Help with editorial article - "git gud" and its use in gaming

  • I’m writing an editorial piece for a gaming website on the gaming term “git gud”; it’s perception, it’s usage, etc. In order to write this article thoroughly, I’d like to get the opinions of the players on this forum. Take a look at the questions below and reply with your answers, or if you’d prefer, you can send me a private message. This will be an editorial/opinion piece on my views of the phrase, I’m just looking for personal experiences from players to help give some credibility to the article. I don’t want this discussion to devolved into a heated debate about how, why and when it should or shouldn’t be used. So let’s keep it civil. Thanks for your help.

    Users of “git gud”

    -how often do you send this message to another player
    -what scenario occurs that causes you to send this message
    -what are your thoughts/feelings/intent when you send the message
    -how do you send it: privately through forum PM, Xbox message, in-game, etc
    -any personal thoughts on using it

    Receivers of “git gud”

    -how often do you receive this message
    -what is the scenario in which you’ve received this message
    -what are your thoughts/feelings upon receiving it
    -how do you receive it
    -do you respond to the message
    -any personal thoughts on it being used

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  • @kiethblacklion said in Help with editorial article - "git gud" and its use in gaming:

    I’m writing an editorial piece for a gaming website on the gaming term “git gud”; it’s perception, it’s usage, etc. In order to write this article thoroughly, I’d like to get the opinions of the players on this forum. Take a look at the questions below and reply with your answers, or if you’d prefer, you can send me a private message. This will be an editorial/opinion piece on my views of the phrase, I’m just looking for personal experiences from players to help give some credibility to the article. I don’t want this discussion to devolved into a heated debate about how, why and when it should or shouldn’t be used. So let’s keep it civil. Thanks for your help.

    Users of “git gud”

    -how often do you send this message to another player
    depends on the players i encounter, less than once a week

    -what scenario occurs that causes you to send this message
    People complaining about Tasks that are "to hard" but are just basic mechanics in the game

    -what are your thoughts/feelings/intent when you send the message
    I want to provoke a bit, but generally i intent for them to reflect on said mistake they made and how to erase it rather than complain

    -how do you send it: privately through forum PM, Xbox message, in-game, etc
    in-game and forum when a stupid complain occurs

    -any personal thoughts on using it
    I hate ppl using it to just insult others when it the complain is about a very hard designed gaming part that needs a lot of time and effort, and is way beyond the point of basics

  • @kiethblacklion Are you trying to git gud on understanding the phrase "git gud"?

    Seriously, I would like to help but need some more information. Do you want the questions answered in relation to when people have used exactly the phrase "git gud" (or close enough, i.e. "learn 2 play"), or are you wanting it answered in relation to people saying that in principle (as in telling you that there isn't a problem and that you need to learn to how to play the game)?

  • @salvasian-au

    I have no specific way I want the questions answered. I'm just trying to get a general idea of how others use the phrase; whether they literally use the phrase "git gud" (or a derivative of it) or if they use for the general principle/idea. Do they use it as an insult, do they use to encourage others, do they use it because they are tired of seeing the same type of "help request" posts, or they are trying to be funny.

    I have my own viewpoint in the phrase, which will be present in the article BUT I want view points from other players that will both support my view and to give an opposing view.

  • @kiethblacklion
    "Git Gud" to me comes from the interpretation developed through the Game "Dark Souls." To me this phrase developed from a game that is known for its difficulty. There was a mentality that is reached when you get better at games like this. That mentality being, I need to become better, rather then make the game conform to me. Essentially I need to change myself.

    So...

    -how often do you send this message to another player

    Rarely never, I don't really trash talk.

    -what scenario occurs that causes you to send this message

    When a player demands something be made easier. Rather then try to improve themselves. Examples include Devils Roar with volcanoes, Kraken with tentacle wrap, and Skeleton Ship cloud Event (Cursed Sails Explicitly).

    -what are your thoughts/feelings/intent when you send the message

    This isn't difficult. Either learn to adapt, or stop playing.

    -how do you send it: privately through forum PM, Xbox message, in-game, etc

    Voice chat, or in response to someone trash talking after a loss. Specifically if they initiate.

    -any personal thoughts on using it

    None really. If its used on you, never take it personally. Develop thicker skin, if it does. Not everything is a personal attack.

    -what are your thoughts/feelings upon receiving it

    Most times its just trash talk, I don't take it personally. Usually they are just trying to get a rise out of you.

    -how do you receive it

    Usually its laughable, however if for some reason it gets to me, just mute them. Proceed to move on in your life. Its gaming, probably will never run into this individual again.

    -do you respond to the message

    Sometimes, context depending.

