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Hi TL forums. I played some SC back in the days, but never on a competetive level. However with the release of SC2 I felt it was time to stop FPS team games because RTS is fun and I can set my own practicing hours, which is good because of my uni studies.
So anyway my question to you guys is, do you feel really mentally tired after just playing a couple 1on1s? I'm on the edge of my seat during every single match, and my heartrate is probably at unhealthy levels. I didn't play the beta, so needless to say I got pretty bashed in my placement matches, ending 2-3 and going to Silver Division. I quickly got promoted to Gold and now Platinum after even beating a few Diamond players. I'm on 21 games with 14 wins at the moment. I think I've grasped the concept on how to play pretty well but I feel what's holding me back is that I am so damn nervous and tense, playing 10 1on1s a day is out of the question right now because I'm totally exhausted.
Does anyone else feel this way? Has anyone overcome this mental block? Any help is welcome!
(Oh and feel free to bash me too, I don't mind.)
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I know what you mean, I had it for awhile when I first got placed into a higher league. It goes away after a time, it just takes practice and getting use to. It's a sign that you are getting better though when you can handle the strain!
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This happens to me playing BW (when winning a long game, when losing i'm angry enoguh to keep going more games) on ladder still, though I find sc2 easy enough to keep playing. When you get used to the game it will subside.
If you're mentally strained it means you brain is learning and trying to cope with all the things you need to do. Poor players don't get this because their brain tunnelvisions a lot. It's a good thing.
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This is pretty common, i think. I will spam 3-4 games and then take a 15 minute break and do some pushups and get a snack. Also, if i lost any of those games I try to watch the replay. Staying calm and focused is key to winning for me.
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It's because you're not used to the RTS game yet. I'm pretty sure most of the beginners have experienced this, but you get used to it. Once you start playing lots of games, it will subside, and you won't even notice it anymore.
For me, it was the fear of losing. I hated losing, so I would become tense and my heartbeat would go up. But once I played countless games, it all disappeared.
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i usually only play 1 at a time  (for that reason)
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It's a relief to know that someone else feels like this after only a few games. Perhaps even moreso now that I know other people got passed it and it's not a permanent thing :D Really makes practicing and improving a challenge when each game is mentally exhausting.
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Seems to me it's that you can't handle the stress well jk :p
I am sometimes nervous but I can still play 10-20 games a day but unfortunately I can't lately (due to work).
I think you care more about your stats on ladder rather then your skills which is why I think you're worried. If you don't care about stats then most people will then try to learn and play the game to just learn and become better whether they win or lose.
Sometimes losing (be it a streak or just 1 game) is necessary to improve and understand yourself.
edit:
The only stressfull times when I get nervous is when I'm actually losing a MU with the same strat. Rather than that I just stay calm and re-think why I lost/how I lost and where did I lost.
But like others have said, it's best to just play alot of games and it will subdue. Only in the beginning will you get more nervous for a game as it's rather quite logical seeing you're adapting to the new things in the game.
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What Slayer91 said fits well on me. The games I've lost I'm not that worked up about, and I just see it as a lesson. However the matches I win are the ones that really takes all my energy.
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I can relate. In BW after any particularly intense games I sometimes have to take a half hour break because I just feel so mentally exhausted. Its not quite so bad in Sc2 as the multitask requirement isn't quite so high but still, I'm actually on a break right now lol; won a really close TvT and I feel all shook up and jittery.
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On July 30 2010 01:32 SimpleHarmonicMotion wrote:+ Show Spoiler +
Hi TL forums. I played some SC back in the days, but never on a competetive level. However with the release of SC2 I felt it was time to stop FPS team games because RTS is fun and I can set my own practicing hours, which is good because of my uni studies.
So anyway my question to you guys is, do you feel really mentally tired after just playing a couple 1on1s? I'm on the edge of my seat during every single match, and my heartrate is probably at unhealthy levels. I didn't play the beta, so needless to say I got pretty bashed in my placement matches, ending 2-3 and going to Silver Division. I quickly got promoted to Gold and now Platinum after even beating a few Diamond players. I'm on 21 games with 14 wins at the moment. I think I've grasped the concept on how to play pretty well but I feel what's holding me back is that I am so damn nervous and tense, playing 10 1on1s a day is out of the question right now because I'm totally exhausted.
Does anyone else feel this way? Has anyone overcome this mental block? Any help is welcome!
