Why Finding A Duos Mode Partner Is Harder Than Finding A Date

by Sang Orosco on Yesterday, 9:22 pm

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To celebrate Valentine’s Day, players were thrilled to learn Apex Legends would be bringing back its Duos Mode for a short time. This is the second time the game has implemented an event featuring teams of two, and many players are interested in Duos Mode becoming permanent mode.

Similarly, Destiny 2 is now running Crimson Days , which invites players to partake in 2v2 Crucible matches called Crimson Doubles.

Given the holiday’s emphasis on coupledom, it makes sense that these games would seize this opportunity to host duos events. While it’s obvious that most people who are going to partner up in these modes aren’t actually couples, it provides a fun take on the collective obsession with coupledom.

Many people will celebrate Valentine’s Day with new loves or longtime partners, <a href="https://apexherozone.com/">Apexherozone.Com</a>; while others will lament the fact that they can’t get a date at all. But in my experience, finding a date for Valentine’s Day is a feat far less difficult than finding the perfect duo partner.

For decades, games have given players the opportunity to work together via two-player co-op modes. In the arcade, there was Contra and Double Dragon . Nintendo had games like River City Ransom and Streets of Rage . Sega had notable co-op duos such as Sonic and Tails and ToeJam and Earl .

But back then, your duo partner was limited to whoever was around. You might play with your siblings because you'd get grounded if you didn't let them join you. Or, you could find yourself playing with the smelly kid from school only because his button smashing tactics got you further than you could ever get on your own.

Today, we have choices. That means we can be picky about our partners — and that includes both dates and duo partners.

Dating, Duos And Portal 2: A Lesson In Not Breaking Up

My boyfriend and I had been together for several years when he invited me to play Portal 2 with him. Portal 2 is a puzzle game that requires two players to coordinate with one another to solve various puzzle challenges. It sounded like a top-tier bonding experience.

Instead, it nearly drove both of us insane.

You see, my sweet boyfriend is extremely analytical. He addresses challenges head-on and is very good at understanding nuance. Game physics are second nature to him. In fact, his technical approach to gaming is such that it once earned him a spot on a competitive Counter-Strike team, where he and his teammates earned cash in underground tournaments.

Pair him with me, who couldn’t solve a puzzle even if it were designed for a five-year-old. Portal 2 had me banging my head against the wall. I didn’t understand how he could see so many things I didn’t.

I wasn’t exactly angry so much as I was frustrated. To use a dated reference, it was like a Magic Eye image I just couldn’t see. (Side note: I could also never see Magic Eye images.)

Finding A Date Vs. Finding A Duo Partner

In 2020, finding a date is as easy as swiping right on Tinder. For most people, the pool of potential dates is vastly larger than the pool of potential duo partners.

If Tinder’s not working out, there’s OKCupid, JDate, Farmers Only or whatever niche site is hot right now. To find a duo partner, on the other hand, a person is limited to a smattering of random Discords and game-specific sites. Initially, you know very little about the person you could be squadding up with. Maybe they’re cool and your relationship will morph into something special. But also, maybe they’ll rage and break their computer the first time they lose.

<img src="https://static1.thegamerimages.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Tinder-Destiny-Meme.jpeg"; alt="" /> via: Reddit (u/Postman-Sam)

A big brain Destiny 2 meme shows the progression of using Tinder to find a fireteam.

In team games, competitive players form squads based on a variety of factors. These include things like play styles, players' individual strengths, communication and the all-around ability to tolerate one another.

When it comes to squads of three or more, a team can still perform well if one player makes a mistake or simply isn’t as good as the others. Further, teammates can work with one another to diffuse tension when it arises. While teammates aren’t always perfect, the team dynamic does a great service in helping to hide these individual flaws.

But with duos, it’s just you and your partner. This means there are a lot of requirements for becoming one half of a solid duo. Suffice it to say, it's not enough to like your duo partner as a person. The two players also have to actually like one another. They must be able to communicate through heated moments for hours on end without annoying or upsetting the other.

A duo partner also has to be someone with whom you have a compatible play style — and that's a tough thing to find. In order to succeed, both players need to be about the same skill level or, at the very least, have skills that complement one another.

In Fortnite , the right duo partner can make or break your chance to earn your half of $3 million , so it's imperative to find the right person. I’d venture to say competitive duos such as that of Reverse2k and Ninja spend more time communicating with one another than most of people will ever communicate with their partners.

When your carefully-crafted duo team inevitably loses, there’s no blaming the random third player that was part of your team. The second that one player makes a risky move that gets them killed, the blame game begins.

And So, The Search For The Perfect Duos Partner Continues

Your random Tinder date may eventually block you, but it’s unlikely they’ll ever scream at you to save them and then, once you’ve revived them, let you die and teabag your death box and send you a message telling you they hope you die in a fire.

If your date goes well, it may even end with some hanky panky. But the duos session with a random teammate you found on Destiny Tracker is more likely to end with you quitting because his kid is screaming in the background and he doesn't seem to understand the purpose of his mic's mute button.

To be sure, people have their own dating horror stories . But the rejection is real when your duos partner abandons you for a better duo partner like my friend Lootscifer did when our friend Goldy logged on.

via GIPHY <img src="https://yewtu.be/Deo5xzVLne8"; style="max-width:420px;float:left;padding:10px 10px 10px 0px;border:0px;" alt="EVERYTHING New In Apex Legends Season 26! (Early Access)" />

I’m prepared to continue searching for that elusive perfect duo partner. I just want someone who likes long walks on the beach (of Geyser in World’s Edge), enjoys watching movies (as long as they're character reveal trailers) and loves to travel (as long as it's by dropship).

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