Unashamed Button Masher

Day 176: Gaming without Tantrums

Within many aspects of my life I am fairly accomplished person but I really do not like to fail.  I will be the first to admit that I am feisty and I am not always proud of the way I react when I am not automatically successful at a task.  Yoga has helped to calm my ego but when I am with the hubs there is less censorship and accountability because he is my person.  Simply put, if I am going to be a brat when I suck at a game it is usually while I am playing with the hubs.  I know it is terrible to admit in writing that with my partner I am my worst self but this is usually true.  The implication of my limited range when it comes to game controls has been a major factor in our play and communication as a couple.

BUTTON MASHER EXPOSED

Twilight Magicka session in Hotel 

For decades I have been able to get through gaming habits with hotkeys and button mashing.  The hubs recently (yesterday) admitted that he has strategically chosen/encouraged co-op games based on the complexity of the controls because he knew I just wasn’t good enough for more advanced games. 

After six months of co-op gaming we have been introducing new challenges to see if I can overcome my lifelong habit of mashing.  I shamefully admit that using both analog sticks is still unnatural to me but I am getting there.  The first game that has really started to push the boundaries of my skill has been Magicka.  

KILLING MY HUSBAND

As I mentioned in a previous post we starting our 100 days with Diablo and moving on to games like Helldivers is tuff because all of a sudden there is friendly fire.  The idea that not just your character can die but you can kill your party requires much more collaboration and focus sans button mashing.  Magicka has both friendly fire, new spells every level (some that suck), and forces me to use both analog sticks simultaneously whether I like it or not.  I cannot be successful in this game if I just mash buttons but the satisfaction of killing monsters together has increased ten-fold because things are just hard enough.

Healing Spell Kills Skeletons (Duh)

Dr. CCB & MrNinjaman in Magicka 

Tip of the Day: When it comes to married gaming its okay to start out easy but always try to be better (as long as you are both having fun).  Also, if your partner is not at your same level of gaming don’t berate them.  Instead take a page from the hubs book and ease them into gaming with quality titles that are within their current range.  Most of all—it takes time but things do get better.  

Helldivers

Day 61: Marriage is about surviving the monsters 

If you read this blog you know that First Person Shooters (FPS) are my least favorite video games.  There is plenty to get excited about in the gaming world during PAX East and by some twist of fate I was most excited about a co-op shooter.  I read an IGN review of Helldivers for the PS4 and the description of the plot had me at satirical riff on US imperialism and the write up mentioned playing with a romantic partner.  I included a quick video to give you an idea of what the game is like instead of writing an overview because I am being lazy. 

Stop Shooting your Wife

Co-op games are great for couples because you have to work together and stay out of one another’s way simultaneously.  We have only beaten one planet over the last few days.  I have had zero incidentals whereas the hubs has killed me 5 times.  In his defense, some of the fatalities were due to calling in air strikes and me not fleeing quickly enough.  Yesterday the kiddos watched us play and they actually think it is hilarious that their dad keeps shooting me, which is starting to bother me.  But I keep reminding myself that I play shooter games like a noob, and I haven't killed him yet, which brings me some comfort. 

Touch me gentle, push me hard.

For a lot of reasons I normally hate shooters.  One reason I actually sometimes like to play shooter games is for the ability to hold a trigger and spray bullets into monsters --it is so cathartic.  However, because the reload time is so long in this game, I try to be more conservative with my bullets.  Instead of my normal guns blazing strategy I have to tap R2 gently to only release one bullet at a time. 

Conversely, the left toggle has to be pushed and held hard to run.  Since my partner favors using a flame-thrower and keeps killing me, I had to learn to run in game.  I feel like pushing on my toggle so hard is going to break my controller but it seems fine.  The juxtaposition between a light right trigger finger and hard left thumb is hard to reconcile in my brain. 

Aspiring to be a Mec

Though I have detoured into the Buffy Board Game and Diablo, I am hoping to keep playing Helldivers until I can play as a mec.  This weekend gaming reminded me, never say never, when it comes to choosing a game title.  I still play PvZ daily but hated Garden Warfare; Normally I will never pick up an FPS but I am loving this one.  Each day we just drop in and try to make it out through the swarms of monsters, in this way, this game simulates our RL marriage.

Hubs on the Bugs 

I love this game, I love that the levels are short, that it's easy enough to play with Nate (the 6 year old), that it's hard enough we can't just breeze through it and that it's hilarious and goofy.  It's a fantastic dual stick shooter I love that they made it have friendly fire, it forces us to communicate with what we are planning. I can't just spray because I inevitably will shoot you in the back, I haven't in the last couple levels though! So now we have to say hey back up I will clear these guys, or hey call the drop ship I'll cover you! Or when you call in a turret we both have to run and hit the ground so we don't get shot up like the bugs.

Helldivers is just like a troubled marriage because sometimes you will see a bug and if you don't take it out immediately then more spring up out of the ground and it all turns to chaos as you start scrambling to survive.  To survive the swarm you have to communicate and work together and you will never succeed if one person is carrying the other and doing all the work.

I love the blog. I love the game. And I love my wife. Elbows.