Game rage, and how to avoid it

[ECHO]

So I know as well as the next guy how frustrating things can be in games. You get into "the zone", and then tragedy strikes. Perhaps you are shot from across the map in arma 3 when you thought yourself hidden, or a friendly plane crashes into you from above or behind while playing war thunder, or you get beheaded by a teammate in chivalry while attempting to save them from an opponent.

 

All of these things are examples of things that I have personally raged over while playing games, but that aside I would like to hear some stories on what makes *you* rage.

 

What has happened in games to make you feel one step away from smashing your computer monitor with a sledgehammer, or doing something similarly dumb?

 

What have you done to help control your tendency to become irritable when playing games (or in exciting situations in general), if anything?

 

For my part, I complain fairly consistently while playing intense games. I know that it can get on the nerves of others, and as a result I try to catch it before it comes out but often times my restraint just isn't enough. Getting upset over a game can ruin the fun for others when you let it get beyond a certain point, and understanding that I would like to put a disclaimer that if anybody ever has an issue with my behavior - let me know. I'm not offended by constructive criticism, which is significantly different from childish insults made in spite or due to personal feelings of inadequacy in my book.

 

So, about that rage?

 

[Krambo]

Use push to talk instead of voice activation!

This just kind of masks the rage

Now i just get up and walk off for a minute, grab a drink.

 

Having a perfect lap on GRID and right before the end somebody (usually PANiC) wipes you out before you cross the line) that's rather annoying!

 

Used to be alot worse than I am now.

Try not to play the FPS games as much, COD, BF3 etc...all bring out my horrid side and i know it pi$$es everyone else off.

Edited July 16, 2013 by Krambo

[Watchman~SPARTA~]

Krambo IS game rage!

 

To be honest, I don't suffer with it much, maybe I'm not that competitive. Although Chivalry has got me close this last few days with getting tk'd just as I'm about to make a kill. Even then it just gets a minor cuss, at no one in particular.

[Forrester~SPARTA~]

Like Krambo buy a bullshit button and use that ;-)

I'm more likely to give somebody a game rage (as I say again, the enemy is by the big tree were others dont even like to look at trees....lol)

And sometimes my clumsiness kickes in....

But hey, I'm trying to have fun, and don't spoil others fun too..... Just let everyone play as they like and avoid annoying peeps on the battlefield.

Oh one more important tip, dont use the g button for grenades in ARMA III it gets confusing when you played ARMA II with G as an inventory button.

[ECHO]

Krambo IS game rage!

 

To be honest, I don't suffer with it much, maybe I'm not that competitive. Although Chivalry has got me close this last few days with getting tk'd just as I'm about to make a kill. Even then it just gets a minor cuss, at no one in particular.

 

Chivalry can do that. Still, quite a lot of fun if you can handle the stress!

 

Like Krambo buy a bullshit button and use that ;-)

I'm more likely to give somebody a game rage (as I say again, the enemy is by the big tree were others dont even like to look at trees....lol)

And sometimes my clumsiness kickes in....

But hey, I'm trying to have fun, and don't spoil others fun too..... Just let everyone play as they like and avoid annoying peeps on the battlefield.

Oh one more important tip, dont use the g button for grenades in ARMA III it gets confusing when you played ARMA II with G as an inventory button.

 

Yeah, that ArmA 3 change has seen me kill more than a couple friendlies. Fortunately I think I'm used to the change by now.

 

First person shooters and similar tend to bring out the worst in game-rage, as I've seen. Which makes sense I suppose, when you are able to lose your character in an instant.

[MH6~SPARTA~]

Somehow, the most rage-inducing games end up being some that I enjoy the most. Probably because it's just as rewarding when you do well as it is infuriating when you don't.

 

That being said, I tend to just flip my mic up if I feel like I'm getting too ornery. This mutes it so even when I'm cussing up a storm it at least doesn't bother anyone else. Hitting my talk key is such a reflex now that its hard to just not press it.

 

Then I forget about it, and someone dies because I tried to warn them about something with my mic muted.

[ECHO]

Somehow, the most rage-inducing games end up being some that I enjoy the most. Probably because it's just as rewarding when you do well as it is infuriating when you don't.

 

That being said, I tend to just flip my mic up if I feel like I'm getting too ornery. This mutes it so even when I'm cussing up a storm it at least doesn't bother anyone else. Hitting my talk key is such a reflex now that its hard to just not press it.

 

Then I forget about it, and someone dies because I tried to warn them about something with my mic muted.

 

In the past I have flipped the mic up as well. Lately however, I haven't managed to do so, since my rage tends to come out on a moment's notice. What you've said about enjoyable games and them causing rage is about right, though for me I can have just as much (or almost as much) fun with a slower paced game. So it tends to be a matter of intensity - the more fast-paced and high-risk the game is, the more likely I am to rage upon failure, and the greater the adrenaline rush (though not necessarily fun, it contributes).

 

For me, I also tend to point out the obvious more than rage itself. Or rather, its more self-narration than actual complaints (though those are included). Often times when there isn't much else being said doing so just comes naturally, though when there is a group of people I'm gaming with I am a bit more self-conscious about it all. Especially if there's coordination that needs to take place, such as in Payday to some extent.

[Ebden~SPARTA~]

The best cure is to avoid the trigger (pun intended). It's part of why y'all haven't seen me around much. It's also why I skipped owning a car, so I don't have that urge to go GTA on some slow-arsed fool turning right from the left lane across two lanes of traffic on a busy street in front of me...as a hypothetical example.

 

It must be somewhere else on this forum, but I recall research somewhere (will google and add to this post in a moment) about PTSD, combat stress, other emotional and stress triggers being extremely similar in combat games and actual combat.

 

Hmm, contrary to my theory, looks like games might help treat PTSD?

http://www.militarymentalhealth.org/blog/2013/06/can-video-games-help-ptsd/

 

Or here, to help reduce the stress, you could turn the music off according to this study from U-Montreal>

http://www.eoa.umontreal.ca/documents/pdf/publicationsBelandR_physiologicalStress_HebertEtAll.pdf

 

There is a ton on the web both supporting certain games for stress reduction, and others condemning games for increases in stress. Time for more research!