GamerSushi Asks: When to Quit?

quitLast night, while playing a Civilization Revolution multiplayer team game with a friend, we got owned hardcore. It wasn’t entirely our fault, as we got a pretty terrible opening situation (each map is randomly generated). My teammate ended up with both of the enemies within about eight tiles of him, and they pretty much held him under siege as they explored his continent and found all the early bonuses.

There came a point when they took his city that had all of his main forces. Basically, at that point, they were within a couple of turns of taking his capital and winning the game, but they didn’t realize it. We knew the writing was on the wall and we were screwed. And then we argued about if we should quit.

After that, the two teams played it cautious, and then toyed with us for the next hour and a half while we were clearly beat. The whole time we debated about just quitting the game, but held onto a sliver of hope. When it was all said and done, we knew that we had just wasted a bunch of time.

So when is it appropriate to quit a multiplayer game? Do you guys ever do it? I never want to be “that guy” that quits and ruins a game, but in cases like last night, we really should have done it. What do you guys think?

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I write about samurai girls and space marines. Writer for Smooth Few Films. Rooster Teeth Freelancer. Author of Red vs. Blue, The Ultimate Fan Guide, out NOW!

24 thoughts on “GamerSushi Asks: When to Quit?”

  1. Its difficult to say, I don’t feel bad when I get invited to a game so I leave another in Halo, because the system punishes you and the games are short. Plus everyone can find another game right after. But in a game like Gears, if there is less then 6 people none of the kills or win count, so everyone gets pretty mad at the quitter. In games that punish you or reward the person that stayed, I’d say if you know its a loss… just leave, video games are for fun. Especially if your playing a real A hole, let him get close then disappear and go have fun. I don’t see the problem if hese gonna get a win or your going to get punished. I know when there is no hope and some 12 year old is talking trash in Madden, I’ll wait until I have a nice play then leave on a high note.

  2. Never leave a cooperative game without asking your partner(s)…that’s about all I can think of in terms of etiquette. Of course, if the game if already more or less done, a ‘gg rm?’ is good enough.

  3. Ok I have the perfect example of this.

    Anyone here EVER play BATTLESTATIONS MIDWAY? No…didn’t think so -_-

    Well basically image a naval strategy game with ships and boats. Your objective is to destroy your enemy. For most of the game types the game goes on until you destroy a specific enemy unit or land instillation. The one map that’s infamous is one where the Japanese get two airfields and two ship yards and the Americans get two ship yards and carriers. Thing is when your shipyards get destroyed, you cant spawn anymore ships, same with carriers and planes. Now usually on 2v2 you split up ships and planes to each person. One takes the air one the sea. Thing is people dont know how to share. So when you beat out the ships, one person leaves….then the other guy goes “oh well F*#&” and then he quits. You dont get a win when people quit. peopel ALWAYS DO THIS!! I dont really blame them, they have a 95% chance of loosing from that point on. But a win CAN happen. My cousin and I stayed in a game where the enemy only had the limping Yamato left and he had one carrier. He spawned all the planes he could and ended up taking it out with the last of his weak units.

    Nothing gets more aggravating to me than people quitting early in a strategy game when they know they are beat. I understand why, because its boring to watch your defeat be drawn out. But even so…seriously.

    There are times appropriate to quit. When the other team is hacking or glitching or when your teammates are being morons or something. Sometimes if you are getting thoroughly owned at say an FPS, its cool to leave I think. The most annoying for me has been in Midway. No other game has come close.

  4. Hmn, we’ve entered the dark areas of gaming taboo here! I personally, try to avoid leaving unless it’s dinner, dinner comes first, or if the host is particularly shit (like me, so my friend is our constant host!). This strategy predicament seems rather unfair, but I’ve no experience of those so I’ll go back to FPS’s. I hate hosts leaving either a) as the game starts or b)right as we’re about to win and get a juicy match bonus which must be halved if a game’s not played through! But there’s one thing that gets me more: The people who just enter a game and stand there the WHOLE match. In COD it’s not too bad as they’re kicked rather quickly. I don’t mind if they’re AFK (AFC?) for a minute but don’t they have better things to do OTHER than waste a space in our team?

  5. Being on a bad team…like REALLY BAD. Like on L4D which we all know Eddy and the others are addicted to ( :3 ) No shame in just quitting when half your team is walking up to the witch to ask if she wants kleenex =/

  6. [quote comment=”5000″]Being on a bad team…like REALLY BAD. Like on L4D[/quote]

    totally agree there. I was on a verses match the other day, the apposing team had over a thousand points, we only had about one hundred seventy five points and the people on my team started talking about how everyone on our team was terrible except them and how everyone else was the reason we were losing the game. that is when you quit.

  7. I played a game of Madden and went down 21-0 in the first quarter.

    Quit, emailed the guy, said that was my first online game, sorry I suck, rematch when I get better.

    He was cool with it.

  8. AlphaHawkP I know exactly what you mean. I seem to always join the games where I am the only one who seems to know what they are doing, the other teammates are all running around with no coordination, no strategy.
    Or if everyone has a red bar connection… i hate those lag fests! I do leave a game if we are hopelessly losing, like 700-200 in COD which happens alot now. My worst game ever was 750-120 i believe.

  9. I will never quit a game simply becuase I have been on the recieving end of the quitters. I don’t enjoy it at all. Besides, knowing how to take a loss can prove valuable and shows you are level-headed. Also it can be helpful in future situatuions like that.

  10. It depends. If I know I’ll be wasting my time with a griefer or an impossible game (aka every single Halo 3 matchmaking game I play…), I’ll quit. But usually I’ll fight it out.

