Is it cheating if you learn to play better watching other gamers?

[grommet]

There is a boss I can not beat and I watched a favorite gamer of mine play him. He kept his distance from the boss. He kept moving back very fast and only sometimes would go in to stab him. He was always pulling back. I never thought of that. I tried to fight him. That gamer beat the boss pretty easily.

I still have not beaten that boss but I am getting better by doing what he did. I did not keep trying on my own to learn it, I got frustrated because I could not leave that level and decided to watch how somebody else did it. Is is cheating if I watch someone else's technique so I get better?

 

[thejuice]

Not really cheating. But you can't say you figured it out completely on your own, which is important to some people and not others.

 

[VictorR]

No. Reading or watching manuals, guides, and walkthroughs are all perfectly valid ways of improving play.

For pattern type games, keeping track of patterns or making note of certain positions for analysis is valid as well (and in chess, is the main way that one improves).

What is cheating? Using a cheat code, breaking the game (including slowing down time), or having someone play for you.

 

[saturnv]

When it comes to single player games, whatever makes it more fun for you is the way to go.

 

[WhitewaterWoman]

No. It is not cheating to try to improve by watching others. It is how we learn.

 

[grommet]

When it comes to single player games, whatever makes it more fun for you is the way to go.

Wonderful

You reminded me of what a professional rock climber said to me when I started climbing. I ask him about the right way to do something and he pointed at my chest and said that feeling, the reason you climb, whatever gives you that feeling is the right way to climb. He said all the best climbers had smiles. Thank you. I wanted to get good and I forgot I am supposed to have fun.

 

[Cryptid]

Is it cheating if you learn to play better watching other gamers? Is is cheating if I watch someone else's technique so I get better?

No. Cheating implies violating the rules of a game or sport. Watching effective players to learn how to improve your own game only makes sense, especially when they are winning.

Professional boxers and martial arts competitors often watch videos of other competitors in action. Same for just about every other game or sport.

 

[Neonatal RRT]

It's just called "learning".

 

[AuAL]

Is is cheating if I watch someone else's technique so I get better?

I hope not - I frequently study the game records of the great Go players of the past. I will never reach the level of brilliance of the great masters but, in some little way, it helps me advance.

 

[Neia]

There is a boss I can not beat and I watched a favorite gamer of mine play him. He kept his distance from the boss. He kept moving back very fast and only sometimes would go in to stab him. He was always pulling back. I never thought of that. I tried to fight him. That gamer beat the boss pretty easily.

I still have not beaten that boss but I am getting better by doing what he did. I did not keep trying on my own to learn it, I got frustrated because I could not leave that level and decided to watch how somebody else did it. Is is cheating if I watch someone else's technique so I get better?

I usually never play a game before watching another person playing it.
How would I find out if I might like that game?
It's like buying a book without knowing if you like the writer's style. Did that a few times and regretted it.
Besides, it helps reduce the frustration of not being able to advance the gameplay

 

[Judge]

You have to wonder what "cheating" really is these days relative to high technology. And then there's the future.....where some don't believe in a "no-win scenario".

 

[jsilver256]

Not really cheating. But you can't say you figured it out completely on your own, which is important to some people and not others.

Yeah, I remember some of the battles in Valkyria Chronicles took me an hour and then I looked up Youtube videos and some geniuses figured out how to end them in like 2 turns... context matters...

 

[NB79]

in games i usually like do things by myself, and never watch videos that spoil games i haven't played,
but if something is irritating me too much, and the game is not worth the effort i may watch a video or guide or just install a mod to make easier skip etc, it depends how much fun i'm having.

I like games to no be easy though.

 

[grommet]

in games i usually like do things by myself, and never watch videos that spoil games i haven't played,
but if something is irritating me too much, and the game is not worth the effort i may watch a video or guide or just install a mod to make easier skip etc, it depends how much fun i'm having.

I like games to no be easy though.

I felt like I might give up, it was too frustrating. I do not want to cheat, I feel so bad when I do it, but I am telling myself it is better that stop playing the game.

 

[WhitewaterWoman]

I felt like I might give up, it was too frustrating. I do not want to cheat, I feel so bad when I do it, but I am telling myself it is better that stop playing the game.

But you’re not cheating! At least by what you have said so far.

Everyone -everyone, looks and even examines closely the performance of those more skilled when trying to improve their own skills.

Learning something new is frustrating. I am particularly slow. I have a very long lag phase in learning. Seems I am getting nowhere and then suddenly (sometimes years later) it makes sense.

 

[thejuice]

Yeah, I remember some of the battles in Valkyria Chronicles took me an hour and then I looked up Youtube videos and some geniuses figured out how to end them in like 2 turns... context matters...

I have my own personal sets of rules. Like if I can feel a vein throbbing in the side of my head that's when I either drop the game or I'll save scum parts which are irritating filler. Or do it on easy. Basically when the fun stops and I swallow my pride.

 

[thejuice]

A lot of what is considered 'cheating' is subjective and dependent on your own set of values.

 

[thejuice]

With online competitive games you'd be mad not to watch others and learn. Stand on the shoulders of giants!

 

[Metalhead]

I did cheat on video game achievements in the past by joining up with other cheaters so we could kill each other for Xbox achievements.

What you are doing is not cheating.

 

[grommet]

But you’re not cheating! At least by what you have said so far.

I guess not really cheating but kind of. I think the honest way to play is on my own, no help, just trying and learning myself. But it can start to hurt my feelings when I can't do any better, always killed in the same place. Sometimes it feels too bad and I want to quit. That is when I think I do not want to cheat but I do not want to give up either.

Everyone -everyone, looks and even examines closely the performance of those more skilled when trying to improve their own skills.

Hm. I am thinking about that. I learned most about rock climbing and sailing by watching others. There were things I could never have figured out on my own no matter how long. It is very fast too, just seeing how someone does something a little different but it's important.

Learning something new is frustrating. I am particularly slow. I have a very long lag phase in learning. Seems I am getting nowhere and then suddenly (sometimes years later) it makes sense.

Can you talk more about that, an example?