Pre-Game Anxiety

I haven't really had this issue before, but I have found that just in general, its easier to get into a game if you have a friend who you can play with. That way you don't focus as much on the random people and more on the people you already know.

 

First things first: tutorials. If you're *that* anxious about a game, before you play it, it's a good idea to go online and watch/read tutorials. Because video games cost sooooo much to make these days, and developers are sooooo hard done by, and physical is dying and digital is the way to go, instruction manuals aren't really a thing any more. But there is a wealth of information online about video games: tips and tricks, in-depth guides, and general discussion topics on how to play and what to do, that you can easily access. You'd be amazed at the lengths some fans will go to with their tutorials, and with streaming so popular a lot of streamers also create content guides on Youtube.

Don't go online immediately. Play a little bit by yourself. Get a feel for the game and how it plays, decide what you like best if there are multiple weapons or character classes, and focus on that. IGNORE THE METAGAME. Whilst it's hopeless to pretend that all things in PvP and PvE are created equal - because they never are - all parts of the game can be done with any play style. Maybe it'll take longer and it'll be harder, but the metagame is a construct of the playerbase and not the game itself. There are no rules saying you HAVE to play a game a certain way. Find out for yourself how YOU want to play, what is most fun for you, and then roll with it. Some people might mock you for it, and some might destroy you in PvP. It doesn't matter as long as you enjoy it. Which leads me to my next point...

Be prepared for toxic players. You will encounter them. They will make you feel bad. Don't allow them to. Everyone has to start somewhere, and it's very easy to be all high-and-mighty when you've been playing a game for years...but everyone starts a game on exactly the same page: at the beginning. These are people you should not be listening to and not be playing with, because they really are not worth your time or your energy. The things they say might hurt and be difficult to shrug off because they have a ring of truth to them, but if you're just starting out then of course you're not going to be perfect at the game and are going to make mistakes (this is true even if you have been playing for a long time, in fact - these same people attacking you for making mistakes will also make mistakes) and that is OK. It's OK. If someone makes you feel like it isn't, then get away from them.

Playing with friends is a great way to avoid all that, if you can find people to play with. A friend can help you learn a game, or you can learn it together, and it's so much more enjoyable when it's shared. In PvP, playing against friends can take the edge off the competitive side of it and make it a lot of fun. If strangers make you anxious, then only play with friends.

I think the best piece of advice I can give though - and something I really need to remember myself sometimes - is that it's only a game. It doesn't matter at all in any meaningful sense, your life won't fall apart if you can't win or if you're not very good compared to other people. The ultimate goal of any video game is to have fun. If you're not having fun, then don't play it. If you are having fun, but you're still not the greatest, then who cares? You're doing a better job at playing the game than someone who takes it seriously and doesn't enjoy themselves. Play the way YOU want to play, and don't allow what other people say or how they act make you feel like you're somehow in the wrong.

 

I am usually playing healers in most of my online games, so I do have a lot of anxiety of who is going to hate me that game or complain of my imperfections. I can't say I deal with it well, I just hope no one uses chat all game so I can't be yelled at again