I am way too old to be gaming, but I'm addicted now

[moosemother12]

I blame all my younger friends, but I'm now addicted (happily) to computer games. I figure the next step is to start playing multiplayer games online, but I must admit I'm pretty intimidated. My reaction times ain't what they used to be, to say the least, but I do have a pretty good sense of humor. So I'm looking for suggestions about how to get my feet wet (wrinkled though they already are)

[Oubliette]

MMO's are a very different kettle of fish to the types of games featured on the Nexus. It's perfectly reasonable not to be in to them at any age, I certainly haven't found any that I personally like. Still, I have older friends who are completely in love with Guild Wars and World of War Craft, if you're truly interested in giving MMO's a try, one of those might suffice.

 

I, however will stick to the single player moddable RPG's myself ;D

[McclaudEagle]

It's probably best to get into single player games first, then try your hand at games like MMOs. You'll have to remember that MMOs are extremely competitive, most are long and boring grinds, many also often adopt the "pay to win" style of Item Malls. I'd go with what Oubliette said and just try your hand at some single-player RPGs like Skyrim.

 

As for your reflexes, FPS games are actually a good way to increase your gaming reflex speeds. Yes, being slower than most younger people will put you at a disadvantage in games like Modern Warfare or Battlefield for a long time, but as you play them, your reflexes become faster.

 

One of the reasons why the U.S. Army like to recruit FPS gamers to use their ROWS (Remotely Operated Weapon Systems) guns is because of their considerably faster reflexes.

[bben46]

What does age have to do with it? I am willing to bet I am older than you. :tongue:

 

I stick with single player as I can't stand the obnoxious usually underage twerps that overrun the MMO type games. But my oldest son (40 years old) loves Guild wars and one of the women in his guild is 55.

[thebutcher0]

Hello Everyone, just thought i'd throw another post in here to mention something the others hadn't. Incase more of the older crowd come here and read this post.

 

There are a lot of older people (couples too) who play these games and something you'll learn about in MMO's is a "GUILD". It's a group of people who play together and there are some made up just for the older crowd. They play at an earlier time or are maybe from the East Coast. You can find some very nice people who play these games. And they are FUN or we wouldn't be playing them.

 

A couple i like are Skyrim and Dragons Age for single player off-line.. They have a good story line and an open game play.

I hate to say this only because i got sucked in for 4 years (but i liked it) is World of Warcraft. It's free up to a certain level and it will let you get a feel for what the big world is like.

 

So don't let age stop you from playing. There are a lot of good games out there now and a lot of nice people who play them.

[Incognitiously]

Hi! No such thing as too old for computer games. Nonsense.

 

MMOs can definitely be intimidating! I've not played World of Warcraft, but as mentioned above, it's got a solid guild system. Guilds are sort of clubs for "like-minded" players. Some guilds are very activity oriented, but many are very RP-oriented. If you enjoy story and RP, this may be the best way to go (that's my preference, too -- I dislike PvP [player v. player] because I'm rotten at it).

 

The two games I'd suggest off the bat, from personal experience, are Champions Online and Star Wars: The Old Republic.

 

Champions Online

First off, it's free-to-play, and the limitations on free accounts as opposed to paid accounts are not terribly onerous, in my opinion. The genre is goofy superhero, so don't expect a lot of angsty 90's comic book atmosphere. Playing solo is a viable option, depending on the type of character you play, and there are very heavy RP locations (clubs and bars) where you can sit around and chat with other players in-character for some laughs.

 

The storylines in-game are, admittedly, a bit goofy, but they're pretty fun -- it's all about not taking things too seriously. If you do want to try player v. player, you can; you can choose to duel another hero if it's mutually agreed, or you can enter PvP arenas. You can't be attacked by a player just out of the blue.

 

 

Star Wars: The Old Republic

If you're a fan of Dragon Age or Mass Effect, a lot of the game mechanics in SWTOR will be very familiar to you. This is also free-to-play, at least for earlier levels. Bonus? Star Wars universe. I'm not a die-hard fangirl, but I do enjoy the setting.

 

Fights can be a bit harder here, but early in most storylines you gain a companion who can lend you a hand or go off and do onerous tasks (like selling loot). You can play Sith or Republic, with six character types on each side mirroring the other (Republic Smuggler functions quite like Imperial Agent, etc). The storylines here are stronger, and there are dialogue wheel options for NPC conversations (you get these even when teamed up; theres a random number generator that decides which character's response is used in the cutscene).

 

Star Wars has a server selection available; you should pick a Player v. Environment-RP option to avoid heavy PvP. You can still do PvP on a PvE-RP server -- you just have to initiate it yourself in specific game areas, so you're never hit by surprise by another player. I think there may be a duel option in SWTOR, but I don't remember.

 

 

 

In either of these games you run the gamut of players, from the sort who don't write in complete sentences and grief (aggressively annoy) other players, to the kinds of people who will gladly help out if you have questions and enjoy playing in-character. Champions is a bit of luck-of-the-draw when it comes to helpful players being online, but I've found that generally, on the US east coast servers for SWTOR, the Imperial side tends to be more cordial and polite. Might just be me, but I figured it was worth sharing.

 

Each game has a pretty strong forum and wiki which can help answer questions about gameplay specifics and mechanical stuff like emote commands and talking on different channels. Check out the forums and get a feel for things before diving in -- even better, if you like either of these options, register and say you're interested in playing, and see what advice you receive.

 

I still show up on Champions from time to time, and my handle there is my handle on these forums. Feel free to say hi if you join up and find me online!

 

Good luck, and have fun gaming!

[Deleted472477User]

I'm 47. I started playing crpg's almost 30 years ago, and I haven't stopped yet. It's never too late to start! There's videos online with older people playing these games. One I saw had a man in his 70s playing World of Warcraft :)

 

I play WoW, though I'm currently taking a break. They do have a free to play model now, letting you go up to level 20 and it has some limitations, but it will give you a good idea of the game.

[Dantanius]

AVOID ALL FORMS OF MMO.

 

Reaction times are twofold. Just train them;)

 

or go for strategy games that are not quite as demanding on reaction times. Even turn based multiplayer games can be tremendous fun.

[lam0kru0k]

It does not matter how old you are at something, like playing video games or watching old films etc., just matters that you are still young at heart to enjoy them!