Maybe I'm what's changed.

[Solo4114]

I've noticed something lately. as I've been doign various home renovations, I've reorganized how my network is laid out. My computer now gets its internet connection via wifi, and it's a bit slower, so I've not been playing as much online lately. I'd also gotten tired of BF3 (the last FPS I was playing online with any regularity) around the time Armored Kill came out and ruined my favorite game mode (Rush). I went back briefly to try some of the new earthquake maps, and just wasn't that into it. Haven't been back since.

This past week, I tried downloading Red Orchestra 2 again and firing it up. I'd sworn off it previously because RO2 had one of the WORST unlock/ranking systems ever devised. I went back to it because I discovered they have "Classic" mode where all avatars and weapons are "stock" just like in the old RO.

Except, when I went back to it...it really just wasn't any fun. I've tried it for a few days this past week, and...yeah, just wasn't doing anything for me. I don't know the maps that well, and my ping is around 100-150, so I'm already at a bit of a disadvantage. I'm also woefully out of practice, so I tend to die a LOT. Not much fun, really.

This got me thinking -- maybe I'm just...done with competitive online FPS games. I far prefer collaborative ones like playing Halo in Co-op or L4D/L4D2 types of games. I suppose I could get back into TF2, but that's because that game's just so goofy and fun that it's hard to get too annoyed at it even when I'm sucking.

Really, though, I'm starting to realize that I'd rather play through an interesting story than mindlessly shoot guys. FPS games are fun when I have a regular group of folks to play with, but even then, you need the time to devote to playing to them and there are other things that just grab my attention. I still like single-player FPS games, but I've no desire to play against a bunch of caffeine-addled teenagers who have nothing but time on their hands.

 

[Kenadian]

I also went through this change in gaming attitude back in my Wolf days which is what got me into BIS and the OFP/ArmA Series. I also got into flying with the 332 Viking Squadron as run 'n gun just wasn't that engaging anymore.

...pretty much the reason I quit playing BF2 back in the day.

If you want story then get Bioshock Infinite.

If you want to try your hand at more cooperative type gameplay try out the ArmA3 Alpha and maybe spend some time in the Mission Editor creating your own missions.

 

[Solo4114]

I might do that. I just got Arma2 and have been struggling with the single player in that. It's...ok. (The voice acting is godawful, which really hampers me getting into it.)

I have Metro 2033 to finish, as well as the STALKER shooters, and that's about it on FPS games for me.

The 332 Squadron you mention is for IL-2, right? I tried that ages ago and...yeah, that crap was HARD. I kept having issues with my plan flipping when I tried taking off with torque enabled. I had to play with the settings just to get airborne, and then I had issues with spotting guys. Padlock view was ok, but still not a substitute for being able to actually scan with your eyes and turn your head. Oh well.

I've got plenty of games to play that I enjoy, they're just almost all SP games nowadays. I may check out the Arma stuff, though, and see if I can get into that or Day Z or whathaveyou.

 

[Kenadian]

I wouldn't bother too much with DayZ right now because we just don't have the audience here we once did. Everyone is pretty much waiting to see what happens with DayZ Standalone so at best you may be able to find a game here and there with fellow Fragtards but that may be the extent of it.

Many of us are into the ArmA3 Alpha simply because it's just so bl00dy awesome. Quicksilver has been so kind as to host an ArmA3 Alpha Server so that's likely where some of us will be spending our time once all the config stuff is worked out.

It is a difficult game however as there is no Team Deathmatch or run 'n gun element to it. It's a close Military Simulation from a Company who's bread and butter is developing Military Training Simulations sold globally.

You hear gunshots you don't run toward the sound like you do in pretty much every shooter out there. Instead you make sure you move from cover to cover, gain situational awareness and then engage when it's safe to do so.

You can literally go for hours not engaging another human only to have your heart in your throat when under fire or when you have foe in sight and a clear advantage on engaging them.

As for IL2, it sounds as if you were trying to take off at too low a speed and were stalling trying to get airborne. I'm also wondering if you were using flaps because they help immensely at generating lift at slower speeds. Like any Sim, it's difficult.

It took me 3 months to be able to take off consistently and not crash and even longer to land without either damaging the nose, destroying my landing gear or creating a crater on the runway.

Spotting enemy is difficult but you can use the radio to get the latest intel on where enemy has been spotted. That said, it's still tough as h3ll to find them even if you know where to look.