(Oh and feel free to bash me too, I don't mind.)
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I overcame this mental block when I stopped caring about winning or losing and started focusing on improving. You can't improve if you don't play. Even if you lose 10 straight, so what? Watch the replays, note down what you did wrong, how your opponent defeated you and than figure out what you should improve and work on that.
And doing all the analysis you also get a natural break. I usually play a few hours and than go analyze my losses for another hour or so.
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It'll get easier the longer you stick with playing the game. The biggest factor is being afraid to lose. You just need to get in the mind set that losing is ok - let's face it, everyone does lose games. Playing to get better rather than playing to win can be a good mindset. You don't fear losing and you can concentrate on improving your weaknesses - rather than just trying to do everything perfectly, which can be rather overwhelming. Wins will take care of themselves if you just work on improving your game.
Also a good relaxed posture can help. If your body is all tensed up it doesn't help the situation.
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I think the cure is conditioning. Just mass game and you'll adapt to it.
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play some 2v2 or 3v3 to relax a bit, they can be fun and who cares if you lose.. it's always your teammates' fault ;p
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I don't play sc so take it FWIW, but I think I've played enough games in my life to say with confidence that: it's a combination of a fear of losing and the joy of victory. If you want to become the best player in the world you might need to fix that up, because what it does is it won't let you keep playing when you're playing your best. So say if you just won 2 games vs a very tough opponent you won't keep playing him because "oh well I'm tired, I'm doing so good tho, might as well take a break, I don't need to be practicing if I'm doing so good" etc. If you're a casual gamer then there's nothing wrong with that of course 
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I definitely get this. I've been playing for a while and I still get it. I'm also extremely, extremely competitive though and I think that has a lot to do with it. (not a sore loser... just a very-disappointed-in-himself loser)
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I agree with some of the other posters in that you shouldn't be caring about your winrate. Winning without gaining all the skills you need will just result in a string of losses when you get matched against superior players. I tend to do retarded things (thor scv rush), for fun, just to get the practice, even though I know it's not the best decision. Like one time I tried to counter a reaper rush with a cannon rush. He lifted off and I died horribly, but lesson learned!
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I definitely can see where you're coming from with this. It really is just your brain being mentally exhausted, just like how your body gets tired after running around. So just like your body, if you can feel the strain and the stress on your brain, then that means you're pushing yourself towards your limits and your body is trying readjust itself to cope with it =). That means it is progress!
At the beginning of the beta I could only handle like 6 - 7 games before feeling burnt. Now its grown to about 10 - 12 games if I have time. But yeah, all those nervous jitters, the fear of losing- it all goes away after you've played a lot of games, and when its all gone you start to REALLY enjoy the game. Rather being beat down and feeling unmotivated to play after losing a lot of a games or just having lack of sleep, I really have to hold myself back sometimes (especially late at night) from having another session of 10 or so games because its becomes so much fun JUST to play Starcraft.
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Nope, game's too fun, I rarely get tired, and I've gone 7 straight hours playing before.
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There's a lot of good advice here, but this is probably the most valuable:
... Staying calm and focused is key to winning for me ...
I used to get so nervous when playing 1 on 1's in SC1 that I'd get the shakes sometimes. I even got them when playing FPS games and PvP in WoW... pretty much any time I'd be facing off against a human opponent. It would actually get worse when I was winning.
It doesn't happen anymore. The reason is that I've played so, so much in each game that the anxiety over losing games goes away. Just keep playing!
I'm not sure who hasn't seen the KOTB, so I'll spoiler this next part.
+ Show Spoiler +If you saw the KOTB interview with IdrA, he discussed towards the end how people always freak out when a pro loses in an upset match, but there are any number of reasons a better player can lose. He can be having a bad day, he was just unlucky and missed the hidden spire/factory/dark shrine when he scouted, etc.
The point is, don't be afraid of losing games or temporarily dropping down a league. Remember that you're playing to get better, not to have an impressive win/loss ratio. Nobody cares if you're 70-30 but only know how to bunker rush. And don't be afraid to lose! How else would you know where you need room for improvement?
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On July 30 2010 01:44 Lazix wrote:
I think the cure is conditioning. Just mass game and you'll adapt to it.
this. Just play A LOT of games, and the nervous feeling goes away, and you can just concentrate on playing well. Remember that losing is just a way of improving. If you lose, you should always go look at the replay to see what you could have done better. Once you accept that you will not win every game you play, it becomes a lot easier.
