TIGHT COMMUNICATION
Hardcore randoms can get really testy, especially if you waste valuable in-game pickups or special actions. I had a particular string of bouts with a guy that just would not stop complaining about the lack of people in support roles. A few follow-up voice messages told the story of a man in his late twenties who literally had no other aspirations in life but to play Call of Duty, and don't you dare get in the way of his kill/death ratio.
Andrew -vs- Chopper
People like that are no fun. It's much nicer to play with someone who is considerate of the fact that this is just entertainment, and it's often motivation enough to get a good, tight method of coordination going.
"Oh, hey...I got a carpet bombing run I can call in."
"Cool. Give me a minute, and I'll see if I can get a UAV."
That's how a team wins.
When life gives you lemons...bomb the crap out something.
HDTJH MOMENTS
"How did that just happen?!!" is something you might hear while playing with people like us (the Co-Opticrew and our incredible community). Whether it's Mike swinging a gravity hammer on Halo 3: ODST, Nick with a magnetic grapple gun in Red Faction: Armageddon, or myself sniping helicopter pilots in Battlefield: Bad Company 2, "HDTJH" moments garner a much funnier reaction when friends are along for the ride. Not to mention the stories that will come later.
I'm not even going to ask. I'm too busy laughing.
MINUTES > KILLS
In competitive games, score matters. These days developers try to shake things up by creating new scoring systems based on actions other than straight destruction, but ultimately competitive matches are won by comparing numbers.
Get the right wingman, though, and kills take a backseat to just plain old fraternization.
One of the last things Andrew told me as we were in the process of calling it quits for the night was, "I really enjoyed playing this." For him, playing with a friend kind of breathed new life into the game, if you will.
It seriously does make a difference who you play with. Which is why our forums have constant meet-ups. It's why open calls for Left 4 Dead runs and Ghost Recon Advanced Warrior 2 co-op missions were some of the most popular threads we've ever hosted.