What helps immensely is Track IR as it at least gives you the ability to scan the entire skyline rather than being limited to a hat switch.

 

[Die Alone]

I too had that personal gaming switch in the last couple years. Was always playing what ever competitive FPS since quake to cod/bf and Suddenly a little over a year ago I just stopped got sick of the kill die kill mentality. And realized that I may after a lifetime of gaming be tired and sick of it. So I entirely besides the occasional android game killing time etc game, stopped playing for a few months any games. My decision to stop playing was out of boredom and frustration of my obvious deteriorating skills(aka eye hand coordination) obviously do to aging(I know 36 isnt that old). This was apparent I used to always be at the top of all matches but over the last few years noticed a rapid decline to the now abysmal and lucky if I have a positive k/d. Also now my 12 year old son was starting to beat me at all games, wow the shame.

After taking those few months off from a literal full time activity for a lifetime was refreshing. But I still loved and always will, games. So I came back and what brought me back was my son introducing me to a little game called Minecraft. That I had heard of and seen videos of already and scoffed at the notion of my enjoyment of this simple game. Boy was I wrong once I tried it I was hooked and began a year long obsession that ultimately led me to running multiple of my own dedicated private servers. And then ultimately led to me getting sick of the whining brats and horrible shoddy flyby night server hosts that plague gaming and stopped running my servers.

So after getting tired of Minecraft I began getting back into shooters. And immediately remembered I really now hate competitive shooters. I hoped to get into some game thats I always loved playing coop like Swat and Rainbow 6. So I started looking into more coop type games(so I thought). Then I stumble upon a game that had promise and was based on one of my favorite scenarios, Zombie apocalypse. The War Z, man what a failed hacked kill die die die pos game that turned into quickly. There went my coop hopes in a fantasy zombie world. But It got me here with you lot on Fragtard. Well then you know I went to Day Z etc.

So now I fully realize that coop PvE is for me. Good news is there are several free 2 play ones in development right now that look fun and show promise. I'm not saying that I dont enjoy killing the occasional player but thats not what I'm looking for anymore in games.

 

[Solo4114]

That's about where I am. Co-op PvE is what I'm looking for anymore. Competitive stuff just isn't for me at this point. I've had fun with it in the past, but...eh...I have other stuff to do. And Call of Battlefield Honor is just...kinda dull now. Sometimes it's fun, but I'd rather play something like Assassin's Creed or Saints Row 3 or Metro 2033.

Not sure I'll get that into the milsims, though. I tend to get frustrated with them after a point. Kind of annoyed I bought Arma2 now, since everyone's moving away from Day Z. I wouldn't have bought it otherwise, I don't think.

 

[Kenadian]

I know what you mean about twitch gaming but that's not age, that's a practice thing. I'm 9 years older than you and I've seen massive gains in my gameplay but it's because I'm pushing myself to improve in BF3.

I've stopped playing in the low rank Servers and now frequent Servers where high ranking players frequent.

I also joined Team Reddit Competitive BF3 and have scrimmed with some of the best players online such as 1337BigMac, DrAndyPHD, self_sk, Minion_Brett, daskro, WiggetyBear, UL7RA, and many more.

I've gotten my @ss handed to me more than I care to remember...

...but at some point you start killing them back and it's all downhill from there. Sure I have my bad days but I maintain a 1.45 KDR which is that low simply because it's still averaging out my early days in BF3.

The last time I took an average I was at a KDR of 2.3 over 5 rounds and that is all due to playing with better players than I am.

If you want to improve you have to play continually against better players. It's a grind, it's frustrating as h3ll but so satisfying when you can walk into a Server half way through a round and still hit the leaderboard.

There are also some things you can do to improve your gameplay and the one thing that works best is to record it. You'll see quite quickly how boneheaded you are ingame; I did. It makes you instantly aware of many of your flaws and once aware you can improve.

I'd also recommend looking at your hardware because ping isn't as big an issue as you think. To date I've picked up a Mechanical Keyboard, a decent gaming mouse and experimented with various mousepads; all helped.

Sure you'll still likely get stomped by someone sitting on the Server but that's in a twitch to twitch confrontation. Approaching the battle via cover, surprise, flanking, head-glitching, etc., will see you win most of the battles even with a 150ms ping.

I rarely ping under 50, more often I ping in the low 100's and I do fine.

