03-26-2007, 03:31 PM
For all the times we have fun when we do have meetings, I keep thinking about the rest of the time when we're not playing. I mean, every one of us could be sooo good right now... if only we had the means to be able to play each other regularly.
For all the supposed elitism and dickery that abounds on Kai, you gotta admit that these guys do get the practice that they need, and they can get it almost at their whim, because at any point in the day there's bound to be one, two, hell even five players just playing around, testing stuff, getting even more accustomed to the game and its mechanics. This is not to take away anything from our meetings, no sir. Those hold for me a great deal more than what can be learned when playing online. I can even say with a great deal of certainty that I'm going to have more fun going to a friend's house and beating the crap out of his AC, and getting the crap beaten out of mine, than meeting each other through internet connections and just getting on with the matches. I know the after match meals will be taste much better, especially if they're free.
But you see, the point I'm trying to make is that the online factor does have its uses. Never underestimate daily practice. With the way we're geographically located, regularly meeting with short in-between intervals is kinda impractical, especially with the transportation costs.
It's not even in Armored Core anymore, and in fact that's what drove me into writing this in the first place. I've been lurking for a long time in Metal Gear forums all around the web, and I saw the fun that they had with Metal Gear Online. Imagine it: one of the finest games ever created made even better with the addition of multiplayer. Thinking about the gaming sessions when you and your friends are all sitting at each one's home, drunk as fuck, and messing around with the online game engine is a nice thought. I personally would have liked to play MGO, but with its servers due for closing, that now is a situation with no hope of becoming possible. SLAI would've been fun to play around with online as well, but with the servers for that game gone too, no one's going to have some serious multiplayer fun with it soon.
So, obvious workaround: play some PC games. They're online/networked right? Yes, they are, but I'm not really too fond of MMORPGs (in fact I'm thinking about giving up the search for a Guild Wars CD), or first person shooters (Counter-Strike unfortunately got old too quick, especially with the fact that I was never too good at it). DOTA and Starcraft, I'm too far behind already to keep up. All the real games I want to play, and play with other people on both competitive and 'fun' levels, I find on the consoles.
Yeah, so in the end it boils down to three things for me:
1. What you're playing,
2. who you're playing it with, and
3. how you're playing it.
What you're playing and who you're playing with and how you're playing it. That's all that's needed to determine how much fun you're going to get, or how much more better, how much more dominant, etc. You gotta love the game you're playing first of all. Obviously no one's going to stick with a game they don't enjoy. That's why we're here right? That's why we have this forum. Because we enjoy Armored Core, as cheesy as that may sound.
Who you're playing. This is where the online factor could really help the most. When you have the privilege (damn right wanzer) of getting online you have access to a large number of players. And you'll finally be able to go against people that wouldn't have been possible to play with without this capability. Yes, you folks in Mindanao, and JE down under: I'm just waiting for the day when we could have some battles going.
Filipino community aside, you also have access to Japanese players, and the good American ones. As the saying goes, to be the man, you gotta beat the man. Unfortunate as that may sound, it's the reality of gaming circles: no one else will credit your skills unless you show them off.
How you're playing it. If you really want to be the best, you'll give your best. Simple.
All this writing becomes a moot point however, with my reality of a P999 DSL plan (not that I'm not grateful for that) and pirated games on my hands (also not that I'm not grateful we have games for cheap here, it just means no access). It just saddens me that we're missing out on so many great times, if only we all had better connections, more money to spend on games, and a better national economy.
Either way, I'm getting a PS3.
Hahahahaha what a way to end it. XDDDD
EDIT: Oh crap, wrong section. Moved. LOL
For all the supposed elitism and dickery that abounds on Kai, you gotta admit that these guys do get the practice that they need, and they can get it almost at their whim, because at any point in the day there's bound to be one, two, hell even five players just playing around, testing stuff, getting even more accustomed to the game and its mechanics. This is not to take away anything from our meetings, no sir. Those hold for me a great deal more than what can be learned when playing online. I can even say with a great deal of certainty that I'm going to have more fun going to a friend's house and beating the crap out of his AC, and getting the crap beaten out of mine, than meeting each other through internet connections and just getting on with the matches. I know the after match meals will be taste much better, especially if they're free.
But you see, the point I'm trying to make is that the online factor does have its uses. Never underestimate daily practice. With the way we're geographically located, regularly meeting with short in-between intervals is kinda impractical, especially with the transportation costs.It's not even in Armored Core anymore, and in fact that's what drove me into writing this in the first place. I've been lurking for a long time in Metal Gear forums all around the web, and I saw the fun that they had with Metal Gear Online. Imagine it: one of the finest games ever created made even better with the addition of multiplayer. Thinking about the gaming sessions when you and your friends are all sitting at each one's home, drunk as fuck, and messing around with the online game engine is a nice thought. I personally would have liked to play MGO, but with its servers due for closing, that now is a situation with no hope of becoming possible. SLAI would've been fun to play around with online as well, but with the servers for that game gone too, no one's going to have some serious multiplayer fun with it soon.
So, obvious workaround: play some PC games. They're online/networked right? Yes, they are, but I'm not really too fond of MMORPGs (in fact I'm thinking about giving up the search for a Guild Wars CD), or first person shooters (Counter-Strike unfortunately got old too quick, especially with the fact that I was never too good at it). DOTA and Starcraft, I'm too far behind already to keep up. All the real games I want to play, and play with other people on both competitive and 'fun' levels, I find on the consoles.
Yeah, so in the end it boils down to three things for me:
1. What you're playing,
2. who you're playing it with, and
3. how you're playing it.
What you're playing and who you're playing with and how you're playing it. That's all that's needed to determine how much fun you're going to get, or how much more better, how much more dominant, etc. You gotta love the game you're playing first of all. Obviously no one's going to stick with a game they don't enjoy. That's why we're here right? That's why we have this forum. Because we enjoy Armored Core, as cheesy as that may sound.
Who you're playing. This is where the online factor could really help the most. When you have the privilege (damn right wanzer) of getting online you have access to a large number of players. And you'll finally be able to go against people that wouldn't have been possible to play with without this capability. Yes, you folks in Mindanao, and JE down under: I'm just waiting for the day when we could have some battles going.
Filipino community aside, you also have access to Japanese players, and the good American ones. As the saying goes, to be the man, you gotta beat the man. Unfortunate as that may sound, it's the reality of gaming circles: no one else will credit your skills unless you show them off.How you're playing it. If you really want to be the best, you'll give your best. Simple.
All this writing becomes a moot point however, with my reality of a P999 DSL plan (not that I'm not grateful for that) and pirated games on my hands (also not that I'm not grateful we have games for cheap here, it just means no access). It just saddens me that we're missing out on so many great times, if only we all had better connections, more money to spend on games, and a better national economy.
Either way, I'm getting a PS3.
Hahahahaha what a way to end it. XDDDD
EDIT: Oh crap, wrong section. Moved. LOL
"Let's fight... like gentlemen." - Dudley, SF3