    -any personal thoughts on it being used

    Most people use it wrong. I take it from a Darks Souls perspective. Improve yourself rather then demand change to cater to you.

  • Ok, my responses (I am sure that there will be exceptions to the below but these are my general thoughts):

    Use of "git gud":

    • I don't remember ever saying the words unless it is in jest. My friends and I have, and will continue to use it in jest all the time. It is possible that I may have done outside of jest but I can't remember it. The reason why I would not use the phrase or equivalent is because I feel that it is unproductive as it is generally received negatively (I certainly know when I have received it that I have received it negatively, though it depends on the circumstances). If you genuinely want someone to improve you should try and be tactful in your approach as a receptive listener is more likely to learn. If someone does need to "git gud" then I try to offer them advice on how to improve what they are doing. Hard to be precise in a hypothetical and the exact approach will depend upon the circumstances, and also what mood I am in.
    • I almost always try to "improve" other players, especially if I am likely to play with them again, I see it as a win-win. In my view there is nothing wrong with offering, and receiving, honest constructive feedback on how to improve. When we stop learning how to get better we die. Also through my time playing various games there have been a number of great people who have shared their wisdom with me to my benefit and I like to do likewise.
    • My intent when helping other players improve is to generally just try to make them better, after all we were all at the beginning at one stage and almost certainly will be again - also if I help them then by consequence I help myself. If people get better then they are more likely to play the game which means it will survive longer. Also if they are on my team then we are more likely to win.
    • How I send it depends upon the tools available to me and my relationship with the person. Providing it is said in a polite manner, there is no reason to try and hide it in personal chat, etc, as there is nothing wrong with not knowing something (regardless of your experience) and saying it in the open allows other to also learn.

    Receiving "git gud":

    • How often I receive it depends. If I am playing DOTA against other players then I receive it all the time as that game has so many heroes and changes so frequently that I can never keep up - seriously it feels like every time I play it has completely changed its heroes. In SOT, I tend to only get it from friends when we are joking around or when someone thinks they are a whole lot better than they are - an example when two double gunners recently boarded our sloop and one came up each ladder at the same time then instantly killed me while I was the only crew on ship and my mate was getting a barrel for them from the fort. They were then taunting me and telling me to "git gud", it was hilarious, we sunk them...
    • How thought when received. It depends on how it is given, if it is someone genuinely seeking to teach me something I receive it gratefully and thank them even if I already knew it. It is great to learn new things. I have many people in many games over the years teach me things, though I cannot remember any of them ever actually saying "git gud", they were usually more tactful.
    • Thoughts on being used. It is just a phrase, with the words no better and no worse than any other, and it all comes down to the intent behind it. You can say almost any phrase and depending on how you say it it can be taken either well or poorly - intent wills out.
  • @nabberwar said in Help with editorial article - "git gud" and its use in gaming:
    ...

    Rarely never, I don't really trash talk.
    ...

    Seriously I love to trash talk (I try not to be too offensive though), besides being fun it is a very effective way of distracting an opponent(s) from the task they are trying to accomplish. Most people do not multi-task very well and trash talking can have a massive impact on their performance, especially if they are already trying to do multiple things. This can work especially well if in a multi player game one player on one team distracts multiple players on the other team.

    In SOT I find it exceptionally effective at drawing attention to myself while one of my crew is up to something. Even in a standard fight, if you can get the other team to start trash talking back to you in response you usually see a fairly substantial drop off in performance (partly caused by their inability to communicate effectively while they are all talking about various things). I especially love teasing other players when they miss their cannon shots and I believe it irritates them so they are more likely to miss subsequent shots - it does depend upon the individual player though - but there have been times when my shipmate and I have sunk galleons taking either no return fire or minimal return fire as the opposing crew get excited by the trash talk and just fall apart. We once had a galleon basically sink through sheer negligence because they were all distracted on me and only sent one player down to fix the holes caused by the gunpowder barrel delivered by my shipmate, that player was killed by my shipmate and the galleon sank because they were all too busy talking and trying to hit me to realise that the player had died and that they had 4 holes filling them up with water. In that engagement, our sloop took a single hit from one of their cannons.

  • @salvasian-au
    I've got nothing against it, if people want to do it. More power too you, I just don't personally do it very often. On the rare occasion I do, its more of a response to people who are salty and losing. The "your a cheater" variety, when they clearly have no clue what they are doing. An example would be those players that think they are lawnmowers. They chase you and spam sword. Don't bother taking out a gun. Meanwhile I'm kiting you and eater your bananas. Its more of your not good at this game, not that I'm cheating.

