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It’s a (tech) tale as old as time. You settle down for a well-deserved gaming session, and just as you’re really getting into it, something goes wrong. Every gamer’s been there, guaranteed.
Take a look at the 10 greatest annoyances in online gaming, and feel comforted that when these things happen, you’re not alone!
The Worst Of Them All: Lag
Imagine this: you’ve spent an hour hunting down a target and you’ve finally got the perfect shot lined up. You click, a sudden slow internet connection then means that there’s a delay, and by the time you sync up, your arch-nemesis has escaped. Regardless of what game you’re playing, lag can ruin the experience. Doubly so in an online match, where every millisecond counts. Either high latency, an issue with your computer, slow internet, or the game itself can cause lag. If you’re experiencing it on an ongoing basis, address these 3 factors first to find the solution.
Young Children On Adult Games
Video games are tons of fun for everyone, but there’s nothing worse than having a child playing amongst the adults—especially when the game carries an age restriction. Younger players are often loud, brash, and don’t take very kindly to being killed or beaten. If you encounter them, try swapping servers or logging into another session to lose them along the way.
The Dreaded Campers
Camping has been around for decades and always involves that one player who just can’t bother to move around the map and find their enemies fairly. Campers spend the first few minutes of every game looking for a quiet place to hide, then attacks everyone who passes by. There’s not much you can do but avoid them once you know where they are.
The Ever-Present Bugs and Glitches
While developers put a lot of effort into the games they create, there’ll almost always be a small fault here or there that directly impacts gameplay. From falling through the floor to not being able to kill another player, glitches can be a huge annoyance. Again, not much you can do to avoid them, so don’t let them ruin your fun.
The Players That Cut And Run
Nobody likes to lose, but having a fail state is important in video games. If we won all the time, the game would get boring quickly. Unfortunately, not everyone has this pragmatic attitude, which is why there are sore losers and quitters. These are players who find themselves on a losing team, and rather than see it to the end, they pull the infamous ragequit. It’s never pleasant to watch, but it shouldn’t have any bearing on you—it’s all them.
Microtransactions And Paywalls
It’s become increasingly common for developers to cut certain content from a game and hide it behind a paywall. This is especially annoying when you encounter a player that’s bought—not earned—all the best gear, giving them an unfair advantage. All you can do is keep playing, enhance your skills, and unlock more perks.
Loud, Blaring Music
Plenty of players have no problem blasting music through their mics while everyone’s in-game, trying their best to concentrate. This can become extremely annoying in a relatively short amount of time. It may be a case for muting, moving servers, or logging out and trying again.
Hackers And Cheaters
Part of the idea behind playing an online game, whether it’s a MOBA, RPG, or FPS, is to dedicate your time to achieving goals. Hackers, however, don’t have that kind of patience. Gone are the simple days of using an inkjet printer to print off legit cheat sheets. Now, we have aimbots, triggerbots, and AI to deal with. If you’re being plagued by bots or hackers, report it in-game—you may put an end to it (for now, anyway).
Drawn-Out Waiting Times
Some of the biggest games in the world, such as Fortnite, PUBG, Dota 2, League of Legends, and CS:GO, can have millions of players online at a single time. While having more players is undoubtedly a good thing, it also means having to wait for space to open in the lobby, which can take time. Once you’re in, though, it’s worth it.
Too Much Trash Talk
Lastly, we have to talk about bad manners. Trash talk is often part of the fun of the game. Some players, however, take it a little bit too far: always cursing, being insulting, and generally making a nuisance of themselves. You can ignore them, report them, or simply hope you don’t encounter them along the way again.
In the greater scheme of things, these 10 annoyances are minor compared to the fun you can have playing online. If it’s any consolation, everyone experiences them and they’re not unique to your situation. Happy gaming!