Assignment 2: Counterstike Flow
In the reading Flow, it discussed a state of gameplay by the same name. This can be described as the happy median between boredom and difficulty level. In other words, a game can bring a player into a state of flow if the game reaches the right difficulty level as well as keep the player entertained. In First person shooters, this can readily be seen, since the requirements for flow are always fluctuating.
The game I chose to describe is Counterstrike. Upon searching for my Counterstrike fix (when I was addicted), twenty-five percent of the work was finding the right server that suited my mood and play style. I would randomly select a server, maybe “Dust 24/7” or “Fragfest”. Upon entering, I would leave for one of two reasons: either the server was too easy and inept (i.e. a newbie server), or the server was way too difficult. The only time I would stay on a server was when I was truly enjoying myself, a feeling that only came to me when experiencing the perfect difficulty and challenge. I would always bookmark servers that provided this sensation, but even those servers had its bad days. Eventually, my reason for logging off would mainly be dependent on the status of the server. The people who frequented the server are the main reasons to play, so when there isn’t enough regulars playing, it may be time to log off.