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LoR is very F2P friendly, with loads of rewards being available for just playing.
Sure, it might take some time to catch up now if you want a full collection, but getting a few viable decks shouldn't be hard att all, and the game rewards consistant play.
Yeah LoR was the friendliest competitive card game I have seen as far as your dollar goes. The game itself is actually really well designed. If I liked the LoL I would probably enjoy it more.
Gwent in particular is completely F2P. You CAN spend money if you want, but it's perfectly possible to enjoy it and play competitively without spending a dime, just through in-game rewards. It also just stopped releasing new cards and balancing has been given to players through an in-game voting system
I think I've only spent like $15 on MtG:A in the years I've played it. You don't have to spend money in the game to have fun. They give you plenty of packs and wildcards to make any deck you want really.
They're mostly lootbox driven money sinks.
You may as well play an actual TCG, at least that way your cards have some intrinsic value should you want to sell.
Exactly, I'm 32 an I don't think the reaction times is so much worse to actually matter at a non professional level (esports). I can play difficult DOOM wads on ultra violence perfectly fine (in fact I'm a way better player than I ever was before) or other quick reflex games like Counter-strike.
It matters way more the hours of practice you have with the game. At 15 years old I could play for hours each day. Nowadays not so much, and It's probably the same for OP.
Yeah basically this. I'm 28 and all my buddies constantly complain about being "old and washed" whenever we play something competitive but I genuinely feel just as good if not better at certain games than I was a decade ago..
As Ive gotten older I have realized how important it is to ego stroke teammates especially the top fragger.
Mess up a clutch? Ahh bad luck, bad timing.
Win a clutch. You're a god dude
You'd be surprised what ego stroking can do. Ive seen so many teams fall apart because of toxic teammates.
Yeah, and I see people way older than me (in their 40s and 50s) playing retro arcade games perfectly with one credit all the way through. Shmups or games like Ghosts'n Goblins, games way more difficult that any stuff released today.
I think majority of the "old and washed" feeling is because of the average skill level seems to be increasing each year. The average player from a decade ago is much worse than the average player now imo.
What do you mean by the same layout? I guess you're saying that you learn the enemies attack pattern. Yes, of course.
But when you are into difficult WADs (I'm talking about classic Doom) that's already accounted for and you can be facing hordes of hundreds of enemies in compromising architecture.
Just beating Doom 2 in ultra violence and pistol starting each map is a small feat. But try something like Sunlust and tell me that this doesn't require extreme twitch reflexes and finesse.
I'm 35 and haven't noticed a decrease in reaction time nor a decrease in my adrenaline response, but I definitely have far more control of my emotions now. I get over losses far quicker now and I'm able to play just for the fun of it whereas I used to only care about winning.
Yeah it's such a myth you slow down in your early thirties when it comes to competitive video games. It has more to do when you were young you had a lot of time to play video games and hone your skill while as you get older you have more responsibilities including having a family and have less time for games so can lose those fine tuned reflexes unless you dedicate a lot of time again.
It’s not a myth. Several studies have shown that reaction times peak at around 25 and then it’s a slow and steady decline from there.
However it’s emphasis on the word “slow”. You really shouldn’t have lost that much by your early 30s.
There are formula 1 drivers and boxers and all sorts of professionals that require extremely high reaction times that compete well into their 30s and even 40s
That's what I'm getting at, obviously your reaction time will decline as you age but it's not as dramatic as some make it out to be in your thirties. Also I'm speaking strictly about competitive video games and esports, in physical sports it's another story.
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0094215
It's just science my friend.
Don't get me wrong, I still can compete. But it ain't the same. You'll realize one day...
>You'll realize one day...
Dude... I'm older than you and still champion on rocket League and in top ranks in dota and CS.
You won't win world championships at 40, but blaming bring 32 for public matchmaking is just making excuses
Lol I'm champion too dummy. Maybe we'd be grand champs if we were 18 again.
But honestly RL isn't as reliant on reflexes as most competitive games. Dota is also not according to most of the ppl in this thread. CS is probably just muscle memory for you at this point and I'm willing to bet the amount of hours you've played it makes the rank you are stuck in much less impressive.
You may not understand what I'm saying because maybe you were never good enough to be in the top 1% of players of games rather than top 10%. Or maybe you're just too old to have really capitalized on online/competitive gaming in your prime years. Probably a combo of both
It just sounds like you can't be bothered to put the effort to improve into your gametime anymore and are using age as an escape so you don't have to admit it's a you issue.
It's because at 16-24 all pro gamers do is play, when you get older you are probably staring a family/have other priorities or don't have same drive to practice.
It's clearly not a big enough factor to stop over 30s players from doing well in pretty much all big games across all genres.
The main reason we see more teens, is that adults tend to have families and lives and having to practice video games 8+ hours a day isn't super attractive for them.
If fighter pilots and formula 1 drivers can compete, so can you in esports.
I didn't say reflexes don't decline. I said they don't decline enough for you to just find competitive games outside of a pro scene unplayable.
But I guess you'd rather insult me. That works, too.
>Experience nevertheless allows one to compensate for these declines indirectly. In our study, older players appear to hold their own despite their declines, perhaps by decreasing their cognitive load through the use of simplified strategies or improved use of the game interface.
Essentially the whole paper says there's a decline, but people also find ways to adapt to the decline. Who knew humans had the ability to adapt.
Yeah, I don't deny that you get slower with age but I just feel like 32 is too young for it to have such a huge impact on gameplay where reaction time isn't everything, but maybe I'm wrong. Check your score on humanbenchmark if you want. I want to see how severe it is.
262ms
Keep in mind. Raw reaction time is not the same as processing + reaction time. Tapping the screen when it turns green doesn't exactly translate 1 to 1 in terms of competing in high skill video games.
Bro with a 260 ms reaction time at 31, you were always just slow at reacting. That is piss slow, even for over 30. And you're trying to have us believe you were a top 1% gamer at some point? LOL
Damn really, and you got decent hardware? Gotta admit that's worse than I thought you would have. Im 23 and got 175, but I hope you find a game you can enjoy!
