• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EST 07:36
CET 13:36
KST 21:36
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
SC2 All-Star Invitational: Tournament Preview5RSL Revival - 2025 Season Finals Preview8RSL Season 3 - Playoffs Preview0RSL Season 3 - RO16 Groups C & D Preview0RSL Season 3 - RO16 Groups A & B Preview2
Community News
BSL Season 2025 - Full Overview and Conclusion6Weekly Cups (Jan 5-11): Clem wins big offline, Trigger upsets4$21,000 Rongyi Cup Season 3 announced (Jan 22-Feb 7)16Weekly Cups (Dec 29-Jan 4): Protoss rolls, 2v2 returns7[BSL21] Non-Korean Championship - Starts Jan 105
StarCraft 2
General
Stellar Fest "01" Jersey Charity Auction SC2 All-Star Invitational: Tournament Preview Weekly Cups (Jan 5-11): Clem wins big offline, Trigger upsets When will we find out if there are more tournament SC2 Spotted on the EWC 2026 list?
Tourneys
SC2 All-Star Invitational: Jan 17-18 Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament SC2 AI Tournament 2026 $21,000 Rongyi Cup Season 3 announced (Jan 22-Feb 7) OSC Season 13 World Championship
Strategy
Simple Questions Simple Answers
Custom Maps
Map Editor closed ?
External Content
Mutation # 508 Violent Night Mutation # 507 Well Trained Mutation # 506 Warp Zone Mutation # 505 Rise From Ashes
Brood War
General
BW General Discussion BSL Season 2025 - Full Overview and Conclusion Video Footage from 2005: The Birth of G2 in Spain [ASL21] Potential Map Candidates Fantasy's Q&A video
Tourneys
[BSL21] Grand Finals - Sunday 21:00 CET [Megathread] Daily Proleagues [BSL21] Non-Korean Championship - Starts Jan 10 Small VOD Thread 2.0
Strategy
Soma's 9 hatch build from ASL Game 2 Simple Questions, Simple Answers Game Theory for Starcraft Current Meta
Other Games
General Games
Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread Beyond All Reason Awesome Games Done Quick 2026! Nintendo Switch Thread Mechabellum
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
Vanilla Mini Mafia Mafia Game Mode Feedback/Ideas
Community
General
US Politics Mega-thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Canadian Politics Mega-thread European Politico-economics QA Mega-thread
Fan Clubs
The IdrA Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Anime Discussion Thread [Manga] One Piece
Sports
2024 - 2026 Football Thread
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
The Automated Ban List
Blogs
My 2025 Magic: The Gathering…
DARKING
Physical Exercise (HIIT) Bef…
TrAiDoS
Life Update and thoughts.
FuDDx
How do archons sleep?
8882
James Bond movies ranking - pa…
Topin
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 2140 users

Fear of the Game

Blogs > Meliv
Post a Reply
1 2 Next All
Meliv
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
United Kingdom19 Posts
March 30 2010 12:14 GMT
#1
I love Starcraft 2. I'm obsessed with it. I go to bed thinking about it, then I dream about it, then I wake up and I'm still thinking about it. I've lost the desire to play any other video games since discovering Starcraft 1 and then later SC2

My problem though is that, I have a phobia of this game. I've never been good at RTS games. Ever. I'm the guy who plays the singleplayer portion of an RTS and as soon as you get to the first mission where the tutorial doesn't help you anymore, I quit without even a glance at the multiplayer. This is a handicap no doubt but slowly I've been overcoming it. When you boil starcraft down to it's core of micro/macro/harrass/unit counters it all makes sense and slots together well

It doesn't help my phobia, but what makes it worse is the competitivness and stress that comes from playing on the ladder. I both love it and hate it. I fantasise about playing in big tournaments and making money years and years in the future but the thought of playing one complete noob like me on the ladder terrifies me. The game stresses me out so much I can't bring myself to play it. After playing 2 custom games with a friend I had to stop because I was worn out

Is this common? How do I get over this? Should I just bite the bullet and play 20 games without stopping or try and play X amount every day?

