There are many apps and programs out there that gamers can use to communicate with each other. From popular programs such as TeamSpeak and Curse, to old classics like Skype, these programs have been used to help gamers for across the globe socialized and play together. With the rise of eSports, we have seen a resurgence of competitive gaming and the need to find other gamers to play against in order to improve. With that in mind, the need for these programs has become paramount for modern gamers.
One competitive genre that relies heavily on player interactions is fighting games. With their high learning curve, even the most mainstream of fighting games, like Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter, can be difficult to get into if you’re attempting to learn them without help. Like any task out there that involves hours of commitment, it can be hard to stay motivated when you’re going at it alone. Forgetting about online tools for a minute, the fighting game genre thrives on the communities that develop around certain games. For any fighting game player, the best thing to do is find out where all the players in your area meet up to play matches offline.
When looking for people who play whichever fighting game you’ve picked up, it all depends on where you live and how popular your game is. In some regions, players can be pretty spread out. If you’re unlucky enough not to live near a location where players congregate to play, you can expect to travel a decent number of miles. That number only gets larger if your game isn’t really played in your state. Take South Carolina for example. The local scenes for the fighting game Guilty Gear can be found up towards the state capital and the near the coast. If you live somewhere in between these areas, you can expect to do some traveling a few times a month in order to really engage with the community. For many players though, traveling can get old very fast.
This is where Discord comes in. A free program, it allows users to text and voice chat through the use of channels setup within the server. The servers can support multiple channels that can be created based on certain topics or player groups. It also features direct calling and messaging. Discord is probably one of the best communication platforms released in a long time. It is clean, straight forward, and provides a number of resources that would interest any gamer looking for other players or information on a specific game. If you look deep enough, there is at least one Discord group for any game out there. The people in these groups provide a variety of information that can be used to help anyone looking to learn a particular game.
For gamers who either don’t have the time, or a means of transportation, it can be a very helpful resource, connecting players who can’t consistently make it in person. You can find and communicate with other players on your skill level. When we look at certain fighting game Discord groups (specifically those for Street Fighter and Guilty Gear), most of the channels created in these groups are dedicated to providing resources for players. These can include character matchups, a general chat where players can discuss certain aspects of the game, an advice channel where you can seek help about any aspect of the game, and last but not least, a channel dedicated to finding matches.
In addition to the information that is available on the game’s main channels, members of these groups also provide links to other Discord groups that are dedicated to specific characters of those games. These groups allow players to communicate with more experienced players who know the ins and outs of that character and can provide a strong starting point for newer players. A big advantage of Discord is the ability to receive instant feedback following a match. The ability to instant message and tag other players in messages in chat helps players to adjust their play in the middle of sets. Couple this with the voice chat feature included with the application, and even limited involvement in the groups is capable of producing a meaningful learning experience. All the best aspects of an in-person community find there way effortlessly into the digital realm.
Discord is a solid app for any gamer looking to get into the competitive scene for a particular game. It is a great way for players who live in areas that are not close to others, and gives you a place in which you can communicate with others who are fans of a particular game. By doing this, it helps the community grow, giving newer and more experienced gamers resources to help them improve as players. It also encourages them to continue to play even if there isn’t a place they can meet physically in their own city. Discord brings learning via online gaming one set closer to becoming just as viable as offline play.