I'm 13th (was 3rd) in 1v1 diamond league and I play terran and I want to get to rank 1, or maybe move out of this league and play some known sc2ers
So, my stump.. I find myself not being able to play over 10 or so games in a day (winning or losing). Either I will get bored, or I will get mad etc. etc. Now, if I find myself playing over 10 games, I will just start playing much worse and lose ~80% of my games, maybe it is a concentration thing.
So I guess my question is how do you guys just get in the zone and just keep playing? Do you guys listen to music? Is it a drive to get to rank 1/get better? Are you guys just constantly finding yourself insanely eager to keep jumping into the next 1v1? All of the above, maybe something else? Maybe a little bit of the ganja? Let me know.
Personally, I listen to DI trance radio when I play. The funny part is, I almost enjoy watching starcraft and discussing starcraft more than actually playing (removes stress, physical/mental strain etc).
Most of you are probably going to say, "what's wrong with 10 games a day"? For the most part there is nothing wrong with it, but when I'm not working on a day or have any plans during the day, I have my schedule open up to climb some sc2 ladder. This is when find myself after 10 or so games just logging off and watching sc2 stuff or w/e, if I play more I start to lose concentration. Also, I find if I try taking a 30 min or so break it becomes difficult to jump back in, there is too much sc2 stuff to watch (day9, youtube stuff, debo's hilarious analysis')
So I guess my question is directed to those hardcore players who have all of those pimp portraits (I really want my ghost one.. only 140 or so to go!! -.-).
How do YOU guys and gals get in the zone!!! (by zone I mean longer playing sessions with complete focus)
The only time i will play more than 10 games consecutively is when I'm calm, focused and winning. I stop when I'm playing like an idiot and just doing terrible cause I'm mad at the previous game. I like listening to dubstep or ska while playing any video game.
I find that i play my very best when i don't think about the game im playing. I just don't think about winning or losing and i just let my instincts takeover. This allows me to play for a very long time, because i tend to make less mistakes when i play this way, and i tend not to tilt if i lose, which is good because i tend to go on losing streaks when i tilt.
I usually play about 3 ladder games then take a break and watch Sc2 YouTube videos. Then I might go back on and play a few more games. I turn it off If I find myself raging and making stupid mistakes.
I drink energy drinks and listen to nothing but the BW Terran scores. The same music = the same tempo the entire time (even though there are tempo changes in those as well, but atleast I know when its coming). It is especially hard to get into the zone unless I do these two things but I work the overnight shift..
Lately I have been laddering less and trying to find practice partners in custom games. The problem is I'm crushing my competition when I'm focused (completely 1-sided) and just botching the game when I'm not. I think anyone who plays this game for a long, long time will get much better over a longer period of time. Don't stress too much about becoming the best of the best in a short amount of time...I'm sure this game will be around for quite some time. Build orders, timing attacks, and basic RTS 'fundamentals' will come more naturally if you're just consistant with it.
Having Instincts with the game as opposed to thinking about the game is a cool way of looking at it. I don't think I can do that yet, I need to think a lot when i'm playing.. :/ I guess I can try? heh
I don't do anything special. No special music or food or ritual. I just play until I feel like stopping then I stop, then when I feel like playing again, I play some more
Although whenever I have a game that I need to take more seriously (I played this TvZ against someone I knew and was trying to impress, for example), I play some Getting Shit Done music:
I recently started playing a LOT more games with practice partners and friends, and stopped caring about the ladder so much. This is just my perspective, but I think it helps one improve a lot and it makes the game a lot less stressful and generally more enjoyable to play. For me, that is...
I'm a casual so my opinion might not be the best. All I do is get a friend or two and do a few practice games, then turn on osu and let it auto-play while I ladder.
