After seeing the article The Etiquette of Gaming Like a Man (etiquette being a relative term here, knowing this source), I felt compelled to respond from a lady gamer’s POV…so here goes!
1. Play on whatever level you feel you could do best at
If this level is hard like the article exhorts you to do, great…if you want to kick it up a notch and play on challenge/insane/expert/whatever, be my guest. If you still struggle with easy for some reason, that’s okay! Difficulty of gameplay does not equal your overall skill as a gamer, so don’t get in over your head when you are not ready to tackle hard.
2. Pay attention to the tutorial
Even if you’ve played the game a billion times, it’s nice to get a refresher course as to which button does what. But when you’re first jumping in, you should be learning what the buttons/waggles do and practicing them until they become second nature to you. And if you ever forget, pull up the tutorial and practice again.
3. Explore every nook and cranny
Yeah, it’s fun racing through and kicking butt on the way, but you could also be missing hidden items or plot points if you just blaze through. If you’re in a dungeon, make sure to visit every room at least once–there could be a rare item that is important to your survival just off the beaten path.
4. Gamerscore doesn’t matter anyway
If you manage to get all the achievements/trophies for your games of choice, good for you. If you only have a few, that’s fine too–they’re just there for bragging rights, anyway.
5. If bullets aren’t doing enough damage, maybe you need a different weapon.
And no, fists aren’t always the weapon I’m thinking of, although they can be helpful–but try your plasma guns, rocket launchers, and missiles before resorting to fists. That, and you should note any enemy features that point out a weak spot.
6. Let the girls play too
Sure, some of the girls might try and do laughingly bad–but with more girls picking up controllers, at least let them partake in your multiplayer melees–it just might give you some competition.
7. Let your siblings play
You can at least tell him/her what the buttons do, even if they find running into your line of fire the coolest thing in the world. Who knows? You could even make some happy memories together, never mind that you win every time.
8. Casual games are games too!
Be it Bejeweled, Mario Party, Tetris, or Zuma, there’s a reason why casual games are big right now: easy to learn, and quite addicting if designed well. Games need not be constant action and explosions to be fun.
9. Controllers are not meant to be thrown
I know it’s frustrating when you lose in a spectacular fashion–but you DON’T need to take out your frustrations on the objects you use to play–those things cost money, as does the means of repairing the hole in the wall made by the UFC (Unidentified Flying Controller), UFW (Unidentified Flying Wiimote), or UFH (Unidentified Flying Handheld).
10. Treat others like you want to be treated.
This old adage holds true even in the gaming world–if you treat your opponents nicely (or as nice as you can despite your getting a drubbing), they will want to continue playing with you (and more opportunities for payback!)
11. Attack according to enemy patterns
Brute strength does pack a punch, but it doesn’t always work. Sometimes being the artful dodger gives you an adventage, and sometimes the best offense is a good defense. Whatever you choose, be sure it matches the current situation.
12. Pick your names carefully
Yeah, stupid immature names can be worth a giggle, but think about it–would you want to go around with a name like “Butts”? Instead, why not pick a name that respects the character’s strengths–or just keep the defaults?
13. Sometimes the bard IS your rescuer
Bards don’t get much respect–but if you have a little knowhow of the stats in the game, it’s possible to turn the bard into a lean mean harp playin’ machine with the right items.
14. Go ahead, chatter away!
It’s not going to kill you to talk with other players while you play…that’s what the PAUSE button is for. For all you know, they might have a way to help you pass that tough part you’ve been struggling with for weeks.
15. Keep some caffiene on hand, just in case.
Even with all the rage in the world, you’re still going to tire…so a few Cokes should give you a strong enough buzz to keep going.
16. Keep your controller clean.
Cheeto crud doesn’t mix with the inner workings of your controls, so give your controls a wipedown every now and again.
17. Bailouts are not always bad
You might not look very honorable, but if you know when you’re about to lose, you can retreat, reload, and come back better prepared for the next time.
18. Listen to your body
That throbbing from your hands while you’re plowing through Level 99? That would be your hands asking for a break….there’s a reason why they tell you to rest every fifteen minutes.
19. Pick which music and stay with it
If you’re going to put other music on, mute the game music first. If you’re playing Rock Band/Guitar Hero, turn off the radio. Either way, it’s a common courtesy, and a lot less distracting for both parties.
20. Save the speculation for after the cutscenes.
Think of a cutscene as a movie–would you want anyone talking through it? If you must chatter through a cutscene, (i.e. “$10 says the emperor will die before the game’s over!”) keep it down.
21. Special moves are a big help
You could speed through 90% of a stage with the spin dash, open a new cave to explore with the headbash, or find treasure under the sea…so don’t be scared to use them.
22. Put the controlls down.
If you’re called to do something while gaming, hit PAUSE and do it with both hands. The game will still be there when you finish.
23. If the story’s bad, go find a different game.
To many plot twists making your head spin? Could you have seen that the hero and heroine are long lost cousins coming from a mile away? You have other games…so play those.
24. Show the world what you’ve done.
If you have the means to do so, show off your stuff on your video site of choice–you never know how many gamers you might help this way.
25. When playing Tetris, use the next piece to plan ahead.
I know it’s more of a challenge when it is turned off, but if you know what piece is coming up next, you can plan where you want to put it in hopes you get a huge score.
So there you go, my talkback for you.
Happy gaming,
SparklingBlue
