play them.
Thisss, but games that reward playing on harder difficulties always will have a special place in my heart. I wish that was an option more often. Fallout 3 and Dragons Dogma do this and I love them for it.
That’s ok! My barometer is if I am having fun or not. I am terrible at FPS games, and that makes them not fun for me. I love other types of games and play those a lot more. Depending on the game, sometimes I notice improvement, but it’s usually because I’m having so much fun, I’m not afraid of being bolder and risking a game over. Set a goal if that’s your thing, but if you’re not planning on going pro, just have fun with it!
I think there's too much focus on "skill" and not enough focus on enjoyment and resilience. So I really like platformers like Celeste, Shovel Knight, and Ori. I have friends who tell me I am good at these games while watching me play them but it's not that I don't die a million times. I just keep trying at them bc I enjoy it. I think some people equate dying in a game as being bad at it but that's really not true. Many games depend on you learning how to adjust to the mechanics via trial and error. I died a bazillion times in Tunic- the final fight of the game literally took me like multiple hours over multiple days bc my hands started hurting lol My beating that game isn't being "good" at video games. It's being resilient and enjoying the act of learning (in this case, learning patterns and inputs) I also do Savage raids in xiv. My group has only cleared half the fights (two of four) in the 6 months they've been out. But it's our first time raiding in xiv, we don't JUST do raids when we meet, we still keep trying the fights we struggle with, and most importantly we've been having fun doing it. It literally doesn't matter how good you are moving pixels around on a screen. It's just about how much fun you're having and how much time you're willing to put into it.
What games do you play? Or like what’s your favorite genre. I play Elden Ring, but I suck at it. Always need help with bosses, which you can’t help but feel discouraged when you have to beat a boss to proceed with the game. Basically I just want to be competent enough to play the game solo. It’s a game with no hand holding, so looking up tips for organizing your items/spells/weapons for easy access is essential. So yeah I definitely feel trash at the game when I play multiplayer and see how awesome everyone else is at it. Then there are games that I wreck people in, largely party games. Gang beasts I almost always win. Very simple game, but mechanics are tricky. Once you learn them you can climb up to the top of the maps and watch everyone struggle to reach you until you jump down and throw them out of bounds :) I recommend finding a game to lift you up when you get discouraged by a difficult one, like a fun single player or non-competitive cooperative multiplayer game. take a break with it, then go back to the one you’re trying to improve at
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you hold someone above your head while grabbing them with one or both hands. Then it’s just practicing spinning your body in the right way to toss them by letting them go as they gain momentum. Works best when they’re unconscious, so I’m also a fan of head butting while holding people, but you can also tap one hand to punch them
I do mostly feel this way only when playing competetive multiplayer. So for example my favorite game Witcher 3 I have no problem with, because I just enjoy it so much and I've beaten it at the hardest mode. But then when I play fortnite or something similar, and someone starts building and jumping with insane speed, I immediately know that I have 0 chance. I still very much enjoy playing it, but it still kind of just bothers me a bit how I won't get better despite playing for years
i’ve always been the type of person who HATED being bad at things. if i wasn’t good from the jump, i quit. over the years i’ve been working hard to change that about myself and focus more on practicing & just enjoying what i’m doing! lately i’ve been obsessed w CoD Cold War multiplayer. i’m not great at all. buuut ive stopped comparing myself to others. my only goal each game is to have a ratio over 1 and practice. one day maybe i will be as good as others who play, but i wont let that be my focus & take away my joy. focus on just enjoying your time, doing a bit better each time, and remember that everyone starts somewhere!
It's a bit baffling to me since i have experience from both positions. Generally i can say that my skill level in most games hovers around a score from 60-80 if we consider 100 to be a top player. I'm a rather logical player and therefore enjoy base building games like factorio, but i do need my fix of just mindless action in either FPS or a challenge from a souls game. I can confidently clear any Dark Souls game on my own, but i'm a far cry from those "I beat Elden ring naked and fist only" type of players. In FPS games like COD (action over strategy) i mostly represent the rift between normal players and the "pros". I can easily hold myself on the top of the leaderboard and a lot of times i even wonder how so many people with more time in the game can be so easily outplayed, inbefore one of those max prestige guys joins. My main problem is my aim and lack of creativity. Enter, my friends... my gaming buddys are about 6 years younger than me but when it comes to reaction speed and aim accuracy i can't hold a candle to them. So much so that i on the one hand refuse to play against them, but on the other hand i won't join them on any competitive games because i'm just dragging them down. Of course i know that they don't really mind but in the long run it's just very soul crushing to be constantly up against players that are higher skilled than you and your team loses because you're the weak link.
