Anyone else becoming disillusioned with online gaming?

[ReadyAndWilling]

so i've been a competitive gamer for about 10 years now. i'm really an RTS player at heart, and started out with Starcraft. i then moved onto Age of Empires and am now in a competitive league of legends clan. i'm not pro, far from it, but i do take online gaming very seriously.

anyway, i'm starting to realize how stressful online gaming actually is. i'll finish a strenuous game and then realize i didn't even really accomplish anything as opposed to spending that same time reading a book.

when i get back from from a long day of work i'm starting to find myself preferring to chill out and watch some Trek or SG-1 over an hour of gaming. i just can't chill out in gaming. i'm sure if i hooked myself up to a heart rate monitor i'd find the proof.

maybe i'm just playing the wrong game.

 

[Commodore_Rook]

Well online gaming can be rewarding but also stressful. I do think it depends on the game and how you play. For example, I used to play Warcraft. Every once in a while, you get ganked by the other side. I try to avoid such situations, but sometimes it can't be helped. It drove me nuts when I was trying to do something, then had to deal with some gankers (I was a low level getting killed by VERY high lvl bored players). Anyhow, I soon became bent on revenge and would hunt these guys down.... I had to check myself and ask myself, "Why am I getting myself all worked up over a game?"

That is why I prefer Star Trek Online. Even thou it touts itself as a MMO, it plays more like a single player game that happens to be online. You can avoid any other players and never do any PVP if you don't want to.

 

[Nick Ryder]

I would love to get into ST:O but I just can't justify a monthly fee to play a game - especially if like you said, you can be basically a single player game and just do missions and such on your own, but... then what's the point of an MMO that and one thing that bugs me about MMOs are the fact that the patches take forever and a fraggin' day to download and install. I mean really... do you REALLY need to do 6GIGs of updating to a game that's primarily played over a server? I look at those betas for WOW on a cell phone and go "okay so why can't it be that easy on a PC? Why in the hell do I have to constantly patch?"

Everytime I trial an MMORPG I just get bored waiting to play and then once I do actually get in there, I just I dunno... wonder if its worth paying month to play what I could probably get out of a good regular PC RPG game.

I think I get more enjoyment out of a good single player game that I can pick up when I want, close out and not deal with flamers or jerks.

Mostly I'm just cheap LOL honestly it would be kinda cool if they could make a WOW that was console based and you could just doodle around with the NPCs and battle and such and then if you wanted go online with it. Same with ST:O. I love the way the game plays, the graphics are wonderful and it feels like an episode of Trek - I used to love playing Elite Force - but I haven't really been able to figure out how to install it on my new Windows 7 PC.

 

[ReadyAndWilling]

Well online gaming can be rewarding but also stressful. I do think it depends on the game and how you play. For example, I used to play Warcraft. Every once in a while, you get ganked by the other side. I try to avoid such situations, but sometimes it can't be helped. It drove me nuts when I was trying to do something, then had to deal with some gankers (I was a low level getting killed by VERY high lvl bored players). Anyhow, I soon became bent on revenge and would hunt these guys down.... I had to check myself and ask myself, "Why am I getting myself all worked up over a game?"

That is why I prefer Star Trek Online. Even thou it touts itself as a MMO, it plays more like a single player game that happens to be online. You can avoid any other players and never do any PVP if you don't want to.

how often do you find it rewarding? i seem to get up worked up over essentially nothing too.

 

[Igard]

Like Nick Ryder, I just can't justify paying a monthly subscription to play a computer game.

I've also never really found online gaming to be rewarding. I'm not sure what it is that I've accomplished after defeating a human opponent, whereas I know exactly what I've done when I win against the computer.

At the end of the day, it's what you find enjoyable that matters. I play computer games to pit my skills against a compotent AI, not some random person who could, for all I know, be 13 years old and no match for me.

 

[Nick Ryder]

Well... heh I broke down and got Star Trek Online the other day - I got the Collector's Edition at Best Buy for $20 bucks - and I figure if I played it even for one month, it's not too horrible - the pin badge almost makes it worthwhile really - I paid like $20 bucks for a Future Imperfect TNG badge years ago - but the $15 still feels like a lot - I'll see how much fun I have with it this month if I like it, I may continue. Kinda depends on if I meet anyone in the game or others I know that play it that we can play with together.

Although it's fun sort of recreating my RPG group in the game - can't wait until I level up enough to get different ships so I can actually recreate our ships!

 

[Igard]

I suppose I may give in to it myself one day. Like I say, I don't really enjoy online gaming purely for competative reasons, but it does look a cool game.

Once they add more content to it, I might consider it. Maybe if I can play as a Romulan.

 

[Commodore_Rook]

I suppose I may give in to it myself one day. Like I say, I don't really enjoy online gaming purely for competative reasons, but it does look a cool game.

Once they add more content to it, I might consider it. Maybe if I can play as a Romulan.

Ehhhh give it a go, it isn't that bad, especially with the latest season update. It is still far from perfect, but if you look around online, you can find the game for $5-$10 which comes with a free month of play! Or just download the demo!!!

 

[Nick Ryder]

Well I got mine - the collector's edition- at Best Buy for $20 bucks and that included the communicator pin, so hey... nose around a bit. 20 bucks for a free month of play, a pin and 3 ten day buddy keys isn't too bad, plus the book it comes with is pretty cool too. The software is just... there. I was actually kind of disappointed with the actual software - I was really hoping for some goodies on the disk, like other game demos or wall papers or music tracks or something. Just a glorified web installer on a CD. Although honestly you're probably better off just getting the demo, paying for the full version, which I think basically just unlocks the rest of the game - so instead of a what? 4 gig patch, you'll have to trundle through a 7 or 8 gig patch. Wince. That's one thing I HATED is the patching. Unless you have a nice fast broadband connection which can zip through 7 gigs in less than an hour - prepare for a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong wait to play.

