Are you naturally good at video games?

[used44]

I figure that most of us here are practiced to the point of being able to pick up any game and figure the basics out in a few minutes. It's odd how after a while (I'm sure most of us don't remember the exact point that this happened) you take for granted the ability to navigate two thumb sticks, for example. Some people are still completely turned off of modern gaming because nearly every game now requires massive amounts of simultaneous controlling of two sticks moving independently. Plus the other inputs happening at the same time.

And besides just the control aspect, the "game" part of the games themselves are filled with laws and familiar bits that veterans can truly sense and adapt to instantly. This isn't true for lots of people. Or maybe you took to it naturally! Discuss.

[Longo_2_guns]

I'm not amazing, but I can usually hold my own in most games.

Like, not too long ago one of my friends got me an RTS game that he has been playing for YEARS. I play practice for 2 hours and I'm able to beat him easily. Though he's not very smart, but still.

Fighting games and stuff, not so much. Stuff that requires super fast reflexes, eh, not my forte.
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[MattAY]

Well since the left and right analog sticks are practically second nature to us we can pick up any FPS and do the basics from the get-go.
I reckon if my Dad picked up a controller it'd take a while to get used to the two sticks - with me laughing next to him.

In action games too, I would think if there were too many things going on they'd be overwhelmed ("they" being non-gamers). Any level in MW3 would just confuse the shit out of them.

I do remember my brother getting an ipad and we were taking it in turns playing that paper toss game. The record was 100-odd, and when it was my turn I smashed it on my 3rd/4th go. It was the best Christmas - Gamers > Everyone Else
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[WickedLiquid]

I'm great at single player campaign games but put me against people online and I'll usually get destroyed.

As far as figuring out controls it's a piece of cake. I remember playing Goldeneye on N64 at Rakon's and finding it incredibly difficult to navigate with just one analog. It's crazy since it seemed so easy when I was a kid.
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[cyberjim2000]

Only two thumb sticks and that's complicated?



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CV35B-vfT4U

Flight sims: Why play a game when you could learn how to fly a plane?

[UghRochester]

Picking up controls are easy. My dad, I tried getting him to play a plug-in to TV game. He's too scared of it, because he only presses one button. My mom could play the N64, but I don't know about the other gens. I just hope when I'm older, buttons still remain and I play video games my whole life
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[madster111]

Well, i'm actually fairly shit at single player in most games. I generally play on easy to avoid frustration from getting stuck.

The exception seems to be online multiplayer, which might just be because other people also suck because i tend to clean up in things like CoD when i'm concentrating. It's like my reaction time 1/2s when i'm gaming against other players vs computers and want my K/D to look impressive.
Also, Forza. I race on the hardest difficulty in it because it's boring otherwise and am one of the fastest in my club, many of whom are at level 100+ and played FM3 religiously. Or at least, i was a few months ago. The guys might've gotten faster now.
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[danielrbischoff]

I picked up the Wii U controller for Call of Duty Black Ops 2 yesterday and found that I had so much muscle memory ingrained for Call of Duty. The developer was pointing out how the X and Y buttons were flipped, but that didn't stop me from instinctively pressing the wrong one over and over again.

I think you can't really be "naturally good" at games, but you develop a familiarity with the systems over time.
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[Bretimus_v2]

I'd say that I'm good but not great. I lack the desire as of late to really invest the time and just mash away the hours. I also lack the desire to research and read up on stuff in order to make that next step.

For example, I'm really enjoying LoL right now, but I'm in no way expert. (Kiristo will agree.) I play for fun, get bored too soon in order to develop a strong main, and buy a new character as soon as one looks appealing and I have the requisite IP. The same translates over to fighters, etc. I would rather enjoy the broad experience and be B grade, then A+ it.
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[Delorean88]

I think after playing video games at a certain point it's like athletes and sports. Using two analogs is a breeze but I remember when playing co-op with friends who weren't really games and having to basically hold their hand because they kept running into corners looking at the sky. There hasn't really been a singleplayer game that I tired getting into but was too hard, multiplayer for the most part after playing for a bit I get really good but there are some games that I try my best but just don't do well in.

For muscle memory it is weird when games decide to change around button schemes. It's widely recognized that R is shoot (if a shooter), X is reload, A is some type of jump or run or accept and Y is changing of something. Games that decided to switch that around and haven't told me the controls ends with me pressing X wondering what's going on. Or I remember in PS1 days when every game had X as the ok button in menus then MGS comes around and gives me the finger saying it's O now
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[Sightless]

Nah, I'm not good at games. I can't really play a lot of fancy newer games, because I hate playing in first person, and I hate doing a lot of things in 3D. Screw dual sticks -- I'd totally be in corners looking at the sky, Delorean. It takes me a while to learn controls, although I do try everything out.

This isn't exclusively game-related, but I'm good at anything that requires problem-solving skills, or logic skills. I looove puzzles.

I agree that one of the coolest things that people develop by playing games are those "laws" you're talking about, Used. A similar thing that is cool, I think, is smelling secrets. We know where there are good places to hide things, where there must be hidden treasures, and which path is the obvious one, so we ought to check an alternate path first.
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I sprinkle sand into the waters of night. The grains burn as they fall, reminding me of another in times long passed away. I watched him even then as he fell, his face undefeated, his eyes still proud.

[LinksOcarina]

My ego says yes, but I doubt its really true. I do have a sort of affinity when I pick up a game in terms of mastering its controls though; for example I started with dishonored already and thus far I have been getting through the game with relative ease, mostly via stealth at least.

I doubt anyone is a literal pinball wizard on the boards here, but everyone has skills and things like that.
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[Longo_2_guns]

[LinksOcarina]

[danielrbischoff]

I'm gonna fucking ban you both.
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[LinksOcarina]

[Longo_2_guns]

[used44]

[WickedLiquid]

PS3 gamers don't judge you Dan.
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[Delorean88]