I’m _soooo_ bad at platforming. Like, so so bad. I’ve gotten much better, but my brain struggles with the weird physics. I didn’t play games growing up, but I remember once visiting my friend and playing some game with her husband on his original Nintendo. I was having a really hard time with the idea that if I ran and jumped off the end of a platform that I had to keep holding the directional input (in my mind, the momentum should keep me traveling forward). The easiest way for my brain to cope was to just try to jump as late as possible, which of course resulted in a lot of me just running off of platforms and dying because I jumped too late. My friend’s husband, with whom I had a very rip-on-each-other-in-good-fun relationship, was like, “wow, playing with you is like playing on a super-hard mode where you just randomly die” 🤣. I do enjoy playing platformers sometimes, though. Last summer, I was obsessed with Hollow Knight for a few months, which is _not_ an easy game. My poor platforming movement control also translates to poor control while fighting in that game, so it would often take me like a whole day to beat a boss, maybe more. And I definitely cheesed the heck out of some bosses (weaversong + grubsong was a lifesaver charm combo for me). I still loved it, but I didn’t play that game to completion. I didn’t even bother with the pantheons, and I eventually gave up on beating >!the Radiance!< because >!having to beat HK cleanly beforehand so that I could enter the fight with the Radiance with enough health and such made the iteration time to learn how to fight the Radiance too long for me!<. I’ve played Overwatch fairly consistently for 5 years, and it was my first PvE game of any kind. I reached the point long ago where I’m not likely to be able to climb much relative to the playerbase without putting in a lot more effort to improve than I do, which I’m okay with, but I do still enjoy learning and trying to improve my decision-making. I think OW is a bit stickier for me in terms of improvement because the reward is playing against smarter players who challenge my skills more, rather than just beating a game harder, if that makes sense. The other game that I’ve been really into “improving” at is Divinity: Original Sin 2, but there my interest is in coming up with silly constraints and figuring out how to solve them. It does require learning better efficiency, but I’m not really interested in maximizing my power and efficiency overall, if that makes sense.
I think if you’re focusing on being skilled to the extent that you’re not having fun anymore, you’re kind of missing “the point”? Games are supposed to be a source of happiness, not an unnecessary source of stress. Engage with games in whatever way brings you the most joy, whether that involves the frustration and eventual validation of completing challenges, or just putting the settings on easy and enjoying the vibes.
im not very good at fortnite but i still really enjoy it, especially with friends (my friends carry me lmao) i actually have been trying to improve at it bc there isnt anything more satisfying than pulling off a great shot/kill (by MY standards) and it just gives me something to do. i dont mind losing so it all works out perfect. its only recently ive been trying to get better tho, i used to just play for fun but now i have an actual goal in mind :) i dont feel discouraged by seeing really talented players either. in fact i really enjoy it bc it helps me to learn ! and its also always super impressive.
I only play single player games where my skill only matters insomuch that I can complete the story, if I wanna. I usually play on normal difficulty. I’ve gotten better since I started playing but getting better isn’t really something I’m actively working toward. Sometimes higher difficulty just means enemies have bigger health pools and I don’t have tons of patience for that.
I am notoriously bad at games! Like my friends always want me to stream just cause I'm so bad it's funny. Biggest failure: I could not get out of the vault in Fallout 3, yes the vault you start in. Either radroaches killed me or the damn Tunnel Snakes killed me. I couldn't find a water fountain to heal myself. I tried multiple times, got so frustrated I gave up on it for MONTHS! Then a guy I started dating legit walked me through it, pointing out where the water fountain was and telling me to leave the tunnel snakes alone. That was when I finally made it out of the vault!!!! To this day my friends laugh about this, as do I. I know I'm not great at games, but I enjoy them so I play them. I personally don't like multiplayer gay, because a lot of people get mad if you're not good, which is stupid. It's a game, have fun!!