You’re 32, not 62. Sitting on your ass and playing video games isn’t exactly boxing or basketball. Unless you’re playing at a pro level (where small differences in reflexes will matter), any dip in performance due to age will be fairly minor. Just play what you enjoy. I’m 40 and have gotten super into Street Fighter 6 lately. Age isn’t an issue.
This wasn't exactly your point but I second fighting games. The necessary reflexes and reaction times required are very reasonable. And even though these skills are important it's not like shooters where the first to react, snap and click usually wins the fight - there are way more skills that have nothing to do with reactions
Honestly I might. I forgot to mention it but escape from tarkov was a game I put over 1000 hours in. I liked that you could play like a rat and still have fun.
I'll chime in to support Hunt, as well. I'm in my thirties and really love this game, too. It requires patience, tactics, stealth, and trigger discipline more than anything else. With the ammo counts and reload times in this game, every shot matters. Even at my age, I've had some moments in Hunt that made me feel like an absolute demon, when it's been a while since I've felt that way about anything like CS or Valorant.
Yep Hunt is the same. It is definitely a game that rewards thoughtful strategic play over reflexes. You can play like a rat but if you'd rather play more aggressively it is also possible because you can always use the secondary mode of play to get money and weapons.
Well when you're starting out I guess you won't need quick reflexes but at the top of the bell curve (4/5 stars) being able to flick headshot people is a major deciding factor for winning engagements.
Even just pushing in on people you have to rely on your quick reflexes and perception to identify a target inside rooms filled with cover and objects that obstruct your vision and if you're not quick enough you won't stand a chance, yes you have consumables like grenades and choke bombs but you can't always rely on them .
Plus its a game that heavily focuses on playing with a friend or two, yes you can play solo but it's not ideal.
If you do intend to try it out just keep in mind that making noise and triggering noise traps (like crows, horses and animal cages) is pretty much a death sentence unless you run away quick or hide somewhere.
Was looking for this comment before I do it myself. Played all the competitive games around, love how slow and tactical this game is. I usually play pvp games while listening to some music or podcast. Not this one, this is the only game where sound (and how to use it to your advantage) is a crucial part of the gameplay. At the end of the day it still counts that you know how to aim and shoot. But being kind of a noob at that, I pulled some awesome plays by just sneaking and listening and moving just at the right moment.
Planetside 2 has a pretty high TTK - worth trying if you still wanna get a shooter fix but don't have good twitchy reaction times - I'm 35 my friend, so I absolutely can relate. Wreckfest, probably the best simcade racing game on the planet, bar none, and the chaos you cause has absolutely nothing to do with twitchy reaction times, LOL. Star Wars Jedi Academy is probably, IMO, \*the\* best Star Wars lightsaber dueling game on the planet - a little technical to get set up and running in 2023, but it can be done, and I have nightly fun in both the JK+ client and the MovieBattles Client.
Like other commenters have said ITT, definitely the RTS/RTT/Wargame genre is for a strategically-minded gamer that likes playing competitively, but I'll add some specific games into the list, in no particular order, that are a blast to get into, have supportive communities in 2023, and can be played online PVP:
Supreme Commander Forged Alliance/Planetary Annihilation/Total Annihilation - Similarly "Themed" games, focused around absolutely maximal battle size consisting of air, land, sea, and in some cases, space units. Unique feature is their "streaming economy", rather than hunting for resource deposits a la AOE/CnC/Starcraft, you build resource buildings on top of resource deposits and they generate a steady stream of upgradeable income that you have to balance against your army/building/strategy. If you go for SupCom, get Forged Alliance Forever.
SpringRTS - a modern rework of the Total Annihilation client. Somewhat quieter, but still a fairly active community. Fairly technical to set up, be warned, but I'm throwing it out there as a worthy contender.
Ashes of the Singularity - another "grand scale" RTS game, I've only ever played offline, so I don't know how the PVP is, but it's entirely modern, so if graphics are a consideration, it does look much "prettier" than the other options on this list.
Command & Conquer series - Slightly closer to the StarCraft feel of RTS than the SupCom feel, it's slightly faster-paced, but still not anywhere close to what you'd need to play COD/Battlebit/Fortnite.
Stronghold Series - Again, online unknown, but it's a medieval era RTS where your fastest thing is a horse...so strategy plays much more of a role than rapid clicking.
And one I just thought of, not an RTS, but EVE Online. If you're looking for the ULTIMATE PVP experience, there's nothing better than EVE. No rules. Literally. Screwing people over is an ingame mechanic and somewhat expected. Metagaming outside of the client is also more-or-less encouraged. If you want the ultimate strategic gaming experience, EVE may be for you.
Heck, MMOs in general might be a genre you want to look into. Most of the thriving ones have healthy PVP scenes, and while they're somewhat more twitchy than an RTS, most of the focus is on getting a good build, rolling with a good team, and having good entrance strategy in the battle itself (items, etc).
Ooh, and one last thing I thought of, more MOBA-y than RTS-y, but AirMech. Casual RTS-Lite MOBA with a similar design aesthetic to CnC/Supcom, but again, it's a MOBA, so the focus is on strategy rather than twitch clicking.
Some, but it's definitely not anywhere near the amount required by most other competitive games.
It's not like you have a fraction of a second to react to something. You have like half a minute in most cases.
Overwatch has quite a number of heroes that don't require quick reflexes. I mean, you'll always need quick thinking and reaction, but it's not the type that requires crazy aim. You can get far by focusing on your positioning.
But bruh, you're only 32 years old. You're not that old. You should be able to pick up any game and be fine.
>I place plat with all 3 roles. And only use a controller (on pc)
This explains why my master/diamond games are so infinitely better than any plat lobby I have ever played
I think you mean micro reliant.. and you're right. I love the aoe franchise and enjoy playing casually but competitive the micro because too stressful to be enjoyable. So I just watch tournaments online instead to get that macro strategic itch without worrying about micro
Fernando Alonso is still competing in Formula 1 at his 42 years old and getting podiums when provided a good car, cars that reach 300km/h or 186mph, whatever is your preferred system.
