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FPS - I think I am to old for this

M

mcmortison

Guest
In the last few month I tried COD:Blackout, SQUAD, BF:5 and other FPS and the older I get the more I really suck at this.

I am the oldest (+7 years to the next oldest) in our Group, and wenn we Play online as Group I allways go last, die the most and hardly can Keep up the fast gameplay.

Is it me, or are FPS games getting faster and less "tactical" every year?

I allways preferd turn based games, but loved to Play FPS with my mates online. Now I am close to "rage deinstall" all of my FPS.

Anyone else feel this way?

(and what really makes me feel awful is that IRL I am a much better marksman then my mates. I go to the range at least once a week, take classes etc, but I this bloody games I cant hit the broad side of a flippen barn)
 
I play Squad and its sister game Post Scriptum. They do tend to be quite tactical, in the sense of capturing points and using logistics. A little less hectic than some of those other titles.
Yes, there are some guys I see that get very high scores that I am nowhere near to achieving. I suspect they have been playing FPS their whole lives.
But I'm getting better and better with practice. These games reward thinking, observation and steady aim more than chaotic movement.

I often choose the role of medic, so that I can contribute more to the squad than just my extremely mediocre kill scores.
In Post Scriptum, the medics also have smoke grenades for cover, and like squad leaders, they carry binoculars, which I often use to scan the terrain ahead.

Because I am not a master at run-and-gun, in Squad I often choose the role of machine gunner or automatic rifleman.
They play to my strengths, and I like to set up the bipod in a good covering position to provide overwatch or to ambush.

I have started to develop a bit of a sixth sense about when to stop running and when to scan ahead.
Another skill I have developed is the ability to infiltrate. While the rest of my squad may be cut to ribbons while moving to the objective,
I have gotten very good at reading and using the terrain to my advantage, like a snake in the grass. I often have the lowest death count in the squad.
 
In the last few month I tried COD:Blackout, SQUAD, BF:5 and other FPS and the older I get the more I really suck at this.

I am the oldest (+7 years to the next oldest) in our Group, and wenn we Play online as Group I allways go last, die the most and hardly can Keep up the fast gameplay.

Is it me, or are FPS games getting faster and less "tactical" every year?

I allways preferd turn based games, but loved to Play FPS with my mates online. Now I am close to "rage deinstall" all of my FPS.

Anyone else feel this way?

(and what really makes me feel awful is that IRL I am a much better marksman then my mates. I go to the range at least once a week, take classes etc, but I this bloody games I cant hit the broad side of a flippen barn)

Hey McMortison,

I used to be good at FPS many years ago. Now I am cannon fodder.

I installed Squad and Arma 3 earlier this year. As I brand new player, I think I started with one or two kills to no deaths for me. I thought, "hey the old man still has it!" Then I think I died 20 times in a row. Most of the time, I didn't even see who killed me.

I think Squad are Arma are mostly tactical (with some glaring exceptions). I chalked my terrible play up to not knowing the maps very well.

I have some friends who religiously play FPS and post videos. In one friend's videos, he will whirl, fire and hit targets that I cannot even see as a watcher. I rewind the videos to check out what he did. It is amazing.

If you practice a lot, you will learn the maps and know what looks out of the ordinary. But some of these games are many years old. It is hard to compete with people who practically play these games for a living.

I would get into a FPS that is brand new. So people can't just crush you with experience.
 
Pretty much every online competitive game gets hackers too.
There are many top tier games that have almost been sunk by prolific hacking.
PUBG and SCUM are 2 recent examples. CS:GO is very popular worldwide but is regularly hacked...some Esports champions have even been busted during high profile events for big prize money.

In Squad and Post Scriptum, there is a constant battle to keep hackers out. It is working, but there are windows of time that they are almost unplayable.
Every 4-5 weeks, the hack distributors update their software, and these games become nightmares for about a week or two. After that, everything returns to normal and those names with super high scores disappear, never to be seen again (permanently banned by the anti-cheat system).

While the hacking is going on (which typically involves players to be able to see everyone through any terrain, and their aim can automatically lock on to targets), the game is abysmal.
Constantly being headshot, players unable to even get close to objectives, entire squads wiped out over and over. Being ambushed constantly (because they know where everyone is).
When this wave of hacks arrives, I can tell straight away, and I stop playing for about a week until it is washed away. Then it is fun and competitive again. I've seen this happen so many times I can recognize the pattern.
 