So far I've only been playing ST:O since Saturday night and already hit Lieutenant and completed my first set of missions, I'm starting to get into it. Although seriously the name for the Species 8472 "Undine" what the fark is that kinda name? I mean really.. Undine? Oon-din-ee? maybe? But that's a boring name. I like unpronouncable names so that we just call 'em 8472!

 

[Igard]

Ok, I'll give the demo a try in the new year when I've got some time. I'm a fussy gamer though, nothing usually holds my interest for more than a month. So it's hard to see myself paying a monthly fee.

I'll try it out and then just see where things go...

 

[Aeolusdallas]

Well I got mine - the collector's edition- at Best Buy for $20 bucks and that included the communicator pin, so hey... nose around a bit. 20 bucks for a free month of play, a pin and 3 ten day buddy keys isn't too bad, plus the book it comes with is pretty cool too. The software is just... there. I was actually kind of disappointed with the actual software - I was really hoping for some goodies on the disk, like other game demos or wall papers or music tracks or something. Just a glorified web installer on a CD. Although honestly you're probably better off just getting the demo, paying for the full version, which I think basically just unlocks the rest of the game - so instead of a what? 4 gig patch, you'll have to trundle through a 7 or 8 gig patch. Wince. That's one thing I HATED is the patching. Unless you have a nice fast broadband connection which can zip through 7 gigs in less than an hour - prepare for a looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong wait to play.

So far I've only been playing ST:O since Saturday night and already hit Lieutenant and completed my first set of missions, I'm starting to get into it. Although seriously the name for the Species 8472 "Undine" what the fark is that kinda name? I mean really.. Undine? Oon-din-ee? maybe? But that's a boring name. I like unpronouncable names so that we just call 'em 8472!

Undine are water faeries. Species 8472 come from fluidic space so even though I prefer the Borg designation I can see the reasoning.

 

[Igard]

Thanks for the explanation, Aeolusdallas. I figure it's pronounced, Oon-dine or Oon-deen. I prefer the Borg designation, but I can see where they're coming from. Some gamers may not have seen the Voyager series and might think there was a piece of code missing or something when they read 'species 8472' instead of an actual name.

OK, got the game. The deluxe edition, though I've still to decide what to buy with my 500 CP's.

It's a really nice game and I thought I should just stop by and say a quick thank you to all the posters here for their helpful comments. So, thanks.

The only thing that doesn't make sense to me so far is the galaxy map. The Federation hasn't yet explored the region of space directly to their lower left? Does it not look interesting enough for them? Are they saving it for later like their favourite in a box of chocolate?

Maybe it's an abstracted galaxy map, but then why don't they just draw a line to the unexplored region instead of putting it right next the Sol system. Then of course, our homeworld doesn't sit on the edge of a void does it? Something needs to be there.

Very enjoyable game though. I've been playing since Thursday (far more than I should) and I'm hoping to make Lt. Commander tonight.

 

[Aeolusdallas]

Thanks for the explanation, Aeolusdallas. I figure it's pronounced, Oon-dine or Oon-deen. I prefer the Borg designation, but I can see where they're coming from. Some gamers may not have seen the Voyager series and might think there was a piece of code missing or something when they read 'species 8472' instead of an actual name.

OK, got the game. The deluxe edition, though I've still to decide what to buy with my 500 CP's.

It's a really nice game and I thought I should just stop by and say a quick thank you to all the posters here for their helpful comments. So, thanks.

The only thing that doesn't make sense to me so far is the galaxy map. The Federation hasn't yet explored the region of space directly to their lower left? Does it not look interesting enough for them? Are they saving it for later like their favourite in a box of chocolate?

Maybe it's an abstracted galaxy map, but then why don't they just draw a line to the unexplored region instead of putting it right next the Sol system. Then of course, our homeworld doesn't sit on the edge of a void does it? Something needs to be there.

Very enjoyable game though. I've been playing since Thursday (far more than I should) and I'm hoping to make Lt. Commander tonight.

well they seem to be using a modified version of this map


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

 

[Igard]

I really like the detail in that map, but I never really liked the sizes and positions of certain things. I suppose it's just my personal opinion, but the Klingon empire is twice the size of the Romulans. That doesn't seem right to me. Also, Romulus is right on the border of Fed space.

I know it's not a true 3D representation of this part of the galaxy, but they should have at least considered that empires expand from their centre out. The Roms look a little lop-sided to me.

I much prefer this map for displaying the correct sizes and locations of systems. Of course, none of this is canon so it's all purely for fun.

http://img233.imageshack.us/i/alphabetamap.jpg/

 

[Aeolusdallas]

Well CBS did give STO permission to use what is essentially that map so that does give it some Canon weight as it were.

 

[Jim Gamma]

ARGH! Would you mind turning those maps into LINKS?! Not all of us have 1bn*1bn pixel screens here, y'know!

 

[Igard]

Nooo!! Say it ain't so!

Well they haven't exactly used the Geoffrey Mandel map, so the problems with his map arent' really transferred to the game as yet. The way it looks now in the game, the Romulan empire actually seems larger than the Klingon. And the Feds don't completely surround Romulan space. Hope it stays that way personally.

The problem of course, is the region of unexplored space directly next to the sol system. I can't suspend my disbelief on that one.

Mind you, loving the game apart from this.

 

[Igard]

ARGH! Would you mind turning those maps into LINKS?! Not all of us have 1bn*1bn pixel screens here, y'know!

Done. And apologies for the mishap.

 

[Jim Gamma]

Thankyou! :-)