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well, here i am in the same place 900,000 people before me have been: i'm getting really tired of playing competitive SC2
i don't have any particular complaints about balance or design behind this statement. i'm not "fed up" with blizzard and i don't have anything to say about "the scene" nor do i care. this is entirely my own experience, and i'm not using this as a platform to make any political point about esports, blizzard, starcraft or anything else
i'm not 100% sure what the problem is, but i think largely it boils down to the fact that i've reached a level of play at which executing my mechanics is no longer thrilling or satisfying, it's tedious and stressful. i can be playing at 200 APM in a grueling macro ZvT and finally secure the win after a lot of intense trades against a good-mannered opponent, but i'll still walk away thinking "ugh, what a pain in the ass those 30 minutes were, what did i even get out of that?" when i'm playing my best, my mind goes into a kind of trance where i can't slow down and enjoy what i'm doing in the way i enjoy other games. i'm doing something, and it seems to be "skillful," but am i actually enjoying it?
i think part of the problem is that i just don't have a true competitive spirit. sure, i get frustrated when i lose and i rage once in a while like anyone else, and yeah it's nice to win, but at the end of the day i don't have that drive to compete and conquer you always hear casters droning on about when it comes to professional players. do i actually care if i'm bronze or GM at starcraft? kinda, i guess, to a point? but not enough to sit around analyzing replays and thinking about my build orders. i still hardly even have a cohesive game plan most of the time just because i can't convince myself to spend that kind of effort on planning to play a video game. if i have to plan it, practice it, prepare for it, then it becomes kind of a chore, a job. i play for the thrill of playing. i had the same problem in baseball - i loved the game and was good at it, but practice bored the shit out of me and i didn't really care when coaches were trying to tell me what i need to change or improve. i just find there are much more important things in life than how good you are at petty competitions
i'm not one of those guys trying to justify how "i could be pro if i cared more," not at all. having the drive to practice and to best others is part of skill at competitive games, that's just life. i'm not really looking for sympathy either, and i know i'm far from the first person to express a similar sentiment. i guess i'm just kind of sounding out my feelings. part of it is that i've invested a lot of time in playing and following this game, and to think about giving it up or walking away from it comes with a certain anxiety about having wasted a lot of time out of my life. logically i know it's not a waste as long as i was enjoying it - and don't get me wrong, i largely have enjoyed everything about SC2 - but it's a hard feeling to shake. still feels like there needs to be some reason or explanation
before anyone asks, i have tried a lot of the common solutions to boredom with the game. i raceswitch to toss a lot and do a lot of cheesy/experimental styles, which is nice, but it hasn't been enough lately. i try team games, and i do love team games in theory, but in SC2 i find it can be a drag because there's little to no coordination and it's hard to keep track of what your teammates are doing without voice chat, so i get that same feeling of "what was the point of even playing that?" i've tried different styles on my main race too. i've even gone back and played some single player brood war and warcraft 3. all of these things have helped to some extent, but even that help is starting to wear thin. it's been said before, but there is definitely some truth to the idea that when you get to a level where goofiness and cheese aren't as successful a lot of monotony starts creeping into your game. gone are my gold league days of saying "i'm gonna do infestor drops because i think that's fucking cool" and actually winning games that way. now every zvz i basically just click my opponent's roaches to see his upgrades so i can decide whether to fight or wait for a different timing, or scout greedy droning and amove to his third
i think it's also that part of me is kind of yearning for something else to do. watching vods or laddering has become a sort of lazy, default pastime activity, and it's grown to a point of discouraging me from trying other games i enjoy, watching tv shows, etc. (thankfully it hasn't been getting in the way of real life very much). my wife has poked fun at me a few times for "having a starcraft problem," and while i don't think i have a problem, i do think about trying to put more time aside for other activities. reading is a big one that i've been struggling with. i love books and the written word, i even have many books i would love to read right now (physical and digital), but like many others of the web generation i struggle with attention span
i've lost my point, so i'm going to try to wrap this up. i've never even posted a blog here before, but i don't really know anyone who plays (another reason to be bored of the game), so i don't have anyone else to rant to about this. i don't want to say "has anyone else felt this way?" because i know many people have. but anyone is welcome to share similar experiences or post opinions/feedback on the above
thanks for reading? i guess?
