• Log InLog In
  • Register
Liquid`
Team Liquid Liquipedia
EST 23:58
CET 05:58
KST 13:58
  • Home
  • Forum
  • Calendar
  • Streams
  • Liquipedia
  • Features
  • Store
  • EPT
  • TL+
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Smash
  • Heroes
  • Counter-Strike
  • Overwatch
  • Liquibet
  • Fantasy StarCraft
  • TLPD
  • StarCraft 2
  • Brood War
  • Blogs
Forum Sidebar
Events/Features
News
Featured News
RSL Revival - 2025 Season Finals Preview8RSL Season 3 - Playoffs Preview0RSL Season 3 - RO16 Groups C & D Preview0RSL Season 3 - RO16 Groups A & B Preview2TL.net Map Contest #21: Winners12
Community News
ComeBackTV's documentary on Byun's Career !10Weekly Cups (Dec 8-14): MaxPax, Clem, Cure win4Weekly Cups (Dec 1-7): Clem doubles, Solar gets over the hump1Weekly Cups (Nov 24-30): MaxPax, Clem, herO win2BGE Stara Zagora 2026 announced15
StarCraft 2
General
ComeBackTV's documentary on Byun's Career ! Micro Lags When Playing SC2? When will we find out if there are more tournament Weekly Cups (Dec 8-14): MaxPax, Clem, Cure win RSL Revival - 2025 Season Finals Preview
Tourneys
$5,000+ WardiTV 2025 Championship Sparkling Tuna Cup - Weekly Open Tournament $100 Prize Pool - Winter Warp Gate Masters Showdow Winter Warp Gate Amateur Showdown #1 RSL Offline Finals Info - Dec 13 and 14!
Strategy
Custom Maps
Map Editor closed ?
External Content
Mutation # 505 Rise From Ashes Mutation # 504 Retribution Mutation # 503 Fowl Play Mutation # 502 Negative Reinforcement
Brood War
General
BGH Auto Balance -> http://bghmmr.eu/ Klaucher discontinued / in-game color settings Anyone remember me from 2000s Bnet EAST server? How Rain Became ProGamer in Just 3 Months FlaSh on: Biggest Problem With SnOw's Playstyle
Tourneys
[BSL21] LB QuarterFinals - Sunday 21:00 CET Small VOD Thread 2.0 [Megathread] Daily Proleagues [BSL21] WB SEMIFINALS - Saturday 21:00 CET
Strategy
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Game Theory for Starcraft Current Meta Fighting Spirit mining rates
Other Games
General Games
Beyond All Reason Path of Exile Stormgate/Frost Giant Megathread General RTS Discussion Thread Nintendo Switch Thread
Dota 2
Official 'what is Dota anymore' discussion
League of Legends
Heroes of the Storm
Simple Questions, Simple Answers Heroes of the Storm 2.0
Hearthstone
Deck construction bug Heroes of StarCraft mini-set
TL Mafia
Mafia Game Mode Feedback/Ideas Survivor II: The Amazon Sengoku Mafia TL Mafia Community Thread
Community
General
The Games Industry And ATVI US Politics Mega-thread Russo-Ukrainian War Thread Things Aren’t Peaceful in Palestine YouTube Thread
Fan Clubs
White-Ra Fan Club
Media & Entertainment
Anime Discussion Thread [Manga] One Piece Movie Discussion!
Sports
2024 - 2026 Football Thread Formula 1 Discussion
World Cup 2022
Tech Support
Computer Build, Upgrade & Buying Resource Thread
TL Community
TL+ Announced Where to ask questions and add stream?
Blogs
The (Hidden) Drug Problem in…
TrAiDoS
I decided to write a webnov…
DjKniteX
James Bond movies ranking - pa…
Topin
Thanks for the RSL
Hildegard
Customize Sidebar...

Website Feedback

Closed Threads



Active: 1153 users

Do RTS games make you smarter? - Page 2

Forum Index > General Forum
Post a Reply
Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next All
chenchen
Profile Joined November 2010
United States1136 Posts
April 08 2011 00:23 GMT
#21
RTS doesn't necessarily make people smarter.

