Top 5 Myths About Gaming Skills [Translation]
**“no-scope”:** *a kill made with a rifle, shooting single shots, without using a scope.*
“drag-scope”: a kill made by sharply shifting the crosshair at the moment of firing; the game counts it as a hit if the crosshair is on the enemy for even one-hundredth of a second at the moment of the shot.
“drop shot”: quickly taking a prone position to avoid enemy fire.
Forums dedicated to video games. You won't find a more despised abode of mediocrity and malice. If the forum posts are to be believed, yearly sequels will lead to disaster, first-person shooters are corrupting the industry, and you didn’t like [Final Fantasy XIII](/games?search=Final Fantasy XIII) simply because you “didn’t understand” it. While new (and still unfounded) theories and rumors appear daily on the forums, a few classic myths seem never to die. Those that are not erotic fanfics about [Viva Pinata](/games?search=Viva Pinata) are mostly dedicated to online games. The realm of competitive gaming is rife with rumors, speculations, and myths about how to be a good player, why you are a bad player, and how to stop sucking so badly.
Here are five main myths about online gaming, immortalized by the gaming community.
Kill/Death Ratio (KDR) – a reliable indicator of your skill
Your KDR is 3.2. Wow. Impressive. Oh wait, your win/loss ratio in Capture the Flag mode is 0.03 – because you play some quirky game where your KDR is proportional to your skill, talent, or the number of women that someday will knock on your door wishing to nestle in your loving embrace. If you only play Team Deathmatch (team elimination, etc.), then yes, it’s impressive, so you can brag about your skill (if you’re not cheating). However, once you find yourself in a game mode with a different victory condition, your KDR will cease to matter. It is distorted by the kills you made while hiding away from the objective in King of the Hill mode, or Domination, or whatever you’re playing. This common myth can be compared to a situation where I, professionally playing basketball, would assess my level by how many people I can hit in the groin before I get arrested.
"My KDR in Super Smash Brothers is huge!"
Elite profile – a reliable indicator of your skill
If there’s a player in your lobby with the name “xXxH4loG0dxXx”, chances are he got [Halo 3](/games?search=Halo 3) for Christmas along with some Microsoft Points, after which he changed his name to stand out with his elite skills among peers. He quickly realized that his skill only shines when playing against his own ancient grandfather, but his parents no longer gave him money for Microsoft Points to change his name again. By the way, if your username contains the number 420, I can easily write a series of books listing the jobs and friends you will never have.
The ability to pull off trick kills – a reliable indicator of your skill
Once, I watched a documentary about an American soldier who fought in World War II, boasting about his skill at pulling off “no-scope” kills while doing triple spins. He looked down on his comrades, who could not hit an enemy in the head while spinning around. Later, in the middle of an important and tense battle, he attempted to perform a silly “drag-scope” and was torn apart by Nazi war dogs. The end.
No, seriously, trick kills won’t help in any game except designated “no-scope” lobbies, etc. No one can consistently pull off such kills more often than regular ones, so use the scope and stop endangering your team. Your lovely montage that cost you seventy-four deaths is an inappropriate goal in a standard game.
"My score is 2-17, but that 'drop shot no-scope' was awesome!"
Ranking in the top – a reliable indicator of your skill
If you brag that you are higher in the player ranking of [Call of Duty](/games?search=Call of Duty) than your friends, then you are a disabled child. What is your disability? A lack of common sense. The top of almost any online game tracks game points and experience, not skill (rest in peace, [Halo 3](/games?search=Halo 3)). Points and experience are earned just by playing. So, in reality, you brag about how little time you devote to education, family, and personal hygiene. If in a one-on-one battle with a friend you win eight out of ten times, then you have reason to boast. If you haven’t showered in three days, then there’s no reason to celebrate. Only for shame. Stinking, stinking shame.
Two friends... munching popcorn and climbing to the top of the ranking.
Obtaining high-level gear – a reliable indicator of your skill
You have gold camo for all your guns! Awesome! Do you know what else you have? Worn-out pants and a starved cat. Just like with the top ranking, gear and other high-level perks only reflect the time spent. It gets tiring to hear players bragging about their cool scopes, gold camos, or legendary character skins, considering every can get all of this with the same lack of prospects in real life. Many times in [Halo: Reach](/games?search=Halo: Reach) I’ve been overwhelmed by players with the armor effect “Inclement Weather”, but I’ve also killed just as many of those players myself. Some of the best players in [Halo: Reach](/games?search=Halo: Reach) didn’t earn enough credits to buy the effect, they just play well. Their gameplay skills are tangible. The frills do not reflect skill. They merely serve as a “carrot on a stick” that makes players waste time in the game.
Thanks for a little help with the translation: Surt.
Thanks for proofreading: Soth.
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