[b][i][u]*Revised, V3!*[/b][/u] After my girlfriend showed some interest in my hobby of videogames, I decided I’d jump on the opportunity to play with her. We aptly dove right into the world of matchmaking, quickly got a game, and were on our way to playing. Big mistake. My girlfriend had [b]no[/b] experience with video games… whatsoever. So, she immediately became very frustrated with the game, and didn’t want to play anymore. I begged to her to give it a second chance, said I’d show her the ropes, break everything down starting from the basics. Thus, I have recreated my experience through the form of a guide on how to teach your significant other how to play. However, this doesn’t mean my tips can’t be used for anyone, just adjust them accordingly. In addition to this, I’ve seen an epidemic of threads about “losing your girlfriend because of halo 3” and such. Sadly, they’re misadventures of people wrongly treating their significant other due to a small mishap of some sort in Halo or other video games. Because of this – as well as many experiences I’ve seen with friends recently – I have integrated some simple “how to treat your significant other” tips into the thread. Now, many of these seem… well… to be common sense. Yet all of them I have seen violated by someone recently, multiple times. Sadly, this world is losing its ‘common sense’ and things that are seemingly obvious apparently need to be pointed out to some people now. I've tried to make this thread generic. If something bothers you, please let me know and I'll happily address it! Thanks a bunch! I hope you enjoy :) ~IA SWAT1202 [b][u]My Guide to Teaching Your Significant Other to Play Halo:[/u] *or* My guide to teaching newcomers…[/b][/i] Ok, so here it is. My basic guide for training someone who is new to Halo, and is interested in learning to play! First, let me lay down a few things: -This thread doesn’t apply to everyone, some people prefer to be thrown right in. -People who have some experience with games or FPS games will probably find this to ‘easy’ or ‘boring’ -This can be applied to anyone teaching anyone! That means a girlfriend teaching her boyfriend, a brother teaching his sister, or a daughter teaching her father – just adjust the tips accordingly! Also, This is just a basic training period, not how you should play with them every time. Depending on the player’s skill/previous experience, this could take anywhere from 15 minutes, to even a day – it all depends. Remember, just have fun! [b][i]1. Always start with custom games. [/b][/i] Generally, for new players, the world of matchmaking can be frustrating and annoying. Start out in a custom game, something basic. Teach them the basic controls and explain things to them, such as what the radar is, where the ammo display is, etc. [b][i]2. Try leveling the playing field.[/b][/i] Getting them to play with friends of the same skill level is great. This balances the game and makes it so much more fun for them. They’ll be enjoying it, and building on their basic skills at the same time! [b][i]3. When starting out, simple games are the key.[/b][/i] When I was first teaching my girlfriend to play, I started her out with rockets on foundry canvas. She was also playing with two of her friends of an equal skill range. They enjoyed the simplicity of it because they got to concentrate on figuring out the movement, timing for shots, and improving their aim. They didn’t have to worry about awkward grenade bounces from map geometry, having to constantly jump, or the possibility of falling off the map. After a while, they moved on to more complex games and other maps, but this was an easy and fun start for them. [b][i]4. Don’t play, guide them![/b][/i] Try pairing the situation with something else they enjoy. For example, when I taught my girlfriend, she sat on my lap and I helped her play. Remember to be constructive, saying useful things like “don’t forget to check your radar” or “if you need to, remember to reload with this button”. Just don’t make these too frequent to the point where you make them feel like they’re stupid or lower than you. However, when you explain things, make sure you use a language then can understand. Words like “strafe” and “melee” make sense to the experienced gamer, but if they’re new to the game, the words may be new to them as well. Also, before games, remind or explain to them what the basic concept is (i.e., if they’re just killing people or trying to grab a flag.). [b][i]5. [u]Always[/u] support them[/b][/i] Don’t make them feel like crap for doing bad. Depending on the person, it might be ok to tease them every now and then, but simply stating that they suck isn’t going to entice them to play the game… It will just add to the negative environment and furthermore deter them from the game. Remember to highlight things they’ve done correctly – mainly improvements- to help them continue in developing their game. Only some of