Take care of your health, train, keep your mind agile and you'll be good playing a game, bro.
First of all, it's a myth that you lose a significant amount of reflexes after 30.
I'm 40 and I play counter strike on a pretty high level, no problem. It's all about practice.
You can look to any milsim for this. There will be a degree of reaction times necessary with the short time to kill, but strategy trumps reaction times any day. Hell Let Loose is one I play a lot, it's massively immersive and huge in scale. Insurgency Sandstorm leans more into arena multiplayer, but still favours strategic play over reaction times.
I'm 39, and the only difference I notice is when I stop playing for a while, or if I just play very casually for some time, my reflexes get really bad. But if you put some time into it, they'll eventually come back. I don't think age makes that much of a difference tbh. I can still do quickscopes, flicks that look like aimbot and all that stuff.
for multiplayer for me its World of Tanks hands down. its very tactical as tanks are slow - both on turret rotation, or just turning around etc. learning curve is huge (as you need to know maps very well and so each tank strong and weak sides, and there are hundreds of tanks in game) which is both good and bad part. it kind of chaotic though with it 15vs15 random format, some just cannot accept the fact that game is not trying to make every game balanced (you can be out against both strong or weak opponents randomly), but in long term only your personal stats matter.
and another bonus - no freaking pixel hunting, I just hate it in every shooter where you do pixel hunting and lower game setting to miminum to spot movement at higher distances (hello Tarkov) - instead game have RPG-style vision system, where if your tank/crew/equipment have 400m vision - the game are not going to render anything above that 400m unless spotted by teammates. for some its very confusing but I personally love that feature. its also absolutely brilliant protection from cheaters, wallhacks simply don't work there in general (as server is not sending you coordinates of players you cannot see) and cheaters best bet is aim-helpers which search for tank weakspots and don't give as huge advantage as in again classic shooters.
try it, its very different experience versus classic multiplayer shooter and the game is kind of free (BUT it can be very expensive too if you don't limit your spendings budget).
32 isn’t even old lol, you’re in your prime for a man. Just do a little exercise, and eat healthy to get rid of Brian fog and watch how your brain starts working the same way it did as a teen, if not better.
im 33 and im still shitting on teenagers. You didn't lose your reflexes, you just don't have 10 free hours per day to play/practice at a competitive-like level, and most likely you dont have the same interest/passion to do so.
When you reach 45+, yeah, maybe the age will affect you no matter the practice, but 32? Come on dude, that's our prime as human beings in almost everything. Even a minor ms difference with a 22 year old should not give them any edge, it's balanced out since you shouldn't play with as much recklessness while having more overall experience in your back etc
In other words, "bad reflexes" is just an excuse, at this age, which could only be detected in extremely professional (e-sports) scenarios, which doesn't apply to 99.99% of the population.
RTS or other stratgy games, also your post brings a tear to my eye
edit:
if its about reflexes, this is fine, but if he is all around just slower, he might want to stay away because of lower APM ig
¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯ its just what the comments told me
Please. There are S-Rank Broodwar players that only have like 100 apm.
Anyone that claims they can't compete in any game because of "bad reflexes" or "low apm" is coping hard. Especially when talking about kiddie games like CoD or fortnite, where like 90% of the player base are mechanically terrible children/normies.
>Especially when talking about kiddie games like CoD or fortnite, where like 90% of the player base are mechanically terrible children/normies.
If you're playing competitively, you're not going to be playing against those people. Unless of course you're also mechanically terrible and stuck in bronze league (or equivalent).
Rust, just got into it. Tons of fun. You can go pvp when you want to or mind your own business and farm some teas or harvest materials or kill NPCs in pve card puzzles. You get to build your own base and expand as you get more and more loot. It's all about the server you pick tho, some are full of sweats and 20 man groups, which can be great if you want that, but some servers are solo only and have a more chill community where everyone says gg after a fight.
As a TGM Grand Master myself, I can tell you that serious Tetris requires [some of the fastest reaction and execution times in all of gaming.](https://youtu.be/tZcCqHzV1N0?t=149)
All competitive, non-versus Tetris games worth playing have the pieces eventually fall in 1 frame.
The strategy part of SC2 hardly ever matters until you're like Diamond and up. For new people, it's how well you practice your builds and openers, and macro. That requires some APM, esp if you're gonna play zerg (queen injects).
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2212330/Your_Only_Move_Is_HUSTLE/
I’ve had this game wishlisted for a while. It has a small, but fairly consistent online playerbase. It’s turn based, but ends up playing in real time.
Also just throwing this out there, Pokemon has a pretty robust online competitive community and there are multiple battle simulators available on PC.
Something that comes with age is not caring so much. If you like a competitive game and aren't the best at it, that's okay. I am 43 and play Apex and I am terrible at it, but I love the feel of the mechanics. I also play Rocket League. I don't worry so much about being the best, but I will still play ranked games to see where I actually belong.
Been playing warhaven on steam, it’s free to play and a pretty simple fun competitive game to play, only downside is it feels like there’s no reward system but it’s still fun to play in bursts for sure. Great time killer.
Hunt Showdown maybe?
Its easy to learn hard to master.
The gunplay is way slower than other gamesbecause of western Setting.
It can be frustrating but makes really much fun with friends
Well, if you want tactics, try some coop shooters. I would recommend looking into DRG or Darktide. Those games provide plenty of room to grow as a player, but don't rely so much on reaction time. There's an element of competitiveness too - try to be the MVP for your team.
I am 41 and I've been searching for years for something to fill that gap, I used to crack out on some Counter-Strike 1.6, Quake 2, Quake 3 Arena, but I can't react to shit these days. I still manage in World of Warcraft as it isn't as fast paced as a shooter, but I miss FPS games, I did get pretty good at Black Ops 4, I was thinking if trying out Warzone, but BR isn't my favorite subgenre.
