What makes a good female gamer? This is what Cortyn aims to analyze, focusing on something that is often overlooked.
Most people who come across this article probably consider themselves at least somewhat skilled in video games. But what actually makes someone a “good” or “bad” gamer? Even in our editorial team at MeinMMO, we had several, sometimes drastically different opinions on this.
In a series of articles, we want to analyze in the coming days what makes “a good gamer” (or a good female gamer). I am starting today and showing you my perspective.
In most MMORPGs, players want to have players who count as “good”:
Aim and reaction – Important, but not the most important
I have thought long and hard about what makes a truly good gamer for me. The first things that came to mind were quick reactions or precision. These are both traits that are required in most video games. But ultimately, the answer felt too simple to me. Because of course: Professionals need that. The best gamers in the world have incredibly fast reactions and aim faster than I can comprehend that there is even an enemy visible on the screen.
But to some extent, that can be trained. Aiming can be practiced, and reactions can be trained (even if that declines with age).
Analysis: The ability to recognize mistakes in oneself
The most important trait that makes a good female or male gamer, in my opinion, is the ability to analyze and reflect.
After a failed match, whether in a shooter like Apex Legends, a strategy game like Stellaris, or a dungeon visit in an MMORPG like World of Warcraft, one should be able to recognize: What did I do wrong? How can I approach the situation better next time? What can I learn from this mistake and avoid it in the future?
Here, I explicitly mean the ability to analyze oneself. That is, to see problems in oneself and work on them. Because it’s easy for almost anyone on the internet to point out the mistakes of others. But recognizing one’s own weaknesses and reflecting on how one can improve does not work for everyone.
Of course, this goes hand in hand with other things. A high understanding of the game is usually necessary to be able to analyze mistakes at all. Those who have no idea what the enemies are throwing at them will find it difficult to analyze what went wrong in a particular situation or how to improve.
Of course, there can also be something useful in the criticism of others, which one should not shut oneself off from.
Presumably, everyone also knows a few players who have limited (or no) ability in this area. Especially in team games, it can be very exhausting when the error analysis directly shifts to a “Criticize me and we won’t play anymore” mentality, in the sense of: “Yes, I can also just drop out if you prefer that” (and at least one person is definitely feeling very addressed right now!).
This is not helpful and contributes neither to the improvement of the group nor to a pleasant gaming atmosphere that brings fun and progress together.
Those who analyze respectfully also have more fun
In my opinion, my “best” gaming experiences have always been when I was with a group that could openly and still respectfully talk about their own and others’ problems. In which no one feels directly offended when an issue is raised and where everyone is attentive to what they could improve in their own playing style.
This sense of community, combined with a healthy acceptance of analyzing mistakes, defines
