This is NOT a game to play with your friends.

[DR. JOHN DEJAVU 1984]

[Scroll for TLDR if needed]

Disclaimer: I think anybody looking to come back to this game with friends or buy it to play with friends should read this (and yes this is my opinion so understand that I know people have a different perspective and experience with this game than I do with that in mind though...)

This is NOT a game to play with friends for fun PERIOD.
And unless your friends have no other better game to play like Ready or Not, this game is NOT meant to be played with friends for fun at least. Save your money for actual teamplay games that have funnier moments (Again, Ready or Not).

The game since its inception has moved entirely from "teamwork-based tactical realism" to "semi-teamwork competitive shooting and oh some wacky gadgets but your aim matters more". One of my friends bought this game on their own accord and another I gifted and BOTH of them struggled with the tutorial despite one of them like myself being in the Army cannot entirely understand the gameplay loop.

When I played, the "Situations" tab was THE BEST at teaching how to play. It started slow and gradually got more complicated and even taught what some operators would do just to offer a taste test. Not to mention terrorist hunt, but that's its own thing.

The game has since been updated to this wacky competitive shooter, it's not about counter-terrorism or tactically fighting off another CTU or special forces operator, it's about being a hero shooter now.

So WHY would that contribute to this game being unfriendly to your friends who are new to the game who you want to introduce to this so they can have fun?

It's too ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ ridiculous. My other friend who has Ready or Not was able to dive into that game better and become more immersed and enjoy all the complex things because of the setting and training.

And possibly the WORST thing of all, the competitiveness. This game is SO competitive that getting off work after a hard day, you'll always find yourself in that one situation having to sweat to save the team or just give up and find the next match.

AND YES, it's this way all throughout standard and quick play, not ranked. I know because that's the matchmaking my friends did by themselves AND with me in the party, it didn't matter who had a bigger ELO or whatever it's called, there were sweats on all levels.

And this competitiveness took the joy out of the game for them since they couldn't be just lightly or moderately competitive, if anybody wanted to win, they HAD to tryhard and use the most devious aim tactics. Actually using gadgets to think outside the box rarely happens and I've seen it happen more often in the past.

With stuff like shared reinforces which is good, people feel less obliged to fortify, both operators who should and shouldn't so nobody cares-- and that's just one thing, not being able to cook grenades, C4 being as useful as toilet paper, gun recoil looking robotic and linear... It's just the tactical realism as ridiculous as it was at first, was universes better than the quote on quote "realism" we get now.

And this was important because it made people know they have a chance and actually confidently apply themselves to win if they were tactical about what they did and thought about it. Yes sometimes it came down to gunfights, but if you did something to give you even just a pinpoint edge advantage in a gunfight, it was worth it.

New people will NEVER understand that unless they've seen footage and understood the full complexity of siege pre-2020, especially around its peak in 2017 to mid 2019.

They will be forced to think this is a hero shooter. Most people won't even recognize the first few rows of operators and the actual special forces or counter terrorism units they come from because there are now new operators who literally come from gangs and bands that it makes it seem like ANYBODY can join team rainbow, INCLUDING the terrorists and YES this is true because of Deimos.

I have no idea who will actually full read this, in fact, I predict toxicity just like I see in the game to appear in the reply section.
But if there's anybody who can look at this a little civilly, please understand my perspective, both people who are new and not new to the game. This game is completely different, it's like the pizza restaurant everybody liked the pizza from suddenly became a burrito restaurant and changed all the workers... It's a different show and nobody from the original restaurant is going to like it. They have ZERO semblance and that's the truth.

TLDR: Due to the game pushing towards EXTREME competitiveness instead of fun, realism, and tactics, new players are forced to sweat or die. Nobody is allowed to be a little competitive, in order to even remotely have fun, you have to sweat or you will not enjoy this game; this applies to winning or losing games. Read more above for clarity.


Thank you. Hopefully somebody reads this and understands.

[Sharkbait]

This is typically the result when a game has been out for a long time. The skillfloor keeps getting higher as most casual players as well as dedicated ones gets familiar with the game and all the tricks and peaks etc, that new players can be overwhelmed.

The run and gun method, or TDM becomes a thing because its fairly efficient tactic. People with good aim, good comms can do it very well and when people know so much about the game they seem to tend to go into more high risk high reward methods that takes people by surprise.

I do get what you're getting at. the game isn't not beginner friendly despite trying. Its simply too old that the skill floor is so much higher. It ain't fun getting peaked at every possible way there is not knowing those spots, when it happens over and over.

Only reason I manage is because I focus on smaller goals and don't take the game too serious (NOT meaning im not trying or trolling,) and def not playing ranked. Its just a game to enjoy and play for fun :P

[DR. JOHN DEJAVU 1984]

Originally posted by Sharkbait:

This is typically the result when a game has been out for a long time. The skillfloor keeps getting higher as most casual players as well as dedicated ones gets familiar with the game and all the tricks and peaks etc, that new players can be overwhelmed.

The run and gun method, or TDM becomes a thing because its fairly efficient tactic. People with good aim, good comms can do it very well and when people know so much about the game they seem to tend to go into more high risk high reward methods that takes people by surprise.

I do get what you're getting at. the game isn't not beginner friendly despite trying. Its simply too old that the skill floor is so much higher. It ain't fun getting peaked at every possible way there is not knowing those spots, when it happens over and over.

Only reason I manage is because I focus on smaller goals and don't take the game too serious (NOT meaning im not trying or trolling,) and def not playing ranked. Its just a game to enjoy and play for fun :P

Thanks for your reply, honestly. People like you who play casually like myself gives me hope for the games future but I fear it will likely end up grim due to the greed and already insane advertising we see in-game enough.