Steam helps to deflate bullshitters

[Bonus!]

One of the things that irk me about the wider gaming community is that there are so many bullshitters around. True, some people are able to 2-ALL DDP, or get 1000/1000 gamer score on Ninja Gaiden II, but if you look at comments and forum posts, it almost seems as if every second person is a "pro gamer". We got plenty of people claiming game X is easy, even though they themselves haven't cleared it. Often, you would have to take the comments of people at face value, but thanks to Steam, you can check whether someone is full of it.

I just saw someone make this comment, trying to intimidate a newbie at Crimzon Clover:

You can also play boost and original modes with novice setting. It makes the game SUPER EASY (maybe too much) but you can have a whole playthrought without trouble and see all bosses etc. Toned down speed and patterns tho.

...followed by:

Don't get me wrong, novice mode isn't bad because it s easy, it's just that it might not prepare you well for the real arcade modes. having played original CC and nesica version before steam release, it's just that it doesn't represent any challenge for an old time CC player.
New comers will have a great time in this mode, but the transition to arcade will be tough ^^

I then checked his achievements, and found out that he only 1CC'ed both Novice modes. But a big mouth s/he does have.

[Pretas]

Valve is adding the option to hide your Steam gaming history and achievements from others.

[Bonus!]

I hadn't thought of that. Well, at least you could ask someone with a big mouth to reveal his achievements --- or at the very least be very suspicious if someone claimed to be an expert at game X, but hides his achievements.

[Plasmo]

Don't get me wrong, novice mode isn't bad because it s easy, it's just that it might not prepare you well for the real arcade modes. having played original CC and nesica version before steam release, it's just that it doesn't represent any challenge for an old time CC player.
New comers will have a great time in this mode, but the transition to arcade will be tough ^^

What is wrong with saying that as an advice? I could say the same just from looking at various replays of the game. You don't have to play or even 1cc the game before you can give such a statement. I don't see what's wrong with it at all.

He's not bragging about having cleared anything anywhere.

[Bonus!]

He's calling the game "SUPER EASY" but he's hardly in a position to do so. Just looking at something, it doesn't take much to fool yourself that you know how easy or difficult something is. In fact, when an expert does something, it generally looks rather effortless.

[CStarFlare]

I kind of wish we could have just one point and laugh thread.

[Blackbird]

Well, what he's saying is true. Novice is mode is very easy in comparison to the Arcade mode. You don't need to clear Arcade mode to claim that there is a significant difficulty gap between Novice and Arcade. Lots of top players don't even finish Arcade mode. I just posted a replay a few days ago that ends at Ex Boss 2, but would rank at no.5 on the leaderboards.

[KAI]

Stop the internet! There's people talking about games as if they were experts!

[Bananamatic]

He's calling the game "SUPER EASY" but he's hardly in a position to do so. Just looking at something, it doesn't take much to fool yourself that you know how easy or difficult something is. In fact, when an expert does something, it generally looks rather effortless.

I haven't cleared any of the modes either and the novice modes really are insultingly easy, pretty much everything remotely threatening is taken away and you get around twice as many lives on top of that

You don't need to clear Arcade mode to claim that there is a significant difficulty gap between Novice and Arcade. Lots of top players don't even finish Arcade mode.

This is an understatement, the gap between Novice and Arcade is absolutely enormous, more than any of those in Cave games, Boost mode especially. Keep in mind that the game is already pretty damn long, then make the patterns around 4x harder, faster and take away half of the lives the player gets.

[brentsg]

What he said is fine and true. I don't get the issue.

[Bonus!]

[quote="Bananamatic"I haven't cleared any of the modes either and the novice modes really are insultingly easy, pretty much everything remotely threatening is taken away and you get around twice as many lives on top of that.[/quote]

If you check the statistics, you'll see that only about 10% of players have 1cc'd Boost Novice. An "insultingly easy" game would probably be completed by more people. If CC:WI is your first shmup, then the Novice mode offers a pretty decent challenge.

[Bananamatic]

well

if he claimed that novice doesn't prepare you for arcade mode and he cleared novice but not arcade, isn't he actually right?
playing easy shmups really doesn't make you better at harder ones and people who thought that novice are training wheels are in for a nasty surprise

[Frenetic]

i agree a better spin could have put on it maybe just pointing out that novice mode straight out is "SUPER EASY"

For beginning players that don't play shmups on a regular basis or even have never played it before it might take away from their desire to get into the game/genre. By saying it's SUPER EASY it belittles the accomplishment/gains that the beginning players do make in the game.

"it's just that it doesn't represent any challenge for an old time CC player."

I get a weird gatekeeper vibe like "well someone got there first before you so your accomplishment is less"

I DO think that there is a big difference in difficulty between Novice and Original, just like with Cave games. "After you 1cc novice mode, be prepared to not make as quick progress in the Original mode, but keep at it, you've got a taste for shmups now!"

i'm asking that since we're already converts to the genre, we act more as sensitive ambassadors.

just my two cents,
--F

[Captain]

A guy who didn't clear the harder mode says that the easy mode is too easy.

This just means that there is too much of a gap. One is too easy, and he can't clear the other one.

He said absolutely nothing wrong or stupid.

Pointless thread.

[mastermx]

I've never really touched novice mode. I think I tested a few levels on it to see how easy it really is. But I can say that arcade original is one of the hardest shmupping experiences I've ever played. I can make it to stage 4 boss and stage 5 completely destroys me. The difficulty is on the same level of DOJ, and even harder in some places.

I don't think many people will be able to touch arcade original, especially those new to shmups. Stage 3 is the first difficulty wall they have to learn to maneuver through.

What the guy was saying is technically true, there is a huge difficulty gap. But I wouldn't downplay the achievement of clearing. Difficulty is dependent on the skill of the player, so for new players, clearing novice is bound to be one hell of an achievement, this goes double for clearing boost.

[neorichieb1971]

Everyone on this forum is better than games than me. Now I've said that.. have a nice day...

[AntiFritz]

Valve is adding the option to hide your Steam gaming history and achievements from others.

Pretty sure they aren't. They did just add the ability to hide games in your library though to help minimise clutter.

[Skykid]

Valve is adding the option to hide your Steam gaming history and achievements from others.

Pretty sure they aren't. They did just add the ability to hide games in your library though to help minimise clutter.

Another estebang factual special. I think that's three this week.