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OP, I have the same thing.
I can only play 4 games maximum before I have to stop.
It's completely normal. Massing games improves your skill but fully concentrating in a single game and then watching the replay will also significantly improve your skill so don't think you're at a disadvantage because you're not.
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I had this problem with Warcraft 3 and Starcraft big time but for some reason don't have this problem at all with SC2. I didn't do anything special other than not play RTS games from the time WoW came out until SC2 beta. I think that it is mental. My mindset now is much different than way back in the day when I would get frustrated every time I lose.
A loss (since I only play Random, I was Orc in WC3 and Zerg in BW) is just a lesson on how to beat someone next time so it doesn't feel as bad. Playing Random owns.
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There is a new thread on this every month, so I think it is a pretty common problem.
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I think it's easy to go defensive when u feel anxious in game- I focus on my macro and scouting which helps me concentrate
Try massage therapy or a pedicure (no homo!!)
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It was much worse for me in BW on iccup (I actually started shivering some times and would rarely go more than 1-2 games at a time) but I'm a good bit calmer with SC2. I still have to get over this mental block completely though, I sometimes find it hard to just go and play the game and I haven't even finished my placement matches (I'm 3-0 currently, so it's worse because I don't want to mess up my streak).
I know I basically just need to mass game to get over this, get more comfortable with the builds I use, make my own builds, concentrate on making macro something I do naturally and making spamming something I do naturally.
Also, someone said that this problem usually ends around the 200 1v1 game mark. 3 down, 197 to go
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Scout more often when you are playing. Trust me. All that nervousness comes from the fear that you don't know what your opponent is doing at some short time frames of the game. When you recognize your opponent's intentions, then you have more time to react and play according to your opponent's strategies. Don't be afraid to send 2 or 3 scouting units to check when your opponent attacks you or does a hidden expo. Also, don't be too emotional about playing 1v1 games. Focus on good strategies, tactics, and keyboard and mouse mechanics.
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Increased heart rates are generally a good thing.
Get up from your chair every couple games and do something else for a few minutes.
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The fewer games you play, the worse the feeling gets. It's partly because of the "sacredness" of each game. If you play 5 games a night, losing any game is losing 20% of your entire day's games. That's a lot of pressure. If you play 20 games a night, then losing any game is losing 5% of your entire day's games.
That's the basic rudimentary logic behind why more games solves this issue. Eventually you will realize that it's just ladder and you're as good as you think you are. You'll stop putting pressure on yourself to overachieve and be something you're not and concentrate more on just accepting yourself and improving your faults.
Once you reach that sort of zen, you're golden.
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I used to get tired like that dude but the trick is variety:
1. take a 5 minute break for a glass of water and a bit of TV
2. watch a replay real quick
3. Play a diff game type (4v4-FFA-custom)
4. Try and Gold your challenges
5. Check out your achievements and set goals for your next game
6. work on your profile
After aboot 2-4 games I do something diff for a bit, then i slaughter some more xD
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I had this problem with Warcraft 3 for a long time. Actually, never completely subsided. Very nervous playing 1v1.
Starcraft 2 I don't get nervous playing, but it is very mentally taxing, and I can only do 3-4 games in a row before I need a rest. If it's one of those marathon 30 minute back and forth games, I definitely need a break afterwards.
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I think it depends on what race you are; if you are focused mainly on one race then you may get fatigued earlier then say going random.
I found when i used to just use zerg in the beta i could only play couple games, now that I go random its pretty much a dif build order everygame, which keeps it entertaining.
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Happens all the time.. I'll play 2-3 games and I'm spent. I'll turn to something like WoW to relax lol.
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I feel the exact time. I'm hoping that as I play more it will go away, because I really need to take a lot of breaks right now when laddering.
One thing that I find works really well, though, is to alternate with a friend while playing at his house. After every game, we switch seat and watch the other play his one game. I find that I can keep going almost forever when doing this.
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Only if I lose like, 5 in a row yea.. But generally no. Having too much fun.
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I can play 4-5 five games then I need a break. Usually if I win I will continue to play on, if I lose I just sit back and watch the replays.
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On July 30 2010 01:56 Maginor wrote:
There is a new thread on this every month, so I think it is a pretty common problem.
haha its good so players can relate and know that they aren't the only ones... kind of like a support group.
