Gamers' Ages:
DiscoZombie
Join Date: 2003-08-05 Member: 18951Members
Join Date: 2003-08-05 Member: 18951Members
<div class="IPBDescription">does age affect playing ability?</div> I started playing video games about 17 years ago. I started on an Atari, but I consider the NES and SNES to be where my roots are. When I was about 10, I could beat Super Mario Bros. At the same age, I was a semi-finalist in the Nintendo World Championships, 1990 (I have proof =P). Today, when I play SMB, I can hardly get past the first world.
I'm only 23, but I don't seem to have the reflexes I once did. I put in as many hours playing NS as probably the top 20% of NS players, and then I spectate players who are no older than fifteen pulling off maneuvers I couldn't even dream of, and no, they're not hackers. =P
My question is simple: do you think younger gamers have a natural advantage over older ones in FPS or RTS games? Younger players probably have better reflexes, more adrenaline, and a greater degree of immersion in the game, adding up to a generally superior performance. "Old dogs" have trouble learning the new tricks -- youths learn at a greater rate than twenty-somethings, be it academically or in the gaming world...
One could argue that older gamers are more mature and less impulsive -- they're less likely to run off ramboing and are more likely to follow orders and come up with global strategies. However, strategizing doesn't get you out of a one-on-one battle with a skulk. I think, perhaps, gamers who are too young will not understand the concepts of teamwork or even the basic game mechanics, and gamers who are too old will not have the hand-eye coordination of their younger peers. Somewhere in between maybe 14 and 17 is the perfect age for gaming, I'd guess, at which a player can fully be immersed in the mechanics of a game, understanding the strategy and teamwork while retaining the ability to be a fast killing machine... I'm reasonably confident a 15-year-old clone of myself would whip my current old and decrepit self's butt in any FPS... too bad I can't test that theory...
What are your thoughts on the role age plays in the life of a gamer?
I'm only 23, but I don't seem to have the reflexes I once did. I put in as many hours playing NS as probably the top 20% of NS players, and then I spectate players who are no older than fifteen pulling off maneuvers I couldn't even dream of, and no, they're not hackers. =P
My question is simple: do you think younger gamers have a natural advantage over older ones in FPS or RTS games? Younger players probably have better reflexes, more adrenaline, and a greater degree of immersion in the game, adding up to a generally superior performance. "Old dogs" have trouble learning the new tricks -- youths learn at a greater rate than twenty-somethings, be it academically or in the gaming world...
One could argue that older gamers are more mature and less impulsive -- they're less likely to run off ramboing and are more likely to follow orders and come up with global strategies. However, strategizing doesn't get you out of a one-on-one battle with a skulk. I think, perhaps, gamers who are too young will not understand the concepts of teamwork or even the basic game mechanics, and gamers who are too old will not have the hand-eye coordination of their younger peers. Somewhere in between maybe 14 and 17 is the perfect age for gaming, I'd guess, at which a player can fully be immersed in the mechanics of a game, understanding the strategy and teamwork while retaining the ability to be a fast killing machine... I'm reasonably confident a 15-year-old clone of myself would whip my current old and decrepit self's butt in any FPS... too bad I can't test that theory...
What are your thoughts on the role age plays in the life of a gamer?
Comments
this is from tribes 1 though...
its the combination of an adult brain, years of practise and no job that puts me up there at the top end of the gamer leader board. <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Most games these days feel too easy, that's why I end up playing multiplayer all the time instead now; people are far more interesting to play with =3
I think it's less to do with age and more to do with the gamer; I've seen some amazingly skilled 14 year olds but then again I've been scared by some extremely efficient 30 year olds too ^^
Thoughout my childhood and untill now(I'm 17), I've always been getting better at games.
I want to get better at online play, but I'm limited by a shite comp (20-30 fps in battles sometimes D: ). I know I'm good at games because on consoles I'm pretty much godlike. I've played a lot of people at fighting games in my area and none of them are even close to being a challenge, with the exception of my brother, me and him just play a game against each other to death, till the point where we know every single exploit there is and we play for a good hour or two at a stretch.
Right now, me and him have been playing Soul Caliber 2 to perfection, before that it was Super Smash Bros. Melee, and before that Soul Caliber, before that Perfect Dark, before that omg I can't even remember.
I'm still really good at Super Smash Bros. Melee. I brought it into school once, on the day of my finals for AP US History, and I challenged everyone in there to a game of it to see if they could beat me.
