I’ve been wanting to do this one for quite some time. Truth be told, there is little point in it, considering how many people have already done the same thing. Doubly still, since we’ve had nothing but fine weather for the past few days. Either way, no one has done MY take on it, and I’ve been dealing with the aftereffects of the recent storms for almost two weeks now. This is nothing too grand, but let me welcome you to this episode of Gamer Psych.
Typhoons in the Gaming World
Now let’s start with this. To be fair, you never treat these storms as playthings. But if you’ve read my previous Gamer Psych articles, you know that this series is about correlating our habits of looking for fun with our actual lives as human beings. After all, everything we do must have some form of evolutionary advantage.
Real life shows us that 220 kph windspeed monsters are some of the most intimidating, dangerous, and powerful forces our world has to offer. And “monster” is a very accurate description. Because while there are very few video games that simulate the devastating effects of typhoons, a lot of games do have comparable threats to the safety of whatever character you play as. A lot of games have monsters.
The Basics of Fighting monsters: categories
Monsters in most games, like storms, are typically sorted by the player base into categories. Terms vary wildly across titles, but generally speaking, these are: fodder, light enemies, medium enemies, heavies, minibosses, and bosses. Fodder are your typical rainy days. They don’t pose a threat to anyone, and kids can still go to school. Light enemies can be considered as Storm Signal #1 threats to “lowbies,” also known as “first-grade kids.” They can cause some damage, but higher-leveled characters can still function fairly well against them. The pattern of rising threat to safety continues with the remaining categories, all the way to Boss Level monsters, capable of taking out even the most hardened adventurers in seconds.
Boss Hunting: Preparing for a fight
Here’s a difference between real life and video games: your ability to avoid the threat. In most games, you can stay away from powerful monsters by simply keeping to locations that do not spawn them. In real life however, you can’t always leave your house when you’re in the path of an incoming storm. Now don’t get me wrong: that is still the safest thing to do if you are capable of doing it. It’s just not always a convenient or viable option.
So if you know a fight is coming up to you, and you can’t get out of the way fast enough, what do you do? You prepare. You never start a fight with that level 100 Elder Dragon unprepared when your character is capped at level 30! You need to build your advantage.
Tip 1: Grab a party
Okay, first of all, a “party” is not a celebration. A “party” is a group of like-minded adventurers who will help you take down that Boss Level target you can’t take on your own. Remember there is safety in numbers.
How does this translate to typhoons? Well if you hole up against a typhoon on your own, you have to rely on yourself to take care of food, water, repairs, and every other threat you could potentially face throughout your ordeal. That might not seem like much, but what if the worst comes to wear? What if say… a storm surge hits? Or a mudslide? What happens then? These are the boss monster’s “power attacks,” to an extent.
Having multiple people around you increases your chances of surviving greater dangers. You’ll have people to help you up when you fall… provided you do your part and do the same for them. I mean look at this. Do you want to fight this guy alone?
Tip 2: Stock up
So you now have a party, and you’ve built your strength in numbers…. but is that enough? Not exactly. Even the best teamwork won’t be enough to take down your opponent if the numerical advantage it has in stats is too great. A storm surge will wipe a household out without care of how many people are within.
You need to even those numbers out. In a video game, you ready for the damage a monster can dish out by stocking up on healing potions, weapons, spare armors, or whatever advantage the game has to offer. You do the exact same thing in real life. Find yourself first aid kits, toolboxes, and food. I can’t stress this enough: you need to be able to keep up with the storm’s damage output.
Tip 3: Buff up
Now all you non-gamers out there, a “buff” is a status that changes numerical values, granting an edge to whoever the status is on. Role-playing video games typically have buffs that increase armor values, raise damage, heal, and do a host of other effects. The important thing to note here however, is that buffs are often applied before the fight begins. Again, this translates perfectly well into real life.
Let’s face it: your house is probably going to sustain damage from a typhoon. You expect it, and so you have the responsibility to do something about it. It makes sense that your house is going to tank a lot of damage for you, so you have to boost its defences. Repair any leaks before the typhoon hits to prevent water damage. Buckle down anything loose. Tighten door and window hinges. Clear the canals in front of your house. Cover every weakness you can because when that storm hits, it will hit with the same force no matter how well you decide to buff up.
Tip 4: Consistency
Storms in the Philippines and last anywhere between one and three days; sometimes even longer. And when they hit, the fight can get tiring and tedious. But the fact is any boss fight is a war of attrition. Whoever has their hit points land on zero first loses the fight. You cannot under any circumstances allow yours to drop at a faster rate than the typhoon’s.
Re-apply your buffs when you have the chance. Heal up and perform damage control. Be vigilant throughout the ordeal. Boss fights can last hours on end in comparison to seconds it takes to beat regular monsters.
Tip 5: Deal with mobs
Boss fights in video games usually have the main target supported by weaker opponents called “mobs.” These are smaller insignificant foes that might not be a major threat initially, but are very easy to underestimate.
In real life, believe it or not, some people are willing to go out in a signal number 5 storm to take advantage of the confusion. Thieves and robbers take these kinds of risks, because most people find it inconceivable that anyone would leave their homes in a monster typhoon. So how do you deal with these mobs? You keep your eyes open.
They may be brave enough to sneak out during a rainstorm, but the last thing they expect is for others to expect them.
Well there you have it. Five tips on dealing with a typhoon from a gamer’s perspective. Simple enough, and easy enough to incorporate. What do you guys think? Did I miss anything? Do you agree? Disagree? Let us know.
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