Online gaming has reached a critical mass, and players around the world are constantly interacting in arenas, adventures and battles together. Today more than 700 million people worldwide play online games, according to data posted by VentureBeat. With this new worldwide community comes an entirely new type of etiquette, and here’s a breakdown of the “do” and “don’ts” list for playing games online.
Do: Play With Friends
When you first begin playing any game online you will be developing a set of skills that are entirely new, and you’ll be playing with a lot of people who have already mastered them. To cut down on your own frustration and the frustration of those strangers who will be your teammates, play with your friends first. Not only is gaming with people you know a lot of fun, but your friends are probably more forgiving of your rookie moves and more likely to help you learn to play the game. You are also far less likely to have to deal with the ubiquitous 12-year-old-with-voice-mod-and-music-blaring-in-background trope of online gaming if you play with your friends.
Don’t: Be “That” Guy
There’s a reason the above-mentioned trope exists. There are plenty of players who seem either oblivious to their bad behavior or revel in irritating other players online. While you can block another player who is being offensive or blaring music over his headset, it still degrades the entire experience and is a hassle. Keep your political and social opinions to yourself and keep your background music down. Nobody wants to hear either of them.
Do: Practice
At least beat campaign mode of a game before you jump online. For many games with robust multi-player modes, the campaign mode of the game is basically an extended tutorial intended to teach you every skill you will need to stay afloat online. If you are simply playing puzzle or casual games online, consider playing on iWin, a site where you can practice your techniques without fear. Developing your skills will not only improve your experience, but people love to play with skilled players on their team.
Don’t: Rage Quit
Nobody is perfect, and chances are at some point in your gaming career you are going to be utterly demolished by the opposition. The only thing more frustrating that being dominated by the enemy is when your teammates simply quit in the middle of a firefight because they don’t like losing. In many games, losing is just part of the game, and nothing is more rewarding than coming back from near-death and snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Stick with it. And be a good sport about it.
Do: Get A Headset
They aren’t expensive, they are easy to use and they’ll let you work with other players to achieve your goals. If you don’t already have one, what are you waiting for? Also, your girlfriend will thank you.
Don’t: Give Out Personal Information
It may seem obvious, but don’t give any of your information out online, no matter how long you have been playing with them. They may be a crackshot with a sniper rifle or fun to kill dragons with, but that is no reason that they should know your address or other personal information. A Javelin report found that 12 million people were the victims of identity fraud in 2012. Don’t be a statistic. Keep your personal information to yourself.
I have always enjoyed playing video games and am a programming team lead for a video game company. I co-founded Gaming Cypher because I enjoy the gaming community and would like to provide the best news service around. Feel free to ask me any questions and I will make sure to get back to you quickly.
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