Competitive online gaming

to0kenZA

New member
Hey guys :D

I just feel like posting about something that's been bothering me for..well, pretty much most of the time I've spent gaming online.

I wouldn't rate myself as an overly competitive person in "real life", but when it comes to gaming, man, just hold me back!

Since I've been playing CSS online (my first online game) I started getting quite competitive. Played it for about 5 years and then moved straight to Bad Company 2 when it came out. I see myself as not too bad of a player and play well most of the time, but sometimes I have my off days and I can't stand it. On those days, playing games and getting owned, I start getting a bit..aggressive :p

Sometimes when I look at the scoreboard and I see my score is sitting at 1 / 10 I would just think to myself "Screw this, I'm out."

The problem I have with this is that sometimes it feels like I'm forgetting what its all about. Gaming is about having fun and playing online is about having a good time with your online buddies, but a lot of the time my competitiveness gets in the way and it's safe to say that I get a bit frustrated with myself for being like that.

It has helped me to become a better player as well, on the flip side, always forcing myself to keep focusing and playing better, but there has been times where I started getting suspicious of people and then getting pissed off at them. Afterwards I think about it and I realize how stupid I am, and also regret saying whatever I did to that person. I do apologize most of the time :p, but sometimes its people I never see again- which is just what online is: a room full of people you don't know whom you also might never see again.

So I'm trying my darndest to channel that passion for gaming I have into a more positive outlook, but it's hard..

Is there anyone that feels the same?
 
1/10? Fuck me not even I'm that bad :rolleyes: :D

Seriously, I often have that feeling - look at the match summary and I'm at the bottom like four times in a row, it's definitely demoralizing. But the next day, everything goes swimmingly. I know how you feel - and the rate of aggressiveness is usually proportionate to the amount of beer consumed.
 
I love competitive gaming. I really do! Some people just take it way to seriously though, specially the younger generation. If you start playing in leagues and tournaments and get to know the players and their ages, you will see what I'm talking about. 9/10 times the swearing, in game banter, name calling etc will be by players of around 22 and younger. I'm not saying older players don't do this, it's just far more common to expect being called a ***** and a mother**** from that age group. It's as if the more matured players, that also play a lot less I might add, do so more for the enjoyment and are generally less serious, as they don't really get that much time to play anymore.

No matter how competitive you are, if you start taking things to seriously and you get to that point where you bash a keyboard or verbally abuse a fellow player that accidentally team-killed you, or another player "noob killing" you (Tube, claymore etc), you are actually missing out on the entire point of gaming.
 
At least you're aware it's a problem.

Well, that's always a start, innit? :D But thanks for your enlightening statement nonetheless.

1/10? Fuck me not even I'm that bad :rolleyes: :D

Seriously, I often have that feeling - look at the match summary and I'm at the bottom like four times in a row, it's definitely demoralizing. But the next day, everything goes swimmingly. I know how you feel - and the rate of aggressiveness is usually proportionate to the amount of beer consumed.

Strangely enough, the aggressiveness in my case is inversely proportionate to the amount of beverage consumed ha ha! :D But we can't let that become a part of the solution now, can we? Then I will be sitting with a drinking problem instead! Hah, nah only kidding. It's not that bad, it just gets in the way of my enjoyment sometimes.
 
I love competitive gaming. I really do! Some people just take it way to seriously though, specially the younger generation. If you start playing in leagues and tournaments and get to know the players and their ages, you will see what I'm talking about. 9/10 times the swearing, in game banter, name calling etc will be by players of around 22 and younger. I'm not saying older players don't do this, it's just far more common to expect being called a ***** and a mother**** from that age group. It's as if the more matured players, that also play a lot less I might add, do so more for the enjoyment and are generally less serious, as they don't really get that much time to play anymore.

No matter how competitive you are, if you start taking things to seriously and you get to that point where you bash a keyboard or verbally abuse a fellow player that accidentally team-killed you, or another player "noob killing" you (Tube, claymore etc), you are actually missing out on the entire point of gaming.

Shot for the reply dude.

I just feel like I need to add something more, just to clear out any misuderstandings in case. I never get that angry that I feel the need to swing my keyboard against the wall or maybe even throw my PC in the pool, I just get frustrated when I'm having a bad gaming day. I just believe that there is a fine line between being competitive and taking it too seriously. I think sometimes I cross the line a bit, but I see it as a challenge, or more an obstacle of my character that I need to overcome.

I guess I just have a big passion for gaming and see it as a sort of sport as well and I like to push myself towards becoming a better player as well, which I'm sure of you know what I mean Plassie.

EDIT: Oh yes, the younger generation takes smack talking to a whole new level.
 
