The chaos in multiplayer matches and the fact that gaming takes place behind nicknames, for the most part, will always breed some less-than-ideal situations. While playing a multiplayer match in your favourite game, you sometimes hear or see things from teammates that just makes you want to facepalm, or simply put you off the match right from the start.
Countless times, I’ve thought to myself “oh boy, this isn’t going to end well” and most of the time, I’ve unfortunately been correct. When teammates say a specific thing, you just know that the match is doomed, or at the very least, it will be tough to achieve victory. Below, you can read about the five things I wish I have never seen from teammates in a multiplayer match, but unfortunately, I have experienced countless times in the past.
Connection unstable
For us South Africans, there is no shortage of players complaining about lag, from things like “guys, someone is downloading on my line I am lagging” to things that might not be their fault, such as internet connectivity issues.
When you hear something like that, especially if it comes from more than one of your teammates in any game, you know it will be a tough game, or in some cases, for example, a CS: GO match, almost impossible to win.
Now, it is important to note that it might not be the person’s fault for experiencing lag, and it could have started only when he or she entered the match. Unfortunately, there are those who know they are lagging, know that they have an unstable connection and still join matches, ruining the experience for everyone.
Obvious troll is obvious
If you’ve ever played multiplayer games before, you would have probably run into some trolls. These players don’t have an unstable connection and they might be veterans in the game, but for one reason or another, they have decided to troll in the multiplayer match you are participating in. The most obvious ways to spot a troll is someone, who has a high ranking or hundreds of matches played, pretend they are a completely new player.
Alternatively, you sometimes hear loud music, maybe even “Never gonna give you up” from Rick Ashley, playing over voice comms. Other times, the player just does and says ludicrous things to push their teammates’ buttons. There is nothing one can really do about trolls, except for report them in the match you are playing. Thankfully, most top multiplayer games do have a reporting system, but clamping down on trolls is always difficult.
Trolls set out to ruin games, that is their only goal, so although most gamers probably wish they have never met one, I think everybody has at some point.
The stubborn new player
Let’s get one thing straight right from the start, there is nothing wrong with being a new player, or newbie if you will. However, there are some new players that don’t want to listen to help, or even get aggressive when you try to explain a game’s mechanics to them.
Some of the most recent examples I have seen is players coming from League of Legends to Dota 2, or vice versa. Sure, the games might be in the same genre, but there are quite a few mechanics to get used to.
The same can be said for players moving from Battlefield V to Overwatch, where the response is “I can aim”, but they don’t know one single thing about the maps or the hero abilities. It is particularly frustrating when you think you are helping a new player, but they just completely ignore you and, in essence, throws the match. Thankfully, many games have ranking systems in place, so you only get matched with equally skilled players or those who have played a tonne of games like you have.
Unfortunately, random public games are a place where you will very likely meet a fair share of stubborn new players.
The suspicious one
“I think they are hacking” – Yes, hackers/cheaters are real and we’ve probably all experienced a few instances of the enemy team having a hacker on their side. Unfortunately, someone calling out “hacker” after one kill is much the same as crying wolf at this point. You can see it in just about any multiplayer title, even those known to be near-impossible to hack.
But why is being suspicious and vocal about hacking a negative thing you might ask? Well, let’s say you are playing a Battlefield match and right from the start, a teammate starts calling out the enemy for hacking. This act could, and very likely will, trigger arguments and accusations thrown from both sides, which leads to a game where you argue more than you actually play. In other titles, where another player can’t join mid-match, another negative result is that some players just quit after accusing others of hacking, leaving you in Dota 2, for example, in a nearly unwinnable 4 versus 5 situation.
Trying something new
The next thing you probably wish you never heard in a multiplayer match has more to do with ranked, competitive play. It is all well and good that players try new things, and for the most part, it is encouraged.
However, when your teammates make it very clear that they want to try something they have never done before (like playing a specific hero in Overwatch) in a match where, if you win, you could get promoted to a higher division, then it is one of the most worrying things you might ever hear. Trying something new should be, in my opinion, only done in random public matches or even against bots.
That being said, it is always a player’s choice what they want to do in a match and how they want to play. It might not be a malicious act at all, but it is definitely not something you want to hear in a match that could make you rank up if you win.
What are the things you would never like to see from your teammates in a multiplayer match and how many of these have you encountered before? Tell us your stories in the comment section below.
