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For years now, I have been a Marijuana user. Every single day. Up until recently, I've rarely taken a day or two let alone a week off from smoking. You could say I "was addicted". My job situation isn't bad, but lately I haven't had as much money to spend on the stuff as I used to. So, last week, I had no pot.
You might want to relate this feeling to your computer. You're on it every day. Every single day, you at least check something once or twice. Then all of a sudden, it doesn't work. You go nuts, right?
At first, I sort of felt this way. But honestly, it was very manageable. I finally felt again what it was like to be "sober" (although I'm sure the THC hadn't fully left yet, after smoking for so long).
StarCraft II High was all I knew. I honestly had not played the game sober. And I've played for hours upon hours each day, and I was about top #500 Masters level. (I'd also like to state that I've played years of StarCraft: BroodWar as well)
During this past week, playing sober, I definitely saw myself improve and finally felt like I could keep track of everything that was going on, constantly checking my supply to make overlords and not getting blocked, doing everything as fast as I could... I saw my APM average around 200, a slight improvement of the previous 175 average. It felt great! I was gaining ladder points, felt like I was learning more and playing much more solid...
Then I smoked again... my friend gave me some pot for free, because I honestly don't have a dollar to spare for it, and everything changed.
All of a sudden, the first game I played... I felt like my views and strategies and thoughts from the previous week had totally just shifted, and changed, and it was almost like I didn't know how I stood on each matchup anymore. I almost had to re-learn everything that I had been doing, and the first day was rough. The next day, I played lots of games and actually won quite a few, so I was puzzled as to how marijuana really did affect my game...
Honestly, since smoking I saw my APM drop back to 175 average, and I feel like I'm falling into the same holes I thought I filled in that short ONE WEEK OF TIME (think about how little of time this is, folks) such as overlord blocks, macro errors, one-track mind.. etc..
I think that StarCraft II might finally be what's needed to keep me in line and stop smoking as much as I do.
Don't get me wrong -- that first time I smoked was like a first-time high, almost like a psychadelic trip -- so I don't totally disapprove of smoking, but as far as playing StarCraft, I'd rather be sober...
and that's crazy for me to hear myself say.
  
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I have been the same way, I even blogged about quitting smoking recently. Since then I have been winning way more often than losing and I feel much more confident and calm about laddering, maybe I can finally get into masters. Today the only games I lost were 2 zvz where I got baneling-ed and a zvp where I fucking pressed the wrong key to drop my baneling bombs. I need someone to do baneling wars with me over and over so I can get that micro down.
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Yeah. I don't believe weed will kill you, but I've found that it makes you less acute than the next guy in exchange for a long string of bills and a mild sense of insecurity.
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man you stole my story? :D:D:D
5 stars, because almost exactly the same here :D
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Finland33997 Posts
Well, I guess it's because marijuana decreases your motivation and makes you care less etc. so you're not pushing yourself to improve as much. Yeah I pretty much agree that it's not a good idea if you're planning on playing seriously.
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Just don't play too much lol, or you may end up smoking to relieve the stress from gaming.
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That's why I have a second account for when I want to play high ^_^
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I definitely want to improve just as much high, as I've played mostly that way from the start.. I just feel that it pushes me back anymore. And yah, I do have two accounts I've been doing a similar thing but still, the practice only goes so far when I get to mid/late game and start playing really bad and out of focus.
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ROB!! i cant believe you are finally gonna play sober now, even though i felt like you were a super human when i played against you while you were stoned. ;D
Galaxy fighting~~~
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Sc2 got too hard when i started smoking so i switched to league of legends.
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On June 22 2011 09:36 Shifft wrote:
That's why I have a second account for when I want to play high ^_^
Yeah I'm close to doing this myself hahaha
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Don't play 1v1 high. Just team games. That's what i do. Though I still play 1v1 when i'm high vs lower levels in custom games cause it's fun.
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any counter-stories to this? i usually only smoke on weekends and while playing high is different i don't think i play much worse and i don't notice an APM dip like the OP mentions. have you considered that you're just imagining the marijuana starcraft impairment, or you were tired from smoking many days in a row?
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intrigue
Washington, D.C9934 Posts
may also be a case of state-dependent learning. i learned sc2 while smoking regularly and during my recent month of sobriety i found that i couldn't do anything correctly. as soon as i resumed my daily habit everything started making sense again.
more anectodal evidence, during that month i started playing some characters in league of legends and afterwards i couldn't even last hit with them or recall basic builds. i felt totally lost every game. i'm not quite sure how common this is, but it's definitely there for me.
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I make less silly mistakes while sober but for me the problem is that I enjoy the game much more while high and prefer to play it that way.
I know I can play a more focused stable game, but my attitude is fuck it :D
Also i agree my mid/late game is rough sometimes. Scouting and transitions are usually late.. I want to get better though but I also want to keep toking :X
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On June 22 2011 10:56 intrigue wrote:
more anectodal evidence, during that month i started playing some characters in league of legends and afterwards i couldn't even last hit with them or recall basic builds.
dude dont speak of lasthitting in this dota for newbs 
u cant even deny creeps :D:D
@topic, what i forgot to say...my results playing sober and high are totally unpredictable. sometimes it goes the "normal" way and i play better sober than stoned. but sometimes its the total opposite. i play like trash, smoke a bong/pipe (dunno how you call it), and suddenly i start to own... i guess it has something to do with the general mood your in :D
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+ 1 Responsibility, maturity, personal savings, cardiovascular health
- 1 Awesome timesink, sex stim-pack
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smoking weed does not degrade your cardiovascular health at all
neither should 'quitting' it be considered maturity.
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EPT
