| Casual Vs. Hardcore Gaming -Jacen Aratan - May 29 03:56pm | |
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First, let’s find out what my definitions of a casual and hardcore gamer are. Note that none of them has to do with the amount of time spent playing: Casual: Plays for fun, to relax, to meet friends. Only competes once in a while, if he feels like it. Likes to do his training in a nice and controlled environment, around people he knows. Hardcore: Plays to compete, win, and develop; but most of all, to be the best. Victories over less experienced guys are nice for him, but what really matters, is to be the best of the best, and he strives for that goal. Nearly no matter what. It is my observation, that there is a sense of rivalry between the two. Now, in my opinion, the JA is a definite ‘casual’ community. 90% of the players in the JA are casual players. Granted, some of them do go play e.g. CTF once in a while, but still, this falls under the “only competes once in a while, if he feels like it”. On the contrary, we can see quite a lot of clans falling under the hardcore definition. I’ve seen, once in a while, some JA people “attacking” (in the lack of a better word) hardcore gamers, for their view on the game. Or rather, questioning it. They can’t see why anyone would want to own, at the expense of being seen as a nice and humble guy. And the hardcore players can’t see why anyone would want to run around, social FFAing. I believe myself to be in the middle (though, somewhat closer to the hardcore definition). I enjoy the competitiveness of all-out war far more than I’ll ever enjoy a social FFA (talking game-wise). But I’m much more likely to stop by a server if I see my friends on there. I’d just like to question, why see wanting to be the best of the best as bad? This is a game. If I want to go out there and be arrogant, it really won’t have much of an influence on you, would it? This is the Internet, not RL.  But admitted, some hardcore players need to respect the social FFAers, as long as the gaming happens on a server with rules. If there’s no MotD, explaining the rules, then there are no rules. Anything goes. Anything but cheating via an external programme… hell, if there’s no rule on a server against scripting, it’s not cheating.I’m not telling people to become friends, because saying that would be utter bs. Instead, I just want to remind some people out there, that it’s a game. Don’t take it so seriously if someone else plays the game to win, nor if he plays to meet friends. Only exception is if he tries to force it on you, e.g., hardcore gamers breaking rules on servers with those, and casual players trying to enforce social FFA rules on hardcore servers. Hope it made sense, and I made you think twice before you judge another’s way of playing. No matter how much or little e-honour he has. |
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| Comments |
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^Methos - Student |
I generally try for a mix of both, i play the game to relax and have fun, but at the same time, i train to get as good as i possibly can at the game, prefering to duel fighters better than myself. Defeating someone that obviously isnt as skilled in the game as i am is something i find boring. and yet i try to be nice, or atleast polite/diplomatic towards everyone, even the people i dislike. _______________ It takes courage to grow up, and become who you really are. "The whole secret of existence is to have no fear. Never fear what will become of you, depend on no one. Only the moment you reject all help are you freed." |
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Caos - Ex-Student 
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I was a REALLY Hard core gamer i played to win and it didnt fail, but then i had a break from the duels and ffa's and then have resently come bak to Outcast and seeing the skill that has come up is good. WISH I COULD GET JK ACADEMY used to have it but it didnt play over the internet which was a drag Caos  _______________ they way of the sith is the way of my life |
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Jacen Aratan - Student |
Yes, but I'm saying they're equally good about it. Leets have their faults, social players as well. |
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Tido - Student 
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Quote: I've actually seen people in the JA dissing others' gaming, because they play to defeat people, and own them.... not to TELL them they own them, but just to do it. There's a difference That isn't an excuse. |
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DJK - Student 
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meh im in the middle of those |
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Yippy - Student 
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well put _______________ (\_/) (0.0) (> <  This is Bunny. Copy Bunny and this message into your signature to help him on his way to world Domination.