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hehe, I played 34 solo matches in a row. Reason: I got super angry because I lost 2 of my placement matches due some cheese. After getting placed in silver I am now finally arrived in Diamond...
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Sweat is dripping from your forehead
Heart is racing at 130 beats per minute
Doubts swarm your thoughts like a parasite
Fatigue sets in and the sweet embrace of failure beckons
Then in one clairvoyant moment
You realize why you do what you do
For the love of the game.
This will remove all jitters
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Jesus, it seems like the majority of the Starcraft community don't even have fun playing the game. Relax, just play for fun.
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Are you fucking kidding me? I must have lost 15 pounds sweating my ass off during Beta. I just can't bring myself to intentionally suck and lose games I could have easily won, just to keep casually playing against noobs.
I'm going to get into Diamond and its going to kill me.
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sounds dumb but i only get tired of it after winning some, when losing i get motivated <:
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On July 30 2010 02:45 HardcoreBilly wrote:
Jesus, it seems like the majority of the Starcraft community don't even have fun playing the game. Relax, just play for fun.
For some of us its fun because its hard (that's what she said) and we just can't play badly. I won't send my army at my opponent and not micro it. I won't not build Probes because I want to suck. I won't send my force at an army that I know is going to beat it. I can't do it. Momma didn't raise no RTS newbie.
If I need a break from the insanity, I'll play some team games, some games against my friends (with a collossal handicap set up) or some custom maps or something.
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Competetive starcraft is very hard to deal with chemically (as day9 would say) It really takes a big toll on your body, I personally came from a CS backround (So many seasons of cevo) and just the fact that you're with 4 other players really takes away alot of the stresses of competition. In starcraft. for the most part, you're all alone. There is much more weighing on you than in any team oriented game. The sheer amount of chemicals your body produces for many, is too much to deal with and they must take frequent breaks. You really have to just enjoy playing the game and force yourself to keep going and keep enjoying. If you're feeling overwhelmed watch some of your replays and then get right back at it. Do not be afraid of losing, and after every loss think of what you learned, and be comfortable with the game because of what you learned.
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I've gone through campaign, played some custom maps, played some challenge maps and done...1 of my placement matches for 1v1. Why? Because I get anxiety about it. I worry so much about whether I'll win or lose, but when I'm actually in the game that wears off quick. For me, it's less about actually playing the game and more about the anxiety of committing yourself to the win or lose, all or nothing slugfest of 1v1. Once you just hit the button and get matched, quite a bit of that goes away. IMO, once you've had a 5 minute break go and hit the match button and stand near or around your computer so you can hear when a match is found, but don't actually sit at your computer until that happens. it'll help ease a bit of the tension, I think.
EDIT: Also another thing to note is that "the shakes", and all the other chemicals people are talking about is largely adrenaline. Be conscious about it and don't let it rule you.
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On July 30 2010 02:55 Phayze wrote:
Competetive starcraft is very hard to deal with chemically (as day9 would say) It really takes a big toll on your body, I personally came from a CS backround (So many seasons of cevo) and just the fact that you're with 4 other players really takes away alot of the stresses of competition. In starcraft. for the most part, you're all alone. There is much more weighing on you than in any team oriented game. The sheer amount of chemicals your body produces for many, is too much to deal with and they must take frequent breaks.
That makes sense. Adrenaline and glucose really take their toll.
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On July 30 2010 02:58 Bibdy wrote:Show nested quote +On July 30 2010 02:55 Phayze wrote:
Competetive starcraft is very hard to deal with chemically (as day9 would say) It really takes a big toll on your body, I personally came from a CS backround (So many seasons of cevo) and just the fact that you're with 4 other players really takes away alot of the stresses of competition. In starcraft. for the most part, you're all alone. There is much more weighing on you than in any team oriented game. The sheer amount of chemicals your body produces for many, is too much to deal with and they must take frequent breaks. That makes sense. Adrenaline and glucose really take their toll.
What competitive CS team did you play for?
