I used to think that shooters (at least the ones with scoring systems) had to be played properly. This means that if there was a scoring system, then I had to utilize it and was bound to play that way only. Screw survival or having fun. My sole objective for all games was to score as high as I could, right from the beginning. Taking time to figure things out on my own would be a waste of my time.
So it was natural for me to have this urge to watch superplays before even seriously attempting a game. Here was a replay put together by someone who had godly-superior skills than I did (and most likely held a world record for the game), who broke the game down while bringing every difficult aspect of it down to its knees. It is breathtaking to watch, and there is satisfaction to be had watching somebody obliterate a boss which has always obliterated me, all without taking a scratch or even letting loose a bomb.
Naturally, I'd pick up strategies from watching these videos. Hell, it would then seem like everything they did in the game was right. Eventually, I would try to play exactly like they did, because I didn't want to spend hours figuring things out for myself when I had the solution right there in front of me. It was satisfying to watch my scores dramatically increase because of this.
After a while, I got bored of playing the way someone else played. It didn't even feel like my own game anymore. It was somebody else's. So was this all there was to shooters? Tracing someone else's route, as though you were copying another artist's work? I lost a lot of interest in the genre thinking that way.
It took some time, but I eventually got over it. During events like STGT'07, I took on games I was unfamiliar with and played them without knowing about any strategies beforehand. Screw trying to be good at the start, I played for survival. When I played enough to the point where I got bored of surviving, I would then look for other incentives, like scoring. And then, the game just got way more fun that way. I didn't feel a strong urge to watch superplays anymore, because I didn't care about being better than other players. I just cared about whether or not I enjoyed this game, since that's the reason why we play games, because they're fun, and because they consistently bring us a feeling we enjoy.
So nowadays, I don't give a shit. Well, I still do, but I was nowhere near as strung-up as I was before. I can totally understand how important studying replays are to someone competitive, or for someone looking to maximize their potential with a game they love--I can see myself doing that eventually for my favorite game, but why spoil the fun so early when you can spread the enjoyment for much longer?
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2 comments:
I watch superplays to understand the game mechanics. See how the game is supposed to be played, or how it can be exploited for maximum points. I realized early on there is no way I could replicate the movements as I suck to much.
I also try to play games for fun/survival/1cc first before score. But once you learn the game's nuances its hard to not want to leach some points in the first few levels...and usually end up dieing.
Ikaruga was the game that put me into that mindset that every shooter should be played properly because of its rigid scoring system. It was also the first shooter that got me thinking about scoring.
It got to the point where if I managed to survive to a level that I hadn't quite practiced enough on, I felt like giving up and dying out unless I studied the replay/practice modes for that level and practiced it beforehand. I felt like I was just rehearsing a performance rather than simply playing a game. Despite that, I still find playing Ikaruga that way pretty fun, even though I do get bored of it pretty fast. Should have just played it for fun from the get go as I should have!
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