  11. [quote comment=”5005″]I will never quit a game simply becuase I have been on the recieving end of the quitters. [/quote]

    Sam, I now what you mean, I agree that it is now fun when you are playing a game and all your team leaves just because you lose one round or something like that. However, if you are on a team that will not work together and is loosing right and left I would consider leaving. of course I always make up some home work that I “Need” to get done and say “gtg need to finish home work” to give theme a heads up, then hit the quick match again 🙂

    In the end there is no one answer as to when it is ok to quit an online game, we just have to judge the situation and do our best.

  12. Ya, when your going to quit a game, you should say somthing before. You can say the truth that your getting ownd more than usual. They`ll understand, they are human also.

  13. Only in Gears. And even then, because I hate when people do it. Here are the ONLY cases:
    1. The opposing team is using exploits or glitches.

    2. My teammates are absolutely horrendous.

    3. The game is lagging terribly.

  14. [quote comment=”5002″]I played a game of Madden and went down 21-0 in the first quarter.

    Quit, emailed the guy, said that was my first online game, sorry I suck, rematch when I get better.

    He was cool with it.[/quote]

    HAHAH you emailed him? thats gorgeous. You’re a true gameplayer, luckily he wasnt an idiot.

    I only play CS online, and used to play COD4, so “quitting” doesnt really cause anything. Unless scrimming, but thats rare for me these days; in which case I wouldnt quit.

  15. [quote comment=”5007″][quote comment=”5005″]I will never quit a game simply becuase I have been on the recieving end of the quitters. [/quote]

    Sam, I now what you mean, I agree that it is now fun when you are playing a game and all your team leaves just because you lose one round or something like that. However, if you are on a team that will not work together and is loosing right and left I would consider leaving. of course I always make up some home work that I “Need” to get done and say “gtg need to finish home work” to give theme a heads up, then hit the quick match again 🙂

    In the end there is no one answer as to when it is ok to quit an online game, we just have to judge the situation and do our best.[/quote]

    I suppose I should let you know that online I tend to play thinking games where a quit is like screwing the whole team over. This is primarily because I’m still stuck under my parents no M games rule =( but in games like EndWar a single quit screws the game or in small groups playing together.

  16. In games like Left 4 Dead, “rage quitting” happens frequently. Half the time it’s without reason, with a lousy excuse, or something completely random.

    In Left 4 Dead, however, since it’s a team based game, it’s understandable if you leave because the other team knows what they’re doing, but your team doesn’t. Sprinting off in different directions, leaving your allies behind while you try to make 90% of the map solo, etc.

    The only reason I ever leave a game like that is when my allies suck, not me.

    Of course, when it comes to other games, such as Starcraft, it’s really irritating when somebody leaves just for the sake of their starting position, their race, other reasons. They leave for lousy reasons, and since people can’t join in and take their spot, it can put their allies (if they have any) at a serious disadvantage.

    In my fullest opinion, their really isn’t any perfect or golden reason for leaving a game. The most common reason is that the play is getting dominated. I believe that leaving if you have absolutely no hope of winning, if you are getting repeatedly bragged at and insulted by your opinion, if your team sucks, if the game is a bit ‘unfair’, etc. is a valid, legitimate reason for leaving a game. In your case, Eddy, I believe that you could’ve left an hour and a half ago and probably saved you, your friend, and even your enemies, plenty of time.

  17. [quote=”Dustin”]In my fullest opinion, their really isn’t any perfect or golden reason for leaving a game. The most common reason is that the play is getting dominated. I believe that leaving if you have absolutely no hope of winning, if you are getting repeatedly bragged at and insulted by your opinion, if your team sucks, if the game is a bit ‘unfair’, etc. is a valid, legitimate reason for leaving a game. In your case, Eddy, I believe that you could’ve left an hour and a half ago and probably saved you, your friend, and even your enemies, plenty of time.[/quote]

    Sorry. Misspelled a few things. I meant “…is that the player is getting dominated”, and “…bragged at and insulted by your opponent…”

  18. Quitting is only ok if you are in a game where you can tell that another player on your team or the other is unquestionably hacking as in you have seen him with an m60 moving strangely and constantly firing but still getting constant headshots, then you can leave the match. Or if you are gonna go have dinner as said above.

  19. I think usually in cases like COD4 and other fps games it’s fine to leave whenever you want. When it comes to strategy games it should only be when you have no chance of winning, but the winning team teases and plays with you. However, I did play one game of Company of Heroes where we were being beaten horribly, but they played around and we ended up turning the game around. IT WAS EPIC!

    So don’t count yourself out because sometimes miracles do happen haha 🙂

  20. Holy Potato Pancakes
    Contreversial topic

    Well I think it depends how many players are playing a game for example if you are in a 4 person game then I dont think you should leave because you are not doing your best but if you are in a 35.5 player game then leaving seems like a appropriate reaction as long as you give the apposing player time to teabag you for your teh suckage Noobito.

  21. [quote comment=”5005″]I tend to play thinking games where a quit is like screwing the whole team over.[/quote]

    in that case it is probably better to stick with the team. unless dinner is ready 😀

  22. I try to never quit- I haven’t quit once in Halo 3 yet. I quit quite a bit in CoD 4, but that was because there was no penalty. I really don’t like people who quit, because usually when one person quits, another one follows. Then you’re two down, and in a game of 6v6, that’s bad. So the other one quits. 2v6. He leaves. 1v6. That ‘1’ is me. IMAGINE THE SWEARING. I know it would better to quit in situations like that, but I can’t do it. Likewise, when there’s 2v6 and the guy on my team refuses to quit, I stay on. It’s gotten me really angry sometimes, but after all, they’re only games.

  23. Never quiet because if you know your going to lose, you have nothing to fear and that’s the perfect opportunity to really stick it to the other guy with a blitz attack. He won’t see it coming and you be able to say ” I went down swinging”

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