The other thing you may want to check on is how you sit affects everything. You are an emotional player and I'm willing to bet that gives you an aggressive style of gaming. You likely lean forward on your chair and frustrate yourself into playing worse than you would normally.

I say this because it's what I used to do and it's pointless. I realized that if the game is getting to me then I can just quit (not rage quit) and come back to it later. It's made all the difference in the world.

I also realized that my aggressiveness ingame was part of the problem. I played too fast, was not as situationally aware, and it resonated in how I sat on my Computer Chair and viewed the Monitor.

It was not uncommon to be viewing my Monitor from a distance of 24" or less which also meant I was clutching the mouse more and jerking it around.

I got killed so much this way that I thought I'd change it up and sit back about 36" from the Monitor. Everything changed, I was more comfortable so I handled the mouse better, saw more of the screen and improved drastically overnight.

When it comes to MP there are numerous ways of getting killed but what you describe isn't you being beaten so much as you beating yourself. If you want to improve you need to change these fundamentals and assuming you can you'll be gaming at a whole new level.

As for ArmA2, you just bought it at the wrong time. ArmA2 is about 6 years old now and the reason it's popular is strictly because of DayZ.

Nobody knew ArmA3 Alpha was coming out and that includes the people at Bohemia Interactive Forums. It was promised as a public Alpha for 2012 but the two devs being thrown in jail in Greece likely altered that plan.

It basically got dropped on us out of the blue and what makes it so great is that it's almost completely re-imagined at every level. BIS has dealt with longstanding issues while at the same time gained valuable insight from DayZ. The result is an Alpha that is superior to some of today's completed titles *cough BF3, cough cough SimCity* (pretty much anything EA).

There is a lot of choices in ArmA3 as it's not one game, it's a game engine that hosts many different game modes, map choices and a vibrant mod Community. Once the game is finally done the mod Community will be spitting out mods you've never even dreamed of. There will be new weapons, vehicles, effects and God knows what else?

Game modes, there's so many in ArmA3 that no game can touch it. There's PvP, PvE, Co-Op, TDM, CTF, and everything in-between. DayZ showed us that database integration is also possible so it will be interesting to see if Mission Makers try integrating it; I know I'm going to.

It's literally hundreds of games in one package backed by one of the most Community Focused Developers on the Planet.

I've yet to get less than 1000 hours out of any ArmA title BIS has released over the past decade; that's value.

 

[Die Alone]

I only purchased Arma2 early in 2013 and do believe that for the reduced price I got it for($18) I got my monies worth and dont regret getting it for only Day Z. I'm certain I will play it again even though I have not for awhile. I also havent played much Arma 3 yet but I'm not regretting the purchase unlike Simcity(it will be sweet once bugs are ironed out). I know I will have tons of hours of fun gaming to come from this game. The one thing that does worry me though about Arma3 is that even now its already plagued by hacks. I was hopeing it wold be more Day Z standalonish in server architecture.

Duke there is no doubt I could improve my skill with practice But tis the issue as to why I would just prefer to not play that game type so often any longer. Because it does take so much practice to keep shall we say in fps shooter shape to compete at higher levels in those games. When the younger folks dont have to work so hard to be good at it. And I now just lack the desire to try today but applaud you Duke for striving for such accomplishments. Maybe Battlefield 4 will reinvigorate me to attempt that.

 

[Kenadian]

I only wanted to introduce you to another line of thinking because I feel that you're sabotaging yourself which isn't necessary. I've been there and it's pushed me from gaming more times than I care to remember.

I've learned so much over the past 2 years; more than I have in the previous 10, and it all came down to being honest with myself in what I want to accomplish in gaming. It is the reason I joined reddit, it's the reason I'm developing YouTube and the reason Fragtard.net even exists.

I missed gaming in the time I was away but more importantly, I missed the gaming relationships I formed in MP Gaming. This past 2 years has seen me reunite with people I'd never thought I'd hear from again and it's been AWESOME!!!

...not to mention the new friendships I've made with good people such as yourself.

I also do not believe for a moment that age has anything to do with ingame talent. Unless your eyes are shot or your nerve endings damaged or you're on dial-up, you have as much a chance of winning the engagement as a 13 year old.

The reason they seem to do so well is because kids grow up on video games these days so there acclimated to them more than us old fogies. This means we have to work twice as hard to be half as good but if you put in the work you will come out on top in most engagements.