I lost once because I forgot to turn off items(items = luck, which is just lame, I lost when a hammer dropped into my oppionents lap <!--emo&:angry:--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/mad.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='mad.gif'><!--endemo--> ), but one dude said he would school anyone at Super Smash Bros. Melee... I owned him so hard, rofl, I only died once cause I killed myself. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo--> :x
Anyhow, when you are young, you have fast reflexes, statistically you have fastest reflexes around age 17, but when you are old you are generally smarter and more experienced at games meaning you don't have to rely on fast reflexes to save your crappy moves. Don't get me wrong, generally your reflexes will have slowed down by like .3-.5 seconds by the time you are fifty, and this can be easily overcome by smart players.
maybe it's not my ability that changed, but rather my attention span. sometimes I just get too BORED with some games to give them my full attention, and therefore the full extent of my ability...
also, my computer and framerate suck, so that's probably why I can't play skulk as well as some people :>
this is from tribes 1 though... <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
I loved that game, I could own almost anybody with my ion rifle.
<!--QuoteBegin--absentic+Oct 8 2003, 08:39 AM--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (absentic @ Oct 8 2003, 08:39 AM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> in my experience, people aged around 20 are in the best age for gaming :]
this is from tribes 1 though... <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->
I loved that game, I could own almost anybody with my ion rifle.
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Ahh, but could you mid-air-mortar people?
Platforms
and recently discovered
Survival horror.
I'm extremely rarely stumped by platform games and am exceptionally good at them. Possibly because 90% of the games I played when I first got consoles were all platform games. I still love them too and play them regularly across all systems. IMO though games have become too easy, like Wind Waker and the new Metroid Prime (not platform games though btw, just using them as examples!)
I also have a knack for survival horror games. I can complete resident evil now in under 2 hours with Chris and I love nearly all of them. Dino Crisis, Resident Evil, Silent hill and many other things. Although not easily spooked I've only once got stuck on a single puzzle (that damn puzzle cube in REmake).
I'm alright at most other games, but I'd describe myself as fairly good at FPS and used to be at RTS. But I've lost a lot of the love I had for RTS games now.
I'm useless at sports, racing and most fighting games too <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
I want to get better at online play, but I'm limited by a shite comp (20-30 fps in battles sometimes D: ). <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
My best FPS is 30 and in battles I'm less than 10. Windows 98 sucks so don't complain about your awesome FPS.
I had the same problem with bomberman, nobody here is good enough at games; I miss university -.-
this just wount do... we must seek each other and battle to find the true hero.
my marth will destroy all before him.
be forwarned.
<!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
I'd love to give you guys a battle though, I play Zelda.
Only problem is I'm in scotland and I don't think many of us really live within close enough distances to travel just for a good game of smash bros melee ^~
my love for the melee runs deep <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
Younger than 17 - dumb ***** that can't think for themselves <!--emo&:0--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wow.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wow.gif'><!--endemo-->
Older than 22 - old geezers <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
I want to get better at online play, but I'm limited by a shite comp (20-30 fps in battles sometimes D: ). <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
My best FPS is 30 and in battles I'm less than 10. Windows 98 sucks so don't complain about your awesome FPS. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'm on Windows ME. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> If you think you're good at Smash Bros wait until you have to play 3 v 1 matches all the time to see even any remote chance of challenge and most people won't even play you because you've wiped them out with handicaps on and you're still not trying.
I had the same problem with bomberman, nobody here is good enough at games; I miss university -.- <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
If they can't beat you at 3v3 then they stink, all they have to do to beat that is spam attacks at you.
Also, to anyone else who claims they are good at Super Smash Bros., answer me this question:
Who the best and most powerful charecter in the game, and is extreamlly lame? It does exist, and I know this charecter's exploits well enought to make the claim that it is unbeatable. If you are a super smash bros. bro, you should be able to answer this.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->my marth will destroy all before him.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I'll beat you with link. Or marth. Maybe Doctor Mario (Don't underestimate the docter, this dude is really strong).
i am teh zen master at defeating them...
as for the best and most powerful character question...
*thinks reel hard*
nope, i have no idea who your getting at, ill hazard several guess tho <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
well, jigglypuff has the most powerful move, id say jiggly/ or donkey kong for his suicide throw...
any more clues?
[/OT]
The air dodge is a work of art and zelda's prism reflect makes short work of most ranged attacks with embarrassing results for the opposing team =3
It's really bad if we ever managed a sudden death; you'd just see sheik streaking out from the corner and the other 3 players running away <!--emo&:D--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif'><!--endemo-->
I hear about characters being 'unbeatable' and stuff with exploits from people in all kinds of fighting games but they usually just turn out to be something that can be taken out/defeated by thinking from another angle =/
Marth and Roy have a stupidly annoying tactic involving countering every single blow which can get frustrating and there's a few other things I've seen used well that can have you getting really worked up but I can't think of anything too bad in the end.
