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// If TL:DR, read bolded part.
Hello guys.
By looking at my profile (TheDeli . 704 EU / 447 NA) you'd notice I don't ladder much. It's because I know I'm not decent enough to play the game well (i.e. Diamond / Masters level). While I do command people for telling me to "just play" and that "I'd get better by playing", I knew for sure that it was wrong in some sense, that it did not apply to me. At least, not the way people "just play".
Actually, the only way for me to get better at the game is to put myself into situations where it shouldn't even be close (i.e. my opponent is leaps and bounds better than me); so, while I know that I should expect to lose, the goal is to keep my focus on highest level possible while executing my game plan and taking care of macro - as in, win. Those situations can only happen if I play vs people who are significantly better (i.e. Diamond / Masters).
In a "stomp-practice" session I had earlier today, I lost a couple of games horribly to the point that, one game, because I was telling myself "I'm doing everything wrong" I did everything wrong. I was not focused anymore on anything and ended up having merely 50 food at 10mn mark (my 2nd worst performance ever, barred pre-1.2 patch games). I was beating myself over my play, not tending to the virus but getting trapped by the maze of symptoms.
Upon taking some time off (2mns) and going right back onto the next game, I had "something decent" going on: Money was kept low almost all times but in the end because I couldn't expand at my 3rd (ovie pooping creep =.=). Despite the fact that I lost, I knew that it wouldn't be because of me being silly and not getting an observer at the 9mn mark or something, which is a decent start. I played sensibly better, but still lost (which means: more losing to go).
If anyone is interested in stomping - not just beating - a Gold-level Protoss player, feel free to post here and add me either on EU (TheDeli.704) or NA (TheDeli.447) and tell me when you're available 
If anyone wants to learn by losing and really focuses on the learning part, please post here so that other people who are interested in stomp-training you can add you!
This thread will be active forever, in essence.
Cheers :D
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List of reasons that led me to lose, starting March 25th, 2011.
+ Show Spoiler +- Controlling the scout while I should put my gate / core at the best timing possible. [IMPROVED]
- Not having detection at the 9mn mark vs Zerg, be it observers or cannons. [IMPROVED]
- Supply block while the expansion goes up. [IMPROVED]
- Non-constant probe production upon expanding. [IMPROVED]
- Having no visibility over the map and not being proactive as far as opponent expanding. (As in, playing blind)
- Not having detection by the 7mn mark against Terran. [IMPROVED]
- Not making upgrades (double forge) at expansion time (scenarios depend on whether opponent expands or not).
- Poorly engaging an army (at a spot where I shouldn't engage).
- Not making units between the time I expand and the saturation of said expansion.
- Stopping making probes at around 14mn mark - a bit premature.
- Buckling under pressure when I see something delaying my cybernetics core versus Zerg. [IMPROVED]
- Poor micro of sentries (in general, and at times I shift-click :s).
- Not putting my army in a proper control group. (gah)
List of builds I'm practicing, for starters:
- 3gate sentry expand vs Zerg
- 3gate expand vs Terran
- 2gas 4gate & 3gate expand w/ initial stalker poke
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lol this would get demoralizing!
I see the benefit though, I thought my play was pretty solid during the customs I mostly played. Then when I started laddering up against master's players I saw a WHOLE lot of holes in my play.
Kind of refreshing to see them, now I know what to work towards and can visibly see improvement!
GL HF :D
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While losing badly is a good way to improve, it only works if the person beating you can tell you why they did what they did to you. If you're just losing and staring at the replay not knowing why you lost (and if you think you do know why you lost, importantly, being right about why), you won't improve.
Actually, the only way for me to get better at the game is to put myself into situations where it shouldn't even be close
I guarantee you this is not remotely true, and what you have instead is performance anxiety. When playing a game where you're guaranteed to lose, the stress factor goes away and your performance is noticeably higher. I have the same thing when I play against my Bronze friends for their practise, I know I'm going to win so there's no stress, and I play some of my best games against them.
If you really can't get over the performance anxiety, this can be a good way to practise, but be aware that that feeling is never goin to go away when playing games against equally skilled players.
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Performance anxiety is what's keeping me off of the game right now.
I do promise myself 7 ladder games a week though, so I hope that at least that'll help and at one point I'll get over it.
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Actually, it's good to get totally lolstomped by better players from time to time... however, if it's only way of practicing, I can tell you from my own experience, where solely faced players way way above my own level would cause me being frustrated and thus, my ability to learn would be lowered and it'd do more harm than good.
But, I think if you can find a good balance between getting lolstomped and just playing players of similar level to yours, you can benefit from that. So overally, nice idea, as long as the lolstomper helps you understand why you lost, without it, getting lolstomped is again, only a cause for frustration and very little of use to you. Been there, done that, so speaking from experience again.
I'd actually not mind to get lolstomped and having the lolstomper tell me why I lost once the game ends, which is an aspect I usually lacked when getting basically owned by high lvl players... 
Good luck!
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I am 1800 diamond, and I would need a confidence boost to really get back into the game.I will PM you when I am available, and we can see if my stomping you helps you in any way (I can't guarentee I won't use some type of rush. but I will try to avoid it)
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As for as the performance anxiety messages are concerned, they're right - I always had it. However, I never had any anxiety playing against someone who I think is leaps and bounds better - since I'd do my best and have no pressure - and that applies to basketball as well. I learn what I can't get away with and that allows me to develop into a more solid player, hopefully.
BabyToss: As for the frustration, I'd be more frustrated if it was "completely my fault" such as forgetting pylons, having macro slips... not because the opponent is auto-better than me.
Corvette, no problem. I think I need some sort of rush-countering boot camp here xD
And... As a general theme, I'll make sure to have my lolstompers explain me when and how I lost the game. So far the most glaring cause (besides of macro) is overteching instead of expanding.
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Hey I'm happy to help and I'm on most day's. LeeJ.204 (EU)
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OP has been updated to let you know where I am at.
I had a break from SC2 as I tended to more important matters (that and I barely went on NA for those who added me there, my apologies :s), but I have resumed getting stomped as of late. I'm still not going to ladder, as I consider that all my matchups are weak at Gold-level. I'll only know for sure my strengths & weaknesses at, at least, Diamond-level.
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EPT