On August 27 2010 14:39 Vokasak wrote: I don't do anything special. No special music or food or ritual. I just play until I feel like stopping then I stop, then when I feel like playing again, I play some more
Although whenever I have a game that I need to take more seriously (I played this TvZ against someone I knew and was trying to impress, for example), I play some Getting Shit Done music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IClGbW4Nj2g
The original is better :D
<3
Yeah I listen to some high beat per. minute music aswell.
maybe try playing a few custom games when u feeling that way, where the result doesnt really matter.
u could even play some custom games with an off-race just for fun.
i like to watch streams when i take a break, seeing pro people own just gets me in the mood to play again :D best type of break to take is a starcraft-related break, gives u a rest from the pressure and intensity and then makes u pumped to play again!
Well, like you said it yourself, you loose concentration. And that is nothing wrong. It happends, and it happends to almost everyone. But there are people who can keep their concentration up. And its all about your mindset.
What you must do is to say to yourself that right now, I am going to play a session of 15 games. Make sure there are no distractions, turn off your phone, and tell yourself over and over again that you will focus and concentrate on playing good.
It is very important to play without distraction because that is the reason why many people play bad, because they are distracted.
RAGE. About rage, if you rage you'll never be a optimal player because rage does inflict your overall game and will eventually be the main cause of a loss. So learn to deal with your temper. But can be very hard if you've had bad temper your whole life.
There arent too many articles/posts/information about the correct mindset when playing Starcraft, but if you want to read about it and how to set your mind right there is another source, look for online poker articles. There are alot of it and you can apply them to your Starcraft gaming. Because the mindset are pretty much the exact same.
I hope you can eventually figure it out! Good luck!
I honestly think that if you're getting bored of Sc2, take a break. It really doesn't say anywhere you have to grind long gaming sessions, those don't really help you improve ( if you're playing them mindlessly that is.)
What does get me in the zone though is good ole Sc1 music :D. Or some of my music ( I listen to a variety, Metallica, Jimi Hendrix, Dre, Justice, and Daft Punk get me pumped though :D
For me there are two things that get me focused. If I loose a lot of games, going outside having a smoke and just relaxing a bit. If I win a lot of games unexpectedly losing a game really makes me focus on the next one.
If you find ways to force yourself to stay interested and keep playing you're going to burn out and be one of those guys posting about how he is bored of the game now in a few weeks. I play about 10 or less games a night and it's not time but quality that makes you better and 10 games is enough for a standard person.
Alcohol definitely helps, in small amounts of course. And isolation. Hearing people in the stairwell outside my apartment or people making noise in the common area or people... Basically isolate yourself from people.
Why try to play 10 consecutive games? Maybe take a break after 5 and make some food or something. If you take your mind off the game a bit and then hop back in you might find your concentration returning. O_o
You're actually going to need another 500 - 600 points to be able to play with the big boys.
I think everyone has their own way of getting into the zone. For me listening to the Zerg BGM keeps me focused oddly enough. Usually I like to listen to my own music, but I noticed that I make silly mistakes if I do that =P.
I have the same problem as you, when you starting going 10 + games you start feeling a bit of fatigue. That's because starcraft has such a strain on your mental state to play it. Typically I feel really really hot in my face after 10 - 12 games of SC2, forcing myself to play anymore usually amounts to bad stuff happening.
What I've been doing to give myself some rest is either watch a stream, watch a non-starcraft related video, or go over some replays. What I believe is best is either do something non-starcraft related for an hour or go over a few replays for an hour if you really want to improve yourself hardcore. Watching a replay can get you pumped up to play another set of 10 or so games, and after an hour of rest you should ready to play more.
But mass gaming for hours straight up seems too brutal for regular folks like us. I don't know how those Koreans can do it for years, its not a surprise they burn out, it's more of a surprise that they haven't burned out sooner.
A good night of sleep allows me to play up to 8 hours in a day with a few breaks in-between, unfortunately this doesn't happen often because I gotta wake up early in the morning for work.
And why would u need to be in the zone u play because it's fun just becuz ur diamond doesn't make u a pro.. Therefor u have no obligations to play and if you don't feel like then you shouldn't play the games aren't meant to be boring.
