The Terrible Gamers' Guide to Becoming Good at Games

Whooee, what a great round! Must have earned myself all of… oh 500 np! New record! Can already picture that spiffy new trophy! I’ll put that straight into my bank account to start saving for that oh-so coveted pink paintbrush. Now it’s only down to which pet to paint… hmm Rannoch? No, he’s much too manly for pink. I’ll paint Arwen, little Miss Prissy Pants will just love that.

Tralala I hum cheerfully, as I make my way over to the Jubjub swathed in blue attire.

“Top ‘o the morn to you, my fine fellow,” I say, with a tip of my hat. Or where my hat would be if I was wearing one. “Just in the neighborhood passing by, new to these parts you know, and I was just wondering if you happened to know of any stores holding a Pink Paint Brush for sale?”

He shoots me a mystified glare, (in retrospect perhaps he thought I looked a bit new to be purchasing myself such a swanky object) and then answers that I’d be better off trying my luck over at the Trading Post.

So with another friendly grin, I’m off in that direction. Still humming, now skipping. I sift through the trades as quickly as I possibly can, excitement making me shake in my little booties. Come to think of it… I couldn’t have been wearing booties, it was probably summer… Anyway, back to the story. I finally found what I was searching for! The desirable Paint Brush of my dreams! My heart quickly sinks, as I skim down the list of what people are asking for these treasures. 500,000 NP… 530,000np …700,000np … a Baby Paint Brush.

Dejectedly I slump back towards the gaming pavilion ready to try my luck out again… if only I was better at these pesky games! If only there was a surefire way to be decked out with neopoints, faster than you could blink an eye! But I guess if things were that easy, it just wouldn’t be fun. Or would it? Well maybe a little… but certainly not as amusing. My mind sinks into a stupor as I try my luck over and over again at every game… is it just me or do I seem to be getting if anything worse and not better?

Ever found yourself in a similar scenario? Eyeing the beautiful trophies and avatars of your neighbour and falling short in comparison? I’ve obviously been in that boat- in fact still am! There is something about those colourful, noisy little flash games that gets me every time. Hand cramps, eye blurs, headaches, you name the obstacle and it mysteriously appears in the way of success. Until now. There is a way to become good at games. Maybe not elite veteran good, but passable. You know, able to rack up a couple thousand here, an avatar there, definitely on the up train.

So for all of you who have grumbled, cursed, screamed, and even cried out in frustration at your computer, here are a few ways to get rid of the frustration:

1. Find out what type of games attract you.

Explore around the gaming area, and just look at all the games. See which ones attract your attention the most. Personally I am an extreme girly girl. I do not find myself as attracted to games such as Attack of the Revenge, and Feed Florg, but more attracted to games such as Meepit Juice Break, and Ice Cream Machine. Take your interests to heart; do you enjoy fast-paced games that are fairly simple? Or do you like thinking games that you have to plot out, and place strategically? Play around and find a few games that are your favourite and play these each a few times.

2. Decide which of the games you actually like.

Of the above games that attracted your attention, decide which you have the most fun playing. Do you really want to spend your precious time wasting away in a front of a game that drives you mad?! Take me and my short-lived spurt of playing Petpetsitter, for example; I’m not terrible at the game, but I can’t stand it. All the little pests mewing and beeping for help. I just can’t do it fast enough!! Argh, no don’t disappear… no the bathroom, not the kitchen! Oh, and look at that, dead again. So pick the games you like best out of the ones that attracted you. Your list should be somewhat more narrowed, down to say ten or so.

3. Find out which games you are “decent” at.

The best way to do this is go to your userlookup and view your scores. If your score for a game is beginner, I would suggest not trying to become a master at this game; it may just not be attainable at the moment. Look for games where you are at least amateur or novice. If you're decent at quite a few games, then just pick them depending on how much you like them, how long they take to play, etc.

4. Decide your final list.

So now you need to decide your final list of favourite games depending on the above variables. You should take into account things like time. You are trying to become truly good at a few games, not kind of, almost good at a lot of games. Also, how much time do you have to spend on the computer? If you spend an hour a week, maybe just one or two games will be sufficient. However, if you spend several hours a day on the computer maybe your list of games should be closer to six or even more. Add all of these games to your favourite games section for quick use.

5. Practice, Practice, Practice!

Yikes, sorry for the terrible cliché but in this case it definitely applies. The more you play your new games list, the better you will become at these games and the more points you will earn. Then voilà, just like that, you are on your way to that amazingly awesome new avatar or impressive trophy! I also find the more you get better at even a select few games, the better you are at grasping and improving at all games in general. Now get out there and have fun you pro gamer, you. ;)