When I first read this article from the folks at vVv Gaming, I had to laugh. Let's face it, we've all been there. We've all had days when nothing is going right for us and we just can't seem to get it together. We screw up. We do really poorly. I'll just come out and say it, there are days when we just suck. So what do you do on those days when your gaming skills just aren't up to par, you're just not as good as you thought you were and you're driving your fellow players to apoplexy? You do what Steven "DarkChaos" Beach suggests, and 'embrace the suck':
Embrace the Suck - by Steven "DarkChaos" Beach
There comes a time in every gamer's life when you're going to have to do a little something that I like to call (ok, ok, ok. . . I got this from Jerry "LordJerith" Prochazka), "Embrace the Suck". It's sad to say, but we can't be absolutely amazing at everything. If we were, this world would get really boring pretty damn quick. At some point in your life, you will have to admit you suck at something. Some things are easier to admit than others. If it's something that you're passionate about, but don't have what it takes to make it something of quality, it's hard; sometimes not all of the pieces are there.
So what do I mean by "Embrace the Suck?" Well, simply put, it means admitting you're bad at something. Until you can admit you're bad, you can't improve. If you think you're already skilled, you can't start to learn how to get better.
Read more after the jump!
I hate the first week to the first month of a new job. Why? Because I'm new, I don't know anything, and I suck at it! However, if at this point you embrace the idea that you are new and that you do in fact suck, it grants you the ability to learn and become more efficient and eventually not suck in whatever you're doing. Well, at least not suck as much. Let's face it; you might just be really lousy at your chosen activity.
Steven "DarkChaos" Beach - photo courtesy vVv Gaming
Now, how does this relate to you, Mr./Ms./Mrs. Gamer? Are you serious? How does it not? Hmm, how do I put this? Ok, here's how: I will start with me. When it comes to the campaign of a video game, whether it's an RPG, FPS, etc., I am a fleshy human Gamer God, complete with gold plated teeth, and diamond rimmed glasses, twirling a platinum Xbox 360 controller in my hand; I am just that good. Naturally, you would think that some skills would transfer over to the competitive, player versus player portion of a game. And it does...sort of. Some skills do apply, but don't make up for the missing those skills that are crucial when pitted against an actual human player. I can be good at times or at least decent in competitive play, but in the end I had to "Embrace the Suck".
When the internet was created, it opened up the floodgates for cyber gamers scattered across the globe. With such a vast pool of players there are a vast amount of skill levels. Chances are, you're going to play really good players quite often. Some will be naturally talented at the game; others will practice and become skilled players. I, as a competitive player in the grand scope of the internet, suck. Very few people are actually good. Many of the self-proclaimed "Pro Gamers" out there actually suck. The difference between me and them is that I'm not living a lie. Most people, and if you haven't experienced this then you're not really a competitive gamer, will cover up the fact that they suck through copious amount of trash talking, though it can be a skill carefully honed and designed to get underneath a person's skin. This will mostly happen in two ways. If you don't know you suck, and you're trash talking, and you continue to suck, well that's just sad. Really, who are you fooling? Now, if you're like me, this is how it works. Let's say I trash talk a lot before and during the game, and by the end of the match I played a horrible game. Invariably, one of the players will shriek,
Outraged Gamer: "You suck! You ain't nothing. You talk so much crap.--"
You get the point; you've probably heard this before.
To which I would aptly reply,
"Why yes, I do suck. So what?"
Isn't sarcasm great? It's fun to toy with people. Period. It's a sick game to play within a game.
Why does it matter if you suck or not? If you play a bad game, you play a bad game. Or if you're no good at a game, you're just not good. Just embrace the idea that you suck, take life a little less serious, and have fun at it. A lot of Pro Gamer frustrations come from players not being able to cope with the possible idea that they do in fact suck at this certain game and should probably give up trying to play it and move on to something else.
Of course, as an intelligent reader, you will have rebuttal for multiple points that I have brought up in this piece of writing. And that's ok! This is nothing fool proof, this isn't an end all be all on whether you suck at video games, that article would just be too damn long. It is simply one way of looking at this area of gaming. Also, it should be noted that this isn't the same for everybody. Just like with most arguments it's a combination of many things. There are just too many wannabe "Pro" Gamers out there that haven't come to terms with the concept that they suck and should just move on.
What it boils down to is this: If you "Embrace the Suck" then you will spend a lot less time worrying about whether you suck or not, because hey, you already do, you can only get better right? It will allow those mean spirited comments that some ignorant/moronic idiots throw around to have no effect on you, which they really shouldn't anyways. More importantly though, just have fun with the game. If you're not having fun then what's the point? If you don't want to suck, then put the time into the game to get better, open your eyes more, study what other players do. Personally, that's not my gig. I don't care to spend my time improving my strafing, my gunplay and my teamwork. It's just not that important to me. So, I embrace the suck. I will lose some, I will win some. One way or another I will die trying, but I will do so happily, because it's ok to suck. So why not embrace it?
***************************************************
And that, dear friends, is MY philosophy when it comes to gaming! I suck and I know it! LOL.
Thanks again to the folks at vVv Gaming for yet another great article from their supremely talented and generous stable of pro gamers. If you enjoyed reading this as much as I did, be sure to share it with others. You can use Twitter, Digg, Facebook or any social networking tool you prefer (the buttons are right there on the bottom of the post).
And also be sure to comment and let us know what you think!