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The day this came out I had never played an RTS before, so i expected to get steamrolled then dumped into bronze. I actually won 1 of 5 placements though, so that was cool. Anyways, I was about 25% winning in bronze for a while, did some studying, then came back. I'm currently on a 5 game win streak and in silver, but I cant muster up the courage to play because of fear of losing. Silver league is srs bsns. Also, every time I watch the replays, I see that the opponent did something stupid like not rally his probes to the minerals. Even worse is I watch myself being stupid, amassing 2000 minerals. Then I'm like man, if I hit this play button my mind will soon be racing at a million thoughts a minute, and theres a good chance I'll get pwned because of all these mistakes I'm making. Then I go play a custom game.
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i had that all the time when i started to play BW like 12 months ago,a nd also in the beta at first, but since my skill rose to lowest diamond, i dont have that issue anymore, feels like learning to drive, once you are fine with the mechanics you do them automaticly(lets say viewing in the mirror and wathcing minimap), which frees alot of your "thinking" time up for other stuff to do,
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On July 30 2010 03:10 Caponed wrote:
The day this came out I had never played an RTS before, so i expected to get steamrolled then dumped into bronze. I actually won 1 of 5 placements though, so that was cool. Anyways, I was about 25% winning in bronze for a while, did some studying, then came back. I'm currently on a 5 game win streak and in silver, but I cant muster up the courage to play because of fear of losing. Silver league is srs bsns. Also, every time I watch the replays, I see that the opponent did something stupid like not rally his probes to the minerals. Even worse is I watch myself being stupid, amassing 2000 minerals. Then I'm like man, if I hit this play button my mind will soon be racing at a million thoughts a minute, and theres a good chance I'll get pwned because of all these mistakes I'm making. Then I go play a custom game.
I'm likely in a similar position, although I haven't finished my placements I was bronze in beta. One trick that day[9] always says is to try not to worry so much about losing...it's not as "all or nothing" as your brain makes it out to be since you still learn from your losses (arguably better than your victories), and the system is designed for you to lose as often as you win.
Also a trick I learned for managing your money is if you're staying on top of your macro and you're massing minerals is to throw down a couple more raxes/gateways/whathaveyou. if your unit production isn't eating up your resources, then you need more unit production. worry about teching less unless you see your opponent going air and you went marauders or something.
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When you get that feeling, you need to focus your mind on something different!
* Learn a new strategy
* Watch a professional replay
* Read some TL posts
The point of this is to absorb some new information that will reinforce in your mind that you are the fucking man, and destroy everybody in your path. Confidence is key, and it will keep you calm during your games.
If you ever played hockey competitively, do you ever remember watching Rock'em Sock'em videos right before your games to get pumped up? The above is the same idea!
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If your just starting then your obviously not going to be very good.. just accept that your going to lose. Just try your best and if you lose figure out what went wrong. Eventually you will learn from your losses meaning your improving so the better you get the less "fatigue" you will feel since you will always be knowing whats going to happen from the repetition of doing the same things over and over from previous games. I never concentrate much or anything.. since I never played starcraft/warcraft I went into the beta expecting to do horrible. I did better than expected and improved fast.. so when I got to diamond I was still expecting to lose often.. and I did but kept improving making it up to top 10 diamond where I was still expecting to lose to people who have been playing forever..
Although I get nervous in tournaments sometimes lol..
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I feel the same way. I can only be concentratet for a few couple of 1o1 games, however, if i play 2o2 i can keep on playing for hours wihtout being fatigue. I guess its due to the fact that i can just mass stalkers/sentry/immortal every 2o2 game
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On July 30 2010 01:32 SimpleHarmonicMotion wrote:
(Oh and feel free to bash me too, I don't mind.)
well it's because you're a weak noob! nah jk, take some time off and then keep practicing
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On July 30 2010 03:57 Rokit5 wrote:I feel the same way. I can only be concentratet for a few couple of 1o1 games, however, if i play 2o2 i can keep on playing for hours wihtout being fatigue. I guess its due to the fact that i can just mass stalkers/sentry/immortal every 2o2 game
I'm the same way. When I play 1v1 I play around 1 game an hour. 2v2 I'm playing 2-3 games an hour, with no breaks in between. I like the feeling of "we're in this together." I don't like 2v2 with randoms though, because you don't know their skill level and you aren't comfortable knowing whether you are doing everything yourself, or your partner is doing everything himself. I play 2v2 with someone much better than me, so he can run around and do what he pleases while I can comfortably do what I need to do.
