Ladder Anxienty - not this month

Enyce

Germany43 Posts

October 30 2011 17:17 GMT

So I've never written a blog before, but I think it's time to change it.

I've been playing StarCraft for nearly one and a half year, but I've only clicked the "find match" button round about 400 times.
Watching streams, tourneys, replays and the Day[9] Daily has become a great part of my life and every time I watch I feel like I should play more and just do it.
But when starting the game, there is this urging feeling telling me "you need to take it serious, you can't just play and lose.".
So I'll end up doing some practice games against an AI or practice macro/mechanics without any opponent and quit afterwards..
I know I would have gotten much further then gold league if I had sustained.
Maybe I would end up just being in Platinum, maybe I would be able to get into diamond or even masters. It does not really matter where I might possible end up, but it bothers me that I lose what I've practiced and start all over again and again, just because of a feeling telling me to take that game serious.

So this is the way I want to change it:

I'll be playing at least 1 or 2 games every day next month, upload my replays and link them in this blog.
Every comment is welcome, share your thoughts on what I did, what mistakes I've done, what may be worth an improvement, what you think is good. If you like to play some matches, feel free to pm me. (btw I play Protoss on European servers)
(But please, don't be hating for the sake of hating. Do that stuff somewhere else, thank you!)

Maybe I'll share thoughts on good/bad days and games in separate blogs. Time will show how thinks work out, maybe none is interested in new blogs and I'll start a girl blog just to get some followers, you never know

Thank you for taking some time and reading this!

Replays

2011-11-01
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first game was a (strange) PvP: my opponent just build each structure once and then died.
secound game was a PvZ: I got outmacroed.

2011-11-02
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first game was a PvP: 3Gate Robo against 3Gate Robo, main blunder: I accidently canceled my Expo.
secound game was a PvT: Opened Forge FE, then lost to 1-1-1.

2011-11-03
+ Show Spoiler [matchup and brief description] +

first game was a PvT.
secound game was a PvZ: Lost to early Pool -.- . Didn't watch replay so dunno when the pool startet.

2011-11-04
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first game was a PvP: Got canon rushed.
secound game was a PvZ: FE -> Zealot/Stalker/Templer vs Roach Hydra.

2011-11-04 Bonus
+ Show Spoiler [matchup and brief description] +

Costum PvZ: FE -> Blink Stalker/Templer vs Roach Hydra.

2011-11-05
+ Show Spoiler [matchup and brief description] +

PvZ lost to a 2 base roach play. No more games today. I lost all games every single day - i'm pissed.

2011-11-08
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Both games were PvTs: First was cheese again, secound lost after first engagement - maybe should have gone through the middle.

I feel like every game is the same: bunker till first engagement, then do sth. that loses the engagement into losing, because protoss has no clean up/replenish units like Lings/Roaches/Marines/Marauders. Zealot/Stalker does not seem to be viable late game, at least at my skill level.

2011-11-09
+ Show Spoiler [matchup and brief description] +

PvP: 3 Gate Robo against 3 Gate Robo.

2011-11-10
+ Show Spoiler [matchup and brief description] +

Both games were PvPs: First 3 Gate Robo against 3 Gate Robo. Secound was against cheese (proxy gateway), I did scout it, but my building placement was bad, so I lost.

I did never encounter that much cheese, maybe I should play at different times, maybe cheeses got more.

Poll: How should I offer my replays?

via a replay site (sc2reps, etc.) (0)

0%

via zip is fine (0)

0%

0 total votes

Your vote: How should I offer my replays?

(Vote): via a replay site (sc2reps, etc.)
(Vote): via zip is fine

elCapitan

United States9 Posts

October 30 2011 17:30 GMT

Gogogo! With regular practice and focus on your primary blunders you will improve quickly for a while at least.

JohnnyYen

United States313 Posts

October 30 2011 17:31 GMT

Good luck, man. If you haven't read through Plexa's blog on Ladder Fear you should definitely check it out. There are behavior patterns in that thread that I could relate to that I found myself laughing at when seeing them written out by someone else.

The urge not to continue playing once you've achieved a respectable ladder position. Or to throw games to maintain "control" of your position. So unless you're genuinely burnt out from playing or tilting from a couple losses keep hitting that button.

Sverigevader

Sweden388 Posts

October 30 2011 17:51 GMT

I had the same ladder anxiety but for me it was more of a time issue other than fear of loosing or not concentrating, but a little bit of everything really. I always felt that whenever I'd start a game, the phone would ring, or something would come up and I'd have had to abandon the game, or at least that's the reason my psyche tricked myself into using to avoid the real issue, fear of not doing my best and disappoint myself. I'm sure there are a lot of other reasons a full psychic evaluation would uncover but, why over analyze, eh?

To remedy this, I'd allow myself 1 hour of complete solitude each day, where I just played game after game until one hour had passed. I'd trick myself into thinking that it was all about improving my mechanics and that winning didn't matter. Technically it doesn't matter but it's hard to believe it yourself. Usually managed to get 3-5 games in before the timer went out.

There is a technique that Jerry Seinfeld used to pressure himself to work and I think works really well tbh. Not just for SC2, for other things as well.
+ Show Spoiler +

http://lifehacker.com/281626/jerry-seinfelds-productivity-secret

Hope this helps!

eXigent.

Canada2419 Posts

October 30 2011 20:11 GMT

I wish you luck! However if at all possible you should increase that amount from 1-2 a day to 4-5 a day. 1 game a day is still not going to help you much as its really only a 10minute investment that is quite easy to forget by the next day. The more time you spend in game, moving units around, microing, and executing build orders, the more proficient you will become. Other than that, enjoy yourself!~

Dfgj

Singapore5922 Posts

October 30 2011 21:58 GMT

Get a smurf account, tell nobody about it, and ladder in freedom. 1-2 really isn't enough.

Enyce

Germany43 Posts

October 31 2011 15:31 GMT

I decided to do at least 1-2 games so there is no possibility to say I don't have that much time, because of 'bla'.
My goal is not to become the better in first place, my goal is it to play on a regular base and therefore 1-2 games seem to be the right number.
There will be days where I'm going to play 3-5 or even more games.
And that getting a smuft account won't change anything, because it is the mindeset I want to change not to save my 'good' account reputation.

@JohnnyYen thank you for that link, I've seen it before but I've not read it before.

@Sverigevader thank you, too.

Sjk1

United Kingdom22 Posts

October 31 2011 20:47 GMT

Good luck sir

, what race do you play? I have read it all but sorry if I missed it ^^

Enyce

Germany43 Posts

November 01 2011 22:51 GMT

So first day first replays.
I've added my first replays as zip, you can vote if you would prefer a replay site or if it's fine.

Also added my race Protoss.

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