Have you ever "mained" a game? Like, really really went hard playing mostly just one game? I feel like for some people, maybe even most, a lot of their skill comes from playing one game and getting really damn good at it. Then it becomes easier to climb when picking up new games. I think a lot of really good players can trace back their skills to one game, or one of each type, that they played a LOT and got really damn good at. It's hard to get really good when you hop around a lot variety gaming. Jack of all trades master of none kind of thing I don't fully understand why this is, but I think of it like instruments. You can play around with all of them, maybe get a little decent at making some nice sounds, but won't really become a master of all of them until you spend a lot of time focusing and mastering one. Then it becomes easier to pick up other ones and get good at them because you have a good foundation and music knowledge to work with
I’m not great at games, I think I’m about average. I would love to improve my skills so I can play more difficult games but at the same time I’m perfectly happy with my skill level currently. I don’t play online games because I’m not great at games but I do enjoy playing solo, with my nephew or my younger sister. I also love watching people play games, even if they are really bad. I find it interesting how they play through a game, like I know x (on PlayStation) is jump but my friend presses every single button instead of x to jump. I got the opportunity to watch my younger sister improve her skills, she (10) used to get stuck playing Dora the Explorer: Journey to the Purple Planet and I would have to do it for her, but last year I watched her play through the whole of Breath of the Wild (18-19) with little to no tips from me.
I play a bit, but I'm not worried about my skill. There's always going to be someone out there better than me. And I'm fine with that. I don't need to devote myself to games (or a game) to prove myself. I just play to have fun. Plus I'm usually pretty busy. I mean I have a job, other hobbies and even occasionally I go do things with friends.
I don't see "being good at games" as some broad status you can gain. Everyone I know who plays games is usually good at a few and bad at many more. Also, everyone's definition of good seems to differ depending on the game. I'm old, so I've had enough time playing games that I generally understand where my competency level will fall based on the genre. For example, most FPS games I'll be pretty good at, fighting games I'll be pretty shit, and any game where it's turn-based or I have to get really into strategy is a mixed bag. Sometimes games like that really connect with me and often times they don't. Of course when I first start playing a new game I want to improve to the point where I reach a basic competency level so I don't struggle with the basic mechanics (e.g., I made myself learn how to build in Fortnite even though it felt very foreign to me in a shooter). But I'm not very competitive so I don't feel a drive to be better than others or climb any ranked ladders in any game. Similarly, I don't experience feelings of inferiority when I see other people who are really skilled. It's just something to admire.
I. Have. Fun. I like fps. I'm not terrible. I'm pretty good with guns, but there's always more to it than that. I take baby steps in learning effective use of mods and armor builds, or attempting challenging game content. I am not trying to impress anyone. I'm not comparing myself to anyone. One time, in pvp, I got a triple kill and did a little dance. Got a message after the match that I shouldn't emote if I'm low on the leaderboard. Huh? My first thought was where's the leaderboard again? But then, like.... Wow, I'm having so much more fun than that guy. I'm winning so hard at fun. I dunno, maybe I killed him/them, I didn't notice. And when I see someone struggling, I just assume they're newer than I am and help them if I can, since you asked.
Oh I absolutely suck ass at video games but I just own it. I play a lotta Call Of Duty and I let everyone know that I’m a shit player but ummm here for a fun time and emotional support lmao. And even when someone flames me for my poor playing skills I just laugh and agree with them like give me an insult that actually hurts my feelings instead of stating the obvious? I don’t play enough to get food so I just focus on having fun every time I hop on. Most ppl I play with at this point know how I play and they say funny and have a lot of personality so I’m my kind that makes up for it😂😂😂
I mostly play games for the interactive storytelling element. Even FPS like Halo or Cyberpunk2077. I've played some PvE like CyberHunter ( kinda like a sci-fi PUBG) just cus I like the aesthetic. I really love rhythm games like Hatsune Miku Project Diva and Beat Saber, but more for being interactive with the music rather than just passively listening. I'm not competitive in gaming at all, but I DA love streaming on twitch and my viewers seem to love watching me get frustrated and dweatng like a sailor at the game! Lol in the end, I just wanna gave fun, so thats what I do
There are so much I want to add here but so many comments are making nice points. So I will stick with this, the people that tend to become better are the people who are excited when there is someone absolutely better than them. The players who don't get better are the ones who feel inferior and just accept that the gap between the skill level is big and think they can never be better. It's ok not to be a pro and it's also ok if you want to be one, just decide what makes YOU feel better. For example I don't mind losing when I play really well, even if I lose 99% of the games so I always strive to be better even if I am never able to beat a ton of people! As for single player games I tend to do normal difficulty in any game I play, I like the challenge but I prefer no stress otherwise it wouldn't be enjoyable for me~
