EPT![[image loading]](http://mathworld.wolfram.com/images/gifs/go-game.jpg)
Because like most games it's not the game itself that's stopping you from getting those kinds of benefits, it's the way you approach it that's the issue. That's why I feel like people are missing out so much whenever I see someone using cheeses and set build orientated play over the majority of the games. If Karate requires you to adapt to the opponent and to get into their head, Starcraft too allows you the opportunity to spar with someone on an intellectual battle field. But I don't think winning is what lets you know you've succeeded. Because in reality it's an entirely personal battle, for two reasons: One, the game itself isn't refined and practiced enough to the point where the better opponent always wins. There's lots of variance associated with a new game, as well as the natural luck involved. Two, measuring your success by your "results" is a losing battle. Psychologically it is a losing battle. It's no form of psychobabble when I say that it's generally agreed by psychologists that the ones that are most likely to succeed and have the most happiness when pursing anything, are those that focus on mastery rather than results. It's why win ratios mean nothing.
![[image loading]](http://aceofsportspicks.com/wins%20losses.jpg)
impressive isn't it?
Of course, it isn't entirely so simple on the surface. I think when Idra gets mad after a loss it's not necessarily a bad thing either. He's a professional, he has other obligations that he has to meet. For a professional results do matter. But for students, that's simply not the case. It's inconsistent actually, to use pros as an example in that case. Because being a pro already implies a sense of mastery. Once you've mastered something there isn't as much learning that you can do besides refining builds and researching them over the course of a series of games. There are diminishing returns involved with practice that accrue the closer you get to the level of someone like Nony. Which is why you hear him talking about refining builds. And why people get so excited when new builds in BW are created. Failsafe, is another good example. He doesn't play as often anymore, but he's one of our top gamers at sMi and I really think he could probably be one of the top in America if he chose. He has a mastery over those special skills such that it would be very easy for him. There isn't much else to learn for him besides refining builds and SC2. The only thing stopping him from playing is a desire to be recognized as one of the best and the associated glory. Some people are simply interested enough in the glory, and others aren't.
![[image loading]](http://deepwarriors.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/Roger-Federer1.jpg)
I realize it might sound kind of strange for me to say that there isn't much learning to do, so before you denounce what I'm saying as bullshit, let me clarify. I mean, It's a new game after all, and patches are going to be released to change the parameters of the game on an ongoing basis. But I'm not talking about that kind of learning. I'm talking about the kind of learning that is fundamental; one example would be your deductive reasoning. Scouting is important in SC2 because it gives you information. You use this information to deduce what your opponent might be going. You put him on a "range' of possible tech paths he might be going. Your best course of action often involves you following a build order which deals with that range the best. The more information you acquire throughout the course of the game, the more you can specialize in a certain class of units that is going to be most effective against the pin pointed army composition your opponent has. You do this by being logical. You practice this and you get better at it. It's not very hard to apply to a game like Starcraft I think. But it's surprising how many people have no concept of this. They may understand it intuitively. But they miss out when they fail to realize how important it really is, and how much it could improve their game.
Another thing you can develop in Starcraft is your powers of analysis. Analyzing why certain things work. And why other things failed. And figuring out what you could do against a particular opponent. It's no wonder that financial institutes in Korea hire progamers to be analysts when they have no finance training at all. It's because they've developed some fundamental skills; skills which happen to be applicable to areas outside of Starcraft. I do think I've spent way too much time over the years playing this game, including Brood War, of course. I've often let it affect my schooling and my relationships. But as it stands now I really have no regrets. It's given me a lot of confidence. I easily see it making a positive influence on other areas of my life, including my school. That's why I think it's wrong to think that playing a game like Starcraft is a total waste of time. Sometimes it is. I wouldn't advice people playing the game as much as I did in the past. But that's only because I was doing it wrong for awhile. Again, I think it's the way you approach it that makes the difference.
And of course if you're part of a team, it can get pretty rewarding to work together versus other teams. And the relationships you can develop are ones you might be fortunate enough to consider invaluable.
I don't see anything wrong with not taking it SC THAT seriously either. It still can be played as a form of entertainment game. I just think though that when you play and enjoy it as much as most of us do it might be wise to stop considering it as "just a game" and give it some more respect.
That said, I don't think anything I've said should be used as an excuse to procrastinate doing your homework.
Perhaps more importantly:
wtfwtf. I have a baby nephew, I love him and I think he's ridiculously adorable, but the baby in the video is the mofoing cutest baby I've ever seen in my life.