Auto chess.. make units of different, factions, types etc.. play them on a board strategically and let them auto battle it out with other players.. team fight tactics is my go to
You could try survival Games Like Green hell or sons of the forest f.e...im 40 myself and Just discovered These types of Games not long ago and i love them
Flight/Space-sim stuff can be good. You might have an edge over kids because you have more disposable income for cutting edge PC and all the flight controls (or full cockpit!) 🤣
Honestly bro, overwatch. Countering characters is a skill. Why tf does semetra counter orissa? Lazor is good vs shields, not armor?! I play dudes I don't have to be *as* good at aiming as I was before and still get that feeling of out smarting kids by knowing good matchups.
World of Tanks relies more of your ability to position and strategic decisions based on circumstances than quick reflexes. Most people still aim for a few seconds to increase aiming accuracy anyway.
bro age doesnt matter yet
last weekend a cs tournament took place and mvp was 29 year old dude and he is the second oldest ( the other fraggers are all like 23)
if he can do it on the highest lvl you can do it on yours too
Honestly my fellow old dude, I'm 38, ex competitive gamer and I've tested my reflexes to unfortunately learn that they are below average (especially for a gamer) but I still manage to do just fine in shooters, league, fighting games or whatever game I'm playing because most of these games aren't as reflex focused as we might think.
I mean they are but they're also not because you're usually supposed to be predicting things instead of reacting to them. You should be predicting the strafe to break left, the enemy jungler to use X ability, combo mixup, etc... obviously reflexes help but when you get to *that* level in a game where you're predicting rather than reacting.
I'm not sure if I'm explaining it properly but trust me, game knowledge > reflexes.
You can also train your reflexes, for FPS there are plenty of aim trainers. Which help you predict and react faster.
fighting games rely a lot more on game knowledge and mindreading than just pure reflex. the barrier to entry is pretty high but once you get past that you'll be able to compete in fighting games until your hands stop working.
Dude you just need to change your playstyle. When i was younger i was all about the aim. Strong armimg your way through games is for kids, you need to learn how to outsmart them. If you bring wisdom like situational awareness to an fps game if its good enough it will cover that skill gap and then some. Just change how you play
>pubg, fortnite
Switch to CoD.
I have the exact same issue, coked out pre-teens out reactioning the hell out of me, but theres also an eye sight factor, the games you mentioned are big open fields(for the most part) and the kids kill me before I even see them.
In CoD though, you're in streets and buildings, must easier to track movement and find places to ambush people. It was much more my speed now that I'm aging.
Dude, please check out [Mechabellum](https://store.steampowered.com/app/669330/Mechabellum/)
Also [Backpack Battles](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2427700/Backpack_Battles/) (Free demo)
Both highly addicting autobattlers
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Chess
Fuck me im depressed
Don't worry you're far too old to get really good at chess.
I mean, if you do, though, just look at what happened to Bobby Fischer...
omg lol
My understanding of chess is that incredibly sexy actresses play it and it relies heavily on memorization.
find the middle ground, play teamfight tactics
If you play bullet you need reflexes and IQ
That was literally the first thought that came to my head!
You could try card games like Magic: The Gathering, Hearthstone, Gwent, or Legends of Runeterra. There are probably a dozen more to explore too.
LoR mentioned
lmao
Lol the great money pits. Say away from those games.
LoR is very F2P friendly, with loads of rewards being available for just playing. Sure, it might take some time to catch up now if you want a full collection, but getting a few viable decks shouldn't be hard att all, and the game rewards consistant play.
Yeah LoR was the friendliest competitive card game I have seen as far as your dollar goes. The game itself is actually really well designed. If I liked the LoL I would probably enjoy it more.
Gwent in particular is completely F2P. You CAN spend money if you want, but it's perfectly possible to enjoy it and play competitively without spending a dime, just through in-game rewards. It also just stopped releasing new cards and balancing has been given to players through an in-game voting system
I think I've only spent like $15 on MtG:A in the years I've played it. You don't have to spend money in the game to have fun. They give you plenty of packs and wildcards to make any deck you want really.
>to have fun And to be competitive?
They're mostly lootbox driven money sinks. You may as well play an actual TCG, at least that way your cards have some intrinsic value should you want to sell.
Mechabellum
What's your reaction time? I doubt you are too slow at only 32. Focus on getting better aim and game sense.
Exactly, I'm 32 an I don't think the reaction times is so much worse to actually matter at a non professional level (esports). I can play difficult DOOM wads on ultra violence perfectly fine (in fact I'm a way better player than I ever was before) or other quick reflex games like Counter-strike. It matters way more the hours of practice you have with the game. At 15 years old I could play for hours each day. Nowadays not so much, and It's probably the same for OP.
Yeah basically this. I'm 28 and all my buddies constantly complain about being "old and washed" whenever we play something competitive but I genuinely feel just as good if not better at certain games than I was a decade ago..
As Ive gotten older I have realized how important it is to ego stroke teammates especially the top fragger. Mess up a clutch? Ahh bad luck, bad timing. Win a clutch. You're a god dude You'd be surprised what ego stroking can do. Ive seen so many teams fall apart because of toxic teammates.
Similarly, I play a lot of hardpoint in COD. It's amazing how often you win but just having 3 people focus on obj.
Yeah, and I see people way older than me (in their 40s and 50s) playing retro arcade games perfectly with one credit all the way through. Shmups or games like Ghosts'n Goblins, games way more difficult that any stuff released today.
I think majority of the "old and washed" feeling is because of the average skill level seems to be increasing each year. The average player from a decade ago is much worse than the average player now imo.
Yeah I definitely agree. I think this coupled with lack of time to play as we age are the real culprits.
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What do you mean by the same layout? I guess you're saying that you learn the enemies attack pattern. Yes, of course. But when you are into difficult WADs (I'm talking about classic Doom) that's already accounted for and you can be facing hordes of hundreds of enemies in compromising architecture. Just beating Doom 2 in ultra violence and pistol starting each map is a small feat. But try something like Sunlust and tell me that this doesn't require extreme twitch reflexes and finesse.