BF4 isn't going to help, neither is BF5, 6 or 7 if you can't get comfortable with 3. The game mechanic is pretty much the same as it was in 1942 the only difference being the tech driving the game, netcode and visuals.

Improving your game is about wanting to improve and putting the work into improving; nothing else. Unfortunately there isn't anything that can be done about the work aspect of it, even a 13 year old has to play frequently to be good.

 

[Die Alone]

Not to start a long winded debate over this. But I do know it is a fact that as you age you do loose some eye hand coordination and response time. Its a fact but not a hard one that is set in stone as to this age this happens and all people started with the same amount of said ability etc. Not to say that you cant mitigate or replenish your skill around this fact too.

My progressively worsening of skill has only partly due to the physical aging. And alot more to do with desire and application of play or maybe more of mental aging. Additionally I believe as a whole gamers in general have gotten better at shooter games over time too, while I have not to some degree. So basically competition is tougher than it was years ago. So I'm in total agreement that its about wanting to get better at it.

I know at a basic level Battlefield wont change but maybe some mechanics or gametype may spur my interest to devote time to being more skillful at the game. Also possibly not Battlefield but maybe some other shooter. My basic point was I havent given up all hope of enjoying this gaming type.

 

[Shilka]

I'm not sure it's about eye hand coordination, it's more about what I enjoy. With shooters having degraded to the gameplay of 3D asteroids with unlimited lifes, there's little to enjoy.

 

[Kenadian]

I'm really not trying to debate you at all here DA, it just sounds like you've hit a rut and I'm trying to massage you through it. If I were to agree with you at all it could be detrimental to my own feelings on aging as I'm nearly 10 years older than you.

There have been numerous studies on aging and reflexes and nothing has pinpointed beyond a shadow of a doubt at what age your reflexes actually decline simply because it's different for everyone. From what I've read, your at your peak in your late teens and 20's but again, nothing about what that actually means.

What seems to affect reflexes more than anything is sleep and general fitness level.

...but in all fairness it doesn't really sound like this is all it's about. If I didn't know this website and the way it looks, I could have sworn I was responding to someone at Lifesupporters.com.

You don't come across as a guy to me who's tired of gaming, you sound a bit more like a guy dealing with some measure of general malaise or even mild depression.

Of course I may be reading it wrong so my apologies but that's what I read between the lines even if it may be wrong.

I'll stfu though now because I think I'm doing more harm than good, sorry

Anyway, we still got ArmA3 right

 

[Die Alone]

Well thanks for the diagnosis Dr Duke.

Its really not as serious as it may appear from my posts about this topic. I may get to detailed and poignant trying to convey my view and appear to be more meaningful than they truely are. I just wanted to voice a perspective similar to the original post. Mine just slightly tangent-ed into a different area that got magnified much larger than its actual issue.

I will be getting BF4 and will play alot of it. I now have a new goal for BF4 dont let the old man Duke out stat me.

 

[Kenadian]

lol bend over and cough.

You can always join Reddit or if you don't want to go that far, simply practice with us. There a good bunch of guys and it will only help your game.

...of course it does mean being raped for the first 3 months or so.

 

[Solo4114]

It may not be that the learning curve (so to speak) is so awful, as much as that the effort required isn't worth the perceived reward. For me, that's the issue with the MP FPS games I've played lately. I know I could get better at them if I put in the time. I won't beat those 12-year-olds on the draw all the time, but I'd do fine as I have before, even as little as 6 months ago. But the difference, for me, is that...I just don't care to try.

The playing of the game itself isn't worth it. I distinguish that from the WINNING of the game. I can have fun even when I'm not winning, assuming I find the game itself to be fun. The thing is...the games just...don't do a ton for me anymore. I play 'em and it's like "Meh. Well...that was something to do for an hour." And that's it. I don't know if it's the design of the games, the unlock/ranking systems (actually, I do know they contribute to it but there may be more to it than that), or just the feeling that there's nothing particularly special about this game I'm playing -- whatever game it is.

Like B.B. said: the thrill is gone. Hard to motivate yourself to get better at a game when the game itself isn't that thrilling to begin with.

 

[little P]

This is an interesting thread...

I too have felt like this for some time, BF3 and Cod etc. don't do it for me anymore. I've found ARMA 3 a lot more enjoyable because it's slower paced and much more tactical. I've also found I'm playing a lot more RTS's on PC, as it's a different kind of fun, more relaxing I suppose. That's why I got talked into buying Simcity, a game I'd never have considered a year ago.