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Once you play more the anxiety associated with the pressure of intense games goes away and you just get the rewarding rush. If you don't feel like playing don't, you can watch replays, play with friends, explore the campaign, whore TL.net, watch other people play etc. etc. You don't need to play lots of games if you don't feel like it... lol
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This happens to me but it isn't because of nervousness or anything like that.
It is just from so much thinking. That is all SC2 is... a mental game of remembering, remembering, remembering.
After ~8-10 games in a row I am just mentally drained and need a little break before I can continue. I get the same feeling after playing a day-long Warhammer 40k or Magic: the Gathering tournament. SC2 seems to really force my brain to do a lot of thinking in a very short timeframe. When I slow down my thinking, I just lose. It is far too easy to forget about your mental checklist when your brain is just "tired".
Part of it might be that I get a tiny bit of adrenaline in many of my games though...I'm not sure if its really adrenaline though. Sometimes after a game I'll just be so wound up and I'll be able to keep playing with a lot of focus. Other times, my brain is just screaming for a break and I need to go have a smoke break before continuing on.
I was never much into 1v1 RTS games before and I'm kinda pissed that I never got too much into SCBW. Never have I played any game that gets my heart pumping and hands shaking like SC2 does. I love it.
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On July 30 2010 02:51 Bibdy wrote:
Are you fucking kidding me? I must have lost 15 pounds sweating my ass off during Beta. I just can't bring myself to intentionally suck and lose games I could have easily won, just to keep casually playing against noobs.
I'm going to get into Diamond and its going to kill me.
Relaxing would help your play. Take your time, think clearly, analyze your losses, and make mental notes of what you need to improve. Getting into diamond is less important than developing strong fundamentals imo.
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It's no different than getting used to playing in FPS games for the first time. I liken playing StarCraft on a ladder to gearing up for a ladder match in CS or COD. When you're done your TIRED because you literally put your whole body into the experience in your first few matches.
After a while you get used to it and it doesn't bug you as much. It's just another game and you calm down, think rationally, don't make as many mistakes. Practice makes perfect!
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Keep playing and it will get better. Especially once you get really used to managing a few bases. Watching videos and stuff is good, but if you keep playing the stress goes way down and the game starts to feel natural. Even the AI works. Just don't use a low difficulty one, use Hard (highest difficulty that doesn't cheat). Just play against a computer set to random and restart if you ever hit 1,000 minerals, get supply locked, or stop worker production before saturation (~20 on minerals, 3 in each gas). It will lets you concentrate on your mechanics and once you start feeling comfortable with the game itself you should find your stress level going way down and your enjoyment going way up.
If you get dissuaded from playing because you get stressed then it will never go away.
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On July 30 2010 01:51 TheAngelofDeath wrote:
Nope, game's too fun, I rarely get tired, and I've gone 7 straight hours playing before.
Yes, but how long have you been playig brood war?
I find myself getting nervous and flustered mid game a lot. Scattered thoughts and whatnot.
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The game is new and we all want to be labeled with the highest rank possible therefore we're playing with the mind set of having a lot on the line with each game. After you play a little more and realize you are what you are, the game will be more relaxing. I bet most of these players complaining about fatigue wont feel anything if they play 10 games of unranked custom 1 v 1.
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I take minute or two between games just to calm myself down if i have either been excited/raging in the previous game. i play terribly if i don't give myself time to cool down. so yeah, i guess that's fatigue.
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Yea, it all depends on how I am doing in a given session. If I have a 2-3 game streak going, I'm all for playing more and more...and...well more. But a loss really throws me for a loop, so after each loss I'll take a break - maybe watch a replay or grab a snack or something.
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I am definitely feeling very stressed after a few games as well lol... It's really crazy honestly. U just feel like u have to work so hard keeping ur APM up and making the right decisions all the time etc. Sometimes I am really thinking whether I want to play another 1v1 or not because of that lol. I didn't feel that stress in SC1 like I do now haha. I'm in diamond but I don't feel like I'm so worried about stats it's just the stress!!
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i always feel the jitters before a game and a few minutes into it, if i see a map or match up that i dont like (pvp) but after it starts i just get to into the game to worry/care about winning. when i play friends though in custom Bo3 i always get really into those games and never want to lose :p but its ok if i do i just need to stomp them next time to get some pride back
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if you smoke, have a smoke.
If not, have a cup of tea.
I used to get this on other games when i was younger, both these work wonders
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write things down, it will help remove some burden on your mind after games.