In general, competitive RTS at a high enough level only attracts self driven smart individuals.
powerade = dragoon blood
Ulfsark
Profile Blog Joined September 2010
United States958 Posts
April 08 2011 00:26 GMT
#22
I learned most of what i know about history from ages of empires 2.
gg wp
Vain
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
Netherlands1115 Posts
April 08 2011 00:29 GMT
#23
Well for one instance i know playing too much starcraft 2 is not good for your grades
Battle.net 2.0 is a waiter and he's a dick
Boblion
Profile Blog Joined May 2007
France8043 Posts
April 08 2011 00:31 GMT
#24
They make you faster.
fuck all those elitists brb watching streams of elite players.
NicksonReyes
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
Philippines4431 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-08 00:50:32
April 08 2011 00:33 GMT
#25
I play Broodwar a lot. I just took an online IQ test. My IQ is 150. Is it normal?
If yes then BW didn't affect me at all.
On April 08 2011 09:38 Swede wrote:
Online IQ tests mean nothing, and even your IQ IS 150 it doesn't mean there's a causal relationship between your IQ and time spent on BW.

Yeah. I might be born with it. We took an IQ test at school and I got the highest in my class but they didn't give our IQs, just the rankings. There is no way I can find out my IQ other than online IQ tests. Anyone know a legit online IQ test?
"Start yo" -FlaSh
Swede
Profile Joined June 2010
New Zealand853 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-08 00:44:59
April 08 2011 00:38 GMT
#26
I don't know if they do, but there certainly seems to be a desire to perpetuate that idea on these forums. These posts come up all the time and I always get the feeling that it's the result of people trying to justify the amount of time they spend on SC2 to themselves.

I'm not saying that SC2 doesn't provide some degree of learning to a player, but it certainly shouldn't be treated as if it's anything other than an added bonus.

I play Broodwar a lot. I just took an online IQ test. My IQ is 150. Is it normal?
If yes then BW didn't affect me at all.


Online IQ tests mean nothing. And even your IQ IS 150 it doesn't mean there's a causal relationship between your IQ and time spent on BW.
Disregard
Profile Blog Joined March 2007
China10252 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-08 00:39:32
April 08 2011 00:38 GMT
#27
It doesnt improve you intellectually, more on the side of reflex, ability to focus and such.

edit: Unless you're playing some hardcore historical RTS. Well, that increases your knowledge. D:
"If I had to take a drug in order to be free, I'm screwed. Freedom exists in the mind, otherwise it doesn't exist."
RoosterSamurai
Profile Blog Joined March 2010
Japan2108 Posts
April 08 2011 00:45 GMT
#28
Honestly, I think CCGs are probably a bit better at accomplishing the things in the OP than RTS games.
TrainFX
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
United States469 Posts
April 08 2011 00:48 GMT
#29
if applied right then experience at sc can improve your critical thinking skills
UpHeaVaL
Profile Joined February 2011
Canada57 Posts
April 08 2011 00:49 GMT
#30
On April 08 2011 09:15 HellRoxYa wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 08 2011 09:00 ryanAnger wrote:
Yes, mostly because I believe it trains your brain to perform tasks and react faster. Intelligence to me is similar in a way to how we compare computers. Most modern computers have the same basic capabilities and the thing that makes some computers better than others is the speed in which they perform and process tasks.

It's fairly obvious that RTS games improve our "processing speed" in that as we get better at them, we are more capable of quickly determining what we need to do, how, and when to do it.


Being smart is being able to solve problems, not the time it takes you to do so. So your analogy doesn't hold up very well. Unlike computers which operate on the same basic principles some people's brains are actually able to solve problems that you and I can't.

Anyway, computergames in general have been shown to train reflexes. It obviously doesn't make you smarter, though. It might help you process information faster in general, and it definently trains your multitaskingability if you're playing the game at a serious level.



Smartness is a relative term. We determine smartness by comparing with not so smart. Being smart is being able to SOLVE PROBLEMS QUICKLY. Or more specifically, quicker than the average population. A smart dog is one that can solve 3d obstruction puzzles...only because most dogs can't. Just because Jim down the street can solve them too, doesn't mean we consider him to be smart. Again, it's relative.

Any video game is a form of mind aerobics. Any game for that matter (chess, checkers, monopoly) is a form of mind aerobics. Scratch that, basically any mental activity at all is a form of mental aerobics. The thing is, the number of mental faculties potentially used to solve problems is quite extensive. And whatever activity you are doing is 'training/exercising' a small set of those faculties. So yes you are making those faculties 'smarter'.

But don't forget that most activities have a negative effect on some faculty or another. So your question becomes: Do RTS, in terms of mental faculties, improve our mean problem solving powers. Are the gains more than the losses? Social ones for example? Who fuckin knows!!! It's a ridiculous thing to ask let alone measure....

