Gaming

Helldivers 2 has been greast for this. I can play lower difficulties solo and when my friends are online I'll play with whomever's available.

Check out guild wars 2. Yes it is mmo but the pve side is about as laid back as you can get. You literally don't have to talk to anyone if you don't want. Or you can find a group and play pve. Or you can try pvp, but I've never tried that side of it.

I feel like I've missed out on so many potentially great games because of this.

Played WoW on PC and encountered twinks, PvP spammers/snipers, loot ninjas etc and just had enough.

Normal person + anonymity + audience = fuckwit

Whenever I buy a game with an online component I feel like I'm just wasting half of that money.

...... We're talking about video games. People can have fun being hyper competitive or have fun being casual. I don't know what the fuck is up with this site all this hyper dramatic "absolutist" type bullshit, as if shades of grey for any situation simply don't exist. Damn bro. If anyone is getting self important, it's you writing this comment.

Don't even get me fuckin started on the professional athletes bit, Jesus Christ

Same, it's why I avoid games where raiding is the endgame, I'm not studying a boss on youtube before I fight it, there's no fun in that and this is the only genre where people do it.

I had a friend who would get deep into MMOs and kept trying to convince me to join. When I eventually said OK to giving one a go his next move was sending me a textbook sized guide on game's meta. Having to start studying to play a game was a step too far for me.

This is why I stopped playing Star Trek Online with people

It was unplayable at launch and I don't mean the insane server problems. I started playing GTO launch weekend and it was never good. Sure we didn't have the insane vehicles and weapons of later GTO but people had more than enough. Every server had at least one dude with a Rhino and one dude with a Hydra. I was the dude with the Hydra but my targets were dudes with Rhinos who went after random players. After a while doing it I realized it was every Rhino. People just get bored and start using the powerful stuff on randoms just because they can.

Was always toxic as hell, it was just unaffordable for most people in game. When they gave larger variety on the cheap it just made it worse.

Try going on Uncletopia servers. The skill jump is kind of high but it fits what you're looking for. I consider it a casual+ experience.

That says way more about the competitive one though. Because I'm just chillin and not trying and still hosing you.

Back when I played OSRS a lot I ended up playing a few nights with one of the big PVP clans here and there. Most of the people were meth heads or pill addicts just spewing the craziest shit. I made decent loot with them but having to be in a call with a bunch of meth heads wasn't worth it.

People are ignoring that just the act of playing the game can be fun. On top of that, getting better yourself or pulling off certain maneuvers can be fun, or even appreciating what the opponents are doing. I had a lot of fun playing rocket league with a friend, even if outmatched, and getting scored on an opponent who pulled off an aerial into top corner made me appreciate what they just did.

Maybe also take a page from dwarf fortress players: Losing is fun!

Some people have fun by trolling. Some people have fun by winning. Online games are meant to be played with friends if one doesn't want to encounter toxicity.

Depends on the game. Chess is 0% based on luck, but in i.e: Age of Empires II the randomness of the starting map affects a lot in the outcome of the game. It's not like you beat your opponent fully thanks to your skills. It's more having fun discovering the map each time and be more competitive in the endgame.

The second one

This post is talking about the second one but I have definitely been called try hard just because I'm quietly and politely trying my best in a non-ranked game and the other team doesn't like losing.