What do you do when you love a game, but suck at it?

Gusington · January 12, 2020, 05:42:38 PM

Asking for a friend.

Ok not really.

After 10 hours trying out Anno 1800, I really began to fall in love with it. Mostly for the industrial revolution setting and the sheer amount of things to do.

But the mechanics and financials of it can be byzantine and I ultimately failed the campaign, which is really just a large tutorial.

I have decided to be resolute and try again but I'm wondering...for those of you who will admit to getting your ass kicked by a game you love - do you stick with it and attempt to learn its ways, and if not, how long do you give it before rage-smashing your monitor and storming away?

Tripoli · January 12, 2020, 06:12:04 PM

Quote from: Gusington on January 12, 2020, 05:42:38 PM
Asking for a friend.

Ok not really.

After 10 hours trying out Anno 1800, I really began to fall in love with it. Mostly for the industrial revolution setting and the sheer amount of things to do.

But the mechanics and financials of it can be byzantine and I ultimately failed the campaign, which is really just a large tutorial.

I have decided to be resolute and try again but I'm wondering...for those of you who will admit to getting your ass kicked by a game you love - do you stick with it and attempt to learn its ways, and if not, how long do you give it before rage-smashing your monitor and storming away?

Here's what I do:
1) Buy all the DLCs. Just to confirm I suck at the game and all its permutations ;)
2) Sign up for every tournament and PBM opponent I can find, just to further confirm that I suck against both the AI and humans :D

Seriously, if I like the game, I try to study it and see why I am doing badly. If you have done the obvious, like read the manual, done the tutorials and watched some good videos on the game, then try to get a friendly match with an expert (or watch two experts play in a match) and see what they do that you aren't doing. I'm doing this right now in ACWII. Union got its butt kicked in some of the Summer battles and I'm trying to figure out why.

Gusington · January 12, 2020, 06:15:53 PM

^I bought some discounted DLC for it yesterday :)

Also have done everything else you mentioned, except for watching other people play...

MengJiao · January 12, 2020, 07:07:47 PM

Quote from: Gusington on January 12, 2020, 06:15:53 PM
^I bought some discounted DLC for it yesterday :)

Also have done everything else you mentioned, except for watching other people play...

I'm moderately bad at most games so if I love a game, I tend to get a little better at it gradually over time. I was pretty bad at Unity of Command2 -- but maybe I just didn't like it all that much. Hard to tell sometimes whether dislike or playing badly comes first.

solops · January 12, 2020, 07:35:24 PM

It is particularly important to buy all of the dlc so that the game understands and believes in your commitment.

Gusington · January 12, 2020, 07:48:31 PM

^HA

Toonces · January 12, 2020, 08:20:45 PM

Wish I could help you buddy, but I'm struggling to think of a game I don't suck at.

When in doubt, more DLC's is always a safe and wise course of action.

jomni · January 12, 2020, 08:24:59 PM

You know how I love FoG2 but I really suck in multiplayer. But I still play and mod it anyway.

bobarossa · January 12, 2020, 09:30:03 PM

I thought that was the purpose of difficulty settings? I remember Paradox being surprised at how large a percentage of people play HOI4 on the easy difficulty setting.

Anno is one those games with no orders while paused, right? I stay away from them. My standard approach is the bore the AI into a stupor by pausing frequently.

airboy · January 12, 2020, 10:39:32 PM

I read strategy guides - or try it on an easier setting when that is possible.

Usually by reading the strategy guides I can figure out what I'm doing wrong.

When there is no strategy guide or useful online content and I really, really like it - I end up learning the darn thing and writing a strategy guide. Aggressors: Ancient Rome comes to mind. They set you up in the hardest situation imaginable - and everyone got lost even though the game mechanics were good. I sort of did that for Enchantress: Legendary Heroes also.

Or, I find out from reading online that the game is impossibly hard and you have to decide that "the game is just not into you," and quit. I've done that a couple of times: Space 1889 is the one that comes to mind first.

Anguille · January 13, 2020, 12:52:54 AM

I suck at many games!

1) Learning curve can sometimes take longer than expected. I usually try to play about 10-20 hours to learn a game.
2) Difficulty settings. I am still Learning Endless Space 2 (about 20 hours) and am playing my current game on one of the easy settings. I am still behind in terms of points but the pace is ok now and manage to have an Empire i am satisfied with.
3) Set my own goals. If I don't manage to achieve the goals of the game, then I set my own goals: have a nice empire, a beautiful city or else I
4) I became lazy to read manuals, but sometimes you don't have a choice. Nowadays, i usually go back to the manuals to read specific chapters.
5) Check Tips on YouTube or else (or Walkthroughs). Walkthroughs, especially for city-builders, can help to understand some things i've missed.
6) be patient. There are games i didn't get into when i first played them, Endless Space 2 being one of them. Sometimes i put them on the side and come back later. But usually, if i really really like a game, i will stuck with it until i manage it or at least understand it.

Don't forget that the experts on YouTube etc, most of them have spend a lot of time with the games, read the manuals etc. 10 hours is not much.

Moreb · January 13, 2020, 01:08:19 AM

I forge ahead and have fun losing. You all know my favorite game and I get my ass handed to me every time. One of the DLC's I asked if anyone was able to beat it. Not less than a few did quite handily. I still can't.

Anguille has sound advise. And after you do all of that and still suck, revert back to my opening statement.

Enjoy, loser.

Anguille · January 13, 2020, 01:38:04 AM

Just enjoy the game :bd:

undercovergeek · January 13, 2020, 06:15:43 AM

Let's plays on you tube - as Anguille said, those guys have poured hours in to save their online embarrassment - I really sucked at banished until I watched a let's play and there was such an obvious thing I'd missed that helped immensely

You're looking at the guy who beat but struggled every game with the command and conquer series until I read/saw someone say 'build 2 production factories instead of one' mind blown!!!

Jarhead0331 · January 13, 2020, 07:34:00 AM

One of the things that was so genius about Kerbal Space Program is that it found a way to make failure just as rewarding and enjoyable as success. Personally, I have fun whether the rocket I designed and built makes it into orbit as intended, or whether it spins out of control and explodes brilliantly. Trial and failure is a crucial part of the game and sucking is just part of the overall experience.

Otherwise, the only time I am really frustrated by me sucking is if in order to progress or unlock certain features I am required to produce certain results. However, it's much more satisfying for me to place the blame on poor game design, rather than my own lack of ability.