Comments on: The Duck’s Personal Trials and Joys of Multiplayer Gaming

By: Summer Bucket List: 150+ Fun (Crazy) Things To Do In The Summer For Adults - Fun Times Guide

Tue, 07 Oct 2014 20:00:11 +0000

[…] Play multi-player games by yourself. […]

By: Community Post: Co-Op Makes It All Better | United We Game

Community Post: Co-Op Makes It All Better | United We Game — Mon, 01 Jul 2013 21:04:53 +0000

[…] And there’s one other game I talked about in an earlier post. “Hunter: The Reckoning”, a game where you fight zombies and other creepy things with guns, […]

By: Whaddya mean you don’t play games together?? | United We Game

Whaddya mean you don’t play games together?? | United We Game — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:17:34 +0000

[…] we each came from very different gaming backgrounds. As the Duck says at the beginning of The Duck’s Personal Trials and Joys of Multiplayer Gaming (which you should totally read!), I too am a solitary gamer. I grew up playing mostly by myself […]

By: duckofindeed

duckofindeed — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:42:26 +0000

Now that I think about it, I think I was a bit opposite from you. I was actually pretty social when I was young, as I originally enjoyed watching my parents play, and when I started playing, I always wanted them to watch me or play with me, but they rarely did. Finally, I became the antisocial gamer I am now. I wonder if I’ll ever change back at all? At the least, I would enjoy playing “Hunter: The Reckoning” with someone again.

By: Hatm0nster

Hatm0nster — Thu, 16 May 2013 01:00:38 +0000

Traditionally I’ve always been a solo player, I too never really wanted to play with other people, or have others in the room when I played. I enjoyed playing Mario Party/Kart and Smash Bros, and liked changing it up every so often by playing switch-off with friends, but I was mostly a loner. That’s how I played for the first 13 years of my gaming life.

Then I went to college. Everything became social in college. I got into Halo and found that I enjoyed pitting myself against others in a test of skill, luck, and cunning, I wasn’t great at it but it was fun all the same. Then my single player gaming life became more social ( hard to avoid when there’s always people around). At first I tolerated it, then enjoyed it, and now after graduating 4.5 years later I find it difficult to just sit down and play by my lonesome, it feels like something’s missing when I do. In fact, now the only times I really enjoy playing by myself are when I’m working through the first playthrough of a game, or when I’m playing Mass Effect.

5 years ago I would have said single-player all the way, but now…now I would choose multiplayer (or social single-player).

By: duckofindeed

duckofindeed — Tue, 14 May 2013 16:54:41 +0000

Video games are simply not as relaxing with others around. Not to mention when goofy things happen in games, it’s fine when you’re alone, but it can be a little embaressing when someone walks into the room wondering what in the world you’re watching. And after writing this post, I have started noticing I talk to the game a lot more than I realized. I was talking all throughout my two hours of “FFXIII-2” this morning, while getting quite cocky during a boss fight.

It only bothers me a little that I can’t get some achievements/trophies without doing multiplayer. They really push it in some games. I scroll through the list of things I’ve missed, and I find a whole bunch I can’t and won’t do. Gosh, quit telling me what to do, game!

By: cary

cary — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:46:28 +0000

I know that online multiplayer is the thing to do these days, but I, too, would much rather play games by myself. And it’s for all the reasons that you mentioned. There’s a very small handful (like, 1/8th of a teaspoon-sized handful) of people I feel comfortable playing multiplayer (local or online) with; but even then, I have a hard time really enjoying myself without being too self-conscious of my perceived lack of skills. With some exceptions, I always skip multiplayer. Sure, I can’t get some achievements, but I don’t find it that bothersome. I play games to immerse and relax. Like being in a hottub. Which I also hate sharing with other people (not to mention that it’s kinda gross).

(Your post has also inspired one of my own. So do I *really* agree? Just wait and see…!)

By: duckofindeed

duckofindeed — Sun, 12 May 2013 20:43:29 +0000

Yes, games are more satisfying completed alone. Then, all the glory is mine. And multiplayer would be fun if I could actually win, but they always beat me. I would get a lot more out of my games if I did multiplayer, though. I play the “Halo 4” campaign for a week, and then I’m done. I’d have much more to do if I played the multiplayer stuff. And my PS3 and 360 games keep mocking me with trophies and stuff I can’t get without doing multiplayer. Darn them. I can’t even unlock the original “Phantasy Star” in “Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection” without beating part of a game with two players, so that’s why I have yet to get it. I’m considering just holding two controllers and going at it alone….

By: duckofindeed

duckofindeed — Sun, 12 May 2013 20:37:23 +0000

Yes, it is not fun when our friends beat us constantly. I know just what that’s like. I don’t know if I ever won against them in “SSB”. And I don’t plan to ever play against them again, either. I’ll only play against small children now, and they’ll still likely manage to win.

And I, too, do some things I don’t want others seeing when I beat stuff in games. It’s best no one sees that side of me. If you want to see someone being rather obnoxious, watch me after I win a race in “Jak X”. Except don’t really because it’s embaressing, and I would immediately stop if someone entered the room.

By: naughtynefarious

naughtynefarious — Sun, 12 May 2013 04:45:59 +0000

I agree with you; when playing a campaign I would rather go it alone because the feeling of defeating the enemy; clocking the levels and ultimately completing the game is done by my hands, not with the assistance of others which is basically a cheat. On the other hand, I disagree with your personal views on multiplayer mayhem. Playing against human opponents I believe to be incredibly fun as the human opponents are not limited like A.I sometimes is and the challenge is well worth it. Multiplayer these days often comes with additional benefits (such as points, upgrades, awards, etc) which promote the continued playing of such content and make it more fun. There’s also something about playing a game with the human opponents in the room rather than over LIVE which is so much more entertaining; I think it’s the ability to see the look of humiliation on their faces to find at the end that you have a score of 600 and they only managed a 275. Classic!