  • @kiethblacklion said in Help with editorial article - "git gud" and its use in gaming:

    I’m writing an editorial piece for a gaming website on the gaming term “git gud”; it’s perception, it’s usage, etc. In order to write this article thoroughly, I’d like to get the opinions of the players on this forum. Take a look at the questions below and reply with your answers, or if you’d prefer, you can send me a private message. This will be an editorial/opinion piece on my views of the phrase, I’m just looking for personal experiences from players to help give some credibility to the article. I don’t want this discussion to devolved into a heated debate about how, why and when it should or shouldn’t be used. So let’s keep it civil. Thanks for your help.

    I Must say this is a very interesting topic for disscussion. I'm happy to give my analysis on this subject which would hopefully provide useful information to be used for your editorial inwhich i would like to have a look at if you could kindly provide a link when your done. This falls into the Subject on the study of the evolution of Language as i seen many exclusivly gaming terms change and develope over the years. Such words Like Noob comes to mind as it was originally Newbie meaning simply a new player. From there it became Newbe then Newb and finnally Noob. At frist the term was used to discribe a player and give an excuse for poor performance. Only when the term went mainstream is were it started to be used as an insult as outside observers never understood the meaning. Later on it became so ubiquesed that it started to be used in Jest.

    The Git Gud statment is simular in this way as prior posters explianed that the phase became popluar in Dark Souls as a short hand to the argument that the because a game is difficult doesn't mean it's broken but rather it is simply up to the Player to rise up to meet the Challenge. Basically stating player should practice more. But as time went on and the phase has become more popular it has been overused and misussed to the point that it has been taking as an insult and used in Jest with many not understanding it's original meaning.

    Users of “git gud”

    -how often do you send this message to another player

    I have used this exact phase very rarely, but have used variations on the phase or have made the undrrlying arugument many times.

    -what scenario occurs that causes you to send this message

    I only send this particular phase when a person shows a complete lack of understanding or is too closed minded. Or when the a player makes a riduclas statment of the simpliest of gaming mechnics that no reasonable statment would be worth saying.

    -what are your thoughts/feelings/intent when you send the message

    Basically i feel utterly dumbfound and saden that i even have to resort to using such a message.

    -how do you send it: privately through forum PM, Xbox message, in-game, etc

    I have sent this through all methods but i think the forums is the most common.

    -any personal thoughts on using it

    I think it's a term that should be used sparingly. I usely use it as a last resort. It is somtimes good as attack in phycological warfare. The strange spelling with the vague statement is very useful in getting a subject to actually think what was said which would both bypass certian baised opinons and gut reaction responses while leaving the subject more vunerable to out side stimulie as there mind is now distracted.

    Receivers of “git gud”

    -how often do you receive this message

    I have also recived this message but it's not that common.

    -what is the scenario in which you’ve received this message
    There only 3 senarios in which i have recieved this statment.

    1. As a pure insult after i failed in an attempt of skill in a game. Such as losing in combat.

    2. I have recieved this message after asking a Legitmate question on How a player mange to accomplish a certian feat in a game, most of the time it being a exploit in which there response was simply Git Gud. Which simply dodge the question.

    3. I have recived this as a demonization or misrepresentation of some of my earilier arguments or Suggestions.

    -what are your thoughts/feelings upon receiving it

    I generally think that the player whos sent it to me is stupid as they used it worng which fustrates me somtimes, but thats all.

    -how do you receive it

    Thru all methods of communication.

    -do you respond to the message
    What is there to respond to?
    -any personal thoughts on it being used

    I think what start out as an interesting way to promote discussion around a legitimate argument about Challenge and Skill has since been flip on it's head and is now used to kill discussions and insult others, dodge question, and use in Jest for a Laugh which mocks thoughful insight.

  • I never use the term. I often think it.

    I first heard the term while playing Souls, usually directed at people who were complaining that Souls was trash, because they were in fact trash at it.

    The term has become a bit of a meme and is usually taken as an insult. Which is why I avoid saying it. In its purest form though "git gud" is just advice to "persevere, adapt and overcome" which is good advice for life as well as video-games.

    There is a certain section of the video game playing public who seem unable to handle even the most minor defeat or setback without going on to the internet (reddit in particular) to complain ad-nauseam that a game sucks/is trash/will die unless it is changed to meet their specifications (i.e. made easier for them). You can see several examples on this very forum. I most often see "git gud" directed at these sort of posters.

  • "Thank you" to everyone who replied. These responses will be very helpful. I appreciate it.

    Now that I have what I need for the article, is there a way to request that the thread be locked, since there is no need for any more responses?

  • @kiethblacklion - Request granted.

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