FPS, Multiplayer and noobs

It's an interesting experience to play a first person shooter online.  You'll encounter players that cover the spectrum from the casual to the maniacal.  I fall somewhere in the middle of that pack with a leaning towards the casual. 

I'm old enough to know it's just a game but committed enough to figure out how to play it right.  Well at least well enough to rise above the "noob" moniker most of the time.

So I guess I shouldn't be surprised by the hardcore players with little patience for "noobs".  In case you didn't know, a "noob" is a player new to the game.  If your first experience in a FPS title involved dying multiple times without firing a shot in the same minute then you've had the pleasure.

Aside from the obvious example above (which really happens BTW) Hardcore gamers will either use the noobs for target practice or ignore them till they get in the way of their kill streak.  The latter usually results a tirade against the hapless victim in the chat window.  

I've learned to grow a thick skin, you have to or you'll either stop playing or start breaking inanimate objects.

Perhaps it's a side effect of the immersion that's possible in current games that turns otherwise  reasonable people into raving maniacs online.   I honestly can't say if it's age related since the most sedate 40 something can turn into a 12 year old given the right circumstance.

Everyone was a noob once.  After awhile, however, you learn how to read a server list.  Most FPS games like Battlefield 3 will give you a list of servers showing different attributes.  For example; on BF3 servers you can see what map is currently active, whether anti-cheating measures are enabled and how many players the map supports.  If you drill deep enough into the server information you can even see what players are currently playing. 

Here's a tip, if you're level 3 and most of the other players are level 40 you may want to look for another server.  

As with any new competitive experience, it's best to play against those who are better than you but I'd recommend against any David vs. Goliath scenarios.  As you browse the server lists you'll often see descriptions indicating "noob friendly" or blocking players above a certain level.  

If you want to play online, look for servers like these where you can get experience and not just be an easy kill to pad a higher level players statistics.

Here's another tip.  Most of the players whining about "noobs" are frustrated because they're not being allowed to run the map.  Nothing's worse than a control freak on a power trip but you can safely ignore them.  If they begin mowing down teammates they'll usually get kicked off the server by the admin and if not it's time to go to another server.

Even knowing all of that I'm still occasionally taken back by the visceral exchanges and playground politics that exist in the multiplayer world.  That may explain why some games have thrown away the server list entirely and simply match up players of similar level and throw them on a map. 

Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3 takes this approach.  It makes for a more balanced multiplayer experience but doesn't allow for a choice of servers or complex tactics.  That's also one of the reasons Modern Warfare is more of an RPG than an FPS.

Hardcore FPS gamers generally hate Call of Duty for that reason.  It's hard to be a control freak if you never have the opportunity to monopolize a map.

Regardless, never allow anyone to cheat you out of an experience you put hard earned money down for.  You have as much a right to be there as the seasoned veterans.  FPS games are just commodity products dependant on volume sales.  If the game gets a bad reputation for being hostile toward new players it will be reflected in the revenue stream.  No game publisher is going to allow that to happen.