I smoke a huge bowl before my first game, and take a nice hit between games after that. Helps keep me from stressing out and after a few games, I am one with the Overmind. It also keeps me from raging AT ALL - I mean my losses cause me very little stress. If I lose, I usually just watch the replay and smoke another fatty.
Before you guys hate on me, weed doesn't dull my reflexes - it sharpens them. When I get "zoned in" my entire muscle memory becomes in tune with the Starcraft as if I AM STARCRAFT. I am the same way at Super Smash Bros - when I'm high my timing becomes much more acute. I checked a replay and I was playing with a final average of 91 APM last night, which is pretty good for SC2.
And as the other guy said, I play with no distractions - door closed and no music (except in-game on low volume).
On August 28 2010 01:06 Uranium wrote: I smoke a huge bowl before my first game, and take a nice hit between games after that. Helps keep me from stressing out and after a few games, I am one with the Overmind. It also keeps me from raging AT ALL - I mean my losses cause me very little stress. If I lose, I usually just watch the replay and smoke another fatty.
Before you guys hate on me, weed doesn't dull my reflexes - it sharpens them. When I get "zoned in" my entire muscle memory becomes in tune with the Starcraft as if I AM STARCRAFT. I am the same way at Super Smash Bros - when I'm high my timing becomes much more acute. I checked a replay and I was playing with a final average of 91 APM last night, which is pretty good for SC2.
And as the other guy said, I play with no distractions - door closed and no music (except in-game on low volume).
ahahah i do the same. it really calms me and help me focus while avoiding rage
Beer. I really don't think this would help me at all, if anything it would make me more tired or play sloppy
Weed. Not the biggest fan of weed, it kills brain cells and damages your lungs, but Im not here to preach
Music. I usually listen to di trance, but lately the trance station has started getting worse, i'm thinking about switching to tech house or something.
I know exactly what your talking about. As you keep playing more games you hit a point where your focus is shot and your not as quick with your reactions/macro/micro. The only thing that can remedy this is time. Take a break, get something to eat, read two chapters from your favorite book. Your focus and concentration is drained, playing beyond this point will only bring you more losses. Once you feel well and up to it again, log on and pwn some noobs!
99 bottles of root beer on the desk.. 99 bottles of root beer on the desk.. Take it around, pass it around... 98 bottles of root beer on the desk.........
Go on a run. Seriously, it helps clear your mind well. Doesn't have to be a long run at all, but get decently tired or breathing hard. Listen to "eye of the tiger" and punch the air to feel badass if you want.
On August 28 2010 11:30 Smurfz wrote: Go on a run. Seriously, it helps clear your mind well. Doesn't have to be a long run at all, but get decently tired or breathing hard. Listen to "eye of the tiger" and punch the air to feel badass if you want.
I 101% agree with this. I go for a run / go to the gym every couple hours when I'm practicing - and it helps SO much!
i start out by playing a few games against my dia league friend (who i'm actually pretty even with. i win about 50% of the time against him, and he's usually the most challenging opponent of the day). then when i start to ladder i listen to calming music. not like slow soundtracks, but folk music. i've always loved folk music because it really really calms me down. and as a zerg player i'm susceptible to raging.
DO NOT FOR THE LOVE OF GOD LISTEN TO THIS WHILE PLAYING STARCRAFT. Seriously, in the middle of a match this song came up in my playlist and I was freaking out every time I heard the tank seiging sound. Its like listening to a song and suddenly you hear the dark templar sword sound when your Terran. I'm sure every T would freak out and look at all their bases looking to see where the scvs are dieing.
I play casually, but then if I lose the game before, my consecutive game can be a bit thrilling and scared in the beginning, however as the mid game progresses I'm feeling fine. If I'm on a lose streak of 3 or higher, I watch the replays, learn what I do wrong, and take a break for the day.
EPT
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