If you’re new to gaming, it can feel daunting to try and get into the multiplayer scene. While it feels OK to be ‘bad’ at a game when you’re at home, any time you have to enter an arena with other players, you feel totally out of your depth and want to get out of there!
It’s a common feeling for amateur gamers alike. But seeing as gaming is a hobby and is something to be enjoyed, is it right to feel like you’re not the kind of gamer you should be?
So, how much skill does gaming really take? Do you have to be ‘good’ at a game to be able to enjoy it? It’s something everyone has their own opinion on, but in this post, we’re going to go through some salient points you should keep in mind.
You Don’t Need to Be ‘Good’ to Game
This is the first worry we need to tackle. In a world that prioritizes skill based matchmaking and keeping players on an even keel against each other, it can feel like you’re never going to be ready to get into the ring.
But you don’t need to be ‘good’ at a game in order to play it. You can just play it! Gaming is supposed to be your own experience and that means spending time in it without focusing on your k/d or how many challenges you’ve completed.
Games Have Their Own Difficulty Settings
The majority of games come with different difficulty levels you can set. That’s something to jump on; start at easy and slowly work your way up, if you want to. You can then measure your past performance against what you’re capable of now and see just how far you’ve come.
That being said, it’s OK to stick at one difficulty level and play on that same one every time you turn your PC or console on. Time put in tends to be more important than anything else, but being able to customize what you’re up against adds another layer.
Even casino games come with ‘difficulty settings’. Indeed, any and all games you can find at slotgames.co.uk come with different stakes that you can set yourself. And sure, the more you put in the bigger the rewards are likely to be, but it’s up to you how you play and what it’s going to cost.
That’s the key thing about gaming, no matter what game you want to play. You can set the rules as far as the mechanics will let you, but that does mean you get to remain in control and tailor your gaming experience the right way.
Gamepad vs Keyboard and Mouse
The way you play games says a lot about how far you’ll be able to take your skill. Some people have a preference and some people don’t care, but if you want to know that you’re playing in an accessible way that’s going to work for you, try out both gamepad and keyboard and mouse.
Using gamepads is probably the most beginner friendly way to play games. You just have to plug it into the console or the PC and then press a select set of buttons, and you never have to think about anything else. On the other hand, if you’re using a keyboard and mouse, you’re going to have a lot more freedom in what you’re using and there’s more room for both precision and error.
A lot of people prefer keyboard and mouse for that exact reason; precise measurements that feel easier to hit can make it less frustrating to progress through a game. However, every person has their own, different experience with the way they play and you should always give both sides a go.
The More Time You Put in, the More Satisfying You’ll Find Your Gaming Skill
Like we said above, the time you put into a game tends to be the most important metric surrounding how skilled you feel when playing a game. It’s why people who only play one game tend to be the best at that game – they’ve spent their entire gaming career focusing on playing it in a way that’s adaptable, flexible, and feels good.
But you don’t have to put the same amount of time into every game. The skill you accrue tends to be transferable across any and all games! You don’t need to have hours and hours in one game to feel like you can say you’re good at it.
Just as long as you’re having fun and you like opening up that game to blow off some steam, you’re going to naturally build your skill and become more and more accomplished.
Even if You’re ‘Not Good’, You Can Still Have Fun
That’s really the long and short of it. Even if you’re not ‘good’ at playing a game, it doesn’t mean you’ll have no fun. You can have a lot of fun just trying to work it out, and it’s always a laugh to see your character die from a silly mistake.
Really, don’t place too much emphasis on needing to be good at a game. As long as it’s a fun thing for you and you don’t mind the way you play it, you’re going to be just fine as a gamer. Even when you’re against other players, you can simply unplug the noise and continue to have fun with it.
So, How Much Skill Does Gaming Really Take?
Everyone is going to be at their own level, and the people who put more time in have more of a chance of polishing their skills, but it doesn’t really matter.
In the end, it’s about what fun you can have and the people you meet as you play. And remember, being ‘bad’ at a game doesn’t mean you should stop playing it – no matter what a toxic lobby might spew at you!
