Hanging out with friends: a competitive edge in a cozy game
Videogames are an experience. How we engage with video games depends on a multitude of factors: our hardware, the type of game, and even who we are with when we play them. What’s interesting is that how other players modify the player experience is extremely dependent on the game. I think that Affect Theory could be used to better understand how players engage with their friends. For example, CS GO is a fast-paced competitive 5v5 shooter where players work to either attack or defend an objective. One feature of CS GO is that in addition to being able to shoot enemies, players can shoot their teammates. I’m not sure how common this is, but when I play with my friends I derive some sadistic pleasure in occasionally shooting my friends. There is no better feeling than shooting your friend than proceeding to win the round without them. The pleasure is not from trying to lose or not playing the game seriously, but rather finding humor in a close friend’s brief but intense frustration. However, my experience is very different in other games without this mechanic: from being more competitive in games like League of Legends, or more collaborative in games like Minecraft and Stardew Valley.
The majority of my Stardew experience has been on a multiplayer server with some of my close friends. While I generally like to play somewhat optimally when I am playing alone (optimal meaning I am maximizing my time and resources), playing with others I feel obligated to. I feel that my resources are not my own, but my groups, and therefore it’s not my time to goof off with. Furthermore, I am much more hesitant to make a purchase that personally benefits my character because I’m taking money from the group. I remember at the start of our session one of our members misread a spreadsheet and said that cauliflower was the most profitable crop, so we purchased about $10k worth of cauliflower seeds. Upon further review, we found that in the early game parsnips were a more efficient crop. It’s been about a month and we still make jokes about reading spreadsheets with this member. (like he could be checking an excel spreadsheet for his job and we would offer to look it over for him etc). Though I am not afraid of a little friendly needling, the reason I am driven to play optimally on Stardew is the same reason I play harder in team sports and swim harder in team practices.
On the flip side, I think it’s possible that playing with my friends has hindered our campaign progression. A lot of Stardew valley involves wandering around and talking to people, as well as fishing and gathering. However, I feel disinclined to work towards these activities because I generally feel that the group would benefit more from me grinding farming, mining, or some other more profitable endeavor than just wandering. Perhaps this focus and sense of obligation come at a cost when playing games that are meant to be more chill and ‘cozy.’
