Games that require spending money—we don’t discuss this here. Within the gaming community, they are commonly called “money warriors.” It doesn’t require understanding game mechanics, just a substantial wallet. Their enjoyment comes from being surrounded by subordinates and the thrill of “city-destroying.”

Competitive games with a wide audience, such as League of Legends, Dota, Honor of Kings, and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, have world-building that is fully established, and their esports scenes are already in a virtuous cycle

In game design, psychology is indeed a key area, and social psychology is particularly important. Understanding people’s behavior, needs, and motivations can help design more engaging game experiences. Regarding the relationship between “showing off” and social psychology, we can look at it from the following perspectives:

1. Social recognition: People often seek to establish a sense of belonging within social groups. In games, if the design allows players to feel exceptional in some way and attract the attention of other players, it can increase their social recognition. This may manifest as showing off skills or displaying earned rewards.

2. Social competition: Some games incorporate elements of social competition, encouraging players to showcase their achievements on social networks. This can be achieved through leaderboards, achievement systems, or multiplayer battles. Such design stimulates a competitive psychology among players and may lead some players to perform better in order to gain social recognition.

3. Self-presentation: Some games allow players to express themselves through customizing characters, virtual items, and other means. This self-presentation is not just about showing off; it can also be a way of expressing individuality and engaging in social interaction.

4. Teamwork: Some games emphasize teamwork, achieving game objectives through social interaction. In such situations, showing off may not be encouraged, but rather team collaboration and mutual support are stressed.

5. Psychological reward systems: Game design can adopt psychological reward systems to stimulate players’ positive social behaviors. For example, giving players rewards or privileges to encourage them to actively participate in social interactions.

Overall, social psychology in game design can be used to shape interactions and social experiences among players. While showing off behavior may exist in certain situations, game designers typically work to balance this behavior to ensure a positive and enjoyable gaming experience for all players.

I write as I think, there’s no complete outline, so it’s a little messy

The author often plays League of Legends, which is a shared memory of our generation. Most parents don’t like their children playing games because they haven’t deeply understood or experienced this type of game. This is also related to the game design; each game is a new beginning. For many children, when they play, they don’t bring too much thought into it, but rather explore on their own. In this mode, winning or losing depends more on the child’s innate gaming talent. Based on my personal experience, a considerable number of players fall into this category.

The biggest cost isn’t money, it’s time

The game also features an entertainment mode to cater to the needs of casual players

For me, League of Legends is more about fulfilling a “Romance of the Three Kingdoms” dream. You start with nothing, and through your understanding, last-hitting, farming, spending resources, controlling vision, setting traps for the enemy – it’s more about using your brain than having exceptional gaming talent, and you can still have a lot of fun. The feeling of being in control of everything, the joy of turning around a losing game. And there are also many “spectator players” who don’t play the game anymore, but still watch the matches during Worlds.

It’s unavoidable to mention game time. This isn’t referring to the duration of a single game, but rather when you log in – weekend afternoons, or between 7 pm and 10 pm on weeknights. You’ll find that most communication with teammates goes smoothly; your signals are understood, and you receive responses. If you switch to other times, like playing through the night, you’re more likely to encounter internet addicts. In good situations, nothing happens. When things go badly, they can insult your whole family, and you can feel that sense of resentment radiating from the screen.

I’ve been in the IT industry, so I’ve had a lot of exposure to games and played many different types. When it comes to competitive games, I always rely on strategy rather than reaction speed. My natural aptitude is there, but compared to professionals or younger players, my reactions are slower. I’m used to playing with groups and taking control of the team’s direction. I started playing back when I was studying, playing alongside the older members of a guild.

The gaming environment now is quite restless, lacking the purity of before

After moving up in grade, playing high-level matches is really tiring. It requires intense concentration throughout the entire game, constantly thinking about your opponent’s plans and how to counter their setups – it’s the kind of experience where you don’t want to continue after finishing a match.

Honestly, being really good at gaming isn’t that useful if you don’t pursue it as a profession; it doesn’t change your life trajectory. It can be used for socializing, but it can’t provide a livelihood or allow you to establish yourself in society.

Single-player games and online games are two different types of games, with significant differences in gameplay, experience, and technology. Here are some key aspects to understand the distinctions between single-player and online games:

1. Connection method:

   • Standalone games (Offline/Single-player): These games are played alone on a local device and do not require an internet connection. Players can enjoy the gaming experience without network connectivity.
   • These games typically require an internet connection because players need to interact with each other in real time. Online games can be cooperative or competitive, involving online socializing and competition.

2. Player interaction:

   • Single-player games: Players primarily interact with in-game artificial intelligence, pre-set missions, or adversarial elements. The gaming experience is typically more personalized and influenced by the game’s design and storyline.
   • Online games: Players can interact with other real players from around the world. This may include cooperating to complete quests, competing against or challenging each other, and social elements such as chat, guild systems, etc.

3. Game design and content:

   • Single-player games: Game design focuses on providing a complete and independent storyline and gaming experience. The game content is typically pre-designed, and players explore, solve puzzles, or engage in combat within the game.
   • Online games: Game design needs to consider real-time interaction and competition or collaboration between players. The game content may be more dynamic, including regular updates, online events, and social interactions.

4. Technical Requirements:

   • Standalone games typically run offline and have relatively low requirements for device performance and internet connection
   • Online games require a strong internet connection and have high demands on server and network performance to ensure smooth real-time interaction

5. Business model:

   • Standalone games typically use a one-time purchase or download business model, allowing players to fully play the game on their local device after purchasing it
   • Online games may adopt various business models such as free play, advertising, in-game item purchases, or subscriptions to maintain server operations and continuously update game content

Understanding these differences helps players clarify their preferences when choosing a game and allows game designers to better meet player expectations