| Author |
 Topic  |
|
Advanced Gamer
1028 Posts |
 Posted - May 24 2012 : 09:54:12 AM
|
For those who follow my comments, this is largely a repeat of that, but I was curious about the opinions of others on this as well, so a forum post seemed good.
I played a bit of Assassin's Creed: Revelations multiplayer today and it reminded me why I generally hate multiplayer games. With any game, there will always be a group of people who play pretty much nothing but that game. As with anything, repetition tends to increase skill.
People who are just starting out shouldn't have to compete with people who have played the game for hundreds of hours. It's not fair, and it's not fun. This goes doubly for games that, as you level up, allow you access to additional skills/perks/etc, which just makes the difference that much more dramatic. And triply for games such as the Assassin's Creed multiplayer that have little quirks of the gameplay and engine that are exploitable (for example, I learned that in the Assassinate game mode, you can wait until you're just about on top of someone to lock onto them and then instantly kill them, giving them no chance to stun you or use an ability; granted, I could use this knowledge now, but still).
I'm a decent gamer in general, but I like to play a variety of games rather than just a few, which means that I'm not as good at any one of them. Even the addition of "preferences" for similar-level opponents only works when a game has a particularly robust community size. Edit: The particular game in question does NOT have these preferences, incidentally, so I did not even have that option.
Incidentally, I checked the prior game's stats and the number one person had a gamerscore of about 2000, and the number two person had a gamerscore of about 5000...suggesting that, indeed, they didn't/hadn't played much else.
Am I making too big a deal out of this? Maybe, but I'm curious how other people feel. It just seems like quite a barrier to entry for any game, and it seems to be rather common in MP for games. Yes, I could play more and get better at it, but if my opponents are going to be people who have played THIS long, that's quite an obstacle to overcome that doesn't really seem worthwhile. |
  |
Edited by - Skydude252 on May 24 2012 10:23:46 AM |
|
Senior Gamer
USA
663 Posts |
Posted - May 24 2012 : 10:05:42 AM
|
I am sure there are going to be people who agree with you, but those are the breaks. Especially in this economy, no one is out buying games like crazy and some people just do not have the ability to get their hands on multiple games. So people play what they got and they get better. It is not their fault they are enjoying a game they paid for or received as a gift, etc, etc. I am not sure what you are thinking jumping into an online MP game, that has been out for quite some time, you are still relatively new to and is not a boosting session. I am not sure what you want to expect.
I love MP vs, co-op, whatever. I grew up playing in arcades standing next to the person I am playing with or against. Having to set my quarter up on the screen for next and jump on Street Fighter II, Samurai Showdown...well I think you get the point.
If you really do not like these things, I suggest you just stay away from it unless you are sure it is a game you are good at and hopefully enjoy. |
 |
 |
|
Advanced Gamer
1028 Posts |
Posted - May 24 2012 : 10:12:11 AM
|
| I'm not blaming the people at all, I'm not saying they're bad people for doing it or anything. I'm saying that this is an unfortunate inherent problem with competitive multiplayer games. |
|
|
|
pTartTX
 153,290
Zone: Recreation
Total games played:
389
Current Streak: 0
Longest Streak: 666
Badge Team
1462 Posts |
Posted - May 24 2012 : 10:24:27 AM
|
Boosting with a group of friends can greatly remedy this problem  |
|
|
|
Advanced Gamer
1028 Posts |
Posted - May 24 2012 : 10:29:37 AM
|
quote:
Originally posted by pTartTX
Boosting with a group of friends can greatly remedy this problem
Which is probably what I'll do to get to level 20. But I had hoped to do it legit, because on a more level playing field I actually enjoy competitive multiplayer. Which I suppose is the real problem I have with it. |
|
|
|
Senior Gamer
USA
868 Posts |
Posted - May 24 2012 : 10:50:16 AM
|
| In a game that I'm moderately interested in or just chasing achievements (BF3 for example), being slaughtered by people who play constantly bugs me a bit. On the converse, if it's a game like COD or Halo (pre-Reach :P ) where I'll be playing thousands of MP games (literally) anyway, it doesn't bother me nearly as much because playing against better players will end up making me better in the long run. |
Are you following 360v on Twitter? Or 360v on Google+? How about 360v on Facebook?