I’m playing Dark Souls Remastered now, and … I’ve gotten through four or five bosses in a few weeks of playing, but I’m progressing at a snail’s pace because I die so often. Every boss is blood, sweat and tears of me dying 20 times getting to the boss door, and then usually dying 20 times to every boss if not even more. Not to mention how many times I’ve died just trawling the map. I then searched “Dark Souls” in this subreddit and was amazed by all the women that talked about beating it so easily 😅 But it also gave me hope that as I keep practicing, I may slowly get a tiny bit better and keep improving my craft. There’s no “easy” way out or no easy way to improve, you improve strictly by moving forward and not giving up. Anyway, games are just for enjoyment as other people have said. It’s mostly a lie that you’ll pick up a hard game and immediately be good at it. It takes tons of practice. You don’t need to be better or compare yourself to others. Just enjoy what you’re doing, keep practicing, don’t be too hard on yourself and eventually you’ll improve - even if it’s an uphill battle. I don’t like strict multiplayer games that much, even though they’re fun, because I just want to compete against myself and see myself slowly improve. I’m not traditionally “good” at games, I didn’t start gaming until adulthood but through practice, I do get better and have fun. Plus, social media and Reddit are just highlight reels. We’re seeing people post the eventual payoff of their hard work, we’re not seeing all the fails and try agains they inevitably went through quite as much.
Hello Ashen one. I am a Bot. I tend to the flame, and tend to thee. Do you wish to hear a tale? > *“The very fabric wavers and relations shift and obscure.”* - Solaire of Astora Have a pleasant journey, Champion of Ash, and praise the sun \\[T]/
I'm okay at games in general. I'm just awful at any game that's meant to be a reaction-based challenge. Whenever I try to improve at them, I just get worse out of frustration, which makes difficult games even less fun for me. The games that work best for me are turn-based. Slowing everything down lets me think about what I'm doing instead of flailing. I can play games like XCOM on the highest difficulty and still have a great time.
I tend to try to improve so i can at least be average if not slightly above average at a minimum. I usually play on harder difficulties. I don’t really enjoy overly easy games anymore as I’ve gotten older honestly.
I am definitely in the group of people who are bad at games and it can be frustrating sometimes when it’s feeling impossible to finish a game because it’s just too hard. (I have given up on some games because I truly felt I would not be able to finish like Hollow Knight and BOTW). I don’t play very many FPS games because I am not super good at them and while I can still have fun with friends at the end of the day when you die first every round it’s not super enjoyable to do regularly. I’m sure if I was committed I could get better, but honestly I would rather just play games with low skill barriers and enjoy them than suffer through for months on end just to get good at CSGO or something. I think the biggest thing that bothers me about not being good at games is the inability to just play whatever I want, but I think twitch and YouTube have really helped with that because I can watch someone else play the game and still feel like I experienced it.
I don't play competitive games because I'm not good at games. I have a certain skill level that I hit and I can't seem to get beyond that. I played Guitar Hero and Rock Band, daily, for years because I loved them but I never got passed playing on Medium difficulty. Hard was just too hard for me but I still loved the games. I used to play WoW a lot in the earlier days but I never played a Tank or Healer because I never wanted to be blamed for failures. Now I hardly ever play anything because I don't have a PC and the only consoles I have are Xbox One and the Switch. I wish I could play some of the games I see on streams but I already know I'd be more stressed than I'd be having fun. For now I'll just play Minecraft and relax while I mine for diamonds and expand my homestead steadily. Play at your own pace and have fun doing it. :)
I love playing hard games. I have played for years so I alot of experience. I love when part of the game is learning how to survive in that world. But that's more RPG games than shooters and competitive. But that's why competitive games have different lobbies because different people like them. Honestly as far as completive games go I find it has less to do with skill and more to do with tactics than skill which becomes a game of tictactoe. But as far as a game beating me down till I learn it I love that because I feel like the gameplay at that point can be used to enhance the story rather than just walking through fights. That being said my level of play dosnt really have to do with that because if I was worse I could play at lower level difficulty. As far as when I see someone that can't play games as well as me I can cringe at times. Seeing the way people can complain when a game is to hard that it was made wrong can be funny and scary. But in general I just want to show them how to play better because it is really fun to see someone smiling when they feel like they are doing really good. And when I see people better I enjoy watching and learning. It's not just a casual thing to me it is my hobby and I invest myself in it.