 
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Seeker
Where dat snitch at?37085 Posts
I'm going to give you an advice that most people give for posts like these. Just take a break. Take a break from SC2, find something else to do, and come back to it when you feel like you've been gone long enough. There's no point in continuing a game when you no longer enjoy playing it. Find some other thing to interest you so that you don't wind up hating SC2 by needlessly playing a game where you feel things are "tedious and stressful." Best of luck!
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On December 02 2014 15:18 Seeker wrote:
I'm going to give you an advice that most people give for posts like these. Just take a break. Take a break from SC2, find something else to do, and come back to it when you feel like you've been gone long enough. There's no point in continuing a game when you no longer enjoy playing it. Find some other thing to interest you so that you don't wind up hating SC2 by needlessly playing a game where you feel things are "tedious and stressful." Best of luck!
This.
Although I am surprised you played sc2 so long and did 1v1 without a competitive spirit, I would get bored of that real fast (like I do with most games that don't have any competitiveness in them).
But if you really don't care about your rank, aren't competitive, aren't enjoying the game why would you continue playing? I am extremely competitive and I know what you mean it's hard to put sc2 away, but it'll make you a lot happier if you really aren't enjoying it. It's been almost a year for me and when I start playing again when lotv comes out I know I will really enjoy the game like I used to (I want to play now but going to wait  )
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United States4883 Posts
http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/starcraft-2/472153-tl-is-recruiting-help-fill-the-void
Just gonna leave that innocuous link there....
(No one in TL Strat hardly plays at all, we just know how to analyze things).
On December 02 2014 16:13 blade55555 wrote:Show nested quote +On December 02 2014 15:18 Seeker wrote:
I'm going to give you an advice that most people give for posts like these. Just take a break. Take a break from SC2, find something else to do, and come back to it when you feel like you've been gone long enough. There's no point in continuing a game when you no longer enjoy playing it. Find some other thing to interest you so that you don't wind up hating SC2 by needlessly playing a game where you feel things are "tedious and stressful." Best of luck! This. Although I am surprised you played sc2 so long and did 1v1 without a competitive spirit, I would get bored of that real fast (like I do with most games that don't have any competitiveness in them). But if you really don't care about your rank, aren't competitive, aren't enjoying the game why would you continue playing? I am extremely competitive and I know what you mean it's hard to put sc2 away, but it'll make you a lot happier if you really aren't enjoying it. It's been almost a year for me and when I start playing again when lotv comes out I know I will really enjoy the game like I used to (I want to play now but going to wait )
Sidenote: this is perhaps the best grammar I think I've ever seen Blade use. It's impressive.
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United Kingdom10443 Posts
I have to echo the advice above. I took a pretty extended break from Starcraft 2 and did some other things. Tried out other competitive game and did a few things AFK.
I decided to pick things up again with the start of Dreampool and I have been having so much fun. I got placed into gold and am working my way up the ladder again, watching tournaments and vods , it is just like old times.
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It's called burnout, it happens to the best of us. Go play another game or read a book for a couple weeks. The only cure for this known to man.
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Hi,
Most games don't have infinite replayability. It's not even burnout, you've just gotten all you can out of the game. Maybe in a year you can play it for another month and get some more enjoyment out of it, or play the expansion and get some fun out of it, but you're probably just at a point where there isn't anything interesting left to discover about it.
Even Diablo II, one of the most addicting games ever, was really more about 2-3 month binges than playing it years straight.
If you put 100 or so hours into it, you probably got your money's worth. Go find a new game to play, like normal people 
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When starcraft2 came out i grinded so hard and became good really fast. Time goes by and i hit grandmaster and been there for ages it feels then HoTS happened and i kept being in grandmaster/high masters and eventually the motivation ran out and i joined the #leagueoflegends trend and I'm happily grinding high elo ;]
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You should play some multi-player brood war.
