In Defense of the Timmys:

This post is 100% true. Yes, I am defending Timmys. You'll see why by the end.
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So, I had my first real Multiplayer (MP) experience this weekend on XBOX Live. I've messed around a bit in game voice chat in the past, but this time I went for the whole shebang.

I decided because I'm a HUGE Mass Effect (ME) series fan and the ME3 demo is open to all, that I'd try MP. I'd stop being the introvert I can be and put myself out there - without my gaming swagger. I put myself on some lists at some ME3 sites as a total newb and warned them: I might know ME, but no guarantee of my ability on MP. I might die a lot. I might shoot you accidentally. I'm prone to dumb questions with good intent. If you don't want that as part of your experience, you don't want to play with me or at least not right now.

Surprisingly, I was befriended by quite a few people.

Once I could access the ME3 MP Lobby, I logged in and created a Sentinel class (new class for me as I usually play a Vanguard, but wanted to try something different). None of my befriended folks were available, so I adjusted my big girl pants and got ready to step into the public foray. Then I remembered the XBOX came with a headphone and after a long search found it copulating with dust bunnies in a forgotten cabinet drawer. After detangling and cleaning it, I put it on and hit the slider to show I was ready to communicate. I moved to the public lobby and waited to connect to a game. There were three people in the pregame room I joined of levels varying 1 - 12. None of them had pressed to go into play. After a minute or so of waiting I tried to say hello. "Hey there. I'm new so just a heads up this is ALL new to me. If that's not your-"

And they were gone.

Now you might think I would have learned my lesson about being too honest, but I can't seem to help myself. I move toward "Paragon" actions naturally (with some "Renegade" maneuvers when I think it is the best response for the situation.) Overall, I tend to play by my gut and good sense, not by the manual or "correct" response.

Second attempt - Three people, Levels 8 - 17. I say the same thing but this time they all hit green. Holy moley we're gonna play!

And we're in - we're at the snow base running around killing damn Cerberus units and Atlas troopers. I work hard not to shoot my teammates before I realize my bullets don't affect them. I am quiet except to say thanks when they raise me after I'm ambushed, shot, stabbed, hit, or nearly stomped many, many, many, many times. We make it to Wave 9 before we are all wiped out and I see we are playing Silver, not Bronze. (Quick rundown of play levels in ME3 MP: Bronze for newbs, Silver for intermediate and Gold for the pros.) I suddenly felt a little better about all that dying. More than that, I jumped about 4 or 5 levels at once.

After the group broke up, I joined another screen with just one person waiting (level 50) I gave him the same speech. To my surprise, I got a reply!

A kid, a Timmy as we refer to them here, telling me it was no big deal I was clueless. He'd help me and just to do my best until I got the hang of it. Even more, he called 2 more Timmy friends in to play, told them the drill and they all said the same thing. They introduced themselves and seemed nonplussed that I was female. They didn't treat me rudely though in the joking that ensued they gave me the rank of Lieutenant. They were Commander, Corporal and Captain, of course. But I didn't care. In my head - I was Lieutenant Commander…ha!

But I digress.

After reading so many posts here (and everywhere actually), then facing down my first real Timmy(s)...this was not the Timmy behavior I expected.

I asked them where they were located and learned they were all on the East Coast and from New Jersey. Which makes perfect sense to me and only proves (based solely on my days past when I worked in the gaming industry) that the entire state of New Jersey is made up of gamers and is breeding even more gamers at astonishing rates. I felt at ease, but then wondered once the action started how would they treat a female non-Timmy in the group? Would they steal my kills? Relegate me to support? Call me a girl and tell me to put on pink armor?

And here is where the Timmys surprised me again.

As we played they explained things. They censored each other from heavy cursing (at least until about 2 am their time, when understandably we all got a little potty-mouthed). They were cool about showing me the ropes, even if the damn ropes kept slipping out of my bloody hands. They were patient and encouraging. They spoke to me and treated me like a teammate. Even though I knew they still shared and taught me what they knew about the recruitment packs and leveling. We learned to work together, made strategies and had partners for maneuvers. We were silly yelling "Man down! …er woman down!" when someone died and we raced to help and support each other. Yelling out, "Dude that was so SIC! or "That was totally BEAST," when we kicked ass. We laughed a lot (and I especially laughed A LOT) as they spoke on topics of great import to their age and experience. Things like, how this MP compared to Battlefield and COD. Quoting cartoon characters and skits seen on Robot Chicken and Adult Swim. Boasting their kill prowess. Making the occasional fart joke. The longer I listened, the more I enjoyed myself and I concluded a couple things.

One: These Timmys had NO idea how old I was and assumed I was in their age bracket, which made them completely relaxed and themselves. I admit I did nothing to disabuse them of the notion and they didn't ask. I think this allowed a rare thing; being able to see people as they are and not as who they want you to see them, particularly in this sort of context. These guys had NO desire to "show off" for me because they were there to play and….

Two: These Timmys, are at that magic cusp age group right now. Do you remember this point? Where childhood things are still very important and the sex you are attracted to is on the horizon, but they are not quite on your radar. These Timmys were more inclined to tell the virtue of a good hoagie or Cheese melt then talk about some girl they liked - though these Timmys definitely liked girls. They were more into the stats, comparing games, telling jokes and having a good damn time kicking ass and talking playful trash to each other and me. We were a team. It was pure fun.

Three: Their demeanor reminded me of something. Overwhelmingly, strongly and specifically, they reminded me of this.

If you can't follow the link (or are too lazy for the reveal :P), they reminded me of the boys in the movie, "Stand by Me." I kid you not, the three of them even spoke and had personalities that were a perfect mix of the characters portrayed by River Phoenix, Will Wheaton, Jerry O' Connell and Corey Feldman. One of them was very pro-violence and military (Teddy - in the movie), and he was the only one who gave me a little passive aggressive shoving at first, but by the end of the night was my best partner in taking down guardians (I FREAKING hate guardians, btw. Almost as much as phantoms.). The initial one I met was like Gordie and Chris characters mixed together: he was the one who guided us and kept all of us on point. The one who had us all dying of laughter with his random Ke$ha lyric quotes, silly voices or debating about cartoon characters - clearly our Vern. I even made my husband listen to the chatter for a few minutes while I muted my mic and without telling him my thoughts, he turned to me with a big grin and said, "They sound like those kids from that movie! The one where they go looking for the dead body…"

So there it is. I don't know should we play together again if we will recapture the fun of that night or our prowess, 'cause we did kick a lot of Cerberus booty on Bronze and could get to wave 7 on Silver before we got shut down. And amazingly, they all befriended me and want to make plans for the four of us to play again. But for my first real experience online with Timmys? It was silly, positive, fun and went directly to the part of me that just loves to play.

To these Timmys in particular I just want them to know that I think they really are SO very, very beast. And due to this experience, I have to suggest to you that perhaps not all Timmys are worth your sharp-tongued, eye-rolling derision. I can attest that some of them are really worth spending some time with and playing online.

Now...does this make ALL Timmys worth playing with and should we stop teasing them altogether? Probably not. BUT

…maybe give them a minute or two past the nervous laughter and awkward jokes to show you who they are before you school them. You might find yourself through the interaction playing for a few hours and enjoying an experience that is as precious as gold, diamonds or killing an Atlus with a sticky grenade when you are just about to die.

Now that's beast.

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Thanks for looking!

Maxxie