Most powerful attacks in the game easily belong to jigglypuff with his silly sleep attack (<b>if</b> you can hit them with it) and gannondorf who's just an alround powerhouse of scary doom <!--emo&:)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/smile.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='smile.gif'><!--endemo-->
<b>edit:</b> if you're really sharp you can instant KO anyone with yoshi's swallow/egg attack but it's pretty hard =s
Anyhow,
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Marth and Roy have a stupidly annoying tactic involving countering every single blow which can get frustrating and there's a few other things I've seen used well that can have you getting really worked up but I can't think of anything too bad in the end.<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This is so easy to counter, everyone knows that if you just fake them out into countering then they will have a huge cooldown after the counter in which you can hit them with a smash it's so long. Lol.
<!--QuoteBegin--></span><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> </td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Most powerful attacks in the game easily belong to jigglypuff with his silly sleep attack (if you can hit them with it) and gannondorf who's just an alround powerhouse of scary doom
<!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
This isn't the most powerful attack. The most powerful attack belongs to the best charecter in the game, who you will not believe when I tell you....
Peach. ROFL, I know it may seem odd, but she is. Let me explain how to make her unbeatable.
First, never ever ever charge with her. All you do is keep throwing turnups at them from a distance non-stop untill they decide to charge you.
The reason this works is because her turnups deal random amounts of damage depending on which one you pull out of the ground. For example, he normal one, a weak one, deals like 7%. He strongest deals 32% and hitting them with one is absolutly leathal, better than donkey kong's punch fully charged. If they reflect it, cool. Either catch it mid air, or deflect it with toad. The same goes for other charecters who shoot at you from a distance, just deflect it back at them with toad.
What will invaribly happen is that they will charge you. Since you can kill them at a distance with the turnups of doom, they will be forced to charge you. Other long range hard-hitters like Mew and Samus must also charge because peach can deflect.
Anyhow, once they get close enough to hit (Keep throwing turnups at them the entire time they charge you now) you just keep spaming your smash attack down+A. This can also be done by pressing the C-Stick downwards.
As long as they are close up, keep spamming down+A, and if they are far away throw turnups of doom. If for some reason you get cournered, fly away and repeat the process.
The reason her smash down+A owns so hard is because it hits for about 20%+ per each time she hits you. On average, she deals 40%+ damage with one smash down+A. If you are unlucky enough to get caught in a tight area where you won't get knocked away, you will get dealth 60%+ damage in one attack (Yes <b>ONE</b> attack) and the worst part is, she has zero cooldown for this attack, and can do it as soon as she finishes the other one. If they are on the ground next to you, you can hit them with this attack. As soon as they are around 100% to 140% hp (that's usually 3-4 hits with the smash or a lotta turnups) they will die from the down+A smash, because not only does it deal insane amounts of damage, but it will send you flying. It's killed me as link at 80% before.
If you manage to knock them off the edge as peach and they are getting back on, just spam+A at the edge of the platform. Not only does this attack hit more than once, have no warmup or cooldown, deal insane amount of damage, take no skill to use, but it also goes through all other attacks (It stops donkey kong's punch, marth's and roy's counter's don't work properly (they hit her but she also hits them once because it hits 3-4 per attack)).
You may think I'm lying, but this is true. Go try it for yourself against someone 1v1. Peach won't die for a very long time when done properly.
Against lots of people peach will die more easy, but she will still rank top due to this extreamlly lame method.
On my console, peach is banned.
I was pretty deadly with a shotgun (and later double barrel shotgun with Doom2).
When quake came out, I was pretty good, but not as good for some reason. To this day, I still blame it on the fact that shotgun was #1 and #2 slot weapon and wasn't so grand. <!--emo&:p--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/tounge.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='tounge.gif'><!--endemo-->
Peach never really got much time here.... I tried her and though I kicked people about with her I just enjoyed zelda much more.
Hey, if I hadn't known how to beat the counter tactic do you think I'd have won in 3 v 1? <!--emo&;)--><img src='http://www.unknownworlds.com/forums/html/emoticons/wink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='wink.gif'><!--endemo-->
The main annoyance in 3 v 1 is actually samus o.O
A good samus player will let the other 2 keep trying to attack you (in my case it was usually a roy & marth combo) while they build up a nice, juicy charge. Then they just have to time it so you've used your dodge or are in the middle of something then BLAM!!!
are you sure that'd work against a fast strike character like shiek? his running smash thingy has a huge distance on it and I've went through several attacks with it untouched =/
I'm only 23, but I don't seem to have the reflexes I once did. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><span class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
stop. you are depressing