Gaming is something like a double-edged sword. It can be a great way to relieve stress, but it can also become the most stress-inducing part of your day.
Being on the receiving end of a virtual ass-whooping can be demoralizing, especially when that person has some undesirable traits, either in their personality or in their gaming etiquette.
I’ve been gaming since I was a wee lad and I’ve seen just about all of it. For your convenience, I’m going to highlight the kinds of people that grind my gears when I’m trying to have a nice session of “Titanfall 2” or “Grand Theft Auto”. Also, keep in mind that none of these are exclusive and that one person can have a combination of these traits.
The Squeaker
At one point or another, everyone has encountered a squeaker in their game lobby. Generally between the ages of 9 through 12, these prepubescent little twerps have their microphone volume way too high, making their high pitched voice crackle and screech into other people’s eardrums. If you don’t mute this player, they will most likely be heard yelling into the microphone about how he banged your mom the night before. The conversation is likely to have racial and homophobic slurs thrown into the mix. With all this talk about mothers, where are theirs?
The DJ
Another common breed of gamer, the DJ is the person that blasts their music into their headset, effectively drowning out any and all conversation. Sometimes the music is tolerable but more likely than not they’re forcing trash into our lives. Asking a DJ to turn down their music will most likely be ignored or met with mild hostility. Nobody wants to listen to French Montana while killing waves of zombies. Sorry?
The Hunter
The Hunter is a specific kind of gamer. While they can appear in first-person shooters, Hunters thrive in open world games like “Grand Theft Auto Online’s” free mode. A Hunter will pick its prey seemingly at random. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing. In my experience, most of my encounters with Hunters are when I’m minding my own business or in a vulnerable state, like in a shop menu browsing clothes. Once the Hunter gets a taste for your blood, it’s game on. You can kill them, but it only provokes them more and adds a revenge-based justification for hunting you down. Some hunters will give up at some point while others are relentless and will quite literally follow you across the map to kill you over and over again. Running and fighting are your only options when it comes to a Hunter.
The Camper
A classic, the Camper has been around for years on end. The one player who sits in the corner of the map without playing the objective, the Camper will pick his plot of land and stay there like they pay rent, picking off people who trespass on their property like the cranky old neighbor with a double-barreled shotgun. The Camper will, for the most part, try to corner themselves so they can’t be snuck up on. When that’s not possible, they will lay traps to ward off unwanted company. Most Campers will justify it by calling themselves something along the lines of a “stealth sniper,” but we all know what they’re up to.