Grobyc
Profile Blog Joined June 2008
Canada18410 Posts
April 08 2011 00:50 GMT
#31
I think it can help develop keen observation skills, yes, but I wouldn't classify what you gain as simply "smarts".
If you watch Godzilla backwards it's about a benevolent lizard who helps rebuild a city and then moonwalks into the ocean.
YejinYejin
Profile Blog Joined July 2009
United States1053 Posts
April 08 2011 00:51 GMT
#32
You'd definitely have to verify the cause and effect. I'd assume Brood War these days just generally attracts a more intelligent individual than, say, Angry Birds.

That said, I think the incredible multitasking, constant action, and required, quick decision-making probably does help to keep your brain sharp. There was a cracked.com article where they cited a study in which elderly people played either BW or Tetris for a few hours. The ones that played BW showed better multitasking immediately afterwards, so that's cool!
안지호
UpHeaVaL
Profile Joined February 2011
Canada57 Posts
Last Edited: 2011-04-08 01:17:31
April 08 2011 00:53 GMT
#33
On April 08 2011 09:33 NicksonReyes wrote:
I play Broodwar a lot. I just took an online IQ test. My IQ is 150. Is it normal?
If yes then BW didn't affect me at all.
Show nested quote +
On April 08 2011 09:38 Swede wrote:
Online IQ tests mean nothing, and even your IQ IS 150 it doesn't mean there's a causal relationship between your IQ and time spent on BW.

Yeah. I might be born with it. We took an IQ test at school and I got the highest in my class but they didn't give our IQs, just the rankings. There is no way I can find out my IQ other than online IQ tests. Anyone know a legit online IQ test?



LOL. You are not born with an IQ. Maybe a capacity for one, but that's it. And IQ score is NOT a static number at all. A genius 4 year old has a lower IQ than a dumb 20 year OLD. And IQ decays with age as well, most people peeking in 20's. There is no LEGIT IQ test. They are ALL heavily math/logic biased. And as I stated in an earlier post, smartness and IQ, while being corollaries of each other, are not the same thing. Rainman's IQ as with many high functioning autistics are off the charts, but I certainly wouldn't say they are smart...not being able to button your pants precludes that designation
mordk
Profile Blog Joined November 2010
Chile8385 Posts
April 08 2011 00:54 GMT
#34
Ever since I started playing RTSs massively, I've gone down at least 2 points in my grades (out of 7), and am now having severe difficulties concentrating.

You can improve at multitasking, but im my case I just end up "paying attention to tons of stuff, but concentrating on none of them" which absolutely sucks when you want to study.

Nah, it doesn't make you smarter, there are lots of better things for that.
eviltomahawk
Profile Blog Joined August 2010
United States11135 Posts
April 08 2011 00:55 GMT
#35
Depends on how you play the RTS.

Low-level players are quite content just playing vs easy AI, turtling up hard and building an elaborate base before acquiring a victory that was supposed to happen several hours prior. At least that was how I played back in the day...

However, I think higher level, more competitive play can be quite useful for higher-level thinking. Digging into timings and meticulously crafting builds takes a lot of logical thought and theorycrafing. Utilizing game-sense to dynamically adjust your play in the middle of games rewards creativity and intuition.

IMO, I guess it's better to play an RTS as opposed to some other types of games, like FPS games. However, there are plenty of RPGs and puzzle games that can be equally, if not more stimulating to the mind.
ㅇㅅㅌㅅ
KevinIX
Profile Joined October 2009
United States2472 Posts
April 08 2011 00:56 GMT
#36
RTS games don't make you smarter. But smarter people will be better at RTS games.
Liquid FIGHTING!!!
DarthXX
Profile Joined September 2010
Australia998 Posts
April 08 2011 00:56 GMT
#37
I don't think RTS makes you smarter, I think its more smarter people play RTS games.
NicksonReyes
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
Philippines4431 Posts
April 08 2011 00:58 GMT
#38
On April 08 2011 09:53 UpHeaVaL wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 08 2011 09:33 NicksonReyes wrote:
I play Broodwar a lot. I just took an online IQ test. My IQ is 150. Is it normal?
If yes then BW didn't affect me at all.
On April 08 2011 09:38 Swede wrote:
Online IQ tests mean nothing, and even your IQ IS 150 it doesn't mean there's a causal relationship between your IQ and time spent on BW.

