Laserforce Explained, Part 4: The Perils of Incompetence
In my two years of playing Laserforce I have learned how to be a highly skilled player much faster than normal, in large part due to my experience with first- and third-person shooter computer games. Naturally, given that good hand-eye coordination is a requirement to complete them, it seems fitting that this also applies to Laserforce and other laser tag chains worldwide. However, many players, whom I shall not name explicitly, have forgotten about this hint and instead wandered blindly into their opponents' line(s) of sight. In fact, I have been all too willing to exploit this horrific blunder, by scoring lots of points very quickly whenever it happens.
So how can this be avoided? The first and most important step is to maintain situational awareness at all times. This can be done simply by taking a quick look at your surroundings every few seconds, and if you see another, don't hesitate to zap him/her - unless that player is your teammate, of course. Continually keeping score throughout the game is also recommended; by doing so, you will know how well you (and your team, if the current game is a team-based game type) are doing compared to your opponents. Finally, always remember the rules for the current game; since each game type is different in some way from the others, it pays to keep notes of the objective(s) you must accomplish in order to win the match. Even then, it takes time and patience to master all these steps, but it will eventually be worth the effort, and you will realize it sooner or later.
The situation is worsened if the disparity in player skill is increased further, such as during a team game in which one of the teams has a disproportionate number of veteran players compared to the other teams. The resulting game is almost always guaranteed to be extremely one-sided. However, if the differences between the teams' average skill are reduced, all sides will be far more evenly matched. I've actually experienced both scenarios first hand, especially the former. Unsurprisingly, organizers of official tournaments aim to make their contests as fair and close as possible by attempting to evenly distribute higher-ranked players across all teams; while it isn't always successful, it adds a welcome element of unpredictability.
That brings an end to my discussion of how laser tag is so highly dependent on player skill, and yet still has an element of luck as well. In the next few posts, I will resume Confessions of an Automationeer by revisiting some of my favorite competition rounds.
So how can this be avoided? The first and most important step is to maintain situational awareness at all times. This can be done simply by taking a quick look at your surroundings every few seconds, and if you see another, don't hesitate to zap him/her - unless that player is your teammate, of course. Continually keeping score throughout the game is also recommended; by doing so, you will know how well you (and your team, if the current game is a team-based game type) are doing compared to your opponents. Finally, always remember the rules for the current game; since each game type is different in some way from the others, it pays to keep notes of the objective(s) you must accomplish in order to win the match. Even then, it takes time and patience to master all these steps, but it will eventually be worth the effort, and you will realize it sooner or later.
The situation is worsened if the disparity in player skill is increased further, such as during a team game in which one of the teams has a disproportionate number of veteran players compared to the other teams. The resulting game is almost always guaranteed to be extremely one-sided. However, if the differences between the teams' average skill are reduced, all sides will be far more evenly matched. I've actually experienced both scenarios first hand, especially the former. Unsurprisingly, organizers of official tournaments aim to make their contests as fair and close as possible by attempting to evenly distribute higher-ranked players across all teams; while it isn't always successful, it adds a welcome element of unpredictability.
That brings an end to my discussion of how laser tag is so highly dependent on player skill, and yet still has an element of luck as well. In the next few posts, I will resume Confessions of an Automationeer by revisiting some of my favorite competition rounds.
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