Curse

pve-er · Apr 23, 2007, 08:45 AM // 08:45

i can't survive hard mode with my Sin, I think I am casual and I sucks of everything

Gusnana1412 · Apr 23, 2007, 09:14 AM // 09:14

Casual Player, otherwise if others acknowledge me with different level.

SotiCoto · Apr 23, 2007, 09:52 AM // 09:52

... Obsessed Player... albeit an apparently incapable one.

I'm not sure whether it is through my lack of human connections, a poor choice of build / class, slow reflexes or lag problems of various sorts... but I find Guild Wars unpleasantly difficult in many places... and I'm not talking about Elite Missions nor Hard Mode. I'm talking, for instance, about my getting my arse handed to me repeatedly in the Realm of Torment on normal mode...

I'm not casual by any stretch of the imagination. I dedicate many hours every day to playing Guild Wars.... to collecting titles and doing my absolute best..... but my best just isn't enough.
It stresses me out horribly and pretty much burns me up inside that at many levels I'm not much better than the average PuG... and they don't even seem to try...

I don't know what the cause is... but I resent it heavily.

BlueNovember · Apr 23, 2007, 09:57 AM // 09:57

How to work out if you are Casual or Advanced, the Formular.
-----------------------------------------------------------

1. Take number of hours played.
2. Multiply by minimum wage in your location
3. If you're not depressed by that number, you're Casual. (Or wealthy :P)

I want my £10,000 =(

semantic · Apr 23, 2007, 10:39 AM // 10:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by BlueNovember

How to work out if you are Casual or Advanced, the Formular.
-----------------------------------------------------------

1. Take number of hours played.
2. Multiply by minimum wage in your location
3. If you're not depressed by that number, you're Casual. (Or wealthy :P)

I want my £10,000 =(

That's pretty darn funny.

I'd say the difference depends not on skill level or time played, but on how you take enjoyment (or frustration) from the game. If you're constantly trying to do things that are at or near the limit of your own or your character's abilities, you're more on the hardcore side. That kind of playstyle encourages you to get into the nuts and bolts of game mechanics, and research lots of skills. On the other hand, if you tend to find builds you enjoy playing, and generally avoid areas where they don't work, that's more of a casual mindset. By that definition, there are casual players doing DoA runs in pre-defined teams.

That's pretty general, since most people probably move toward one or the other at different times, depending on mood or some goal they've set. That's definitely true for me. I spent the entire day Sunday refining a hero/hench team to farm LB points in Domain of Secrets in Hard Mode, which would probably be considered a hardcore activity (40k and counting). Same for when I was messing around with trying to do DNKP with just my Ranger and heroes. But last week I was running my Paragon through Prophecies just for the heck of it, and because it was fun doing things like rolling the White Mantle at Aurora Glade. It was probably easy because I spent some more 'hardcore' time putting together my character and heroes, but it was definitely some casual play time.

SotiCoto · Apr 23, 2007, 10:56 AM // 10:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by semantic

I'd say the difference depends not on skill level or time played, but on how you take enjoyment (or frustration) from the game.

Which is attributed to the frustration side then?

Afterall... the Realm of Torment in certain areas gives me heinous levels of stress because I just can't stop dying (I refer particularly to the Domain of Pain, Domain of Fear and ... Shiro Tagachi). I wish Hard Mode had never been made because I could never survive there, no matter how much I might want to (and thus it would become a pure stress-factory).

I invest my state of mind in the game. It is essential in order that I get any satisfaction out of the game (afterall, if I don't feel anything from it then why even play it in the first place?) .... But the general theme with Guild Wars these days appears to just be about the stress and frustration. Nothing gives me any enjoyment any more because I know the amount of effort and investment I have to put into it is nothing like worth the rather measly output.... and the only feeling I get at the end is vague relief that one nightmare is out of the way and I can move on to the next.

Crazy as it sounds... what I resent most about Hard Mode and the Elite areas is that so much of the game revolves around them now that I almost feel it is becoming true when people call me "n00b" in game, even if most of them yell it at everyone without the slightest clue what it even means. Those of us who don't play in Hard Mode are essentially the "special needs" class of Guild Wars.... existing only to be mocked and ridiculed by the rest.

Coridan · Apr 23, 2007, 11:14 AM // 11:14

hrm i have played around 1900 hrs in 12 months (just got a stupid pet) but would consider my self casual...alot of my hours are afk or chat hours. I can usually make a positive impact on any team i join...help tons of peeps...i keep getting pmed by people i don't know asking for help etc.....but I don't know the ins and outs of build creation...i don't over analyze any area to come up with the best build .....i love hard mode....atleast thru the jungle in prophecies....haven't got much further than that....i own all 3 chapters.....but have only beat Prophecies....1 have 1 lvl 20 toon....numerous toons in the grave yard that i get bored with....a pvp toon....hrm i have atleast lvl 2 in all title tracks...cept for the protectors...i have about 200k and about 50 ectos.....but thats cuz i don't buy anything but keys....but i still say i am a casual player....