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Jacen Aratan - Student |
I agree with the resentment part, Tido... but only to a certain extent. I've actually seen people in the JA dissing others' gaming, because they play to defeat people, and own them.... not to TELL them they own them, but just to do it. There's a difference. |
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Tido - Student
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I feel like I fall somewhere in the middle as well...although I'd have to say anytime I'm in a CTF game I get to find out just how more 'hardcore' Jacen is than me  . I think there is absolutely nothing wrong with striving to be the best. Sure its a loftly goal, but what great goal isn't? And there are outlets for these people: the Academy and BWN are great for duelers, and there are a few CTF places across the net if thats your thing too. However, just cause your 'hardcore' and are playing with a goal in mind doesn't get you a free pass to be an (censored). Like Jacen said: it IS just a game and in the end...it won't matter. But just because you'll never meet these people or encounter them again doesn't give you the excuse to treat them like crap. Even though the character model before me is just a rendering of my computer, the person behind it is real. And I'm not here to make that person's experiance miserable. Even if I'm a thousand times better than the guy, I don't need to explain how 'superior' I am. Even if I could lame the entire server holding my breath, it doesn't mean I should. But a lot of these 'leets' DO these things, and I think that is where the resentment comes from. Not because they want to improve themselves as a fighter, but because they do it to overinflate their egos. If FFA is your thing, play on FFA servers. If CTF is your thing, play on CTF servers. When I get on a CTF server I know I'm not going to do any bowing. It's going to be fast paced do whatever it takes kinda playing. I've never been upset because a social FFA server wasn't all out chaos or a CTF server didn't have everyone bow after a game. No matter what you're looking for, there is an outlet for it. Cheers, Tido |
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ozzcoz - Cosplay Nerd 
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I agree with jacen here that every gamer should be allowed to enjoy their games and get aout of them whatever they desire. I think the most important thing to emphasise here is how that can be accomodated and enforced: ie servers with rules, servers without rules. Also, tournaments are great places to show off if you want to be hardcore, wheras social communities have more casual events like, i dunno, proms? _______________ A wizard did it. |
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Jacen Aratan - Student |
Yeah, but I use the casual/hardcore definitions here, not to represent how much they play/care about it in that way, but more to seperate the guys who wanna own, and those who just wanna play with the friends. |
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Orion - Retired 
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I tend to dissagree abit on your definitions of a Casual and Hardcore gamer. Casual: plays for fun, to relax, usually play with their friends to just hang out and do stuff. They buy a game cause they see the ads on tv and like it, or hear about it from the hardcore gamer buddy. They buy the games like Madden, the game that can be played easily and with other people. They don't know the latest gaming industry trends. All they do is play to enjoy and wind down from the day's events. Hardcore: Are the people who wait out side till midnight for a relase of a console or a game. Are the first to know about rumors of the next doom25. Get extremely gitty when they see the screen shots of the next game they want. Stay up all hours of the day to play that new game and beat it in record time. The hardcore game is usually the enthusiats. This is what I believe a Casual and Hardcore gamer are. I just woke up so not 100% thinking atm _______________ When a Man lies he murder's some part of the world. These are the pale deaths which men misscall there lives. All this I cannot bear to witness any longer. Cannot the kingdom of salvation take me home? -Cliff Burton Owner of Smily's 1900th comment | <Lady_Catherine> i love your sexy white socks! | (Lady_Catherine) i adore u! | (Lady_Catherine) onion (Lady_Catherine) i lub u |
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SS/ph00d - Student 
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2nd post, yeah, special isn't it? If people like to play competitively then let em. If people like sitting around chatting, let them. It's just a game, try and make the best of it. Don't disrespect others just because they play the game in a differnt manner than you do. _______________ -ShadowSith: CTF/gunner specialist. |
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Bubu - Hubbub 
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"e-honour" hehehe Jacen pwns j00 and there is nothing you can do about it. GO JACEN!! ohh and btw, FIRST POST!! _______________ make install -not war This comment was edited by Bubu on May 29 2004 04:08pm. |
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