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How Do You Like Your Multiplayer?

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by born4this on December 14, 2012 at 11:00 AM
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18

No, this isn't a blog about Metal Gear Solid 4. Sorry for the confusion.

 

I've never been much of a (competitive) multiplayer gamer. It's not that I dislike it, it's just that the enjoyment of it hinges on... well, you know... being good enough to win. Growing up, my friends were always better than me at video games. I would argue that I was more passionate about gaming, but my skills never seemed to improve enough to beat them, no matter how much I tried. My friend Taylor was a Mortal Kombat master - he owned the game, I did not. I'd go to his house to play Mortal Kombat with him and he could literally go untouched in a match against me (not every time, but frequently.) But I've always been a glutton for punishment, and no matter how many times he beat me, I never got upset enough to quit playing because I enjoyed hanging out with him and I loved the opportunity to play any games I didn't have at home.

 

Shortly after high school, I recall playing Halo with my Youth Pastor. I wouldn't say he was a master, but he was a lot better than me. I rarely won a match, but again - I'm a glutton for punishment, especially when it comes to video games, so I kept playing because I enjoyed hanging out with him and I thought Halo was awesome.

 

These days, I don't play multiplayer games that often. I tend to spend most of my gaming time playing single player or co-op games. As someone who doesn't play a lot of multiplayer, I like my multiplayer a certain way. Simple.

 

I prefer multiplayer to be simple. It's not the ONLY multiplayer I will play, but I do seem to enjoy it more when it's simplified. Some of my fondest memories of playing multiplayer this generation is when it was simple. In Halo 3, Reach, and Halo 4, I really like sword matches. Particularly in Halo 4, I've enjoyed Flood (infection gametype), where it's Spartans with shotguns verses Flood with swords. I also like rockets matches in Halo - they're a blast! (See what I did there?) In Call of Duty: Black Ops, I got into the wager matches where everyone basically has a pistol & a knife and nothing more. In Call of Duty, I've played some custom games with friends where we had shotguns only, pistols only, and other matches like that. Sure, nobody likes to be outgunned, so even when it's simple, it can be frustrating if you're losing, but I love matches like these because they seem fair. I don't have to worry about getting sniped by someone who knows about the secret hiding spot that I haven't discovered yet. I don't have to worry about getting shot by a helicopter or something because someone got a kill streak. I don't have to worry about taking down the guy who's destroying everyone with the mech. I seem to enjoy multiplayer the most when everyone has the same weapons with little to no extras, which leads to little to no excuses or complaints from me or anyone else that's playing.

I love sword matches. This is a screenshot I took in Halo 3. I was on fire in this match! A great memory.

 

What about you? How do you like your multiplayer? Do you prefer it to be simple or more complex? Do you prefer big, open maps or smaller, closed quarters maps? Do you prefer performance based perks?

 

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  • by Friday, December 14, 2012 at 11:16 AM
    I love competition. Literally if I could, I would marry it (Hope my wife isn't reading this) and be happy forever. I compete as a coach, teacher (yup, if my kids get stronger in my class compared to the other, I win), basically everything I do. I play a lot of games online and I play for the chance to compete. I really have gotten into shooter games because even when I lose, I have a great time being involved in the competition aspect. I will let myself get killed over and over again if it means I can capture "B" and get the win in domination. I am all about getting the win. As far as the maps go, I like the ones that make my opponents work the hardest. I have always enjoyed flanking someone and killing them from behind, so big maps are great. Often players just spawn and run and in games like Halo 4 once I am back their your in trouble. In Black Ops 2 I do the same thing, Try to see which way my teammates are running and then I go the opposite and try to sneak up behind the other team. I love the strategy of the bigger maps. But to this day, my favorite map is still Nuketown on Black Ops. I would play that map all day and a couple times was able to because of Nuketown challenges.
  • by Friday, December 14, 2012 at 11:34 AM
    Halo 2, 3, Reach and 4, good times...
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    by Friday, December 14, 2012 at 01:46 PM
    For me, multiplayer varies with game. If it's a game such as Battlefield 3, I'm gonna want bigger maps with more complex gameplay, so that I can use my head more. But if it's an MMO, I want something straight-forward that I can go in, use some skills, swing a sword, kill, then go out. It varies, but sometimes developers try to add complexity to a simple game, and it doesn't work well, such as Call of Duty. The multiplayer formula is very well known, but it can get pretty unfair.
  • by Friday, December 14, 2012 at 01:46 PM
    I almost never play multiplayer as I don't have a good internet connection. If I do, it's usually at a friends online or something.
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    by Friday, December 14, 2012 at 02:06 PM
    I miss Unreal Tournament Shock Rifle matches, or Rocket Launchers on the smallest maps they had. These days it's all about perks and loadouts instead of just playing. It certainly puts a large divide between the dedicated players and the casuals. I've had Battlefield 3 since the day it came out, but I only recently made it to colonel since I don't have much time to play. My goal is usually just to hold by own and be useful to the team, since a 2 or 3 KDR just isn't going to happen.
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    by Friday, December 14, 2012 at 02:21 PM
    Nothing like playing multiplayer. I like mine with some competition. The maps that are open make things more enjoyable. The closed maps seemed to be conducive to major kill streaks; people hiding out waiting to kill you. Good blog; interesting topic to blog about.
  • by Friday, December 14, 2012 at 04:20 PM
    I'm not a very competitive person, so I've never really had much interest in competitive multiplayer. I also prefer something with substance, something I can really sink my teeth into, so short matches are generally out for me too. What I do really enjoy is playing co-op for long stretches. Give me a world to explore and/or a story to follow, with lots of stuff to do alongside a buddy or three. Case in point: I love me some Borderlands. :)
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    by Friday, December 14, 2012 at 06:42 PM
    I usually don't spend much time with competitive multiplayer. I've always enjoyed co-op more. From the days of playing Batman and Robin on Sega Genesis, Turtles in Time on SNES, and all those other great games. Up to now Borderlands 2, and Call of Duty zombie matches always bring me much more enjoyment then competitive matches. But when I do play competitive, the most important thing is balance. Which is the main reason I love Battlefield's multiplayer. On side note, the comment about Metal Gear made me laugh. Never understood that game's obsession with eggs lol.
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    by Friday, December 14, 2012 at 08:45 PM
    I only stick around with multiplayer I'm good at. If I'm getting stomped in the ways you described, I admit defeat and move on. The games I end up not liking are the ones where taking out my opponents gets overly complicated. Team Fortress 2 and Halo: Reach spring to mind.
  •
    by Saturday, December 15, 2012 at 02:33 PM
    I like to play competitive multiplayer on occasion, but sometimes, I'll admit, if I do terrible, I'll start to get angry. Good thing I only use a mic when playing with friends. Anyway, I'm more of a single player/co-op person.
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    by Saturday, December 15, 2012 at 02:59 PM
    Aye, a gamer with patience: a rather rare breed.