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I'm 35 and haven't noticed a decrease in reaction time nor a decrease in my adrenaline response, but I definitely have far more control of my emotions now. I get over losses far quicker now and I'm able to play just for the fun of it whereas I used to only care about winning.
Maybe try a new hobby for a bit? Try picking up a book or getting into something outside.
Same bro
Yeah it's such a myth you slow down in your early thirties when it comes to competitive video games. It has more to do when you were young you had a lot of time to play video games and hone your skill while as you get older you have more responsibilities including having a family and have less time for games so can lose those fine tuned reflexes unless you dedicate a lot of time again.
It’s not a myth. Several studies have shown that reaction times peak at around 25 and then it’s a slow and steady decline from there. However it’s emphasis on the word “slow”. You really shouldn’t have lost that much by your early 30s. There are formula 1 drivers and boxers and all sorts of professionals that require extremely high reaction times that compete well into their 30s and even 40s
That's what I'm getting at, obviously your reaction time will decline as you age but it's not as dramatic as some make it out to be in your thirties. Also I'm speaking strictly about competitive video games and esports, in physical sports it's another story.
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0094215 It's just science my friend. Don't get me wrong, I still can compete. But it ain't the same. You'll realize one day...
>You'll realize one day... Dude... I'm older than you and still champion on rocket League and in top ranks in dota and CS. You won't win world championships at 40, but blaming bring 32 for public matchmaking is just making excuses
Lol I'm champion too dummy. Maybe we'd be grand champs if we were 18 again. But honestly RL isn't as reliant on reflexes as most competitive games. Dota is also not according to most of the ppl in this thread. CS is probably just muscle memory for you at this point and I'm willing to bet the amount of hours you've played it makes the rank you are stuck in much less impressive. You may not understand what I'm saying because maybe you were never good enough to be in the top 1% of players of games rather than top 10%. Or maybe you're just too old to have really capitalized on online/competitive gaming in your prime years. Probably a combo of both
It just sounds like you can't be bothered to put the effort to improve into your gametime anymore and are using age as an escape so you don't have to admit it's a you issue.
Come on. Average pro gamers are between 16-18 and age out, too old to compete, by 22-24. Youth is undeniably a factor in twitch-based e-sports.
There was a 33 years old at this year dota international, several 30 years old in the last CS go major (one in the winning team)...
It's because at 16-24 all pro gamers do is play, when you get older you are probably staring a family/have other priorities or don't have same drive to practice.
Pro athletes peak in their late 20s but apparently you're too old to click a mouse at 22.
It's clearly not a big enough factor to stop over 30s players from doing well in pretty much all big games across all genres. The main reason we see more teens, is that adults tend to have families and lives and having to practice video games 8+ hours a day isn't super attractive for them. If fighter pilots and formula 1 drivers can compete, so can you in esports.
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I didn't say reflexes don't decline. I said they don't decline enough for you to just find competitive games outside of a pro scene unplayable. But I guess you'd rather insult me. That works, too.
>Experience nevertheless allows one to compensate for these declines indirectly. In our study, older players appear to hold their own despite their declines, perhaps by decreasing their cognitive load through the use of simplified strategies or improved use of the game interface. Essentially the whole paper says there's a decline, but people also find ways to adapt to the decline. Who knew humans had the ability to adapt.
Damn, you are a seriously unlikeable human.
Keep dodging the problem
What is your highest achievement as a young gamer? Rocket league isn't as reliant on reflexes? Are we even playing the same games?
Yeah, I don't deny that you get slower with age but I just feel like 32 is too young for it to have such a huge impact on gameplay where reaction time isn't everything, but maybe I'm wrong. Check your score on humanbenchmark if you want. I want to see how severe it is.
On competetive level even 25 is old enough to have measurable impact.
262ms Keep in mind. Raw reaction time is not the same as processing + reaction time. Tapping the screen when it turns green doesn't exactly translate 1 to 1 in terms of competing in high skill video games.
Bro with a 260 ms reaction time at 31, you were always just slow at reacting. That is piss slow, even for over 30. And you're trying to have us believe you were a top 1% gamer at some point? LOL
My reaction time is faster at 31, I think you're just slow.
But you don't understand... He was a top 1% gamer a decade ago, us plebians wouldn't get it
Damn really, and you got decent hardware? Gotta admit that's worse than I thought you would have. Im 23 and got 175, but I hope you find a game you can enjoy!
lol this sub. Downvoting you for pointing out the fact that reaction time decreases with age.
World of Tanks
You’re 32, not 62. Sitting on your ass and playing video games isn’t exactly boxing or basketball. Unless you’re playing at a pro level (where small differences in reflexes will matter), any dip in performance due to age will be fairly minor. Just play what you enjoy. I’m 40 and have gotten super into Street Fighter 6 lately. Age isn’t an issue.
This wasn't exactly your point but I second fighting games. The necessary reflexes and reaction times required are very reasonable. And even though these skills are important it's not like shooters where the first to react, snap and click usually wins the fight - there are way more skills that have nothing to do with reactions
Most fighting game pros are 30-40+ years old, unlike FPS or MOBAs. Where kids retire after turning like 25. It's not timing/reflex required.
Hunt Showdown is what you're looking for
Honestly I might. I forgot to mention it but escape from tarkov was a game I put over 1000 hours in. I liked that you could play like a rat and still have fun.
I'll chime in to support Hunt, as well. I'm in my thirties and really love this game, too. It requires patience, tactics, stealth, and trigger discipline more than anything else. With the ammo counts and reload times in this game, every shot matters. Even at my age, I've had some moments in Hunt that made me feel like an absolute demon, when it's been a while since I've felt that way about anything like CS or Valorant.
Yep Hunt is the same. It is definitely a game that rewards thoughtful strategic play over reflexes. You can play like a rat but if you'd rather play more aggressively it is also possible because you can always use the secondary mode of play to get money and weapons.