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On July 30 2010 01:35 Zoltan wrote:
This is pretty common, i think. I will spam 3-4 games and then take a 15 minute break and do some pushups and get a snack. Also, if i lost any of those games I try to watch the replay. Staying calm and focused is key to winning for me.
This, except I usally watch the replays I win instead of the ones I lose lol.
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I'm not that extreme, but I certainly "dodge" 1v1 more just because it's semi-stressful. I'm a perfectionist so losses when all stakes are on me, make me feel like sheet.
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On July 30 2010 07:34 shammythefox wrote:
if you smoke, have a smoke.
If not, have a cup of tea.
I used to get this on other games when i was younger, both these work wonders
Back in a day I used to pack a lip, a very nasty habit but I played like I was on meth, kept really high concentration too. Used to fly through games.
It's disgusting and harmful though 
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Whenever I don't play for an extended period of time (phase 1- phase 2 and phase 2-launch) I get extremely fatigued/nervous playing each game. However, once I started losing some games and playing 4-5 games in a row, I don't feel nearly feel as fatigued.
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I'll copy paste my post from this other thread, about rage after losses. It's relevant:
In RTS, if you have the wrong mindset during a game then you'll basically be building up tension for 15 minutes. If you end up losing the game quickly at the end it's like a shock to your system and that tension will become anger.
I used to find myself extremely tense after playing, especially if the game was close or if I was losing. Even if I won, I would be trembling and my heart rate would be really high. This made it hard to play continuously throughought the day because it simply would be taxing my health to be on edge for that many hours. If I played before I went to bed then I would get nightmares just because my heartrate was too high before I slept.
Some things I've found to help reduce tension:
-Never expect to win a game. Expecting to win is pretty silly in the first place, since there is no way you can win every game, but it also is the primary source for anger when you lose a game. When the game starts I always remind myself that I'm playing to play my best, not playing to get a win. If you start losing games it becomes really tempting to try to play just for a win, but you have to resist that.
-Make it a goal to reach some number of losses. I don't mean try to lose. you should still try to play your best, but make a tally of your losses and see if you can reach some limit. Losses are your most valuable tool, and if you can appreciate them then you probably won't get as angry. Your number of losses is a great indicator of how much experience you have.
-Make the game a more social experience. This means play with a friend nearby, or be on ventrilo so you can vent the tension by talking during each game. Or play against a friend. That's the best. It really puts the "seriousness" of the game in perspective.
-Only play for appropriate blocks of time. For me, its like an hour and a half. I play like 4 games and then take a break for at least an hour doing something else. This way you don't get too attached to the game.
-Play some music in the background. This works wonders for keeping you calm during the game.
-Have a mental plan for every scenario. The times I find my adrenaline rushing are when something I don't expect happens, like an all-in rush, a drop, or suddenly losing a battle I thought I could win. If you expect these things to happen before they do, its tremendously easier to stay calm.
-Scout actively. This is entirely related the previous point. You will feel so much more comfortable if you know what the opponent is up to. Even if you see you're losing, then at least you will be able to accept that fact ahead of time rather than getting overwhelmed all at once later on, which will probably make your heartrate skyrocket and make you rage.
Hope this helps :D
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It is pretty expected that player will feel tired and exhausted after few games. Naturally, playing more will eventually raise the bar how much one can handle.
If we compare SC2 mental activity to studying, research implies that most effective way to study would be to have 45min series of studying with 10-15min break. Reason for this is that studying is mentally taxing and requires a lot of focus. SC2 requires constant extreme focus, if you want to play at your best performance. Thus, in order to keep this level of performance, break after every few games would be preferable to get little rest for the brains
Add the requirement of intense physical activity of the hand movement coordination and you have the exhaustion soup ready. I wouldn't worry being tired after few games straight, because it is really intense if you have full concentration.
I would imagine that general fitness is a great help to sustain more games straight at high performance, but there's still that mental burden all the time. Also, learning game more will create "mind maps" for your gameplay, which are sort of shortcuts to complex concepts. These mind maps will eventually reduce the mental burden, without losing complexity of tasks. If you have drivers license you might be familiar with this effect. First, it is really hard to keep in mind all the glutch usage, gear switches, looking the road, watching mirrors, watching for relevant road signs and otherwise be aware of environment. In time, with more driving experience, most of this becomes automated and it will be much easier for the concentration.
