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Hi guys so I just read a blog here on TL where this guy basically had a giant QQ about how he's in plat but will go on streaks beating masters regularly, and then down to losing to silvers and golds regularly. He has no idea why etc etc: http://www.teamliquid.net/blogs/viewblog.php?topic_id=331845#4
I started replying and realised that the advice I gave could be helpful to anyone so I'd elaborate and post it as a blog here too.
With erratic play from players where their play can be 3-4 leagues higher one day then the next there's a host of issues that could be the cause. Often I will say make sure you take breaks, you eat healthy and exercise, don't play when tired and your life outside the game is going well and you aren't ignoring real life for a game. However sometimes the player is completely adamant that they already do all this and yet still their ladder play suffers. And so I thought about how our ego ties into competitive play:
When you start beating higher level players than yourself you're telling yourself you're a ******* amazing player and its easy cos you're so damned good. I used to think the same. These days however you know what I think when I win a game?
"Hmmm... I slipped up my macro really badly when I was getting broods, I need to remember more macro hatches and keep up injects in future. My micro in the first 2 engages wasn't the best, I need to work on that. I also got lucky he didn't do a blink timing because I think that could have killed me, I should find ways to make sure I know he isn't doing that next time so I'm not relying on luck".
Now this isn't just me saying you should look for ways to improve. It's about the entire freakin mindset of improving and DOING YOUR BEST. If you're not playing your best then there's often 1 key reason. As I stated above you might just think you're freakin amazing and stop trying as a result. If this is the problem then it's because rather then wanting to play the game, you just want to beat your opponent. Your ego seems to be implicitly tied in with winning to the point where you get on an ego-high and start ignoring aspects of the game. Now if this is the case then it isn't until you hit rock bottom, after 20 or so losses that you finally are so upset and disenchanted with the game and your performance that your ego is crushed. With no inflated ego to focus on you have to actually start focusing really tightly on how you perform and actually go back to playing the game to your actual ability.
Of course 17 wins and 3 losses later you think you're king-shit again and start losing because all you're thinking about is crushing your opponent into the ground without even trying and how awesome you are, and so the cycle begins again.
I believe these thoughts on the ego of players in Starcraft II applies to most players to one degree or another. I hope that you realise that winning at this game, while making you feel like a baller, in no way makes you better than anyone else. There's always someone out there faster, better or smarter than you. All you can do as a competitor is gain what you would from any competitive sport or activity, the satisfaction of self-improvement, effort and trying bloody hard.
All ego does is stand in the way of real satisfaction.
Also a note from my good friend Kaveh:
"improvement itself is going to be executed in an erratic way if there is no focused internalization of techniques / ideas, which is why you should practice specific things rather than ladder in a general way and think that all play will improve specific aspects"
Please comment, leave any thoughts or disagreements below 
 
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Great write up man! And honestly I totally agree, there is clearly an erratic performance by players, and this is the most likely cause (outside of real life issues etc. of course)... and taking away that "Improving" mindset from all games, win or loss, is really important!.
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i am proud to say ive tamed the ego in game, never say anything except gg on ladder if a lose, looking to improve in replay analysis and not taking a loss to hard by blaming the matchup.
thanks for the reassuring read mate, and grats on 3rd at ACL <3
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I'm also one of those erratic players. I can beat master players, some times at peak even take a game off high master -_- then lose to a platinum days later. Never a gold though... Seriously who lose to a gold player? lol
This happens to me because 2 reasons:
A) I play max 4 games per day after work where I'm tired physically and mentally and I do lots of stupid shits in game.
B) My BO is not tight, never learned any properly, just relying on my BW mechanics to carry me lol.
When I go on a win streak it's usually some BO i found where no one in my ladder knows how to counter at the moment.
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I found that the biggest cause of erratic play is all-in or greedy playstyles. You may not even realize you're doing it if you don't focus on improvement or learn from losses as well as other people. For example in ZvZ you may 15 hatch into quick 2 base muta every game, a diamond player can take out a masters player who doesnt punish the 15 hatch well enough or lose to a platinum player who does ling/bane all-in off of 14-14. You completely negate being safe with spines and banelings early on and get a lot of mutas really fast, so you will beat better players who play safer and lose to worse players who play more aggressively.
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On April 24 2012 15:58 DanLee wrote:
I found that the biggest cause of erratic play is all-in or greedy playstyles. You may not even realize you're doing it if you don't focus on improvement or learn from losses as well as other people. For example in ZvZ you may 15 hatch into quick 2 base muta every game, a diamond player can take out a masters player who doesnt punish the 15 hatch well enough or lose to a platinum player who does ling/bane all-in off of 14-14. You completely negate being safe with spines and banelings early on and get a lot of mutas really fast, so you will beat better players who play safer and lose to worse players who play more aggressively.
Totally agree that can be a big issue too!
I've given so much advice about these more standard issues, those ones I listed + this sort of misguided all-in play and such, that I really tried to locate a new aspect of problems that doesn't get talked about very much, so hopefully I managed to do so ok.
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As an ex-pro from Quake and CS:S I can definitely agree with this.
The moment you start thinking about beating your opponent instead of improving DURING PRACTICE, the easier it is to fall into that vicious cycle of ego highs and lows.
If you want to improve, this is how to do it.
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Amazingly put into words.
I feel that most if not all SC2 players that strive towards a competitive level would have experienced this vicious cycle.
In my experience, after a good ego boost winstreak I tend to unconciously all-in. I have the whole gameplan planned out in my head, but if a harrass did more damage then it was suppose to, I will overextend trying to finish my opponent off. And when that fails, the inner-rage kicks in T.T.
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So play greedy versus better players, play safe versus lower?
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Well, calling my post a QQ is quite rude as I was just trying to get help improving my play, and making a post about that is even more rude.
I can't disagree with the points made. However, it seems you should take your own advice about ego, because you seem to be quite condescending.
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This pretty much describes my epic downfall on ladder last week. Good read
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On April 24 2012 16:23 haduken wrote:
So play greedy versus better players, play safe versus lower?
Yep, this is actually what makes champions in starcraft. Knowing when you are not capable of playing a macro game against a better player helps you decide to play greedier so your worse macro can be compensated for and hopefully the better/safer player doesn't punish you. Also knowing when you are the better player and assessing when you need to punish greed or play safe vs all-in nubs lol.
Anyway I wasn't trying to bash the OP, just trying to add insight into the cause of erratic play that I didn't see brought up yet in this thread.
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On April 24 2012 16:39 dronefarm wrote:
Well, calling my post a QQ is quite rude as I was just trying to get help improving my play, and making a post about that is even more rude.
I can't disagree with the points made. However, it seems you should take your own advice about ego, because you seem to be quite condescending.
I was just trying to summarise the issue you were having in how it related to this blog. This blog is just advice and pondering on an issue which plagues a lot of players. It might not apply to you very much at all and the term QQ was just a quick way of saying you were having trouble! Definitely would have worded it more appropriately if I expected you to read this. Your blog just served as something which kicked a peg in my brain trying to identify some of the less-talked about problems with this sort of ladder experience. Barely even had you in mind when I was posting and editing it as a blog!
Hope you understand my intention wasn't to belittle you. I admire that you're looking to identify ways to improve.
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On April 24 2012 15:45 haduken wrote:
Seriously who lose to a gold player? lol
I just lost to a bronze player \o/. I was recently demoted from Platinum. Been losing pretty much ever since, even though I've been playing/focusing more. Either that, or people are getting better in general.
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EPT
