There's not a single game in which my friends can all play evenly.
I have a pretty large group of friends at college. We have two things in common; we like anime (we met through an anime club at university) and we like to play Switch games. A few of us who own the console carry it around in our backpacks with a variety of games, always ready for the steady stream of friends to enter the study room we rent and ask for a few rounds of games. It's fun; it's a break from the tiring, monotony of the classes we take and a way for us to connect further.
The only problem is the lack of balance.
Two of my friends are at the near-professional level when it comes to Smash, and aren't that much worse at any other fighting game we bring to the table. Any match with them involved becomes an instant battle between the two.
Then there's another three friends of mine who seem to lack any basic understanding of the game, no matter how much they play. Round after round, no matter if the rest of the group intentionally does worse to give them a chance, they will rank last or near last each time.
This doesn't just stop at fighting games. Even the newly released Animal Crossing shows these differences. One of the "pro gamers" and two of the worst all bought the game, and the difference in game is still large. The pro is minmaxing, having already completed all his debts and has a polished island. The other two are taking their sweet time; unsure exactly if it's by design or by choice.
No matter what the skill level is though, I still have fun playing with all my friends. With the top players, I can learn new techniques and improve my game in a variety of ways. With the new kids, I can feel like a pro by only doing the most basic of moves correctly! The two groups have fun too playing! It's why we all play in the first place.
Being around them has helped me appreciate different ways to have fun while enjoying the same activity, and I'm happy to be gaming with the friends I have now.
I have a pretty large group of friends at college. We have two things in common; we like anime (we met through an anime club at university) and we like to play Switch games. A few of us who own the console carry it around in our backpacks with a variety of games, always ready for the steady stream of friends to enter the study room we rent and ask for a few rounds of games. It's fun; it's a break from the tiring, monotony of the classes we take and a way for us to connect further.
The only problem is the lack of balance.
Two of my friends are at the near-professional level when it comes to Smash, and aren't that much worse at any other fighting game we bring to the table. Any match with them involved becomes an instant battle between the two.
Then there's another three friends of mine who seem to lack any basic understanding of the game, no matter how much they play. Round after round, no matter if the rest of the group intentionally does worse to give them a chance, they will rank last or near last each time.
This doesn't just stop at fighting games. Even the newly released Animal Crossing shows these differences. One of the "pro gamers" and two of the worst all bought the game, and the difference in game is still large. The pro is minmaxing, having already completed all his debts and has a polished island. The other two are taking their sweet time; unsure exactly if it's by design or by choice.
No matter what the skill level is though, I still have fun playing with all my friends. With the top players, I can learn new techniques and improve my game in a variety of ways. With the new kids, I can feel like a pro by only doing the most basic of moves correctly! The two groups have fun too playing! It's why we all play in the first place.
Being around them has helped me appreciate different ways to have fun while enjoying the same activity, and I'm happy to be gaming with the friends I have now.