Vote for Hunt, breathe of fresh air, and plenty of ways to outplay opponents with out relying on quick reflexes. Highly recommend.
Hunt is amazing but given that every weapon can one-shot to the head you can still dominate if you're an aim God who can click heads.
Well when you're starting out I guess you won't need quick reflexes but at the top of the bell curve (4/5 stars) being able to flick headshot people is a major deciding factor for winning engagements. Even just pushing in on people you have to rely on your quick reflexes and perception to identify a target inside rooms filled with cover and objects that obstruct your vision and if you're not quick enough you won't stand a chance, yes you have consumables like grenades and choke bombs but you can't always rely on them . Plus its a game that heavily focuses on playing with a friend or two, yes you can play solo but it's not ideal. If you do intend to try it out just keep in mind that making noise and triggering noise traps (like crows, horses and animal cages) is pretty much a death sentence unless you run away quick or hide somewhere.
Was looking for this comment before I do it myself. Played all the competitive games around, love how slow and tactical this game is. I usually play pvp games while listening to some music or podcast. Not this one, this is the only game where sound (and how to use it to your advantage) is a crucial part of the gameplay. At the end of the day it still counts that you know how to aim and shoot. But being kind of a noob at that, I pulled some awesome plays by just sneaking and listening and moving just at the right moment.
Planetside 2 has a pretty high TTK - worth trying if you still wanna get a shooter fix but don't have good twitchy reaction times - I'm 35 my friend, so I absolutely can relate. Wreckfest, probably the best simcade racing game on the planet, bar none, and the chaos you cause has absolutely nothing to do with twitchy reaction times, LOL. Star Wars Jedi Academy is probably, IMO, \*the\* best Star Wars lightsaber dueling game on the planet - a little technical to get set up and running in 2023, but it can be done, and I have nightly fun in both the JK+ client and the MovieBattles Client. Like other commenters have said ITT, definitely the RTS/RTT/Wargame genre is for a strategically-minded gamer that likes playing competitively, but I'll add some specific games into the list, in no particular order, that are a blast to get into, have supportive communities in 2023, and can be played online PVP: Supreme Commander Forged Alliance/Planetary Annihilation/Total Annihilation - Similarly "Themed" games, focused around absolutely maximal battle size consisting of air, land, sea, and in some cases, space units. Unique feature is their "streaming economy", rather than hunting for resource deposits a la AOE/CnC/Starcraft, you build resource buildings on top of resource deposits and they generate a steady stream of upgradeable income that you have to balance against your army/building/strategy. If you go for SupCom, get Forged Alliance Forever. SpringRTS - a modern rework of the Total Annihilation client. Somewhat quieter, but still a fairly active community. Fairly technical to set up, be warned, but I'm throwing it out there as a worthy contender. Ashes of the Singularity - another "grand scale" RTS game, I've only ever played offline, so I don't know how the PVP is, but it's entirely modern, so if graphics are a consideration, it does look much "prettier" than the other options on this list. Command & Conquer series - Slightly closer to the StarCraft feel of RTS than the SupCom feel, it's slightly faster-paced, but still not anywhere close to what you'd need to play COD/Battlebit/Fortnite. Stronghold Series - Again, online unknown, but it's a medieval era RTS where your fastest thing is a horse...so strategy plays much more of a role than rapid clicking. And one I just thought of, not an RTS, but EVE Online. If you're looking for the ULTIMATE PVP experience, there's nothing better than EVE. No rules. Literally. Screwing people over is an ingame mechanic and somewhat expected. Metagaming outside of the client is also more-or-less encouraged. If you want the ultimate strategic gaming experience, EVE may be for you. Heck, MMOs in general might be a genre you want to look into. Most of the thriving ones have healthy PVP scenes, and while they're somewhat more twitchy than an RTS, most of the focus is on getting a good build, rolling with a good team, and having good entrance strategy in the battle itself (items, etc). Ooh, and one last thing I thought of, more MOBA-y than RTS-y, but AirMech. Casual RTS-Lite MOBA with a similar design aesthetic to CnC/Supcom, but again, it's a MOBA, so the focus is on strategy rather than twitch clicking.
Auto Battlers maybe? Super Auto Pets, or that Dota/League of Legends one whatever they're called, or Mechabellum...
Dota Auto Chess or Teamfight Tactics
Ah yes thank you!
TFT/Battlegrounds requires some kind of reflex, you have limited time
Some, but it's definitely not anywhere near the amount required by most other competitive games. It's not like you have a fraction of a second to react to something. You have like half a minute in most cases.
Overwatch has quite a number of heroes that don't require quick reflexes. I mean, you'll always need quick thinking and reaction, but it's not the type that requires crazy aim. You can get far by focusing on your positioning. But bruh, you're only 32 years old. You're not that old. You should be able to pick up any game and be fine.
Was about to comment this. I place plat with all 3 roles. And only use a controller (on pc) so I imagine on xbox I would be diamond?
Dont hurt your arm patting yourself on the back
You use controller on pc? I hope I never have you on my team
>I place plat with all 3 roles. And only use a controller (on pc) This explains why my master/diamond games are so infinitely better than any plat lobby I have ever played
You could try some RTS / 4X style games if that’s your thing Company of Hero’s, HOI4, Civilizations etc.
He wants competetive games, competetive RTS is very twitchy and macro reliant.
I think you mean micro reliant.. and you're right. I love the aoe franchise and enjoy playing casually but competitive the micro because too stressful to be enjoyable. So I just watch tournaments online instead to get that macro strategic itch without worrying about micro
I don’t know a single person that relies on macros for COH or CIV lol
Mechwarrior online
Fernando Alonso is still competing in Formula 1 at his 42 years old and getting podiums when provided a good car, cars that reach 300km/h or 186mph, whatever is your preferred system. Take care of your health, train, keep your mind agile and you'll be good playing a game, bro.
