Slashdot Mirror
Why Online Gaming Isn't As Fun As It Should Be
Thanks to GameSpot for their 'GameSpotting' editorial discussing why online gaming can often be more frustrating than fun. The columnist finds two main reasons for frustration - firstly: "I don't like getting trounced by someone who is either flat-out, hands-down better at a game than I am or has simply invested many more hours in getting good at the game than I have." He also has issues with impolite players: "I think online gaming brings out some really despicable behavior in people, which I don't particularly mind but that I certainly don't like." Some possible solutions are mentioned, such as "effective player-matching services", but what can and should be done to make playing online a delight?
(Today I lost 1/2 my credits in Vendetta attempting to get to hidden sector 18.)
A firewall can not protect you from yourself. Turn off what you do not need. Do not use the firewall to do your work.
Not really improvements, but general rules an on-line gamer should know ...
1. Play games that are invite only. That way you know who's gonna join.
2. Always tell people you're a "newbie" and kick the crap out of them at the game and claim "beginner's luck"
3. Pick a handle that shows you're a girl and be cute (most users don't like to torch girls that are cute). Then kick the crap outta them.
4. Otherwise, stop whinning, get real friends to play with you because people on-line don't like you either.
Mod Parent up.
Fun is the reason I mess with the gravity on the servers I admin. Fun is the reason I teleport snipers to sweet spots in the map. Fun is the reason I change the map to whatever I feel like playing.
Someone hates these cans.
1. Xbox Live does this (even for non-MS games) 2. Xbox Live does this (yet people cry about it) 3. Xbox Live does this (simply disconnect your voice comunicator) 3.5 Can you see a pattern? (You can block people form games you host) 4. Ditto (it converts the ping time into something more people will understand, a score out of 5)
When I put in an ob. PA link I at least make them real links.
And I'm surprised you didn't even find this one... pretty fitting for the type of stuff now.
There are only 10 kinds of people in this world... those who understand binary and those who don't
I find that one of the stronger reasons I haven't played on BNet lately (aside from shortage of time) have been the impolite if not completely idiotic players. Warcraft III has a useful "Skill Matching" system, which means that after awhile if you get good you can go being the usual trolls and idiots. However, I would propose that games also include a small "Attitude Matching" system.
How to do it? After a game, you get the screen displaying player stats as usual, with a "Attitude" selection beside each. Vote them from "+5 friendly to -2 Troll." Then, you could blacklist players with a crappy rating (somewhat like Slashdot Karma system). Perhaps players could also leave comments,and Blizz or whatnot could check into players with a really bad rating and nuke their associated CD-key off the network for a period of time.