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Road to Semi-Pro

Blogs > jayman
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jayman
Profile Blog Joined September 2011
United States78 Posts
November 10 2011 17:22 GMT
#1
I'm a Silver league, and I have ladder anxiety. The only thing I play in SC2 are 4v4 and Very Easy AI. I've played 1v1 here and there, and the wins I get are amazing. But the losses I get, I just shrug off and watch the replay to see what they did and what I should've done.

4v4 are fun. I played C&C with my brother and his friends back when I was a kid, and we would just go do 4v4, 3v3 or FFA, talking smack at each other and just laugh our asses off as a swarm of Tesla Troopers burn everything in its path... then get crushed by a mass of tanks. Good times.

My brother and his friends don't play SC2 though since they've moved on to different hobbies and shit. So I play 4v4 by myself. My friends don't play SC2 either. My boyfriend is stuck with his WoW. So I'm alone, doing 4v4 with strangers. 4v4 is fun! But the feeling you get when you win isn't the same as 1v1.

So I'm committing to this. Maybe. Whatever. I already registered for Playhem and Z33k. I want to become a Semi-Pro.

Semi-Pro? Well, I'm not aiming for Pro. Maybe in the future, but it's not in the immediate goal list. My plan is to just enter BSG tournaments in Playhem or Z33k once a week. More if I get comfortable. I think this is good for my ladder anxiety. Why?

You can look at 1v1 ladder in two ways: one being a practice platform for tournaments, two as a way to prove you have a bigger dick than your opponent and your division. The second sound pessimistic -- that is how I see it though, some have different views on it, but that how I see it.

But the second view may be the cause of my anxiety. I don't have a small dick in real life, but I'm afraid that my digital-sc2-dick is. But when I play some 1v1, I prove to myself that I do have workable skill. But the next one might not be the case.

So hell, I don't want to prove that my dick is bigger than your dick. Starting today (or maybe next week if I still have some inkling of ladder anxiety), I'm going to play ladder to improve so I can be at least competent in online tournaments. Hell, I might as well play just to have fun!

This entry marks the day of my road to semi-pro. I am seeing myself now with a headband and the visage of Will Ferrell holding a basketball.

*
"Life is a comedy for those who think, a tragedy for those who feel." - Horace Walpole
nttea
Profile Blog Joined July 2008
Sweden4353 Posts
November 10 2011 17:28 GMT
#2
good luck! i would also like to be one of those that can take games from reeally good players i need to practice more damnit!
Steveling
Profile Blog Joined January 2011
Greece10806 Posts
November 10 2011 17:43 GMT
#3
From my personal experience on how to beat ladder anxiety(not that I had much). Play broodwar, seriously.
Play just 20 games on iccup and when you get back to sc2 you will not even phase.
My dick has shrunk to the point where it looks like I have 3 balls.
Blazinghand *
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
United States25560 Posts
November 10 2011 17:44 GMT
#4
On November 11 2011 02:22 jayman wrote:
You can look at 1v1 ladder in two ways: one being a practice platform for tournaments, two as a way to prove you have a bigger dick than your opponent and your division. The second sound pessimistic -- that is how I see it though


I think you can view ladder as a practice platform just in general, for getting better, even if you're not playing tournaments to make money. Sometimes it's worth trying to get better just to get better-- I just want to increase my starcraft 2 skill in general, and playing on the ladder lets me do that. Whether I get promoted or demoted or whatever, it doesn't matter, as long as I become stronger.

I wish you the best of luck in becoming a semi-professional player. Make sure to play several 1v1s per day-- this will be important to gaining experience fighting against a variety of units and styles, and will help you refine your core mechanics.
When you stare into the iCCup, the iCCup stares back.
TL+ Member
Hoodlum
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
United States350 Posts
November 10 2011 18:13 GMT
#5
To be come a semi-pro you have to ENJOY to play sc2 1v1s. You have to cast out that ladder anxiety and substitute with aspirations of great things. Play as much as you can, learn from your mistakes, and if you can't figure out why you lost, stalk the tl strategy forums until you find what helps you. Good luck to you xD
xO gaming owner
BeneTan
Profile Joined February 2011
Germany12 Posts
November 10 2011 18:19 GMT
#6
well... a few weeks ago i also didnt play a lot of ladder because i was "scared" but after a while i just said "who cares about ladder" and now i play 20 games+ every day sometimes even around 30. and i f i loose 24 of 30 games i m pissed but after a while i just say i dont give a shit. and thats what you have to do if u want to get over your not laddering.
the only thing u have to do to get better is play constantly.
if u need some more advice u can PM me
jayman
Profile Blog Joined September 2011
United States78 Posts
November 10 2011 18:25 GMT
#7
Thanks all! I do enjoy 1v1, especially when I win. Good thing I don't rage that much. But I should get into the habit of just playing the damn game, improve my game and just have fun.
"Life is a comedy for those who think, a tragedy for those who feel." - Horace Walpole
T.O.P. *
Profile Blog Joined January 2009
Hong Kong4685 Posts
November 10 2011 18:26 GMT
#8
I never understood ladder anxiety. No one is watching you, no one is judging you. What is there to be scared of?
Oracle comes in, Scvs go down, never a miscommunication.
BrodiaQ
Profile Blog Joined October 2008
United States892 Posts
November 10 2011 18:33 GMT
#9
On November 11 2011 02:43 Steveling wrote:
From my personal experience on how to beat ladder anxiety(not that I had much). Play broodwar, seriously.
Play just 20 games on iccup and when you get back to sc2 you will not even phase.