your comments should fall under the “well… I would have done…” category, and ALWAYS make them in a constructive way. *note: this also means don’t teabag…* [b][i]6. Ask them how they feel about their game[/b][/i] Only they will know when they’re really ready to move on from this stage. They’ll be able to tell you what they feel like they still need to improve on and then you can adapt their training accordingly. Perhaps you could build a simple obstacle course so they could work on their jumping timing. Or maybe they want a racetrack so they can move on to advanced driving techniques! The only way to know is if you ask. Finally, you don’t need a bunch of people, or even people of their skill level to have fun. When I play with my girlfriend and it’s just her and me, sometimes we play a sort of ‘hide-and-seek’ game. Sure, I’ll kill her a couple times here and there, but what I usually do is try my best to just try to avoid her, or pick a funny hiding spot and guide her into finding me, for example “oh! I just saw my foot on your screen!” [b][i] A few final tips (for their basic training)![/b][/i] -make sure you suggest turning down their sensitivity. My girlfriend played on 1 because she didn’t react near as quick as you or I would. -This is [b]NOT[/b] to be used as a substitute for a date (unless that’s what you both want…) . Go on a real date, that’s crucial to a relationship. Regardless, this doesn’t mean you can’t ‘just hangout’ ever once in a while. Best of luck to all of you, and I hope you enjoy! [i]An additional tip from DSR Chainz[/i] [b][u]If you feel like spicing things up a little bit...[/u][/b] there's always strip halo :) [b][i][u]REMEMBER ABOVE ALL ELSE:[/b][/i][/u] it's just a game, she is way more important than Halo 3. Sure, it's fun and all, but she is possibly the person you're going to be spending your life with. If you put games as your priority, you'll regret it. Good Luck to All of You! ======================================================================== This is my thread. thus I say, KEEP IT CLEAN! This means no bashing of fellow players, no spamming, no excessive cursing, no spamming. Any of this will cause your post to immediately be reported. Civilized argument is fine... but I'm not sure what you'd be arguing against here anyway. And of course, contributions are always welcome! This is your [b]only[/b] warning, play nice. IN ADDITION, this in NO WAY is specific only to my account. The details can go either way, I am only using my example - with me teaching my girlfriend - to make it easier to write about and relate too. [b][i]This guide is to be used to help anyone who is new to Halo, not just for guys teaching girls how to play.[/b][/i] IN OTHER WORDS, I am not promoting: -sexism -racism -stereotypes -or male/female superiority in gaming Thank you. ======================================================================== Looking for more games to play with her? [i]See Also:[/i] [url=http://www.bungie.net/Forums/posts.aspx?postID=26568268&viewreplies=true] My Guide to Playing Guitar Hero With Your Girlfriend (or Any Significant Other) [/url] (soon to be updated in a similar manner!) Also, I suggest checking out [url=http://www.bungie.net/fanclub/245869/Group/GroupMembers.aspx]Couples of Halo 3[/url] [i][b]About the author[/b][/i] [i]My Name is Tony, I’m currently 18 years old. I live in Iowa and attend the U of I. The lovely woman I talk about in this thread is Gabby. We have been dating for just over 6 months now, but we [u]know[/u] we’ve found our soul mate. :) Some of you have asked what we look like, so, here’s a [url=http://img522.imageshack.us/img522/6473/gabbyipromuz2.jpg][horrible] picture[/url]. The reason I felt like creating this thread is because many of my friends have came to me with relationship troubles recently. In high school, I was always the go-to guy when somebody had a problem they wanted to discus regardless of topic. So, I thought I’d transfer my assistance in a fun and interesting way to Halo 3. Some of you will love this thread, others will despise it. I hope all of you see the basic message behind it though. If any of you ever want some advice about anything, PM me, I’m more than willing to help… but don’t expect amazing results. Unfortunately, it’s a little hard to relate to someone or see the whole of a situation over the internet. However, I’ll try my best to help you out the best I can, whether it’s a question because you’re new to the forums, or you’re not quite sure how to talk to that cute guy in your bio class. :) Helping people is something I love to do, and I will take any situation you throw out me. If you’re looking for that special someone, I wish you the best of luck. If you’ve already found them, congrats! Hold on them forever because you’ll regret it the second you let go. Anyway, I’m done running my mouth off now. See you around the forums! ~IA SWAT1202[/i] [Edited on 11.10.2008 1:45 AM PST]