The Pitfalls of the Pint - Drinking and Gaming

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Drinking and gaming can be fun

Here's some tips to keep you from being banned

So you've done it or know someone who has. Drinking and gaming. That said, it is especially important in multiplayer online games that you use moderation and control. Otherwise you end up the jackass everyone muted for trying to sing Poker Face to your team, while playing a FPS. (Drinking and Rock Band is a completely different story.)

Here's the tips:

1. Play on servers that you won't be banned (official, friends) for trying to lighten the mood
2. If you're an angry drunk, just don't drink. If you're the singing happy drunk, that's cool. (Your team might be loosing 120-0 but at least they can laugh.)
3. Don't join serious games. Understand that you really won't help your team all that much, so drinking before a clan match is probably a bad idea.
4. Stay on the ground. I can't tell you the number of times, flying while intoxicated has killed my character. Mainly because at a certain point you quit caring and keeping track.
5. Listen to your team, if people are complaining then stop, or move to a different server.
6. You can sing without using the mic. Not nearly as entertaining to your team, but still a lot of fun.
7. Limit your intake. I had a night that I didn't realize how much beer I was consuming until I finished off a growler. That didn't end well. Have a limit and stick to it.

Now, these tips apply less to multiplayer party games. That said if you're throwing a party with drinking and gaming, make sure you have a place people can crash without driving.