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Editor's note: The stat-tracking systems offered by games like Halo 3 can be amazingly informative, but they can also cause people to become obsessed with the numbers. Nick is unfortunately one of those people. -Brett
I used to be the one on top in that picture. Now I'm usually in the blue guy's spot.
Last week, I finally decided to re-subscribe to Xbox Live, having neglected it for over a year. After perusing the features that have been added since my absence (what's up with the Mii avatars?), I popped in Halo 3 to see if I had retained the skills that earned me the rank of Commander two years ago.
I quickly found out that I am not the Spartan soldier I once was. I was on the receiving end of more teabags than I care to remember — heck, I can still taste the metal in my mouth. I was even orally violated by a lady Spartan, though I'm not sure what the female equivalent of a teabag is.
I wasn't terrible — I had a positive kill/death ratio in all but one of the five games I played — but I have definitely lost a step. My reflexes are predictably duller (it took me a full battle rifle clip to kill someone), though they're not as bad as I thought they'd be. Still, it was frustrating to shoot a guy's shield off only to have my thumb involuntarily twitch when I went for the kill shot.
My reflexes aren't the only things that have deteriorated — my instincts have taken a hit as well. During one match, I charged at someone while I had a battle rifle equipped. Why the hell did I do that? The old Nak3dSchoolBoy (that's me) would never equip a long range weapon and rush headlong into someone wielding dual submachine guns. By the end of that skirmish, I was full of more holes than the plot of Metal Gear Solid 2.
I wouldn't mind sucking so much if I wasn't such a stat junky. I love keeping track of my stats, no matter what kind of competition it is. In grade school basketball, I would even keep track of how many times I saved the ball from going out of bounds (sick, huh?).
So the fact that Bungie keeps track of all Halo players' statistics on its website is both heaven and hell for the stat-obsessed type like me. I love looking at my K/D ratio, medals earned, and most used "tool of destruction," but I also find it torturous. I feel like I have to maintain my stats and K/D ratio, and that sometimes comes at the expense of fun.
However, I'm slowly realizing that I need to forget about things like K/D ratios and medals and focus more on having fun. After all, I didn't spend $50 for XBL just to have a miserable experience every time I fire it up.
From now on, I'm going to be the "Recreational Gamer" I list myself as in my Gamer Zone. I will still be competitive, but I will not make winning and K/D ratios my only focus — enjoyment will be thrown in the mix as well.
With luck, maybe I can even learn to have fun when I lose.