Deathmatch etiquette?

Okay, so the other day I was online playing a Grand Theft Auto 4 deatchmatch for PS3.

I know what I’m doing, though I don’t play that often, and my numbers are pretty average.

It started out simple enough. I was assigned to a lobby with a bunch of guys who were about to have a rocket launcher-only deatchmatch at Happiness Island. At first, I struggled to adjust. I’d never played a rocket launcher-only deatchmatch before.

Sometimes I actually find myself preferring use of the game’s handguns than its larger weapons. I’m a headshot guy, and — unless my enemies are out of handgun range, of course – I sometimes find it easier to hit my mark with the handguns.

I finished eighth out of eight during that deathmatch, but improved next round, when we moved to the Alderney State Correctional facility (the prison). Again, it was rocket launchers only, but we had a couple extra people join in and I moved up to fifth out of 10.

For the third deathmatch with this group, we stayed at the prison, but again picked up a couple extra people. Also, the guy in charge of the settings changed the weapon selection to “powerful,” so instead of rocket launchers only, it was all the fully-auto guns, grenades, the rocket launcher, and also the sniper rifle. I generally found myself either staying with the default SMG or the lower level assault rifle, which I assume is an AK.

I did okay. I didn’t win, but I finished like fourth or fifth out of 12. Someone did send me a PS Network friend request, though, right as the game ended, and then he took off. That was a first request for me from someone I don’t actually already know, but I dismissed it at the moment as some dude probably friend-requesting everyone from the deathmatch. Either that, or he recognized my skills and hit me up. Yeah, right. In any case, I still don’t know.

Then, however, I noticed when we were about to start the next game, the guy in charge wouldn’t commit to starting the game. We had about nine people in the lobby, and then all of a sudden two of them had selected to kick me from the game. A moment later, a couple people then left, but the two anti-me votes remained.

I didn’t know how to react. I’ve never had anyone vote to boot me before. I then had a bunch of questions and rebuttals quickly run through my mind:

- Is it against GTA deathmatch etiquette to hit people with headshots? People do it all the time to me, so I figured probably not.
- Was my PS3’s wireless connection unstable the previous match? I didn’t see any glitches, which I have before, but I still can’t be sure other people didn’t see me glitching out.
- Were the rest of the players a group of people who knew each other and didn’t want non-members of their group playing? Only four or so people had headsets, but that doesn’t mean they weren’t communicating some other way.
- Was it because there were a couple guys the previous match who kept respawning near me like every single time they died, and I was able to kill them quickly most of the time they respawned? What, was I supposed to just run away from them or, rather, let them kill me?

In any case, as I sat there stunned people apparently didn’t want me to play, I grew defiant. At first I thought about leaving, but then I decided I would do everything I could in the next round to win the whole stinkin’ match.

Eff them.

As I continuted to sit there, no one else voted to boot me. Just those two, whoever they were. I had unclicked “ready” for a moment as I thought about what to do, but nearly no one else had clicked ready yet. I decided to just click it. A few moments later, about a half-dozen more people joined and began clicking ready.

Pretty soon, there were about 12 or 13 people in the lobby, nearly all of which were ready. The guy in charge, who I can only assume was voting against me, finally clicked ready and we began.

It was a 10 minute deathmatch, again at the prison, and again with the powerful weapons.

I can’t say I noticed anyone leaving during the game, but about halfway through, I found myself near the prison’s outer gate, using the entryway as cover as someone began to approach me. Apparently he and I were the only people left.

Unaware of that at first, I popped out and sent some AK rounds his way. I maybe hit him with only one or two bodyshots, not inflicting much damage at all.

Then I noticed he was just crouched near the gate. I thought he was waiting for me to pop out so he could time his shots at me. However, I sent another couple shots his way before I realized he wasn’t playing anymore. His character just remained there in a crouch. I came out of cover, walked over to him while aiming at him, and then — poof — the game ended. I was the only player remaining.

At that point, I could only assume they were just trying to avoid playing against me. I don’t know if there’s an in-game boot feature, or if they just all truly left me to my lonesome.

I don’t know what I did to these people, but whatever it is: my bad. I don’t want to be the guy who defies GTA deathmatch etiquette, so if there’s some sort of etiquette, I’d love to know what it is, so I can just win without being “that guy” — whatever that is — if that’s who they think I am.

If no one can tell me what I was doing wrong, I can only conclude through one friend request, two “kick player” votes, and an “only player remaining” that I must have been doing something right.

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Tags: Grand Theft Auto, Playstation 3, GTA4, GTA IV, Grand Theft Auto 4, Grand Theft Auto IV, online video games, deathmatch, PS3, Playstation, Playstation Network

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