With the rising success of competitive gaming juggernauts like the Battle Royale game "Fortnite," there's never been a better time to be invested in the world of video games. The industry has expanded to include a vast array of games, varying in their platforms, mechanics and even their styles of play. Virtually everyone has a game to choose from these days, making it an especially remarkable occasion when a single game can encapsulate most of the gaming world and even extend beyond it.
If you haven't noticed, this definitely isn't the type of article I'd usually write for my community, but with the success of "Fortnite" making such a massive impact on the daily culture of those around me, there's undoubtedly enough substance in the game to explore that other players will surely relate to. In fact, I've personally been putting hours into the game and find it to be one of my biggest timewasters.
I somehow still suck at it, but here are seven distinct player-types in "Fortnite Battle Royale":
1. The Child (AKA "The Liability").
It's no secret that the success of "Fortnite" relies on a somewhat young demographic, and its accessibility (it's free-to-play, after all) makes it that much more appealing to prepubescent kids. As a result, a large number of players on the game's servers were born post-2007, making them the prime age for maximal annoyance, disobedience and all-around despicable rudeness. The thought of having to play with these kids is one of the main reasons why I and many other players turn Voice Chat when entering a game of Squads.
2. The Bush Camper.
Bushes are one of the more frustrating elements of the game, especially considering just how much damage a single player can do with a long-range weapon while hiding inside one. Even worse, consider those moments after you've just barely won a gunfight when you're suddenly stunned by a player appearing before you and shotgunning you instantly.
As an amateur player myself, I can understand the struggle of having to hide in certain areas while learning the ropes of the game. However, there's no excuse for a player that purposefully trolls others by hiding and considers it his (or her) best "strategy." Then again, you're probably still better than me.
3. The Try-hard (AKA "The Master Builder").
These are the players you might watch stream the game, or the players you just can't seem to kill no matter what strategy you try. "Fortnite" tryhards are unique for a shooter game in that they have to be skilled at more than just shooting to truly succeed. The most impressive tryhards in the game are those that use the building mechanic to its full potential and create a fascinating display of architecture for you to appreciate as your health quickly falls. Even if their skill level and overall competitive nature irritate you, it's impossible not to enjoy what their forts add to the game's complexity.
(Note: If you can't figure out what the word "tryhard" means by looking at it, try harder.)
4. The Noob (AKA me).
Listen, man. I try my best.
Most noobs (or newbies) in "Fortnite" are transferring over from classic first-person shooters and thus might forget to build (a unique mechanic of "Fortnite") when the situation calls for it. It takes a special kind of new player to find trouble even in the game's shooting mechanic. If you're like me, you can count on one hand the number of shooter games you've played and have little to no experience with the genre. You struggle through the uphill battle of death after death until you finally feel you've leveled up, only to die again shortly after. We're all noobs at heart, and maybe that's okay.
5. The AFK Player (AKA "That guy that's just standing there").
When your mom calls you to dinner but you're convinced no one will notice you standing still, this is the hilariously sad result. That is, sad for the absent player whose motionless character was used as target practice, but hilarious for the rest of players, who then have one less opponent to worry about. Considering "Fortnite" doesn't punish players for leaving matches early, it's surprising how many people think the better option is to leave their computer unattended for an extended period of time.
6. Literally Drake.
It's recent news not only that musical artist Drake plays "Fortnite," but that he isn't half-bad at it either. Drake played alongside famous Twitch streamer Ninja, known for his tremendous skill, and the two made headlines by breaking records in streaming history through their massive amount of viewership.
If different player types like these tell you anything about the nature of "Fortnite," let it be that just about anyone is welcome to join in on the competitive fun. The current gaming industry is heralded for its embrace of new and developing technology over the years, but games like this one reveal a movement for inclusion that is less often expressed in the media. Here's to the bright future of gaming, where anyone can pick up a controller and ignore the piles of homework they're supposed to be doing.