|
|
|
Senior Gamer
USA
795 Posts |
Posted - May 24 2012 : 11:09:43 AM
|
I enjoy competitive multiplayer but seldom do I play alone. With a group of friends it's easier to tune out or completely ignore the generally douchey online user base. Plus I do better when I work with my squad. Which brings me to my next point... time played doesn't necessarily determine skill level. In many shooter series I've completely decimated many players who were significantly higher rank than me. On the flip side I have seen players who just naturally have fast reflexes and have barely played the game but still come out on top. I used to play Call of Duty 4 almost everyday for two or three years and despite all that time invested I'd still have days where I could hardly get a kill at all. Eventually I fell out of love with the series (but not that game) so now I only play every few months and usually I come back to it kicking as much ass as ever.
I agree that games need to have better filters for matching players to others that are near their skill but even that can never be flawless. Gears of War 3 had a cool feature where you had to play so many games against other new players before you were allowed in the general pool of players. Of course that was disabled if you already had achievements in the previous games, indicating you were already familiar with the mechanics and could jump right in with the big boys. All games should have this acquainting period for players to learn some skills before being thrown in with people who aren't necessarily more skilled but definitely more familiar with map layout, pickups, and whatnot. The loophole that some trolls use it starting a new gamertag and then matching up with new players and discouraging them by mopping the floor with them.
Didn't mean to go on forever, sometimes when I get going it's difficult to stop. Sorry. :p
quote:
Originally posted by pTartTX
Boosting with a group of friends can greatly remedy this problem
That only applies if you're playing for achievements and not just for FUUUUUUNNNNNN. |
lausdomini | griffey95 | Facial La Fleur | KARMAgoesHARD |
|
|
Senior Gamer
USA
868 Posts |
Posted - May 24 2012 : 11:14:27 AM
|
quote:
Originally posted by Facial La Fleur
I agree that games need to have better filters for matching players to others that are near their skill but even that can never be flawless. Gears of War 3 had a cool feature where you had to play so many games against other new players before you were allowed in the general pool of players. Of course that was disabled if you already had achievements in the previous games, indicating you were already familiar with the mechanics and could jump right in with the big boys. All games should have this acquainting period for players to learn some skills before being thrown in with people who aren't necessarily more skilled but definitely more familiar with map layout, pickups, and whatnot. The loophole that some trolls use it starting a new gamertag and then matching up with new players and discouraging them by mopping the floor with them.
Another cool feature of the GoW games is that every mode counts towards your rank. Horde, MP, even campaign. That is a very nice feature for any game that has 'Reach Level XX' achievements. Even if you suck at MP, you can have fun wrecking AI to level up. |
Are you following 360v on Twitter? Or 360v on Google+? How about 360v on Facebook?
|
|
|
Senior Gamer
775 Posts |
Posted - May 24 2012 : 12:13:05 PM
|
I see it just like any other gaming skill. You don't start out good at it, you need to work at it. And, yeah, some people chose to work at one specific game, usually because they enjoy it. I did that with Rock Band years ago. Even if you are only in it for the achievements, you can still do decently well at the game just by picking up a few little tricks.
I know you mentioned Assassinate specifically, which is the game mode that I found to be the worst. I much prefered the the team play modes in Assassin's Creed, but that might just be me. Doing that, I managed to reach Level 20 in a single sitting. |
 |
|
|
Advanced Gamer
1028 Posts |
Posted - May 24 2012 : 1:59:02 PM
|
| I think you're very much correct about the gametype. I thought it sounded interesting so I tried it out after a simple "deathmatch" game. I then proceeded to try other FFA modes and got 2nd in Wanted and 1st in Steal the Artifact, absolutely dominating the latter. I feel a bit better about it now. |
|
|
|
New Gamer
United Kingdom
27 Posts |
Posted - Aug 12 2012 : 11:38:34 PM
|
| Well I will always be rubbish compared to everyone else so I have never really thought/worried about it. I very rarely play online anyway (been a girl) so its not much of a big deal |
I play so much my xbox LOVES me! :D
 |
|
|
RedBlinky
181,987
Zone: Recreation
Total games played:
275
Current Streak: 16
Longest Streak: 425
Junior Gamer
77 Posts |
Posted - Aug 13 2012 : 09:19:11 AM
|
| The problem isnt with MP persay, for me its the like you were saying it isnt a level playing field. One of the worst offenders is lost planet 2. The level 99 players all have one hit kill weapons and grenades with huge blast radiuses making it nearly impossible to kill them with your little machine gun. Balancing the progression systems better would be nice. I think BF:3 did a good job of balancing it so anyone can kill anyone else at anytime. |
|
|
pTartTX
153,290
Zone: Recreation
Total games played:
389
Current Streak: 0
Longest Streak: 666
Badge Team
1462 Posts |
Posted - Aug 13 2012 : 09:30:12 AM
|
quote:
Originally posted by silverstorm55
Well I will always be rubbish compared to everyone else so I have never really thought/worried about it. I very rarely play online anyway (been a girl) so its not much of a big deal
Don't let being a girl stop you from playing online if you want to play online.