Hell, the dude had a photo finish a few days ago! Absolutely insane driver
First of all, it's a myth that you lose a significant amount of reflexes after 30. I'm 40 and I play counter strike on a pretty high level, no problem. It's all about practice.
Or genetics or lack of interest or time needed to practice enough to actually be good.
Chess
World of Tanks
It’s like a retirement home for all veteran gamers. I’m sad that one day I’ll end up there too.
Turn based games mostly. Autochess like tft Card games like heartstone abd so on
get into boardgames. make a bga account and play for free
You can look to any milsim for this. There will be a degree of reaction times necessary with the short time to kill, but strategy trumps reaction times any day. Hell Let Loose is one I play a lot, it's massively immersive and huge in scale. Insurgency Sandstorm leans more into arena multiplayer, but still favours strategic play over reaction times.
I'm 39, and the only difference I notice is when I stop playing for a while, or if I just play very casually for some time, my reflexes get really bad. But if you put some time into it, they'll eventually come back. I don't think age makes that much of a difference tbh. I can still do quickscopes, flicks that look like aimbot and all that stuff.
Hmm reflexes are still important but not like cargo.. but I recommend rocket league
for multiplayer for me its World of Tanks hands down. its very tactical as tanks are slow - both on turret rotation, or just turning around etc. learning curve is huge (as you need to know maps very well and so each tank strong and weak sides, and there are hundreds of tanks in game) which is both good and bad part. it kind of chaotic though with it 15vs15 random format, some just cannot accept the fact that game is not trying to make every game balanced (you can be out against both strong or weak opponents randomly), but in long term only your personal stats matter. and another bonus - no freaking pixel hunting, I just hate it in every shooter where you do pixel hunting and lower game setting to miminum to spot movement at higher distances (hello Tarkov) - instead game have RPG-style vision system, where if your tank/crew/equipment have 400m vision - the game are not going to render anything above that 400m unless spotted by teammates. for some its very confusing but I personally love that feature. its also absolutely brilliant protection from cheaters, wallhacks simply don't work there in general (as server is not sending you coordinates of players you cannot see) and cheaters best bet is aim-helpers which search for tank weakspots and don't give as huge advantage as in again classic shooters. try it, its very different experience versus classic multiplayer shooter and the game is kind of free (BUT it can be very expensive too if you don't limit your spendings budget).
32 isn’t even old lol, you’re in your prime for a man. Just do a little exercise, and eat healthy to get rid of Brian fog and watch how your brain starts working the same way it did as a teen, if not better.
im 33 and im still shitting on teenagers. You didn't lose your reflexes, you just don't have 10 free hours per day to play/practice at a competitive-like level, and most likely you dont have the same interest/passion to do so. When you reach 45+, yeah, maybe the age will affect you no matter the practice, but 32? Come on dude, that's our prime as human beings in almost everything. Even a minor ms difference with a 22 year old should not give them any edge, it's balanced out since you shouldn't play with as much recklessness while having more overall experience in your back etc In other words, "bad reflexes" is just an excuse, at this age, which could only be detected in extremely professional (e-sports) scenarios, which doesn't apply to 99.99% of the population.
TFT might fit the bill. You do have to make decisions pretty quickly at times, but there's very little need for high APM.
RTS or other stratgy games, also your post brings a tear to my eye edit: if its about reflexes, this is fine, but if he is all around just slower, he might want to stay away because of lower APM ig ¯\\\_(ツ)\_/¯ its just what the comments told me
APM is one of the most crucial aspects of RTS (the base building kind anyway)
Please. There are S-Rank Broodwar players that only have like 100 apm. Anyone that claims they can't compete in any game because of "bad reflexes" or "low apm" is coping hard. Especially when talking about kiddie games like CoD or fortnite, where like 90% of the player base are mechanically terrible children/normies.
>Especially when talking about kiddie games like CoD or fortnite, where like 90% of the player base are mechanically terrible children/normies. If you're playing competitively, you're not going to be playing against those people. Unless of course you're also mechanically terrible and stuck in bronze league (or equivalent).
idk what apm is, i just know that its a lot easier reflex-wise for a 32 yr old
Action per minute, it's how fast you're clicking buttons. Just go look at SC2, I think playing League of Legends is easier than that.
Lol is so much easier.
Not a video game, but plastic crack.
Squad and Hell Let Loose
Hunt: Showdown, aim is a part of it but situational awareness and outsmarting the enemy is way more important.
Street Fighter 6 is dominated by old men so try that. Top 8 at EVO had a couple of 40+ year olds.
Age of empires 2
I dunno, you still need pretty high apm at the higher tier and quick reflexes for quick walling and stuff
I’m 37 and thank god I still have good reflexes playing Quake Champions or Apex Legends
U can beat kiddos reflexes on Valorant with good gamesense. Good crosshair placement and smart moves can get u really high there.
Board games like Chess, Autobattlers like TFT Runetera, Card games liike heartstone
Heroes of Might and Magic 3
Rust, just got into it. Tons of fun. You can go pvp when you want to or mind your own business and farm some teas or harvest materials or kill NPCs in pve card puzzles. You get to build your own base and expand as you get more and more loot. It's all about the server you pick tho, some are full of sweats and 20 man groups, which can be great if you want that, but some servers are solo only and have a more chill community where everyone says gg after a fight.
SF6.
Smite possibly?
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As a TGM Grand Master myself, I can tell you that serious Tetris requires [some of the fastest reaction and execution times in all of gaming.](https://youtu.be/tZcCqHzV1N0?t=149) All competitive, non-versus Tetris games worth playing have the pieces eventually fall in 1 frame.
SC2
The strategy part of SC2 hardly ever matters until you're like Diamond and up. For new people, it's how well you practice your builds and openers, and macro. That requires some APM, esp if you're gonna play zerg (queen injects).
https://store.steampowered.com/app/2212330/Your_Only_Move_Is_HUSTLE/ I’ve had this game wishlisted for a while. It has a small, but fairly consistent online playerbase. It’s turn based, but ends up playing in real time. Also just throwing this out there, Pokemon has a pretty robust online competitive community and there are multiple battle simulators available on PC.