Alternatively you can just lose 20 games in a row in sc2 on purpose. Essentially the same thing.
"So come right up and let me squash your creativity with my iron fist of conservative play."--Nony
jayman
Profile Blog Joined September 2011
United States78 Posts
November 10 2011 18:34 GMT
#10
On November 11 2011 03:26 T.O.P. wrote:
I never understood ladder anxiety. No one is watching you, no one is judging you. What is there to be scared of?


It's really about one's psychology, I think. No one is judging me, but me myself is the biggest and hardest critic. The fear stems from having a high expectation of one's skill, and not meeting that expected level of skill. The fear is unreasonable since one cannot set one's level of skill before testing it out in play.
"Life is a comedy for those who think, a tragedy for those who feel." - Horace Walpole
OopsOopsBaby
Profile Blog Joined June 2010
Singapore3425 Posts
November 10 2011 18:54 GMT
#11
there's no such thing as semi-pro.
only 98%, 2% and idra.
s3x2-2 xiao3x2+2 bone3+2+2
JieXian
Profile Blog Joined August 2008
Malaysia4677 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-11-10 19:01:01
November 10 2011 18:57 GMT
#12
On November 11 2011 03:26 T.O.P. wrote:
I never understood ladder anxiety. No one is watching you, no one is judging you. What is there to be scared of?


I have a theory based on American shows like Everybody loves Raymond.

While laddering, you have no one to blame but yourself when you lose and when you lose, you actually lose. Many people aren't comfortable with that. Or aren't used to it. Like in 1 episode where some kids play baseball (I think) and there are no losers or winners and Raymond can't stand that idea. Or how in so many shows or forums people comfort "losers" and give them "encouragements" and "consolations" so it's like many never ever "lost" in their lives before.

Just an idea though ~ I stand corrected since TV is in the end, just TV and not reality of course haha.

Not to be a US hater, certain people here are like that too. I, for one, deem them losers for being too afraid of losing.

Damnit everytime you lose you will learn something (If you don't know how to analysie your games, you better start learning how to) stop being babies. This applies to real life, analysing your mistakes.

And what's the problem about people judging you? Similarly, just analyse what they say and hopefully (usually) learn something from it, but if they are full of shit, just flush their "judgements" down.
Please send me a PM of any song you like that I most probably never heard of! I am looking for people to chat about writing and producing music | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noD-bsOcxuU |
zakmaa
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
Canada525 Posts
November 10 2011 19:00 GMT
#13
I've never had ladder anxiety so I don't really understand it that much, but I do have advice for you: just ladder more. Sure, it might make you anxious, and sure it might suck if you lose. But it's a video game; it doesn't matter if you lose. Everyone loses. Just keep in mind that the more you click the "Find Match" icon, the easier it becomes to click.

Also, since you plan on improving, make sure you're making workers and expanding!
Good luck.
Mattchew
Profile Blog Joined December 2010
United States5684 Posts
November 10 2011 19:17 GMT
#14
On November 11 2011 03:26 T.O.P. wrote:
I never understood ladder anxiety. No one is watching you, no one is judging you. What is there to be scared of?


it comes from everyone's attitude on sites like TL where everyone thinks that they think and should be playing on a masters/grandmasters level. Then they don't put in the work get put into a league way below what they think should be in. Then they have to live with being a newb in silver even though they always feel like its their fault they lost and beat themselves up over it. Most games of SC2 end in 1 player saying i played "ok" and 1 player saying "fuck i shoulda played better"
There is always tomorrow nshs.seal.
Arterial
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
Australia1039 Posts
November 10 2011 19:17 GMT
#15
On November 11 2011 03:54 OopsOopsBaby wrote:
there's no such thing as semi-pro.
only 98%, 2% and idra.

hmm, what do you call someone who competes in major tournaments but keeps a full-time job? :S
savior & jaedong
reneg
Profile Joined September 2010
United States859 Posts
November 10 2011 19:44 GMT
#16
On November 11 2011 04:17 Arterial wrote:
Show nested quote +
On November 11 2011 03:54 OopsOopsBaby wrote:
there's no such thing as semi-pro.
only 98%, 2% and idra.

hmm, what do you call someone who competes in major tournaments but keeps a full-time job? :S

Imaginary.

I don't know of any pro gamer who is competitive, but works full toner in something else
moose...indian
MLG_Wiggin
Profile Blog Joined March 2010
United States767 Posts
November 10 2011 20:04 GMT
#17
Good luck dude! It's hard to be decent at this game when you've got a job/school/etc.
@DBWiggin, SC2 ref
Specialist
Profile Blog Joined April 2007
United States803 Posts
November 10 2011 20:42 GMT
#18
don't hack plz
TBone-
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
United States2309 Posts
November 10 2011 20:48 GMT
#19
On November 11 2011 04:44 reneg wrote:
Show nested quote +
On November 11 2011 04:17 Arterial wrote:
On November 11 2011 03:54 OopsOopsBaby wrote:
there's no such thing as semi-pro.
only 98%, 2% and idra.

hmm, what do you call someone who competes in major tournaments but keeps a full-time job? :S

Imaginary.

I don't know of any pro gamer who is competitive, but works full toner in something else


Hi, my name is qxc, and you've probably heard of me.
Eve online FC, lover of all competition
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