You want 1v1, m8?
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Yea I kind of got burned out on SC2 this season too, these maps suck, and I already played 400+ games this season, reallllly bored too, I think nina is right though, go hop on some BW and have a nostalgic trip
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On December 02 2014 15:18 Seeker wrote:
I'm going to give you an advice that most people give for posts like these. Just take a break. Take a break from SC2, find something else to do, and come back to it when you feel like you've been gone long enough. There's no point in continuing a game when you no longer enjoy playing it. Find some other thing to interest you so that you don't wind up hating SC2 by needlessly playing a game where you feel things are "tedious and stressful." Best of luck!
the thing is, i've taken breaks before. i've never really had problems with that. in the past i've had little ragequits where i took a few days off, then ended up coming back. this seems different though. i've never been so consistently annoyed by the game before.
you're of course right, there's no need to be all-in about it or "officially" quit the game. i wouldn't be surprised if i started enjoying the game again... but i was on a long stretch where it was pretty much my default timekiller. it's also something i've grown fond of in terms of watching games and tournaments etc. it's not that i can't think of anything else to do, but its definitely weird to imagine not firing up ladder games before bed or watching random tournament vods during my free time just because i've become so used to that routine
it's about more than just playing the game or not, it's also about examining my life and challenging the routine a little
thanks for the advice
On December 02 2014 23:55 Chef wrote:Hi, Most games don't have infinite replayability. It's not even burnout, you've just gotten all you can out of the game. Maybe in a year you can play it for another month and get some more enjoyment out of it, or play the expansion and get some fun out of it, but you're probably just at a point where there isn't anything interesting left to discover about it. Even Diablo II, one of the most addicting games ever, was really more about 2-3 month binges than playing it years straight. If you put 100 or so hours into it, you probably got your money's worth. Go find a new game to play, like normal people
yes, i realize games don't "typically have infinite replayability". i don't think i said i expected sc2 to last forever or that i'm having a crisis about it, it was more of a commentary on a transition in the way i'm thinking and feeling about my free time? it's something i've spent a lot of energy on even if i never tried to go pro or anything. but thank you for telling me what "normal people" do, whatever that means...
On December 02 2014 20:50 SC2John wrote:http://www.teamliquid.net/forum/starcraft-2/472153-tl-is-recruiting-help-fill-the-voidJust gonna leave that innocuous link there.... (No one in TL Strat hardly plays at all, we just know how to analyze things). Show nested quote +On December 02 2014 16:13 blade55555 wrote:On December 02 2014 15:18 Seeker wrote:
I'm going to give you an advice that most people give for posts like these. Just take a break. Take a break from SC2, find something else to do, and come back to it when you feel like you've been gone long enough. There's no point in continuing a game when you no longer enjoy playing it. Find some other thing to interest you so that you don't wind up hating SC2 by needlessly playing a game where you feel things are "tedious and stressful." Best of luck! This. Although I am surprised you played sc2 so long and did 1v1 without a competitive spirit, I would get bored of that real fast (like I do with most games that don't have any competitiveness in them). But if you really don't care about your rank, aren't competitive, aren't enjoying the game why would you continue playing? I am extremely competitive and I know what you mean it's hard to put sc2 away, but it'll make you a lot happier if you really aren't enjoying it. It's been almost a year for me and when I start playing again when lotv comes out I know I will really enjoy the game like I used to (I want to play now but going to wait ) Sidenote: this is perhaps the best grammar I think I've ever seen Blade use. It's impressive. if you're suggesting i'd be good enough to apply, then thanks, i'm flattered. i do love writing and analyzing (that's why i've poked around the strategy forum a lot) but i probably will wait on that and leave it to people who have a lot of excitement still about esports and SC2. it's kind of a neat thought though
as for what blade said, yeah, i know what you mean, you do have to be at least somewhat competitive to climb the ranks. i guess it's just that there are parts of competition i like and parts i don't. the skill play and the rush of testing yourself against someone is fun, but i don't really like the stress of worrying about rank and wins and losses. i don't like who i am when i get mad at another person over a competition, so i don't let myself commit to where i "need" to improve and keep beating other people, id sooner think of a horrible new made up protoss allin that doesn't even make sense than try to improve my overall skill
here's hoping lotv brings it back for a lot of people
On December 03 2014 00:44 wmb wrote:
When starcraft2 came out i grinded so hard and became good really fast. Time goes by and i hit grandmaster and been there for ages it feels then HoTS happened and i kept being in grandmaster/high masters and eventually the motivation ran out and i joined the #leagueoflegends trend and I'm happily grinding high elo ;]
i have been considering trying lol/dota for a long time but haven't known where to start. i may do that soon! but i think for right now i'm going to look for things more different than sc2 than similar. like, maybe things that aren't esports, lol.
