That's Mister helper to you

You don't have to be a teenager to have fun at video games. But when it comes to skill level, it sure seems to help.

I love jumping online and playing a few rounds of Team Fortress 2 late in the evening. It's great, light-hearted fun. But I'm quickly coming to the realization that I'm never going to be a top flight player. I'll dive head first into a busy melee with all the confidence in the world . . . only to be quickly dispatched by players FAR more skilled than myself. Fortunately I never have to wait long before heading off on my next suicide run. If you're killed, you only have to wait about 10-20 seconds before you get a second chance. Such is life in this instant gratification world full of non-stop action.

As I become aware of my limitations, I'm re-learning the virtue of playing a supporting role. I've usually gravitated towards these roles in the past as I actually seem to make a decisive difference whenever I accept these positions. If you ever stumble across my character online, you'll likely find me playing as an engineer working with others to build up defenses, or as a medic healing others pushing ahead on the offensive. It's kind of odd to accept a supporting position in an online world where you can assume any wild persona you'd like. But the end result is actually quite gratifying as a single supporting player can often help propel an entire team forward. I could try to draw parallels to the real world, but then that would be pushing the edge of the cheesy envelope. :)

0 comments

Recent Posts

Recent Comments

My Work Blog Posts