On the point of getting owned in FPS's, I must say I don't think it's an age thing. The reason I say this is when BF1942 got released for free a little while back, I re-downloaded it and had a go. Well, let's just say I had a kill/death ratio to rival Rambo, and was top of the leaderboard every time. Why? I've got reactions of a con in the shower picking up the dropped soap? Maybe it's because I'm just naturally good at shooters? Nope. It's because I instinctively remembered where the good places to be where, after sinking so many hours into it back in the day.
I didn't even know I knew this stuff, but once a map loaded I just started to go in a direction without thinking about it and sub-consciously I was playing the way we all were back in the day, whereas all these poor saps who'd just downloaded it to see what it was all about were getting bent over hard. Repeatedly.

This is a reflection on what maybe some of us are experiencing. It's not that you're bad at a game per se, it's practice and having the free time to do it. Duke is a perfect example of this with his journey with Team Reddit.

So I like some of you am leaning more to co-operative against AI or Co-op against human type games.

I tried putting in Black ops 2 on the xbox last night and after half hour of that I was close to a nervous breakdown! :icon_eek:

 

[Shilka]

Hah, I had exactly the same experience when reloading bf42, and couldn't agree more.

Perhaps metro; last light will be your kind of (SP) shooter then? ; you'll have to conserve ammo, have plenty of room for tactical decisions, take lighting into account etc. Seems like just the type of game for us old geezers...

 

[mondo]

Posting in a thread about guys getting old.

This is one reason I still play EVE. The PVP element is there but its only as hectic as you make it, and you're in the top of the food chain which thankfully I am.

 

[Solo4114]

MMOs aren't really my thing either, I've discovered. There's always some shitbag out there who gets his rocks off by ruining your day. Like, if I were playing EVE (I tried the trial about 5-6 years ago), and I wanted to just go run cargo or something, I'd get podded just for shits and giggles -- because I certainly wasn't flying anything worth killing me for. Just basic starter ships. People like that ruin my enjoyment of MMOs, and I see zero reason to invest the time AND a monthly fee to be the fish in their barrel getting shot at.

I have an ideal MMO in mind, but it doesn't exist and nobody's making it. Actually, it's probably closer to a SP game since it's heavily dependent on AI and the world operating effectively on its own without players. Plus, EVE has no story at all. Plus, the actual playing of EVE was boring and felt very hands-off. If it had been "Privateer Online" I might've gotten more into it, but frankly, I'm just done with games where I not only have to fight against the additional knowledge of the game that people with more time on their hands have, but also the fact that their avatars/gear is simply better than mine -- again because they have the time that I don't. Fuck that. I'd rather just play a single player game or a co-op game that doesn't incorporate a metagame Skinner Box.

 

[mondo]

Plus, EVE has no story at all. Plus, the actual playing of EVE was boring and felt very hands-off.

Then you did it wrong . I expect you went to low sec right away which to be fair, I'd kill you if I saw you. You can play it in the safe zone for years and never get hurt but you could sign up tomorrow, say your a newbie who wants to go to null sec and not be that fish in a barrel. A 1 day old newbie can participate or even facilitate of killing the most expensive and powerful ships in game by using an item that costs almost nothing.

EVE has the best story out there, because its written by the players. Null sec (the player owned and run areas of space) politics and the EVE metagame is something no game designer could write and no other game has ever come close too because EVE is a sandbox. This is evident as someone wants to make a TV series based on actual player events and its going to happen. No other game could do that.

You can be a total bastard, screw up someone elses alliance of thousands of players in any way you can imagine, scam, grief, play the good guy and actually do good things, all actions have consequences and there is a huge amount of social interaction if you want to get things done, its the most open ended game I've ever played. Importantly there is no grinding either Xp or money. You can grind money if you want but with some experience of real world economics (because the economy is 100% player driven and controlled) you can make money in dozens of very different ways. That and the IT departments of some of the big alliances would put some real life technology companies to shame.

And as for time to play and learn? I've been playing for 6 years and I don't know squat really, I just listen to people in fleets who do know what they're doing. I play for maybe 5 to 10 hours a week at most, but EVE is about quality of that time spent, not the quantity. The best bit is, I don't pay for EVE on either account. I use in game currency to pay my subscription.