I am a videogame and movie geek currently seeking a job in the film industry, either writing or directing, and trying to make the most of my simple high school life. I love to play games of all kinds, including Street Fighter IV and Halo Reach, so hit me up and we'll chat n' play. Or something.
(This is my first ever musing. I might even be intercepting the theme this month the completley wrong way. Just bear with me, I'm writing it about myself in relation to gaming, because thats what the phrase, "I the author" means to me. )
Multiple difficulty settings have been staples of video gaming for as long as I've been gaming. I know they werent always around, but they were almost every game by 2004 or so, and that's when I started playing. The settings were made to appeal to people who like to challenge themselves and people who like to play the game casually. I was, and still am, grouepd into the ladder. It's not because I enjoy the wii and it's current shitty library. I'm by all means hardcore in that sense. But when it comes to difficulty, I'm a pansy ass casual player.
I always choose Easy.
It's not that I dont like to be challenged. There is no point in the game if I do nothing but win. Say for example, if my characters in an RPG haved maxed out levels, why would I keep playing? The reason I always choose easy, is because I'm afraid of how frustrated I can get. I like to use games for a fun, happy outlet where I can escape reality. I dont want to use games as a depressing, horrible outlet where I get all pissy because I can beat this one irritating boss. That's why it makes me a pansy, I'm afraid of the bad feeling I get when time after time I cant get past that one area in the game when I play it on a hard difficulty. I hate that feeling I got when I got owned by the Phantoms in Star Ocean IV for the second time in the same hour(see my last cblog). I hate that feeling I got when Ninja Gaiden 2 threw a tough, cheap ass boss at me and I couldnt dodge his crippling attacks in time.
This is all because I used to have terrible anger management issues, that caused me to hurt myself. It was a rough point that I'm not going to delve into. Since I got over it, I'm always afraid of prevoking it again. Plenty of times I've wanted to send my controller into near-earth orbit, but I did my best not to. I hate that feeling. When I was in the middle of my anger issue, I found gaming. Gaming, like I said, is a happy and fun outlet, it should never be frustrating or it's not living up to what want it to be. However, I can agree with a previous rev. rant from Anthony Burch; Harder difficulty results in more challenge, and more challenge results in you needing to think differently and you having a new, different and maybe even better experience. I know for some people that is true, but for me it's different.
This is what gaming means to me. When I found gaming, the outlet, I found enemies that I coul kill and destroy and dispense my anger into. I found a place to put all the anger and I left it there forever. If the enemies ever over power me too much to the extent that I feel like it's completley unfair, then the anger comes back and I flip out. I dont want that, that isnt what gaming means to me. This might be a concept that is hard to understand, but it makes perfect sense to me. I, The Author, find gaming to be a happy and cheerfull activity, and I like to keep it that way, even if it doesnt result in me thinking differently and making a special and new experience for myself.
Good job Dtoiders, you sat through that wall of text with only ONE IMAGE to gaggle at, what a drag. Since I dont usually write about myself, while I was typing this I didnt feel very satisfied with it. So, in assumption that this Cblog fucking sucks, you people who survived through it get a special reward! And If it does fucking suck, which it probably does, dont trash me. This was kind of an emotional thing to write about. I've also always been horrible at transitions in my writing, so If anything, the ending to this must be horrible. Oh whatever I'll stop bawwing and give you your reward.
I usually start a game on easy when I don't know a butt about the controls and didn't bother to check the booklet, or couldn't even get one. Hard mode is more to request a challenge on what I have already dominated.
I always choose easy mode too! I tend to just casually run through a game... to get a sense of the story, gameplay, etc. I don't even generally look at the trophies because they just slow me down.
... when I want "challenge" I play online. There is always someone better than me and about 75% of my gaming time is online play. For offline, I just want to relax.
I like the point about using the games to manage your anger. People talk about how video games promote violent behavior, but I find that much more often they're a means for sublimating it.
Some of the most statistically successful high-risk youth programs in urban areas are geared around boxing gyms. If that strategy actually reduces violent behavior, I don't see how the video games are dangerous argument holds any water.
As my skill has increased over the years, and games have also gotten easier. I usually find no trouble in 'normal' difficulty.
Hard difficulties are usually BS in my mind. They tend to do odd things to the game that disrupt the 'feel' that the game had on other modes. Notable exception: MegaMan2 Difficult was the way to go with that game.
In short. I don't feel that you are a wimp for selecting 'easy' mode. You can get just as much enjoyment as your 'normal' mode fellows, and have upwards of 60% less stress.
Once upon a time (read a long time ago) I read an article that Hard mode was something invented to help the game rental market in America. Many games' Japanese counterparts only had one mode, and that was our easy. This was back when NES and Genesis games were the only ones filling the shelves at Blockbuster.
I don't know what to quite say to this. On one hand it's good that you have an outlet, but on the other it's not good that you're afraid to confront your own problems. If you can't handle frustration well in a game, it's certainly not going to extend well to real life. If you don't learn to truly come to grips with your problem you may cause a lot of harm to yourself and those around you some day.
I don't really know you, so I can't actually say anything informed, but I have met some people that were generally nice until this kind of thing led them to harm others.
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Still putting DIFFICULT in Megaman games... uh.
I guess... hm, no I really can't remember what it was.
... when I want "challenge" I play online. There is always someone better than me and about 75% of my gaming time is online play. For offline, I just want to relax.
Some of the most statistically successful high-risk youth programs in urban areas are geared around boxing gyms. If that strategy actually reduces violent behavior, I don't see how the video games are dangerous argument holds any water.
Hard difficulties are usually BS in my mind. They tend to do odd things to the game that disrupt the 'feel' that the game had on other modes. Notable exception: MegaMan2 Difficult was the way to go with that game.
In short. I don't feel that you are a wimp for selecting 'easy' mode. You can get just as much enjoyment as your 'normal' mode fellows, and have upwards of 60% less stress.
I don't really know you, so I can't actually say anything informed, but I have met some people that were generally nice until this kind of thing led them to harm others.