Tue Dec 18, 2012 4:57 pm
I don't prefer to do this, but I often do. I often search solo.
The fact is getting a lot of people together is INFINITELY better, but I can't always do it, and to be perfectly fair, not everyone is worth waiting for. I don't mean they're worthless when they arrive, but some people just put a higher priority on playing Halo in a party than others. I get tired of waiting for people who WANT me to wait for them so that THEY can have a party when THEY get online, but won't hurry their ass up and save me the trouble.
When I see I have a game invite I either accept it ASAP or let the person know I'm unavailable. I will admit that I often fail to remember I got an invite. For example I get the invite while playing a game, I WILL finish the game first because that's my personal policy and Wheelmen policy, but by the time the game is over I've forgotten I received said invite. That sucks and I feel bad when I realize I let an invite go unanswered, but my memory has always been a weakness of mine.
I don't actually talk that much in the lobbies. I'm online to play. Not everyone plays the way I do or thinks of it the way I do, and that's fine, but when I'm online I want to play. Sometimes waiting for a full party doesn't sound as good as playing with half a party and hopefully picking up the other half after a game or two.
I like talking to people and socializing, and I'm not incapable of tolerating a short wait in the lobby (especially if I invite you while you're in a game, I expect you need to finish it), but generally I like to be ON THE WAY to a game when I'm not playing one. This makes more and more sense the less time you get to actually play the game.
I love playing with you guys. I think I've gotten along well with the vast majority of people I've met through this site. I also can't ignore the massive benefits of having a team, but sometimes the BEST option isn't among the available options. Sometimes the best option is only 10 minutes away, and 10 minutes happens to be about as long as it takes to play a game instead of waiting.
Finally, I think playing with randoms and such makes you just a bit harder. It's easy to get a false sense of personal effectiveness when you only play with a team. Sometimes I'm happy to suffer from searching alone, because although it makes my stats look worse and my experience a little less fun, it often means I'm better equipped to run with my team than I would have been had I spent my time waiting in the lobby. You become more dependable when you have only yourself or a few others to depend on, and I'd rather bring a badass into the lobby when there's a team waiting for me.
^ Credits to Mics R4 Chumps