Swift Thief · Apr 23, 2007, 12:16 PM // 12:16

What do you call 5-6 hours a week?

SotiCoto · Apr 23, 2007, 12:34 PM // 12:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Swift Thief

What do you call 5-6 hours a week?

Depends...
How do you respond when your party wipes three times in a row?

Rocky Raccoon · Apr 23, 2007, 01:24 PM // 13:24

I would say I am advanced as I have over 1851 hours over the last 21 months. As for my game play I would say it is casual. I only have 1 title and get things as the come to me. I enjoy helping new players as much as anything else and have met many friends by doing this. I have 2 more years to stretch the 3 chapters and the new expansion until GW2 arrives, so all things will come with time.

william1975 · Apr 23, 2007, 01:32 PM // 13:32

Quote:

Originally Posted by SotiCoto

Depends...
How do you respond when your party wipes three times in a row?

After this weekend, doing Hard Mode, and being incapable of killing Awakened after wiping most of an area,

SCREAMING at the computer in a somewhat profane manner

It's infuriating to be so close and just be incapable to kill a couple of things

But I still think its fun, in the good old days when I first started i would travel round with henchies at 60 dp wiping a map till i found the next outpost
and be mildly annoyed i didnt have enough skills to get a good build out of mesmer, now I feel the exact same, except I have tons of skills and enough cash to buy more but don't think they will get mesmer any closer to being truly outstanding in HM

Ouchie · Apr 23, 2007, 01:42 PM // 13:42

All I can say is

I WILL be a Vanquisher

Blackhawk · Apr 23, 2007, 01:52 PM // 13:52

Casual player, I've got a life outside of Guild Wars

william1975 · Apr 23, 2007, 01:55 PM // 13:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackhawk

Casual player, I've got a life outside of Guild Wars

I have a wife outside of guild wars, not sure if i have a life though

N.B. the wife is also in guild wars

Blackhawk · Apr 23, 2007, 02:00 PM // 14:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by william1975

I have a wife outside of guild wars, not sure if i have a life though

N.B. the wife is also in guild wars

Mine's normally in front of the telly

SotiCoto · Apr 23, 2007, 02:05 PM // 14:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by william1975

After this weekend, doing Hard Mode, and being incapable of killing Awakened after wiping most of an area,

SCREAMING at the computer in a somewhat profane manner

It's infuriating to be so close and just be incapable to kill a couple of things

But I still think its fun,

O_O;;

You actually find that level of frustration to be FUN?!

That sort of thing can put me off a game for days at least, and if it happens several times in quick succession... I get into a serious enough state of depression that it would make MOST people go to see a professional psychiatrist. But I just try to distract myself by playing something else for a few days.
The problem is that I'm building up a real-life "failure penalty" every time I run into it.... so it actually gets worse every time it happens... and only goes down if I take a break for more than a year (which isn't really an option with actively changing online games).

How the heck do you cope?

william1975 · Apr 23, 2007, 02:13 PM // 14:13

Quote:

Originally Posted by SotiCoto

O_O;;

How the heck do you cope?

Initially when it is that frustrating by screaming at it, that way i let out the anger and dont remain annoyed, If i cant do the particular thing on the game i move to something else, another character or different area,
If i cant handle playing it I will go watch a movie or DVD, or read a book.

Generally i don't worry about too much, the game isn't life or death and to me thats all that I should worry about, well at least the things I can affect.

Generally i just recommend shouting at the computer. and let the tension out.

Then if you are still worked up do as you have and avoid it for a few hours/days, and come back when you can handle it.

Mind you If it was affecting me as badly as it affects you I would porbably quit, you dont sound like yo are gettign much fun out of it

Ouchie · Apr 23, 2007, 02:17 PM // 14:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by SotiCoto

O_O;;

You actually find that level of frustration to be FUN?!

That sort of thing can put me off a game for days at least, and if it happens several times in quick succession... I get into a serious enough state of depression that it would make MOST people go to see a professional psychiatrist. But I just try to distract myself by playing something else for a few days.
The problem is that I'm building up a real-life "failure penalty" every time I run into it.... so it actually gets worse every time it happens... and only goes down if I take a break for more than a year (which isn't really an option with actively changing online games).

How the heck do you cope?

Its a game

Games aren't meant to be won in a day - take your time and have fun - don't get mad or upset just move on to something else and come back

If we were meant to easily breeze through games all of us would have apartments smelling of rich mahogany

GoodEnoughForMe · Apr 23, 2007, 02:25 PM // 14:25

Well, I like to think that 2 hours a day allows me to be considered ok. But I really don't know how I would rank myself...

william1975 · Apr 23, 2007, 02:27 PM // 14:27

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blackhawk

Mine's normally in front of the telly

lol you should try getting her to play too, then you could do missions together, we help each other that way,

TV doesn't have much on it to interest me, and if it does I tend to buy it on DVD to watch at my lesiure