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I find that the first couple minutes at the start of the game really eases my nerves after a stressful game. So calm and peaceful. Ahh... happy thoughts.
Oh shit, he's proxy cannoning me!!!!!
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question you say you've played 35 games and that you can't play 10 1v1's a day, doesn't make sense as the games been out for well only 2 days now but the end of the second day so say 3 still more than a day, i dont get it.
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I have the exact same problem as OP and i still played Brood War on and off from the release up untill now, the last two years i played pretty seriously too.
I still can't shake the nervousness, frustrating as hell.
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Two things tend to trigger this experience for me:
Information overload - I'm sure I'm not the only one who came home after their first day on a job and just dropped dead.
Nerves - I used to get this way with sports, and then later games. It was really just a fear of losing or embarrassing myself. Sooner or later you get comfortable and it stops happening. If I ever start to feel it again I usually recognize it for what it is, put on the brakes, and change my mindset.
To repeat what others have already said, the first is just a matter of getting a little more experience, the second is solved by preventing yourself from worrying about inconsequential short term results. Failure is a learning experience.
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I totally agree with this post. after a few games i cant play anymore...
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I just play some SotIS after every 4-5 games. It's pretty awful, but it takes no skill and is easy.
I guess I'm weird for being able to play like 30-40 games without feeling that beat. The key is to just keep improving and not make the same stupid mistakes. 5 games of the same mistake causing you to lose makes you hate life.
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If you lose when your lagging your sure to rage, its the perfect storm in my opinion. Other then that, just be sure to learn from your losses and not let your ego get too big after an impressive victory.
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I've found the more I play the less stressed I feel about playing, I used to just play a few games then quit for a while back in beta, but when I got the release, I played for 14 hours straight, nothing but 1v1 rated matches. I pretty much never feel tense about the game now.
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I usually alleviate this by playing a bunch of 1v1s and then dicking around in some relaxing custom maps before jumping back into 1v1s.
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This is a trick i learned from a pro golfer. If you feel yourself getting really stressed or tense. Put your tongue gently to the roof of your mouth and breathe deep. Hope you try it and hope it works.
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Hey man, I used to have this exact problem.
Every game was so intense and my heart was beating so fast! I felt exhausted and needed to take a break after 2 or 3.
Don't have it at all anymore though. Now I can play tons of games in a row np. I think it just gets better with time, you get more used to losing and don't stress as much.
Just keep going at it, it'll get better
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My heart started to race when I built 2 CCs outside of my opponent's base and about to PF rush him.
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I've found that the solution is to stop caring about winning or losing and focus your interest in improving your game mechanics. It takes some some time but I've found I play better and don't get worn out. The change in focus also will make you more eager to watch your replays to guage your progress.
The first step to get you focused on gameplay and not stats is to stop constantly trying to judge if you are ahead or behind in the match. This behavior strays your mind from what you should be doing and is the primary source of emotional battery that leaves you drained at the end.
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as far as endurance is concerned... a few days and you will be able to play twice as many games without getting fatigued... as far as the "edge of your seat" playing is concerned... after enough wins and losses (you will have plenty of both) you'll begin to concentrate more on "your game" than on winning or losing... what i mean is that right now your still very attached to the outcome.. a win is a huge rush and a loss is a killing blow... after a few weeks a loss here or there isn't mentally defeating and you will being to chop away at your weaknesses... all the best!
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ive found that i get really jittery after a win, especially a close one, but after a loss i just wanna play again. so what helps me a lot is to go back and watch the replay of a close win i had and point out all the reasons why my opponent was bad and why i should have beat him a lot more easily. i know it sounds harsh but it helps keep me grounded if i keep telling myself my opponent was just bad and i could do better.
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my routine is 5-10 ladder matches a day (honestly the blizard ladder seems more like an e-peen gimmick maybe if they had a pro-league system (performance on the ladder equaled invite to WCG's etc.) but as is now as long as i have my diamond emblem i dont really care. i do get a little edgy on ladder but that is because i really want to win. i dont get jittery really but i in a tight game i get the adrenaline buildup and a cigarette is a great solution. i prefer custom games especially since you get to test your BO's more.
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I get this as well. But I generally go out with friends or something for a couple hours to clear my head and relax, then get right back to it.
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EPT![[image loading]](http://209.85.62.26/12390/191/emo/teach.gif)