love1another
Profile Blog Joined December 2009
United States1844 Posts
March 30 2010 12:20 GMT
#2
Man.... if it stresses you out, just don't do it. I don't know why you have to force yourself to do something that causes you pain.
"I'm learning more and more that TL isn't the place to go for advice outside of anything you need in college. It's like you guys just make up your own fantasy world shit and post it as if you've done it." - Chill
nozaro33
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
Taiwan1819 Posts
March 30 2010 12:21 GMT
#3
Well, my advice would be to just enjoy the game at earlier stages. I love playing the game, but I acknowledge that I will never be a progamer or an B+ and higher player.
When I started laddering, I was also terrified like you, but a change of attitude, (and the fact that I had absolutely NO practice partners) I started playing iccup for the sake of practice and fun.
#1 Flash / #2 NaDa / #3 Stats fan / KT fan for life
lazz
Profile Blog Joined January 2009
Australia3119 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-30 12:30:21
March 30 2010 12:29 GMT
#4
Yeah I have this "fear" as well. Honestly I think it's mostly an ego thing. You really have to just "let go" and not care about ladder points. After all, the entire point of the ladder point system is to match you up against similar level opponents so you can grow faster as a player. Just stop worrying about ladder points and win ratios and instead focus on improving and refining your game.
sixghost
Profile Blog Joined November 2007
United States2096 Posts
March 30 2010 12:39 GMT
#5
On March 30 2010 21:29 lazz wrote:
Yeah I have this "fear" as well. Honestly I think it's mostly an ego thing. You really have to just "let go" and not care about ladder points. After all, the entire point of the ladder point system is to match you up against similar level opponents so you can grow faster as a player. Just stop worrying about ladder points and win ratios and instead focus on improving and refining your game.

It's easier said than done, but this post is right. I still remember being terrified when I first started playing on bnet.

Just keep playing, it goes away once you know what you're doing.
mG.sixghost @ iCCup || One ling, two ling, three ling, four... Camp four gas, then ultra-whore . -Saracen
mOnion
Profile Blog Joined August 2009
United States5657 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-30 12:41:19
March 30 2010 12:40 GMT
#6
After playing 2 custom games with a friend I had to stop because I was worn out


whats gonna happen to you when you have sex?

i mean jesus its a video game not a scorpion. if you like it, play it. if not, chill out and take a swim or something.
☆★☆ 7486!!! Join the Ban mOnion Anti-Trolling Initiative! - Caller | "on a scale of machine to 10, how bad is that Zerg?" - LZgamer | you are the new tl.net bonjwa monion, congrats - Rekrul | "Cheeseburgers dynamite lilacs" - Chill
jello_biafra
Profile Blog Joined September 2004
United Kingdom6639 Posts
March 30 2010 12:41 GMT
#7
Yeah you just gotta man up and play, not giving a fuck about losses and instead learning from it, that is the path to gosuness.
The road to hell is paved with good intentions | aka Probert[PaiN] @ iccup / godlikeparagon @ twitch | my BW stream: http://www.teamliquid.net/video/streams/jello_biafra
snotboogie
Profile Blog Joined August 2009
Australia3550 Posts
March 30 2010 12:42 GMT
#8
I know how you feel. Just before I press the Find Game button I experience a small bit of hesitation. Noone wants to invest tremendous focus for 20 minutes just to lose.

However I feel the way BNet 2.0 is, is far better than in SC1. SC1 you had to create the game, wait for people to join, look at their iccup points, etc... much longer to get hesitant and just do something else.
SnowFantasy
Profile Blog Joined September 2006
4173 Posts
March 30 2010 12:45 GMT
#9
Kwark wrote this about iccup points and it might help you:

The way I see it ICC points are a currency for practice games. You pay points to practice vs better players and worse players pay their points to practice vs you. Tonight was expensive but this is why I got all the points. To buy series vs top level players. And I scored a few wins vs them so I'm proud of myself there.
Hot_Bid
Profile Blog Joined October 2003
Braavos36389 Posts
March 30 2010 13:30 GMT
#10
This really is just a fear of failure, and its perfectly natural. People, especially competitive people, don't like losing and don't like doing things they aren't good at. The best and most mentally strong players are not afraid to lose; they are confident in their abilities and enjoy the challenge and reward. They may hate losing but they never are afraid to try. Its not an easy skill to learn.