Yeah. I might be born with it. We took an IQ test at school and I got the highest in my class but they didn't give our IQs, just the rankings. There is no way I can find out my IQ other than online IQ tests. Anyone know a legit online IQ test?



LOL. You are not born with an IQ. Maybe a capacity for one, but that's it. And IQ score is NOT a static number at all. A genius 4 year old has a lower IQ than a dumb 20 year OLD. And IQ decays with age as well, most people peeking in 20's. There is no LEGIT IQ test. They are ALL heavily math/logic biased.

uummm.... ok. If you say so. Sorry.
"Start yo" -FlaSh
YejinYejin
Profile Blog Joined July 2009
United States1053 Posts
April 08 2011 00:58 GMT
#39
On April 08 2011 09:56 KevinIX wrote:
RTS games don't make you smarter. But smarter people will be better at RTS games.


On April 08 2011 09:56 DarthXX wrote:
I don't think RTS makes you smarter, I think its more smarter people play RTS games.


Hahaha, thank you for these two successive posts, guys. But yeah, this seems to be a common sentiment.
안지호
shawster
Profile Blog Joined May 2010
Canada2485 Posts
April 08 2011 01:01 GMT
#40
that's like asking if basketball makes you more athletic

might keep you in shape, might sharpen you up, make you more disciplined, gain a greater knowledge of sports in general but it won't make you more athletic.
Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next All
Please log in or register to reply.
Live Events Refresh
Next event in 4h 2m
[ Submit Event ]
Live Streams
Refresh
StarCraft 2
WinterStarcraft293
RuFF_SC2 221
NeuroSwarm 140
Ketroc 19
StarCraft: Brood War
Shuttle 309
Leta 129
sorry 54
Hm[arnc] 29
ajuk12(nOOB) 25
Noble 21
Icarus 5
Dota 2
LuMiX1
League of Legends
JimRising 611
Counter-Strike
summit1g11352
minikerr44
Heroes of the Storm
Khaldor138
Other Games
XaKoH 424
Maynarde146
ViBE59
Organizations
Other Games
gamesdonequick886
StarCraft 2
Blizzard YouTube
StarCraft: Brood War
BSLTrovo
sctven
[ Show 14 non-featured ]
StarCraft 2
• Hupsaiya 99
• Mapu21
• AfreecaTV YouTube
• intothetv
• Kozan
• IndyKCrew
• LaughNgamezSOOP
• Migwel
• sooper7s
StarCraft: Brood War
• XenOsky 3
• BSLYoutube
• STPLYoutube
• ZZZeroYoutube
League of Legends
• Lourlo949
Upcoming Events
Replay Cast
4h 2m
Wardi Open
7h 2m
Monday Night Weeklies
12h 2m
WardiTV Invitational
2 days
Replay Cast
3 days
WardiTV Invitational
3 days
ByuN vs Solar
Clem vs Classic
Cure vs herO
Reynor vs MaxPax
Replay Cast
4 days
Sparkling Tuna Cup
6 days
Liquipedia Results

Completed

YSL S2
WardiTV 2025
META Madness #9

Ongoing

C-Race Season 1
IPSL Winter 2025-26
KCM Race Survival 2025 Season 4
BSL Season 21
Slon Tour Season 2
CSL Season 19: Qualifier 2
eXTREMESLAND 2025
SL Budapest Major 2025
ESL Impact League Season 8
BLAST Rivals Fall 2025
IEM Chengdu 2025
PGL Masters Bucharest 2025
Thunderpick World Champ.
CS Asia Championships 2025
ESL Pro League S22

Upcoming

CSL 2025 WINTER (S19)
BSL 21 Non-Korean Championship
Acropolis #4
IPSL Spring 2026
Bellum Gens Elite Stara Zagora 2026
HSC XXVIII
Big Gabe Cup #3
OSC Championship Season 13
Nations Cup 2026
ESL Pro League Season 23
PGL Cluj-Napoca 2026
IEM Kraków 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter 2026
BLAST Bounty Winter Qual
TLPD

1. ByuN
2. TY
3. Dark
4. Solar
5. Stats
6. Nerchio
7. sOs
8. soO
9. INnoVation
10. Elazer
1. Rain
2. Flash
3. EffOrt
4. Last
5. Bisu
6. Soulkey
7. Mini
8. Sharp
Sidebar Settings...

Advertising | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Contact Us

Original banner artwork: Jim Warren
The contents of this webpage are copyright © 2025 TLnet. All Rights Reserved.