Debate: Skill or Balance?

As we all know... video games are varied between the playability. Whether a game geared towards mature audiences feel like five year-olds can play, or vice versa. It all comes down to this simplicity: Balance? or Skill?

I cannot say, necessarily that either is better nor worse, but what people should really gear their sights on as what is accountable as fair or what is not fair. It's always good to know how people are being treated in a populace of many many gamers. But you always seem to have that one person at a LAN party, or that one person online, bitch about how some people are better than they are. Let's deal with those people first, shall we?

Games are for many open minded individuals, who are always looking to better themselves in one aspect or another. If you cannot play, just practice. If you cannot practice, do not ever complain. It's that easy. Crank the handicap! Switch the difficulty! Work your way up. Shooters are definitely, other than fighters, the most played game among thousands of hardcore players. If you are used to twiddling your thumbs to Jak and Daxter, than all the fairness to you. Those are great games. However, you cannot do this: "Oh, it's alright... I'm ready to play Call of Duty 4 on Veteran! I've been playing Super Mario Sunshine, just for this moment!" It's not embarrassing to admit you need a little more playtime. I, myself, are not the hardcore Xbox player. I prefer PC among anything. In your case, Balance is preferred, and that is understood. Brawl has a system, to where if someone is using the same attack over and over again... the damage dealt decreases, allowing virtually anyone to get a good hit, or threeSecondly, do not fret about not being good enough. Anyone can play anything great. You just have to practice. Watch videos, see screenshots... get pumped! I listen to good music before a game, or even during. Surround yourself with things you enjoy.

Now to you. The people with bragging rights. We all know your good. But honestly, you have been the noob behind player four's screen as well as we all have. But I am not here for that. We know that you have practiced, and practiced for your tournament, or just pissing your dad off by being better than he is... but please stay away from Exploits. It's a little hard for someone with a learning curve to get the sheer point of the game, if you are doing things that interfere with the main objective of the game. Take Halo. Halo One had the least amount of exploits, until you come online with Halo Two. Halo Two, after all the patches that fixed exploitations, was pure skill. And that was a given. Many people switched from Halo two to Call of Duty 4, because the gameplay was jaded from the second. Halo switched from being good for Hardcore gamers, to anyone in particular. It was balance.

It's for you to decide. There are the three groups of people. Casual, Hardcore, and in between. They all have their certain likes... which we should respect. Skill is reserved for those ready, and balance is something everyone can enjoy.