Like lazz said, you just have to get over it. Accept that there are people better than you and that often they will beat you. Otherwise it'll always be stressful and you won't get maximum enjoyment out of it, especially with AMM which is structured to produce close, competitive games.
@Hot_Bid on Twitter - ESPORTS life since 2010 - http://i.imgur.com/U2psw.png
e.soul[gm]
Profile Blog Joined May 2008
Sierra Leone254 Posts
March 30 2010 13:53 GMT
#11
LOL i have this for sc2 only for some reason. i find myself watching replays, reading tl.net, watching vods more than i play.

i have no idea how i got C- level in brood war.
http://www.last.fm/user/jesuspopk
Zoler
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
Sweden6339 Posts
March 30 2010 14:02 GMT
#12
I used to think this much about SCBW, tho I was never afraid.
Lim Yo Hwan forever!
Flaccid
Profile Blog Joined August 2006
8865 Posts
March 30 2010 14:07 GMT
#13
"Fear of a game only increases fear of the thing itself" - Albus Dumbledore
I'd rather have a bottle in front of me than a frontal lobotomy
Archaic
Profile Blog Joined March 2008
United States4024 Posts
March 30 2010 14:58 GMT
#14
On March 30 2010 23:07 Flaccid wrote:
"Fear of a game only increases fear of the thing itself" - Albus Dumbledore

I wake up every night in a cold swear of Hunter Killers jumping down from the roof and impaling me with needle spines.

Yes, I have always been afraid of the game. I win once, and I'm unwilling to play again because I don't want to lose. It's very easy to get frustrated, or just rest on your laurels. However, it is so much more worth it to just keep forcing yourself to play.
zerglingsfolife
Profile Blog Joined August 2009
United States1694 Posts
March 30 2010 15:57 GMT
#15
Everything you said is very natural. I used to be the same way. One time I got hammered and started playing ICCUP games drunk, and I didn't care if I won or lost cause it was funny. After that, I was able to relax more whenever I laddered sober and although I am extremely competitive, I had more fun playing the game because it was less stressful. The only time I rage anymore is when I throw a game away when I have a lead.
Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crown and win no glory. I shall live and die at my post. I am the sword in the darkness.
Neo27
Profile Blog Joined August 2009
United States154 Posts
March 30 2010 16:12 GMT
#16
I share the same phobia. When I join a ladder game, my hands and body shake like crazy.
I've only played about 10 total in the last year.
Thinking about it, I seem to be worried that my record will be bad, like being 0-10 says something about me as a person.

It doesn't, we just have to get over it and have fun. Good luck!
"I was born too damn early! Where were these games when I was a kid?" - Angry Video Game Nerd
jimminy_kriket
Profile Blog Joined February 2007
Canada5525 Posts
March 30 2010 16:20 GMT
#17
Bite the bullet. Once you start playing alot you dont get as worried about losing anymore
life of lively to live to life of full life thx to shield battery
qwsss
Profile Joined July 2009
Canada36 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-30 16:31:38
March 30 2010 16:30 GMT
#18
Yeah bite the bullet. I had the same problem as you before, but then I started mass gaming for real and after awhile it went away. For me the first 2-3 games of a session still do this but after im good to go.
w
citi.zen
Profile Joined April 2009
2509 Posts
Last Edited: 2010-03-30 16:37:38
March 30 2010 16:37 GMT
#19
I've decided a long time ago there is something very primal about people's reactions to SC. Some players thrive under competition - they are killers who love the chase and get better when things heat up. Others love the game, have deep strategic knowledge and so on, but wilt under pressure. Sure, with practice anyone can get a lot better, beat weaker players and get more comfortable - but when shit goes sideways they come undone.

