@scaine:

I enjoyed The Cycle: Frontier for a while, back in 2022, but the constant drag of having to insure your kit for a decent run meant that the grind was a bit crazy.

But it was Dark and Darker that made me realise that extraction shooters weren't my bag. At least ARC is trying to match solos together... Dark and Darker was an absolute shit-fest. I remember, as a newb, I was walking around the waiting lobby, examining players randomly, and I came across a team of three, fully kitted out, and each member had at least (!) 15 healing potions. As a newb, I could afford, perhaps three. Sure enough, they were waiting at extraction. I hope they enjoyed the rusty sword I'd looted, and a couple of arrows. I never did find a bow...

Maybe ARC's community will prove me wrong, but these games almost always skew towards a small group of try-hards with too much time on their hands basically griefing newcomers. Too early to tell right now though.

Shooters are not my cup of tea, but I wanted to share that I am this try-hard griefing newcomers that you describe 🙈.

War Thunder's matchmaking is based on the tier of your load-out/kit, not your skill level/rank. So when I feel especially powerless and incapable in my real life, I can go to lower tiers than usual and restore the impression of being competent at something - by dominating some lobbies. There is still an aspect of luck (also in terms of opponents) but I have a deep set of skills/strategy to get the win (or achieve the arbitrary daily/weekly quests).

In abstract, I am personally adjusting my level of challenge to my abilities and needs at that particular time. When I'm feeling especially capable (curious and safe; and still play WT for some reason 😅), I go to a game mode or tier where I struggle.

I'm not excusing the harm me and others like me are causing. I'm not even demanding empathy for them/us. (Although it is a well documented fact that since we always see ourselves with context and others without - we tend to attribute our own failings to circumstance and that of others to character). I simply thought this might be an interesting diatribe or discussion.