Be ready. How not to be a boor in online games

Be ready for anything. Don’t expect everything will go exactly the way you want. Your favorite character may be selected by someone else, and maybe it’s their favorite character, too. Maybe the team will suck, maybe the ping will be messy. Maybe you won’t be able to have the line you want. Online games are unpredictable, there’s a lot of people involved, and everyone’s in it for something else. Don’t try to change people’s minds, don’t waste time on empty arguments. Be flexible, remember you’re not alone. And finally, cooperate, because cooperation is key.

If anything goes wrong, adapt.

And then, don’t feel obliged to do things. You can always ask for your favorite character, and you might as well get it. If not, just carry on – you both have exactly the same right to select any character you want. If something doesn’t go your way, it’s no reason to start getting angry or prove others wrong at all cost. When things go wrong, true ability means owning it up and adapting.

Remember that online games usually offer different modes. If you want a casual game, don’t play on ranked, and vice versa. It’s fun to sometimes go a tier lower and get some more relaxed games out of it. Also remember that everyone who truly understands Ninja’s message is always learning – no matter the skills. Some people will be better than others, and they will have different skills. So if you don’t normally do it, try entering some additional game modes sometimes. Being silly vents bad attitude.

Nothing works?

If nothing seems you work, and you just explode like a nuke, there’s only three possible solutions. The first one is to quit online games altogether. Simple? Well, we’ve been there already. The other is less radical, and it assumes muting all comms with all players by default. However, it takes away a lot from the experience, so be sure you try something else before you do that.

The third solution is taking a break. Take your dog for a walk, read a book. Then come back and try to coexist. Don’t be hard on yourself, and on others. Don’t worry too much if something goes wrong. It’s just a game. You can come back another day and mend it. That’s what makes video games great.