Fiesta & challenges so frustrating they triggered an anger/depression spiral

Games Halo Infinite
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#1

Was playing Fiesta with my SOs; one of them and myself both had “Get 5 Killing Sprees in Fiesta” as our only event challenge. We HAVE to play this mode if we want event progression; I already know I’d rather play something more relaxed, but I’m sure everyone reading this understands the feeling of “Well, gotta do what the challenges say or I get nothing.” I start our session already feeling pessimistic about my ability to get even a single spre

I’m not great at Halo, but I’m not exactly trash; I’m usually at least in the top third of the board on BTB…but Fiesta is just a hot garbage fire. I spent the ENTIRE MATCH following the same exact pattern:
-Spawn with something useless, like a Commando and a Sidekick
-Wander around the map for about 15-30 seconds looking for the action
-Suddenly get slaughtered out of nowhere by some premium-skin-wearing sweatlord who’s corner-camping with both a grav hammer AND a plasma sword (literally, this wouldn’t stop happening)
-Respawn and try to find the action again

Ended up going something like 8-20, and was the last kill of the match that ended with us losing 49-50. Profanities were screamed at max volume, and I quit the game and left my girls on their own; I was not in any state to play a single match more. The frustration & rage carried over to offline, and before you know it I was having a full-blown mental breakdown over everything else in my life (rough life stuff’s going on, but it’s irrelevant here; just know that I’ve been through a lot and I’m trying to recover.)

The worst part is? I don’t even like the Tenrai set. I’m not really into samurai at all, and seeing that the core gets next to no customization, even after grinding like a maniac for it? The colors red and blue locked behind the store? Nah, I’m writing off this whole event. This whole thing is literally negative fun: its inclusion makes the game noticeably worse of an experience. Keep your weeby garbage and give me my challenge slot back.

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#2

It’s really annoying that this game only has challenge-based progression, it makes playing the game a chore

you should be awarded for playing the game how you’d like not how a challenge dictates, performance-based progression is the only real solution and it’s unlikely we’ll see a remedy to this current system for months, if ever.

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#3

While I agree the progression is trash and some of the challenges are extremely annoying, you really shouldn’t try hard them that much. Tryharding just makes you do worse, and thus getting angry will make you more bad at the game.

The camper was probably trying to get his own challenge done, which is ironically what I would recommend doing trying to get sprees in the RNG fest that is Fiesta.

Also, sounds like you got a lot going on. You should probably focus on what’s important over challenge chasing. A video game shouldn’t cause you to spiral, I’d argue whatever you got going on is probably frustrating you in the game, and having a bad streak just tipped you over.

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#4

Yeah they need to make a better progression system and change the challenge layout. Don’t get me wrong, I understand they have to have some challenge to them, not just let you breeze by on them, but the challenges they have now are a bit ridiculous.

You want me to get 5 killing sprees in a game mode where someone can turn a corner and blast me to pieces because they spawned with a RL and all I have to show for my efforts is a half depleted Energy Sword and a Sidekick? Fiesta isn’t exactly what you’d call ‘the land of equal opportunity’. Your team can spawn with things like: Sidekick and Bullpup, Plasma Pistol and Sniper Rifle, Heatwave and Ravager, and Pulse Carbine and Energy Sword.

Meanwhile the enemy team will usually spawn with: Rocket Launcher and Hydra, Shock Rifle and Gravity Hammer, Energy Sword and Skewer, and Sniper Rifle and Cindershot.

#5

I don’t have the energy for “tryharding.” I just play. But trust me, I am acutely aware of how much worse my gameplay becomes when I’m raging. My view shakes so much you’d think there was an earthquake effect being applied to the screen.

As for being tipped over the edge by a bad streak, yes, this did lead to said SO coming up and informing me that one can, in fact, have a migraine without the splitting headache, so that’s something new about my brain I learned. But that’s kinda part of the point…isn’t playing video games with the people you love supposed to be fun and stress-relieving? Instead it wound me up so much that I burned out and the rest of the day’s productivity had to be written off.

#6

I mean from the sound of things you were “tryharding” the challenge itself, otherwise you wouldn’t have gotten so pissed that you weren’t able to get it, but I might be wrong. You have to change your tactics when going for this challenge, like hiding in a corner with a sword or a hammer.

And yea, video games are supposed to be relaxing for the most part, but that isn’t usually the case when it comes to a competitive shooter. That kind of game requires a lot of attention and brain power, something that’s gonna be off when you’re already not in a good mood.

If you’re looking to relax, I’d recommend Forza Horizon 5. Been having a lot of fun with that game as of late.

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#7

Here’s the thing.
Yes, that is advisable, but, and this is a big but, I like 'em.
Weeell anyway.
Then thing is, I find myself in OP’s position, lot’s of things happening and I’ve taken on so many responsibilities and jobs that I feel like I’m splitting into million pieces, I got stuff to do, but sometimes I feel so overwhelmed I can’t do anything. My wife was seriously concerned about my health when I went to bed an hour before her, never happened before. I’ve come out of a depression, and so forth.
Gaming, and waiting for a new Halo, is something I’ve looked forward to, I suspect OP has too.
Furthermore, I’ve used gaming as a form of relaxation, get away from things, just for a moment, to feel none of the things burdening me. A sort of rehabilitation, get a breather. Ready to take on whatever’s infront of me with refreshed vigor. I suspect that’s something OP can relate to as well, because that’s what I’ve come to learn over the years from others.

Now, Halo Infinite, it’s finally here, it’s frustrating, it’s less than imagined, even with low expectations in my case. Something to be enjoyed, get rewarded for good games, it’s been hidden behind annoying challenges, which in turn are hidden behind a limited challenge tracking system. There’s fomo, which companies have fostered in players over the years.
Last sunday I had a 12 hour exam, the night before I had a gaming night with a couple of buddies on BTB, we were five or six, and over 8 matches I managed 7 kills and 90+ deaths. I couldn’t get a grasp of anything because everything was inconsistent. My warthog gets naded and it flies off a cliff, I nade a ghost and it doesn’t even register the massive explosion covering it in dust and flames, not a scratch, not a tilt, not a bump. Hammers kill me outside my hammer kill range, sometimes headshots don’t count, challenges doesn’t register, allies run through me as I throw a nade, I can’t get aiming to work despite spending four or more hours tweaking settings and doing weapon drills, five games to get a single Mangler kill.
I was so angry by the time I went to bed, I was still fuming at the start of the exam. Wife and kids went away to give me some nice and quiet but I ended up crying during the exam because that was completely messed up, I kid you not, it was a practical example of the classical math meme.
Lesson: 2+2 = 4
Test: 5x+y = 2/3
In the end I got 16 points out of 20, still pissed with it.

Getting some time off for some “rehabilitation” if we may call it that, only to find that the thing we expected, is anything but that, and instead more anxiety driven -Yoink!-, it’s not going to help.

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#8

I wasn’t “tryharding” the challenge, I was being forced to try for the challenge because it’s the only way to get event progression. One other member of our group had the same challenge active, so we were playing the event.

I feel at home in a shooter environment. I spent a good chunk of my youth hanging out in TF2, so WASD+Mouse is as familiar as my own legs. Yeah, it’s a lot of sensory information to process, but the familiarity makes it okay. Other modes in the game, particularly BTB Stockpile and BTB Slayer, routinely give me a very good experience.

I don’t like racing games, and even if I did, only one other person in the house plays them. In contrast, we all play Halo. Also, Halo mp is currently free and Forza is not, and the household budget is very tight.