I wonder to what extent the CM games have been hacked. But that is a topic for a whole another thread. :)
 
I wonder to what extent the CM games have been hacked. But that is a topic for a whole another thread. :)

@Nemesis - You're the first person I recall expressing concern for Combat Mission hacking. Several member of FGM are also CM playtesters. If you have evidence to present for discussion or review, please start a thread and let's see where it leads.

As for Arma3, I am still a newbie and continue to feel pretty incompetent and stupid at it. It was amazing for me to watch skilled veterans like @Vartuoosi or @Ithikial in the few FGM WW2 sessions @Josey Wales hosted. I'm told it just takes practice and experience. One suggestion is to play the Infantry Showcase scenario's long and often. Part of my problem is poor situational awareness skills. The ShackTac UI mod really helps with that:
I've given up on the legacy Call of Duty games because my twitch skills aren't any good but more importantly because it doesn't emphasize or reward good tactics. Arma3 however, is a game I think well worthwhile.
 
CM is one game I've never heard even a whisper about hacking.
It may be because it isn't truly online, and only one vs one.
It may be because it is such a niche game with a mostly adult following.
It may be because the encryption methods used are very good.

The cheat industry is a multi million dollar business.
A hacker spends lots of time and effort to create the cheating code, and sells it to a distibutor who handles the marketing and sales.
They need to update their product fairly regularly because of anti-cheat updates or updates to the game, and usually cheaters pay a subscription to the distributor.
For the 'industry' to make money, it has to be worthwhile. That means a high profile game with huge numbers of players. CM probably doesn't fit the bill.

By the way, the reason I brought up cheating in this thread, was to let mcmortison know that sometimes, when you are getting utterly whipped in an FPS it's nothing to do with player skill. :)
 
Find a good ARMA 3 coop group, preferably one that pays no attention to the number of kills etc. A good medic will do barely any shooting, nor will a good leader!... ;D
 
In my experience internet speed/ping also has a lot to do with it.

I noticed quite a few years back that its very hard to play FPS with contact lenses in, better to wear your glasses. To me it feels like there is a slight delay as the contact lenses move with your eyes
 
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I might reinstall ArmA 3 again. Liked that a lot.

Besides that the games are getting to fast for me, one of my other problem is, that I don't like the way this games are played. People do stuff u would never do in a "real" combat situation. People jump around, run in the open, dash around corners and somehow always manage to kill me. (I don't mind losing a game, or being last or having a sh**y K/D ratio - but this really upsets me (ok ok and dying all the time is upsetting to)).

If there would be some sort of gimmick that provides u with an electroshock every time u die in a game, I guess the players would start playing a bit more careful and with more common sense. (Or if it had any other consequence).

I miss the times of World War II online :)
 
I'm too old and slow to play FPS online. Plus no time or will to learn all the maps for shooters.
I generally only play any real time game for kicks and not online.
 
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@mcmortison I consider some of the games you mentioned (like COD and BF) classify as arcade games.
They do tend to be unrealistic and favour the 'twitch' style of play, including running around everywhere, constantly bouncing around like a moron to put off people's aim.
Fast, chaotic play, quick respawns. They are often played on comparatively small arena maps too.
They tend to attract a young crowd, including kids. Those type of games are not my style either.

If you do still want to enjoy FPS, you should consider being more selective about what types you play.
ARMA3 (and to a large extent Squad and Post Scriptum) are considered military simulations.

In Squad or PS, you still have the occasional quick reactions needed when you bump into someone,
but it relies more on observation, situational awareness and tactics.

MILSIM games will allow you to play to your strengths.
You can use the virtues that age grants you...wile, cunning, patience and smarts. :p (the older soldiers of the Roman army - the Principes - were the backbone).
You don't need to be a master of twitch aiming. You might even find that your real life marksmanship comes in handy (leading your target, bullet drop, adjusting for range).

One final note. With Squad and PS and ARMA3, I've had to tweak my graphics settings a bit to see distant targets better.
Even so, there's a fair bit of leaning in towards the screen and squinting to see distant soldiers.
 
The biggest issue is one that can't easily be resolved.

A 15 year old will spend 30 hours a week playing these games. A middle aged man can dedicate a fraction of this time.

I have never seen a game system that was really good at keeping new players away from people with a ton of experience. Correct me if I am wrong (I hope I am wrong!).

Look at this guy's skill flying a helicopter. This is insane.

Misconduct

This might look easy to someone who does not know Arma 3, but these skills are off the charts. This dude must have thousands of hours of flight time. I can barely take off and land.
 
That's very true @Nemesis.
Still, if it's fun and you enjoy it, not being the best shouldn't stop someone playing.
If I finish a match with 4 kills and there are 10 other players with scores of 15 or more, it doesn't bother me in the slightest.
 
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