I play online quite frequently, usually with friends from this web site. Back in day when I played Halo 3 quite a bit, I didn't enjoy the flack I got for being female from random people, so I can understand that scenario. |
|
|
|
New Gamer
United Kingdom
27 Posts |
Posted - Aug 14 2012 : 12:40:05 AM
|
| Cheers :) my "friends" are never online or playing something else. Only game I really ever play online is gears 2... and anyway having problems with my internet now so cant anyway :( |
I play so much my xbox LOVES me! :D
|
|
|
Advanced Gamer
USA
1819 Posts |
Posted - Aug 16 2012 : 01:42:02 AM
|
In fairness, the MP in Assassin's Creed is one of the most unique MP experiences on the market, and hence, it can have a pretty sharp learning curve. Even going from Brotherhood to Revelations was a leap.
Going from anything to Assassin's Creed is going to be tougher than going from Halo to Call of Duty, just because of the mechanics.
All that being said, once I got enough of that learning curve under my belt, Assassin's Creed became my all-time favorite multi-player mode. I'm pretty much the same type of gamer as you are (variety is the spice of life), but I had no qualms with prestiging thrice in AC: R before I put it down. |
One of the songs I wrote is available as DLC for Rock Band 2, 3 and Blitz!!! Check it out: http://rhunekincaid.com/blog/2010/09/iphone-on-rock-band-network-for-xbox-360/ |
|
|
Advanced Gamer
USA
1819 Posts |
Posted - Aug 26 2012 : 01:29:10 AM
|
I just had a brainstorm, because I'm playing Halo: Reach and all the high-scoring, spawn-killers have a gamerscore under 1000.
How cool would it be if you could search for opponents by gamerscore? I'm pretty sure anyone over 30k is going to be more on my level than somebody who plays Halo without ever touching another game.
Who do we talk to about this? |
One of the songs I wrote is available as DLC for Rock Band 2, 3 and Blitz!!! Check it out: http://rhunekincaid.com/blog/2010/09/iphone-on-rock-band-network-for-xbox-360/ |
|
|
New Gamer
15 Posts |
|
Starting Gamer
United Kingdom
5 Posts |
Posted - Sep 06 2012 : 2:00:00 PM
|
| I am in agreement. I rarely play competitive MP as I'm pretty poor againsr other people. I prefer co op modes to be perfectly honest. Me and silverstorm did gears on insane earlier this year and that did get frustrating for us both, but we managed it eventually. Its got to the point now, that I only play Minecraft online as all the people I added for Gears 2 were always to busy to do the achievements that were added to my f.l for. Hate having to rely on time wasters from True Achievements and X360A. Not all mind, just a vast majority. Which is why I'm turning to RPG's now so I don't get let down. |
|
|
zekk22
9,040
Zone: Recreation
Total games played:
Current Streak: 0
Longest Streak: 14
Junior Gamer
USA
81 Posts |
Posted - Nov 09 2012 : 10:17:28 PM
|
| I'm just normally terrible at online MP anyways, but I agree completely. I'll play enough CoD to think I'm decent at it and then play online and anytime I turn a corner I get killed. Same with my other MP games, I do really enjoy playing Gears 3 horde or beast since I'm still playing against the computer just with other people |
|
|
| |
Topic |
|
Why I don't like competitive multiplayer
Copyright © 2006-2013 GamerDNA Media. All Rights Reserved.
LIVE GAMER, the Live Gamer logo, GAMERDNA, and the gamerDNA logo are registered or unregistered trademarks of Live Gamer, Inc. and its subsidiary, gamerDNA Media,
in the United States and/or other countries. Xbox, Xbox Live, and all other Xbox Live specific terms are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp.
Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
