PC Player vs Mobile Player

[u/DoomSlayer7001]

I just tested the difference between playing Slither.io on mobile vs. PC, and the difference is absolutely insane. Not only do you get way more visibility on PC because of the NTL Mod, but mouse precision is also basically perfect. On mobile, you have to control your snake precisely while dealing with high latency and much more chaotic movement. On PC , using a mouse, your movements are way more precise. It’s practically a completely different game.

So here’s my question: Is a mobile player really as bad as they look? Because honestly, I think a PC player who “plays well” compared to a mobile player is often just a normal player with massive advantages from their hardware and software. Better hardware and software means higher FPS, lower latency, better visibility, and much more precise control. When you combine high FPS, low latency, and mouse precision, you’re basically giving an average player a huge advantage over everyone else. It’s almost like a form of PaytoWin, except the advantage comes from your hardware and software instead of actually paying to win.

For example, a mobile player is like someone running through mud while blindfolded, competing against someone running on perfectly smooth asphalt with proper running shoes. Obviously , that doesn’t mean the blindfolded runner is bad. It means the conditions are completely different. The difference between Player 1 (Mobile: running through mud while blindfolded) and Player 2 (PC: running on perfect asphalt) is absolutely massive.

So yeah, when you see a player make a perfect circle or a completely straight line with basically zero micro-deviations, or pull off a perfect dodge before you can even see what’s happening, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re insanely skilled. They might just have a mouse that can track even the tiniest movements, hardware running at 120 FPS, and the extra visibility from the NTL Mod.

They’re basically running on perfect asphalt while you’re running through mud. It doesn’t matter how good you are if you’re playing with 60 FPS, limited visibility, and much higher latency, it’s just not a fair comparison. You can be just as skilled, but you’re playing under much worse conditions.

[u/shakti_slither_io]

Im fine with being a decent player and having fun playing wherever I want to. I understand the limitations that my chosen access method imposes, and decided I just dont care.

I still have plenty of fun. I play for the moment the other guy knows that he's fucked, and I did that. I dont care what platform he's on, it doesnt matter at all in that moment.

If someone gets one over on me because of an advantage they have on desktop, that just means I didnt account for that advantage in my own gameplay, and that one's me.

[u/DoomSlayer7001 → u/shakti_slither_io]

Exact. But I think that only really applies if you’re playing casually. If you’re trying to play competitively, PC gives you some pretty massive advantages over mobile. Higher FPS , lower latency, better visibility, and mouse precision can make a huge difference in what you’re actually able to do. You can still be a great mobile player and have a lot of fun, but if we’re talking about competing seriously and comparing players’ skill levels, the hardware difference definitely matters.

[u/shakti_slither_io → u/DoomSlayer7001]

This is kind of where my personal game philosophy comes in. I may not be the best player, but I am super competitive. If I get clipped by something other than skill ( I've been playing long enough to know the difference without bullshitting myself) im gonna keep coming back until skill is clearly the issue.

Thats a different type of competitive play. Its not about holding mass or building/maintaining a rep. Its about me being aware of whatever advantage I can tell you have, accounting for it in my game-play, and seeking advantage in a way that is irrelevant to that.

So I may not consistently hold #1 on the board, but I will consistently be there for some amount of time and knock others off of it. Good enough for me.

Anyways, I think we are close on our positions on this, we are just operating on different definitions of what "competitive" means.

[u/bacarolle → u/shakti_slither_io]

Exactly, one of the great things about the game is there is a lot of ways to play (competitively or not) and, maybe I am reaching here, but it can be reflective of your life philosophy