We show you 5 behavioral patterns that only true gamers exhibit. Do you also “suffer” from these symptoms? Or are you proud of it?
Whoever is reading this article shares a common hobby with us authors and all other users of the site: games and MMOs. It is well known that we gamers can sometimes be a peculiar bunch. Sometimes it’s a disapproving glance from grandparents, sometimes a befuddled head shake from friends whose nerd culture stops at one episode of Game of Thrones per year.
But what behaviors do we gamers actually take from our games? We show you 5 typical behavioral patterns that every gamer knows – guaranteed!
The Thinking in Bars
Life in MMOs (and almost every other game) is dominated by bars that slowly fill up. Be it the casting bar of a spoken spell, the XP bar for the next level-up, or a bar to display a reputation faction to finally snag the rewards for “honored.”
Such bars motivate, and exactly such motivations can be transferred to real life very quickly.
Do you need to go shopping again, but the distance to the supermarket is far and troublesome (definitely more than 500 meters!)? Have you ever caught yourself mentally setting a small percentage indicator?
“When I am at the bank, I have completed 20% of the journey, at the drugstore it’s 50%, and in front of the post office, it’s 80%…
You’ve never done that? Well, next time you go shopping, you will surely think of it.
Leetspeak and MMOspeak in Real Life
Those who spend a lot of time in MMOs also spend a long time dealing with the language. After all, there is a special term for almost every concept in an MMO. Instead of a “common enemy,” you fight against trash mobs, and a heroic campaign against a big enemy is simply a raid. No wonder, then, that one integrates the language into everyday life piece by piece.
Do you sometimes let an “lol” slip out?
Or have you ever told your roommate to bring back “a stack of toast” while shopping? Or were you curious about what loot he brought from the Chinese restaurant? If so, then it’s pretty clear that you spend a lot of time in MMOs.
The “Victory Jingle”
Particularly in Japanese RPGs, various soundtracks are an integral part of the combat system. Almost all JRPGs have in common that there is a victory fanfare that plays at the end of the battle. Particularly the victory music from the “Final Fantasy” series has burned itself into the collective memory of gamers. If for some inexplicable reason you don’t have the earworm at hand, you can listen to it here again:
- Did you get a grade 1 on a difficult exam?
- Did you change the defective light bulb in the bedroom?
- Did you finally tell that damned neighbor, who constantly drills on Sundays, your opinion?
If you also hear the victory fanfare ringing in your head afterward, that’s another indication: you are a true gamer!
Converting Euros in Games
Money is a scarce resource for most gamers, and it needs to be allocated wisely. While some people from the last millennium still like to convert to DM (“A full-price game costs 120 marks! Scandal!”), long-time gamers tend to find other conversion methods.
One thinks twice about whether to go out partying in the evening and spend 20-30 euros on a few beers and drinks, or if to indulge in a new game on Steam the next day.
Should I order something from the Greek tonight for €8? If I pass on it and rather stick with the stack of toast, I could buy a few loot boxes in Overwatch instead…
The Distorted Gamer Honor and Suitable Excuses
Anyone who calls themselves a gamer quickly develops a sense of honor associated with it. After all, you invest a lot of time in the hobby and don’t like to be seen as an amateur, right? That quickly leads to making suitable excuses (especially in PvP games) when things aren’t going as they should.
From this arise the three golden rules with which you can win any discussion and eliminate all self-doubt:
- If you are worse than me, then you are a noob.
- If you are better than me, then you have no real life.
- If everyone is better than me, then I have lag.
Also commonly heard in voice chat are other excuses that shift responsibility. “Ahh, my keyboard is steering left” and “Stupid mouse, respond!” and “I pressed the spacebar!”.
Have you ever caught yourself using these excuses?
Do you also “suffer” from these symptoms? Or are you too proud to admit the truth? What traits show you that you are a true gamer? Let us know in the comments!