On December 03 2014 03:28 ninazerg wrote:
You should play some multi-player brood war.
You want 1v1, m8?
when i played broodwar i was 10y/o and my go to strategy was mass hydra into mass guardian on big game hunters, so i'm not sure about the level of competition i would provide. i was way more into custom maps in bw
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i could try playing terran for a bit, but i hate tvt and my terran mechanics are literally a giant fart noise.
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On December 03 2014 08:12 brickrd wrote:Show nested quote +On December 03 2014 03:28 ninazerg wrote:
You should play some multi-player brood war.
You want 1v1, m8? when i played broodwar i was 10y/o and my go to strategy was mass hydra into mass guardian on big game hunters, so i'm not sure about the level of competition i would provide. i was way more into custom maps in bw
I'm okay with that. I'm sure some of your SC2 experience will transfer over and we'll just have some good old-fashioned fun games.
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Very nice blog!
I like that you said that sc2 was your "main timekiller". This is a very good observation that you made. Oftentimes people keep sticking with something and they don't exactly know why. This can very well just be a habituation. Has anyone of you ever noticed that you fap much more the less you have to do? Just in general? Fapping is in fact also a result of boredom! Okay where was I again? Oh yeah: I won't give you any other advices than the people here have already done. Just do whatever the hell you want to do. If you realize - as you did - that you don't enjoy playing SC2 anymore. Then don't do it unless you don't have anything better to do. Or maybe actively search for something else. You are in possession of a very valuable ressource that not many adults have: time! This might be a big chance for you. Use your time. You might not have so much time again for some centuries. Find your inner self, fulfill your lifetime desires, find new hobbies etc.
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I think i might have to take a bw nostalgia trip when finals are over next week.
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ninazerg, you always make a little BW trip sound so delectable WTF. After finals are over I, too, will take a BW nostalgia trip.
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this sounds like a pretty similar feeling I had when I stopped playing SC2. I scraped into grandmaster on EU once, but so many of the games felt so unrewarding. I'd occasionally get a great feeling from winning a hectic ZvT with the constant battling vs bio/mine, but not often. winning games by defending a Zergling/Baneling allin in ZvZ didn't leave me with anything.
though for me it was really a problem with SC2. I played close to 1000 games of it, but never really got the buzz I got from playing Brood War. I couldn't really say why. I just find games of DotA and SC1 leaving me with a much better feeling.
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On December 04 2014 07:00 Qwyn wrote:
ninazerg, you always make a little BW trip sound so delectable WTF. After finals are over I, too, will take a BW nostalgia trip.
I know, I really worked my butt off writing those posts to perfection to make them so delightfully inviting.
1v1 m8?
or u wanna play bgh
u tell me
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hey.. I think i know whats the best for you.. I played Starcraft 2 for long time, reached sometimes top 50gm, more often like top 100gm. but i just played for ladder. and yes at some point i had the same problem like you.. starcraft just was no fun any more.. then i wasted alot of time thinking that at some point it will be satisfying again but... didnt happen. so i just stopped playing and I'm so god damn happy that i made this choice. When something just steals you time and doesnt give you anything back in return other than disappointment you should go away from that.
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EPT
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