Competitive Gaming vs. Casual "Fun" Gaming

[Ruko]

If you hate fighting games why are you playing SC at all? Don't take that the wrong way, I look at hate very very stringently because it's a strong word that people throw around too carelessly IMO. Either way I think we're talking about what your mindset is when you step into a round against another person, not necessarily flying yourself to get into a tourney. I do think we are all correct in assuming a competitive player is one that goes to tourneys.

Your right Hate is probably too strong. I love SC and Melty Blood those are really the only fighitng games i play and think that i'd actually enjoy playing them at a higher level.

I wasnt aware that you could think of something other than wining in a match. Why even bother playing if you dont plan on wining what could you do besides beating the opponent?

 

[pixel09]

The notion that playing to win is not fun is just the casual gamer's take. They just don't understand that there is different fun that their fun. I have had this casual "fun" and it gets it's laughs, but I've never had as much fun as being in a tournament doing what I need to do. Competitive gaming has allowed me to meet some gaming legends and that's something I'll never forget.

I do believe playing to win can be a bad thing at times. Playing to win all the doesn't give you permission to try new things. Just trying different things in casuals regardless of win or loss can be invaluable when that win does count. Playing to win and playing to learn can definitely be at odds with each other.

 

[selece]

It's like this in any possibly competitive game really. Different people have different amounts of competitive drive and different motivations for playing the game.

It's like my current group of friends whom I play DotA with from time to time. There are two of us who love competition, and nothing to us is really "cheap", just either well-played or poorly read by one side. Then, there's a few of my friends whom we don't do in-house DotA games with anymore due to their "lack" of competitive spirit. They get angry when we pull 3 or 4 on 1 ganks (hey, it's DotA, this is the norm!), or when we build effective item builds (sheepsticks/bashers/etc are "cheap" to them). Apparantly their perception of the game is that everyone should stay in their own lanes and farm until some arbitrary time and then we should have an "arranged" fight of some sort.

Imaginary rules, misguided and biased perceptions of the game - really, that's all it is.

Incidently, the same few people refuse to play SC4 with us too. Hmm... I guess mixups and wakeups are "cheap" too, eh?

 

[JiHadN1nja]

Competitive Gaming vs. Casual Gaming in a 2p fighting game is like comparing apples vs oranges. Competitive and casual is just generic skill level labels. The 'fun' comes in having a close match with someone of close to equal skill.

The only way to not 'play to win' would be a double-Yoshimitsu-who-can-kill-themselves-faster-match...cept ur still trying to win that loss...or something like that

 

[ojste]

The reason is this:

People don't like to lose. They like even less to lose over and over. When you play "win at all costs", you are effectively trying to break your opponent's spirit. Now, as little as I like losing all the time, I also don't like winning all the time. If my opponent isn't of a similar skill level as I, then playing to win isn't enjoyable for anyone.

The only time that competitive play IS fun is when you and your opponent can actually compete. If there is a skill gap, then neither person is going to have fun (unless you're one of those dicks who like beating up on people less skilled than you).

And unfortunately, the times when that actually happens is extremely rare.

i think you've said it perfectly here.

competitive play is where its at for me, improving, learning and winning is all part of the fun. beating someone who doesnt stand a chance though is unfulfilling and generally a waste of time... which is why i am thankful for online play which opens up a much bigger pool of players to seek out competition. i know online in sc isnt perfect but its still viable and is very well done in other genres too.

i find myself dumbing down a lot when i play with my rl friends but then i dont care about winning then its more about just chilling out.