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Active: 11474 users

Overcoming ladder fear

Blogs > rkffhk
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rkffhk
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
474 Posts
March 18 2012 12:42 GMT
#1
Hi there.

I know that I'm not the only one going through this, but since I'm not a girl... the knowledge of that doesn't really help me feel that much better.

I live in South Korea and I have all day to train on the Starcraft ladder for this server... yet I don't.

Instead, I spend all of my free time either playing games that are not Starcraft or watching the GSL (we get free HD since we're watching from Korea btw), barcrafting in Seoul with the others (I remember you guys made a big deal about that a few months ago), and actually praciting my builds in YABOT.

To be fair, though, I've become fairly good at my builds in YABOT. I get coaching from a foreigner pro here (I won't say the name, though - sorry) on a semi-regular basis, and outside of my time with him/her I don't ever really ladder.

I feel that this is simply a result of my personal psychology and I want to try and find help to fix it. I've spent lots of time speaking with the random free coaches who advertise every other day on this site, but no one has really ever been able to get through to me on this for whatever reason. I've also spent a lot of time speaking with my friends and trying to get help, but I'm unfortunately not really able to do very much.

A few months back, there was a book that was recommended on this site called Mind Gym. It was written by a sports psychologist and it was highly recommended in its thread a while ago. I got the book thanks to online sites like abebooks and after finishing the book, I don't really feel as though it has helped me gather the inner strength to ladder. Many (though not all) of the exercises and whatnot that the author discusses in the book are actually very helpful for me and I'm beginning to try and incorporate them into other things that I do in my life... but when it comes to Starcraft 2... I'm not able to get as much done.

It's not like this for every competitive thing in general, though. I played on the soccer team in college (I'm American, sorry) and I'm currently on a Division 1 team in the Seoul Sunday league here as a side midfielder. In Team Fortress 2, I was a Medic for a professional team for a short amount of time (though I had played competitively for years). Also, just the other day in Brood War, which I have played religiously since 2000 though the majority of my time was spent playing UMS or obs games, I beat my students 1v2 as Terran. It wasn't even close!

The pattern I've noticed for myself is that whenever I am involved in any kind of team effort, I am the epitomy of optimism and a pragmatic team player. When the situation changes into a duel, though... it appears to be a completely different story.

In any case, though... when I play Peepmode/Obs with friends on the NA server (because they don't have a KR account), I pub stomp kids using the builds that I spend 3+ hours every other other day practicing offline in YABOT... but this knowledge that I'm actually capable of beating the random everyday player somehow doesn't affect my feelings toward the ladder.

I have tried practicing custom games with the best players I could find. For when I went to MLG Columbus, it actually helped quite a bit! Unfortunately, though... those friends are not around anymore and because I'm on the other side of the world, our time zones do not match up frequently at all anyway.

So yeah. I just wanted to share, I guess, in the hopes that maybe someone out there can help me with my psychology here. I'm consistently told that I must ladder as much as possible. Out of fear, I try to find other ways to practice. Getting friends who are dedicated to practicing with me are difficult to come by, but they don't last long enough for me to actually benefit very much (except for MLG Columbus).

I want to try and qualify for Code A as many times as I can while I'm here, though I know that I probably won't make it. I just want to go as far as I can. I just wish that I could find a way to practice more on the ladder... assuming that it actually is the best way to practice for me.

*
"Did not realize gold was such an important threshold for people, I guess I honestly take it for granted that if people practice / invest enough time into this game then they would make diamond in no time." ~Caihead
Snaiil
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
Sweden312 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-03-18 12:51:11
March 18 2012 12:50 GMT
#2
You seriously think about that "Find Match" button this much instead of actually pressing it? Just fucking do it, it's not that complicated.
memcpy
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
United States459 Posts
March 18 2012 12:57 GMT
#3
The biggest deterrent for me personally when laddering is playing after a long winning streak or achieving some significant point milestone. Conversely, going on a massive losing streak and starting fresh makes me want to ladder even more.

It may sound silly but I'd suggest first losing a dozen or so games on purpose just to make it so your rank/points don't mean anything and start playing from there.

Also, the more you play the less impact each individual game has, both technically in terms of points, as well as psychologically and physically since you'll be used to playing.
Knap4life
Profile Blog Joined March 2010
Slovenia333 Posts
March 18 2012 12:59 GMT
#4
Stop caring about wins and ranks and just play.
RedJustice
Profile Blog Joined February 2011
United States1004 Posts
March 18 2012 13:03 GMT
#5
Wow, I read the first sentence and thought: what an ass.

