And if you have no idea what you're doing...
Getting over the fear of messing it up for other players is one of the most daunting aspects of getting started with online gaming. It's one thing to play a game at home and make mistakes, but it's quite another to play a game and make mistakes that can lead to failure in other people's games. But there's no need to let your fear of gaming keep you or another newbie from having a good time. This article will teach you the ins and outs of online gaming so you can get started and maintain your faith.
The first move for someone new to online gaming is to learn how to play offline first. You will avoid having the notorious acronym "RTFM" scroll across your computer by reading the game's manual. Do you know what the abbreviation means? It stands for "Read The Fu**ing Manual," and it's spewed by serious gamers at inexperienced newcomers who ask questions like "What is this place?" or "What am I supposed to do?" throughout a game.
You might look for game-related discussion groups, FAQs, and walkthroughs on the internet. Additionally, game-specific Usenet newsgroups can provide additional information. To put it another way, you should do your "homework." You'll want to learn how to play, build characters, collect equipment, and execute some smart strategies, among other things. We're certain that your gaming buddies will enjoy it!
You should familiarise yourself with the game's interface in addition to reading how to play an online game. You can scan the internet for a game's screenshot in the same way you looked for the game's textual instructions (or series of screenshots). Having a graphical representation of a game on your computer (.gif or.jpg image) allows you to memorise where all of the game's controls are. Knowing where all is on a game before you start playing will make it go faster for you and everyone else. Nobody wants to wait for you to look for an inventory panel or a message screen in a game when everyone else knows where they are.
If you've started a game, don't let the pressure to finish it keep you from doing the unthinkable: dying. In a game, a player dying is unavoidable at times, and unless you voluntarily let go of a lose-lose scenario, you risk slowing down the game for everyone else. It's similar to a chess game. It's checkmate if it's checkmate if it's checkmate if it's checkmate if it's checkmate if Put an end to the day and begin again. Don't sit around hoping for a magical fairy to come to your rescue. Please give your character a dignified death.
In the other hand, you don't want to take death too seriously. It's important to remember that online gaming is still just that: a game. A game character's death has nothing to do with who you are as a human. Make a death into a learning opportunity. At the very least, you'll learn how to play an online game by discovering all the stuff you shouldn't do!
Above all, make sure your machine is capable of keeping up with the current speed of an online game. Try not to play an online game if your machine or Internet connection is sluggish. In reality, if you're still on dial-up, you can find a new hobby. Since other players will not respectfully wait for their own loss, a slow processor and link will ensure instant death. You're going to be squashed like a worm.
Get a DSL or ISDN Internet connection and look for a device that was designed for online gaming. You'll need a powerful processor, a high-resolution graphics card, and a sound system that can keep up.
You would have passed the "newbie" test and won respect as a serious gamer much more quickly if you obey these easy recommendations than if you stumbled your way through what some refer to as "the ultimate hobby."
