I'm the worst at arguing online, but I'll try...
See, if you read anything in the Goldeneye topics, I am probably just like you to most people here in the elite. I am an @#%$ when it comes to claims of being good. I'm greedy, conceided, and really annoying. But there's one very important thing that separates us in this sense, I can 100% back up everything I say.
See, I was like you back 2 years ago, completely a bullshitter in everything and annoying, I was banned and most people forgot about me. Of course, I started cleaning up my act and actually proved everything I ever claimed. 100% fully proven* now and hopefully, at least respected by everyone, not necessarily liked.
Now, lets get down to business. You are not a good PD player one bit as compared to people here. One thing that separates, although not much, is how well you can strafe in multi. Knowing BOTH screen settings like me (wide and full) is crucial. Also, I guarantee you cannot pull off shots like I can in multi. I have 45+ multi vids up for grabs, 3 in PD, I'd love to see you compare to me. I have mastered every gun in the game, even knives. I can take you with either a standard pistol, or a Magnum, whichever (in fact, I think I'm better with a Magnum than anything else). I'm not a super dominant flukey player, however, who gets insane strafing Magnum kills on command, but I'm consistent and always come through when an elite player should. I'm not perfect, I die, but 90% of the time when I either make a super mistake or get incredibly unlucky from a far shot from my friend. This is my Goldeneye side talking, but EVERYTHING I say transfers to PD, I just don't like the framerate and have a more heartfelt attachment to GE, so I play that instead.
In addition to being good at multi, being good at solo, or you're "speedrunning" makes you especially good at any particular game for a few reasons. One is being able to know how avoid bullets. For some parts of GE, leaning to a certain side of a guard can prevent you from being backboosted in an important part of the level (Silo, for example, going on the side of the gun in which the gun is being held, avoids backboosts usually). Only experience will get you this knowledge. A 2nd thing, is being able to do many things that most people will only dream of learning. Door warping, mine throwing, timed exits, speech skipping, all this stuff is truly ELITE in speedrunning. It's not a thing of running through the levels hoping to not die, there's so much more stuff to it, it's unbelievable. For example, Bunker 1 in Goldeneye is probably the single most complicated level concentrated into 1 minute 7 seconds. 5 objectives, and a movable area about the size of your average garage. 4 cameras, tons of guards, being able to handle Boris and where he goes to optimize time lost and what to do if you have a guard in your way if you pause, it only comes from experience and only the best players have under 1:11 on Bunker 1. More good examples are how fast you can take out 4 alarms on Dam, how good you are with aiming a tank on Runway, how fast you can take out locks on Surface 1, how risky you are with any bug throw, it's all there. And you can only get that kind of experience and skill with solo play, and of course, it transfers to multiplayer and PD. Solo enhances strafing, door opening (yes), and warping skills not found in Combat Simulator alone.
A PD equivalent of this is doing something ridiculously complex like Defection or Investigation. Both levels involve so many things to do that one must first be good at getting to objectives on time, utilize any spare time, and making sure you don't die in the process. You my friend, have lost any argument of saying that solo players aren't the best players in the world.
The only reason I made this post, really, is to tell you to NEVER underestimate the skills of even the crappy players here on the ranks. Sure you may THINK you're good, but I thought I was too. You're nothing until you at least put some vids up, and you're never good until you watch other vids and realize what you're up against. You have only seen yourself play and maybe some friends, you're used to only certain moves to have to pull off. I, however, have seen over 100 multi vids and have learned from the best (Karl, Wouter, Greg Lewis, other Aussies). I've mastered all that is needed to defeat even the best players (in my opinion, (I think I can beat them anyway, but that's not the point)
So don't try to defend yourself, it's hopeless. And even if PDZ comes out, it's different controls will screw up everyone and no one here will be nearly as competitive on XBox360 as they are on N64.
Thank you, goodbye.
* = I have ONE unproven time, Frigate SA 1:10, but I have a 1:11 vid