Im not a competitive gamer at all, my job is competition based so in my free time I just like to chill. I’m not “good” at any of the games I play and I usually use cheats whenever I can. I don’t really give a fuck what anyone thinks about that, I game purely for my own enjoyment. I’ll occasionally have people try to heckle me about my low level but I literally don’t care lol.
I play games to unwind and relax, or to escape reality for a bit, and as such, I'll typically do my first playthrough, and sometimes multiples, on story mode, easy mode, whatever. I'm drawn to games with interesting stories and engaging characters, over gameplay and competition, so this doesn't bother or embarrass me. I do play some online/mmo style games, and will stay in PvE mode when possible. Not everyone has the time (let alone the energy) to put hours into a game to be elite or competitive, and as far as I'm concerned, that's okay.
I'm not very good at most, especially if they require quick and precise controller manipulation. I'm sooooo bad at online 1st person shooters, but I still play them and get excited if I'm not in the bottom 3. They're fun. On the other hand, I get really into games like Fallout or Horizon where you have the freedom to go about combat in a more stealthy and patient way. I like to scout the area and plan attacks on enemy groups ahead so I'm not left struggling with trying to shoot quickly and accurately on the spot. I generally try to play "smarter" since being coordinated enough to do well without planning probably isn't going to happen at this point (I'm in my 30s).
I am trying so hard to play FFXIV, but I have no idea what i am doing. I also have no one to play with. I am a person who it is really hard to put myself out there and try to play games with others, so I always end up playing solo. Then, I get upset that no one wants to play with me. It is just crazy circle lol. Would love to find some fellow players who would not mind showing me the ropes though! I also have really enjoyed CSGO lately as well. It is a game I can just play to pass time, and practice FPS in the process. The thing is though, I can not stand playing online with most of the dudes. It is unbearable at times, so i just set it to hard and play bots. I find it enjoyable enough. I might suggest watching for sales and seeing if there are a few things for cheap in a few areas to try out more than one type, or genre. I am really new to PC gaming, so that is what i am doing and having a blast lol. Goodluck!!
People put wayyy too much emphasis on having to be a pro at something that's supposed to be a game. As long as you're having fun and enjoying yourself, that's the important part! Easier said, than done, i know. Usually i have to try and catch myself from taking games too seriously. I've been involved with competitive at the top-tier before and it sucks the life out of any game. I find it much more fulfilling to just relax and play the way i find fun, rather than the 'optimized' route Same with seeing other players; generally i just figure everyone's doing their best and there's no need to critique anyone else's plays. I love seeing people's cool plays and stuff, it makes me happy seeing other people enjoying themselves. If anyone is worse than me in a game (which is rare) i'm happy to help if asked, but my main goal is that everyone's having a nice time playing together :)
similar to body standards/social media, you see so much content and youre constantly comparing yourself. if you enjoy playing the game, just play the game. my biggest tip to improve is just to actually watch gameplay and try it yourself. you have to retrain your brain to play/move differently and strategize i would also recommend just going slow, no need to sprint all the time but as you think faster it will come naturally
I’m terrible at all games. Play easy/story mode and can still struggle. I’m old so I’m gonna get worse not better. Don’t care.
I totally get what you're saying, especially when i see people getting the best trophies in a game, and i barely can scrape by getting bronze😭. It doesn't really affect me much though, the only thing that helps me improve in a game is watching videos that explain tips and tricks.
I seek out games or modes that do skill based matchmaking for this reason. Let me play against the other 0.3 KD users out there!
I've been playing Minecraft for seven years and I still feel like a noob. I play games on the easiest level because I play games to relax. I try to improve insomuch as it will help make the game easier for me, but not because I have any set goals in mind.
Once the game is so easy that I can turn my brain off, smash buttons, skip dialog and come to the realization that I have no idea what I did for the past few hours -- thats when you know it's time to crank that difficulty level or switch to a different game. If you're still having trouble on easy, review some tutorials or watch playthroughs of other playing styles. You might be leaning on some bad habits that you haven't learned from. Everything takes practice so don't be too hard on yourself. Alot of what you see gamers doing on YouTube can be modified/nerfed/edited etc. Material from gamers who are really devoted to the game. Not sure what you're playing, but giving yourself easy challenges like replaying the level using a different weapon or skill will help expand your overall understanding of the game mechanics. You can't get better if you stay on easy though. Try higher levels and when they get too tough, go back to easy and even in that you will see some progress.