    The kind of multiplayer I prefer depends on the game I'm playing. In Battlefield, I prefer open maps, vehicles, and an intense focus on teamwork (which is why I did not buy the close quarters map pack). In Halo, I usually prefer smaller maps, a few fixed overpowered weapon spawns, and lots of moshpit-like insanity (which is why I did not like Halo 4 as much as the others).
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    by Saturday, December 15, 2012 at 09:05 PM
    I like spending time online with others. I prefer co-op, but when I feel like it, some competitive multiplayer is fun. Though I tend to hate playing online with random people. Yeah, it can be fun when you're better then them, or end up getting killed by them like nothing, but sometimes you reach that bunch you just want to avoid at all costs. For me, as long as I can throwback with some friends and murder the heck out of each other, I'm fine with any type of mode. I tend to hate oit when they camp, but the feeling of sneaking up on them, and taking them out, is just the best feeling ever. Sometimes I prefer some modes over others (I'm beast with Infection/Flood in Halo) but as long as me and the guys are having fun, I don't care what kind we do.
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    by Sunday, December 16, 2012 at 10:49 PM
    I like the kind of competitive multiplayer that doesn't put K/D in the spotlight, and focuses more on HOW you get the points. For instance, in Assassin's Creed's multiplayer, the focus isn't on getting as many kills as possible, but instead focusing on how you choose to earn the points, and encouraging you to experiment with different things and think outside the box to rack up more points.
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    by Sunday, December 16, 2012 at 11:31 PM
    Ha! Our youth sounds similar; we had friend(s) that were always better than us. No matter how much we played we just couldn't catch up. Damn if that isn't the truth. I think those experiences in my youth have dictated the type of gamer I am today. I generally avoid MP--specifically competitive--because I just suck. And it's not fun losing all the time. Now I don't mind if there is co-op MP. If I'm caught playing MP it will definitely be co-op. But as far as competitive you can't treat me to it.
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    by Tuesday, December 18, 2012 at 06:49 AM
    Without the racist hazers. Please and thank you.
  •
    by Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 01:09 PM

    I prefer divergent multiplayer. Like Dead Space 2's 4 survivors vs 4 special necromorphs mode, FEAR 3's multiplayer, or competitive co-op like Starbreeze's Syndicate. I can enjoy a standard TDM or CTF, but I am far more a fan of new types of multiplayer gameplay. I especially like the prospects of Day Z inspired multiplayer titles. If someone makes Day Z Dead Space... TAKE MY MONEY!

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    by Thursday, December 20, 2012 at 06:58 PM

    I love co-op multiplayer, and enjoy competitive multiplayer even though I suck at it.

  • by Monday, December 24, 2012 at 12:50 PM

    I hate perk and upgrade systems in MP. I prefer multiplayer where learning the map was what won matches over having the better loadout available.

    Unfortunately, the last one I can think of that had this style of MP was Unreal Tournament 3.