Stop waxing eloquent about your shortcomings and either do it or move on. There is nothing wrong with being a spectator. If you really want to play, click the button.
nOondn
Profile Joined March 2011
564 Posts
March 18 2012 13:30 GMT
#6
Even i lose 19 game in a row,i still enjoy the game.So just play the game and have fun with it,it better to don't care about the result.
Mid Master Terran @ kr server fighting !!!
sharky246
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
1197 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-03-18 13:40:42
March 18 2012 13:40 GMT
#7
you should read my sig ↓.
On January 03 2011 13:14 IdrA wrote: being high on the ladder doesnt get you any closer to your goal. Avoiding practice to protect your rating is absurd. If you want to be good go play 40 games a day and stop thinking about becoming a pro.
iaminfiniteOSL
Profile Blog Joined April 2011
63 Posts
March 18 2012 13:55 GMT
#8
Hmm, well what removed my ladder fear was buying a second acount. Ironically I've played maybe 50 games on it. But knowing that no matter how much I lose on my main acount I'll still have a second acount in Masters "cured" me completely ^_^.

gl!
HuK, Crank, ViOlet, Jaedong...
Spiffeh
Profile Joined May 2010
United States830 Posts
March 18 2012 14:03 GMT
#9
Accept that you will lose half of your games no matter what you do. Once you know that, losing just becomes part of the game.
fire_brand
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
Canada1123 Posts
March 18 2012 14:34 GMT
#10


This video.
Random player, pixel enthusiast, crappy illustrator, offlane/support
Incognoto
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
France10239 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-03-18 14:41:58
March 18 2012 14:40 GMT
#11
Someone who lost 50 games acquired more experience than someone who won 10.

If you're afraid of the ladder then you aren't going anywhere. If you're afraid of losing then you aren't going anywhere. You aren't going anywhere unless you sit down and play the damn game and try to understand why.

FUCK I am SO jealous of you. If I had all day to play SC2 I wouldn't even think twice about going hardcore on the ladder.

People in every domain (not just SC2) think way too much about how they should get better instead of actually working on doing better to improve. :/
maru lover forever
Thaniri
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
1264 Posts
March 18 2012 14:40 GMT
#12
No-one can help you with this.

When it comes to personal psychology, you probably won't find someone even capable of coming close to helping you here.

The teacher can open all the doors of learning to you, but you must be the one to walk through them.
Hulavuta
Profile Blog Joined December 2011
United States1252 Posts
March 18 2012 15:16 GMT
#13
What I did to stop ladder fear was become a ladder troll like Destiny. That made it far more fun for me and far more casual. When my opponent said "gl hf" I say "VERY SWELL IN THE ASSHOLE". When my opponent loses and says "gg" I tell him "gtfo" If I lose, I say something like "wow this fucking sucks" and then I quit. I also set my settings that only friends can message me, so whatever happens in the game, stays in the game.

I know the community looks down on trolling and BM, but really, who cares about internet police on the ladder. If you're not a well known community member, you're not going to get any shit from it like Orb or Destiny do.
Done with Team Liquid for a while. Don't expect to find me here.
scur2d2
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
Canada104 Posts
March 18 2012 15:49 GMT
#14
What you have to remember is that this is a game. You are not practicign to become a pro. It is absurd to be scared to play a game, and if you are scaredm, do not play. It is that simple. Play another GAME, which is what this is.
Bite off more than you can chew, then chew it.
sc4k
Profile Blog Joined January 2010
United Kingdom5454 Posts
March 18 2012 15:51 GMT
#15
On March 19 2012 00:16 Hulavuta wrote:
What I did to stop ladder fear was become a ladder troll like Destiny. That made it far more fun for me and far more casual. When my opponent said "gl hf" I say "VERY SWELL IN THE ASSHOLE". When my opponent loses and says "gg" I tell him "gtfo" If I lose, I say something like "wow this fucking sucks" and then I quit. I also set my settings that only friends can message me, so whatever happens in the game, stays in the game.

I know the community looks down on trolling and BM, but really, who cares about internet police on the ladder. If you're not a well known community member, you're not going to get any shit from it like Orb or Destiny do.


Haha this is pretty much the definition of the psychology behind trolling on video games. Scared little cowards getting over their fail anxiety by being rude cocks to everyone. At least you're honest that you're swine.
taitanik
Profile Joined December 2011
Latvia231 Posts
March 18 2012 15:54 GMT
#16
someone has fear to play ladder and i am having hard time to try to care about winning when i play
"the game is over only when you make it over"
tossuaway
Profile Blog Joined February 2011
United States107 Posts
March 18 2012 16:58 GMT
#17
I finally got over my ladder anxiety and you can too! It's all about one word… tournaments. I am a gold level player and participate in z33k's BSG (Bronze, silver, gold)
Now that i'm focused on winning that tournament, ladder is just practice for it. Z33k even records your win loss record while playing their tournaments. STart tournaments and you'll find the anxiety shifted to where it belongs, real competition.
DreamChaser
Profile Blog Joined February 2011
1649 Posts
Last Edited: 2012-03-18 17:34:53
March 18 2012 17:34 GMT
#18
Wait you get coached and you don't ladder? Seriously what the fuck are you spending time and money on, if you can't ladder what hope do you have for trying out a tournament? I'm fine with laddering and losing but the first time i did an online tournament i was sweating bullets.

Or on a more serious note if you don't enjoy laddering why are you even playing this game?
Plays against every MU with nexus first.
SpadeAce
Profile Joined August 2011
Netherlands100 Posts
March 18 2012 17:41 GMT
#19
I've think stephanos way is quite interesting, he said he always looks sad on stream because he makes sure he has no emotion while laddering, so he won't care about the results.
PraefektMotus
Profile Joined February 2011
Germany129 Posts
March 18 2012 18:15 GMT
#20
The truth is that you're not having fun playing the game. Watching it is fun, following TL about is fun, even practicing some builds from time to time is fun. But actually playing it isn't, at least to you, me, and a lot of other people who blame "ladder fear". You avoid playing because you're not enjoying yourself while doing it. Just watch SC2 and play other games that you like.
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