I Miss My Unite Friends

What I like about Pokémon Unite, as its name suggests and just like other games of its genre (MOBA), is the way that it can bring together various players and have them connect as friends. In fact, that is now something I long for, with the seemingly recent forced "downturn" of the game and the fact that it seems many of my in-game friends seemingly have been inactive for a very long time (even if they're active when I'm not and vice versa). I've thought about that "longing" and have decided to make it into a discussion point here, certainly.

I have recently made some new friends in and for the game, yet I haven't had a chance to play with for a major timescale - and just when I do want to, they go and play other games instead, making them "seasonal" gamers - and that makes me miss them somewhat. The feeling of being so close and yet so far to these friends is a frustrating one as well, which adds to the feeling of longing, especially for those who I can trust to get things done in the game, and if they can be met in person, to do just that with additional communication.

Then there are friends who have publicly announced they'll stop playing the game due to the forced "downturn", and those for whom the downturn might have affected them by making them play the game rather erratically. Incidentally, I might be considered to fall into the latter camp due to my sometimes regular and sometimes erratic times of playing the game, so some friends on the other end might miss me for that. All the same, I do miss them for what they may or may not bring to the game with their current way of dealing with it.

As for other friends, I've made more than my fair share of "one-off" friends, those who I encounter just once in a match and then almost never after that, with either them befriending me or me accidentally befriending them. Depending on who they are and how they played with me, I might miss them just a little, or perhaps even more than a little. What is clear is that some longing is established for them, though the same might not be true on the other side, which could mean that I may just need to move on from them as they probably should also.

Now, friends are always important in any game, especially those that require a team of players to play as in the case of MOBA games in general and Pokémon Unite as a specific case. Such an importance then lends itself to any player longing to play with their friends, as I do for the friends on my Pokémon Unite friend list. It's a longing that may or may not be satiated by further play with other people, and it'll just have to be a feeling that remains there while I continue to deal with the game, at least before a real "downturn" occurs.

One year ago: Spending for Café Remix Deliveries

Two years ago: A Journey's Anthem

Three years ago: Let's Talk About Living and Letting Go

Four years ago: Pokémon Go Community Day Classic, 1/22/2022

Five years ago: Best in the World and Universe

Six years ago: On the "Invisible Forces"

Seven years ago: Fan Art... for Me!

Eight years ago: Costume and Cosplay Checklists

Nine years ago: Pokémon World + Hero's Come Back = ...