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Strangely enough, the aggressiveness in my case is inversely proportionate to the amount of beverage consumed ha ha! :D But we can't let that become a part of the solution now, can we? Then I will be sitting with a drinking problem instead! Hah, nah only kidding. It's not that bad, it just gets in the way of my enjoyment sometimes.

I wasn't talking about myself :D (Now that everyone thinks I'm an aggressive drunk :p) It also works opposite for me..but booze aside (although I wouldn't mind a cold one..how about you?), Plassie makes good points there, although what annoys me more are people that insult and call NOOB every five minutes because a newcomer had the cheek to kill him.

I'm not that competetive, so it just gets me into one of those "Oh FFS" modes, raging at games suggests that you shouldn't be playing them at all (not pointing fingers).
 
I wasn't talking about myself :D (Now that everyone thinks I'm an aggressive drunk :p) It also works opposite for me..but booze aside (although I wouldn't mind a cold one..how about you?), Plassie makes good points there, although what annoys me more are people that insult and call NOOB every five minutes because a newcomer had the cheek to kill him.

I'm not that competetive, so it just gets me into one of those "Oh FFS" modes, raging at games suggests that you shouldn't be playing them at all (not pointing fingers).

Yes please hand me that heinie!

Anyhow- yup I think that if you rage too much at games it's bad for your stress levels, instead of doing the opposite of relaxing you. Just so you know, I'm definitely not one of those okes that shout noob and insult people every 5 minutes! Ha ha. I'm also not one of the people that goes into a state of blood red rage when a teamie kills me by accident. Just so people don't think I'm some raging, pimple faced prick :D Ha ha
 
Yeah you just get some guys who are awesome to play with and some that are total dicks.
The first time I ever played a Hardcore TDM, I predator missiled half my team and everyone was totally chill.
Last week I stabbed an oke in my team, he called me a p**s before I even had change to say sorry. THAT is onnodig.

Yeah dude, there's nothing more refreshing than killing a teamie and the oke just laughs and said "Np dude". As for dropping the P-bomb just because someone TKs you by accident is totally onnodig, I agree.
 
If you're having an off day just treat it as a zen/stoic mental exercise...as in detach your emotional state from the score. :cool: This will also improve your chances of turning the situation around.
 
Sometimes when I look at the scoreboard and I see my score is sitting at 1 / 10 I would just think to myself "Screw this, I'm out."

As someone who plays BC2 with you quite often, I find this hard to believe :p

But yea, at least you realize when you're being a twat :D
 
I snapped a keyboard in half once during a game of Dota. I don't play Dota anymore.

A friend of mine took his keyboard outside this one night when I was lanning with him. We we're playing DOTA and I just saw him get up, holding his keyboard by its cord and he smashed the living @#%$* out of that thing against a pillar. Was such a lag!

As someone who plays BC2 with you quite often, I find this hard to believe :p

But yea, at least you realize when you're being a twat :D

He he, you'd be surprised. Just jammed Vietnam now and we were getting .. I can't really find a suitable word for what happened to us, but I was 0 for 11 and I left lol. :/ Going through a bit of a bad streak. But yeah, as you say dude, at least I know when I'm being a prick.
 
I decided that the whole competitive scene isn't for me anymore. I play against myself. I set myself little goals, like trying to get to a 2 KDR, and work towards getting them. If a game isn't fun for me anymore I don't bother playing.
 
I decided that the whole competitive scene isn't for me anymore. I play against myself. I set myself little goals, like trying to get to a 2 KDR, and work towards getting them. If a game isn't fun for me anymore I don't bother playing.

Me also, but I realized that for me to get a 2 KDR, I need to aim for at least a 3 or 4 :D
 
Me also, but I realized that for me to get a 2 KDR, I need to aim for at least a 3 or 4 :D

Man, I am sooooo close to having a 2 KDR in Blops, sitting at 1.97 now. :) I've never been able to reach it with any online FPS I've played. I've always been a 1.5-1.7 guy. Tho I did manage a 1.9 in MW2.
 
Man, I am sooooo close to having a 2 KDR in Blops, sitting at 1.97 now. :) I've never been able to reach it with any online FPS I've played. I've always been a 1.5-1.7 guy. Tho I did manage a 1.9 in MW2.

Yeah dude, same here man. In CSS I also used to be a 1.4 but in BC I managed to almost reach 2 now. Some of my kits are sitting at just over 2, but overall 1.84. Almost there :D

It's feels really cool when you reach your goals though!
 
I'm competitive when I play. It's why theres a multiplayer in the 1st place. I just don't let losing get me down, it IS just a game, I get slaughtered for 3 round at a 10/30 KD and start swearing at myself, but suddenly in the 4th I'm filling the ditches with blood at a 70/0 score.
 
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