We all play video games for a variety of reasons - to chill out and relax after a stressful day of work or to push ourselves in a variety of ways. Humans are intrinsically wired to seek out ways to improve themselves and their skills, and video games are no exception to this. However, the definition of 'skill' in video games is a hard one - does skill means memorising the game mechanics to their full advantage, or even exploiting them? Does it mean making a choice with no information and ending up at the correct path? It could be widely accepted that it means that you're able to use advanced tactics in a game to gain an edge and ensure a steady path to victory. However, this would mean requiring a mastery of the mechanics at hand, even beyond it. For instance, the mechanics for the Soldier in Team Fortress 2 allow him to use his rocket launcher to 'rocket-jump', meaning firing at his own feet to launch himself into the air. Mastery of this mechanic allows players to scale heights in a multi-level map, escape danger instantly and a variety of uses that encompass skill on behalf of the player.
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AuthorJack Mannix is a twenty-two year old Game Studies & Design Student at JMC Academy. Tends to go off point on topics and make bad jokes. Archives |