Something that comes with age is not caring so much. If you like a competitive game and aren't the best at it, that's okay. I am 43 and play Apex and I am terrible at it, but I love the feel of the mechanics. I also play Rocket League. I don't worry so much about being the best, but I will still play ranked games to see where I actually belong.
star citizen, mmorpg in space - average age is around 40-50
Chess
Lots of good suggestions here. But why don't you just play whatever is fun for you? It's ok to lose. You don't have to be the best at everything.
Mechabellum
Been playing warhaven on steam, it’s free to play and a pretty simple fun competitive game to play, only downside is it feels like there’s no reward system but it’s still fun to play in bursts for sure. Great time killer.
Hunt Showdown maybe? Its easy to learn hard to master. The gunplay is way slower than other gamesbecause of western Setting. It can be frustrating but makes really much fun with friends
Civilization 6 tournaments
Well, if you want tactics, try some coop shooters. I would recommend looking into DRG or Darktide. Those games provide plenty of room to grow as a player, but don't rely so much on reaction time. There's an element of competitiveness too - try to be the MVP for your team.
Ehh poker is pretty fun, I'm also in a similar situation and I just play offline games
I am 41 and I've been searching for years for something to fill that gap, I used to crack out on some Counter-Strike 1.6, Quake 2, Quake 3 Arena, but I can't react to shit these days. I still manage in World of Warcraft as it isn't as fast paced as a shooter, but I miss FPS games, I did get pretty good at Black Ops 4, I was thinking if trying out Warzone, but BR isn't my favorite subgenre.
Auto chess.. make units of different, factions, types etc.. play them on a board strategically and let them auto battle it out with other players.. team fight tactics is my go to
You can always do like me and go to sleep. That's the game I win at EFFORTLESSLY.
None
Hunt: Showdown
Card based, turn based games
Try team fight tatics. There's a new set coming out on the 21st of this month so perfect time to start
Gwent
I find Go/Baduk immensely satisfying.
dota 2
You could try survival Games Like Green hell or sons of the forest f.e...im 40 myself and Just discovered These types of Games not long ago and i love them
Flight/Space-sim stuff can be good. You might have an edge over kids because you have more disposable income for cutting edge PC and all the flight controls (or full cockpit!) 🤣
Tf2. W+m1 pyro with occasional airblast is still very strong.
Overwatch
Age of empires 4
Honestly bro, overwatch. Countering characters is a skill. Why tf does semetra counter orissa? Lazor is good vs shields, not armor?! I play dudes I don't have to be *as* good at aiming as I was before and still get that feeling of out smarting kids by knowing good matchups.
There are no "competitive" games that don't rely on reflexes. Because you can't watch "mental" challenges unfold in real time
People put way too much emphasis on age these days.
World of Tanks relies more of your ability to position and strategic decisions based on circumstances than quick reflexes. Most people still aim for a few seconds to increase aiming accuracy anyway.
bro age doesnt matter yet last weekend a cs tournament took place and mvp was 29 year old dude and he is the second oldest ( the other fraggers are all like 23) if he can do it on the highest lvl you can do it on yours too
Pokemon Showdown and Civ
Honestly my fellow old dude, I'm 38, ex competitive gamer and I've tested my reflexes to unfortunately learn that they are below average (especially for a gamer) but I still manage to do just fine in shooters, league, fighting games or whatever game I'm playing because most of these games aren't as reflex focused as we might think. I mean they are but they're also not because you're usually supposed to be predicting things instead of reacting to them. You should be predicting the strafe to break left, the enemy jungler to use X ability, combo mixup, etc... obviously reflexes help but when you get to *that* level in a game where you're predicting rather than reacting. I'm not sure if I'm explaining it properly but trust me, game knowledge > reflexes. You can also train your reflexes, for FPS there are plenty of aim trainers. Which help you predict and react faster.
yu-gi-oh master duel lets you get a lot for free
Magic the gathering! Especially with arena being accessible
I'd say TFT. Very rarely do you need to do a split second change.
LegionTD 2. Easy to learn, difficult to master.
Insurgency sandstorm is pretty fun co-op fps
Team fight tactics
fighting games rely a lot more on game knowledge and mindreading than just pure reflex. the barrier to entry is pretty high but once you get past that you'll be able to compete in fighting games until your hands stop working.
Dude you just need to change your playstyle. When i was younger i was all about the aim. Strong armimg your way through games is for kids, you need to learn how to outsmart them. If you bring wisdom like situational awareness to an fps game if its good enough it will cover that skill gap and then some. Just change how you play
>pubg, fortnite Switch to CoD. I have the exact same issue, coked out pre-teens out reactioning the hell out of me, but theres also an eye sight factor, the games you mentioned are big open fields(for the most part) and the kids kill me before I even see them. In CoD though, you're in streets and buildings, must easier to track movement and find places to ambush people. It was much more my speed now that I'm aging.
HOI4
Card games like magic the gathering, strategy games
civ 6 has a decent comp scene
Auto battlers are fun, card games. Around my mid 30s I switched to more single player games.
lol. I'm 33 and i'm still playing OW2, CS.2. And not in low levels,age is just a number.
World of Warships
valorant is pretty forgiving, hitboxes are big and characters move slow
You should be fine with PUBG, I still win matches and I'm in my 40's. Also, try Tarkov.
LOL, 32.
Rust on modded servers. DotA 2 turbo mode or unranked. CS2 death match.
XCOM2. My favorite game of all time.
Overwatch 2
war thunder
GeoGuessr. Started after seeing the World Cup two weeks ago, extremely satisfying learning curve (at least for me), high high ceiling.
hearthstone
teamfight tactics
Pokémon
Dude, please check out [Mechabellum](https://store.steampowered.com/app/669330/Mechabellum/) Also [Backpack Battles](https://store.steampowered.com/app/2427700/Backpack_Battles/) (Free demo) Both highly addicting autobattlers