I don't think you can ever train for that killer instinct. Some people just have it. It's in the eyes.
Aut viam inveniam, aut faciam.
onmach
Profile Blog Joined March 2009
United States1241 Posts
March 30 2010 16:43 GMT
#20
I like the way kwark puts it. I'm going to use that.

Anyways I have this problem too. My problem is that after a few days of not playing I get jittery and so it is hard to get started playing again, so I sit watching streams all night instead. Once I have played a few games then it passes and even when I lose I can look at it with rationality without getting angry or nervous.

Another thing that has helped me is not to eat a lot of sugar or drink soda while I'm playing. That increases the jittery factor several fold. Also often times I can kind of forget I'm playing a real person on the new battle.net because there is so little interactivity, and that helps immensely.
1 2 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
OSC
12:00
Season 13 World Championship
Shameless vs NightMareLIVE!
YoungYakov vs MaNa
Nicoract vs Jumy
Gerald vs TBD
Creator vs TBD
WardiTV930
LiquipediaDiscussion
Sparkling Tuna Cup
10:00
Weekly #117
ByuN vs PercivalLIVE!
TBD vs Creator
CranKy Ducklings174
LiquipediaDiscussion
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
EmSc Tv 33
StarCraft: Brood War
Calm 4277
Rain 4211
Shuttle 1405
Hm[arnc] 453
Stork 448
Hyuk 380
actioN 378
BeSt 375
Soma 363
Larva 352
[ Show more ]
EffOrt 297
Light 275
Last 204
Mini 181
ggaemo 173
Sharp 168
Rush 119
Hyun 100
NaDa 83
Leta 63
Shine 59
JulyZerg 48
ToSsGirL 34
910 30
Free 29
Nal_rA 27
HiyA 25
Movie 25
yabsab 24
Sacsri 22
GoRush 19
zelot 18
Terrorterran 14
ivOry 13
Noble 11
SilentControl 6
Icarus 4
Dota 2
Gorgc4987
singsing2818
XcaliburYe300
Counter-Strike
zeus1144
x6flipin764
byalli763
Heroes of the Storm
Khaldor155
Other Games
B2W.Neo1411
crisheroes299
Mew2King71
White-Ra60
Organizations
Other Games
gamesdonequick2374
StarCraft 2
EmSc Tv 33
EmSc2Tv 33
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 17 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• Berry_CruncH230
• StrangeGG 53
• Kozan
• Laughngamez YouTube
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• sooper7s
• intothetv
• Migwel
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
StarCraft: Brood War
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
• BSLYoutube
Dota 2
• C_a_k_e 1923
• lizZardDota2106
League of Legends
• Jankos2594
• Stunt633
Upcoming Events
BSL 21
7h 25m
Bonyth vs Sziky
Mihu vs QiaoGege
Sziky vs XuanXuan
eOnzErG vs QiaoGege
Mihu vs DuGu
Dewalt vs Bonyth
IPSL
7h 25m
Dewalt vs Sziky
Replay Cast
20h 25m
Wardi Open
23h 25m
Monday Night Weeklies
1d 4h
The PondCast
2 days
Big Brain Bouts
5 days
Serral vs TBD
BSL 21
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

Escore Tournament S1: W4
Big Gabe Cup #3
NA Kuram Kup

Ongoing

C-Race Season 1
IPSL Winter 2025-26
BSL 21 Non-Korean Championship
CSL 2025 WINTER (S19)
KCM Race Survival 2026 Season 1
OSC Championship Season 13
Underdog Cup #3
BLAST Bounty Winter Qual
eXTREMESLAND 2025
SL Budapest Major 2025
ESL Impact League Season 8
BLAST Rivals Fall 2025
IEM Chengdu 2025

Upcoming

Escore Tournament S1: W5
Acropolis #4
IPSL Spring 2026
Bellum Gens Elite Stara Zagora 2026
HSC XXVIII
Rongyi Cup S3
Nations Cup 2026
Stake Ranked Episode 1
BLAST Open Spring 2026
ESL Pro League Season 23
ESL Pro League Season 23
PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026
IEM Kraków 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter 2026
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2026 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.