When Orel Hershiser took the mound in Game 5 of the 1988 World Series, the Dodgers were one win away from beating the A’s and taking the title. As the game progressed, Hershiser appeared to be mouthing words silently to himself both on the field and on the bench. When asked about this after the game, Hershiser said, "I was singing hymns to myself to relax and keep my adrenalin down, because every time I thought about being ahead, I got too excited to pitch." He pitched a complete game with 9 strikeouts, and allowing only 4 hits and 2 runs. The Dodgers won 5-2.
This story shows that music serves TWO purposes in high pressure situations. First, it relaxes the nerves. Second, it distracts the mind. If you are like me, that countdown sound before a 1v1 ladder game makes you tense up like a cat in a dog pound, then take a look at your playlist and ask yourself: does this music relax me AND remove me from the moment? As much as I love some of the music the pros play on their streams (which reminds me… TLO, thank you for introducing me to Invaders Must Die), personally I have to listen to something completely different. It depends on my mood, but usually it has to be really happy and really silly and have a good amount of Tempo_SC in it… and it doesn’t hurt to sing along. Here is my playlist. What works for you?
When twitter and twitch.tv streams are not enough, the most dedicated fans stalk their favorite progamers by looking through their match history on bnet (It’s not creepy, it’s loyalty ). By doing this, it is possible to learn a thing or two about players’ habits and routines. For instance, while following coLdrewbie’s stellar run in the MLG winter NA qualifiers, I noticed that before matches he would always warm up with a quick custom game of “Marine Split Challenge.” He also did this in the winter Area in NY, and again at MLG Columbus.
Personally, I was surprised to see something so straightforward and obvious completely neglected from my own gameplay. I need a simple set of steps to work out the jitters and build confidence before laddering. Note: the marine split challenge does NOT build my confidence. By level 16/17, I’m just as tense and frustrated as if I’d lost a long TvZ. Still, it’s worth asking, what little minigame or activity can I do before I begin laddering that gets me into that ‘zone’ that often comes during a win streak? What works for you?
Adrenaline courses through our veins for a reason. Fight or Flight! It gives us that jolt of energy we need to run from zombies or to bust through the doors of a burning building and save our laptop. Unfortunately, playing SC2 involves fine motor skills, which unlike many other competitive sports involves… sitting… and clicking… and typing! Aw yeah! And while a little adrenaline can be helpful, large amounts interfere with those types of tasks. If we were playing American football, we could shake some of those pregame jitters by jumping around, shouting, and making animal noises.
Then again, if my hands are twitching out on me, why not do a little prancing and dancing? While Bnet searches for your next victim, stand up. Punch the air. Do some stretches. Trash talk your computer. Do the running man. You’d be surprised how a little physical frenzy can go a long way.
“Swimmers take your mark, BEEP!” It’s the North Texas HS regional finals, and I’m in the water now, gliding like a dolphin. Sure, I’m in the 8th lane, but that will make my triumph all the more amazing. Breath after syncopated breath, flipturn after flipturn, I’m feeling it now. I punch the underwater time pad with conviction, take off my goggles, and look at the results. Last place… by 5 seconds… but you could not tell by my facial expressions. I’m grinning ear-to-ear because I’ve shattered my previous time. The goal of getting 1st was unrealistic, and way too much pressure. The goal of beating my personal best, however, was doable, and made me feel like a winner anyways.
Thanks to Blizzard, I’m promised to win about half my games. I’m also promised to lose about half. So playing cannot be just about winning. We need some other areas to focus on, realistic goals that we can set and meet in-game, whether we win or lose. At the risk of giving away what league I play in, here are some recent goals I’ve set for myself for when my classes end. As T: get a third CC by 12 minutes. As Z: drone to 80 on 3 bases and spread creep. As P: do any build but 4-gate and not stink. When I make and meet these in-game goals, it gives me a sense of accomplishment that softens the blow of a loss. In fact, on occasion I even tell my opponent what my goals are and that no matter what happens they can have the win… just to remind myself of what’s really important. Plus, it takes the pressure off, knowing I’m not fighting for the W anymore. As a wise panda once said, “If you play to win you won’t improve, but if you play to improve you will learn how to win.”
For some of us, the reward system Blizzard has set up is more of a curse than a blessing. League placement and ladder points can add to the frustration of a loss, especially when they combine in that perfect storm. (i.e. losing to someone of a lower league and getting -20 for it). Incentive to play becomes low. Personally, I already have the portrait I want (guide two achievements ftw!), and the only other thing I’d like to gain is the panda terran decal, just a measly 1,000 1v1 random wins away. It will be mine… oh yes, it will be mine!
All-in-all, Blizzard’s system does nothing good for me. When I see +points, I think “meh, I’m gonna lose those anyways.” When I see –points, it feels like getting a failing grade in gym class. If you’re like me and you find the reward system getting you down, may I suggest making some of your own rewards. Example: 100 league wins and I will get that new keyboard. 5 well-fought losses (no rage quitting) and I will go get an ice cream. If I play 5 games a day for the next 5 days, I will send this panda chew toy to @NASL_Chance. The first two I’ve met, gonna work on the third one next week. Overall, it’s really helped with my motivation to play. What kind of rewards can you think of that would work for you?
I was in China during the summer of the 2002 World Cup, and nothing inspires blind patriotism like missing your favorite foods. I never cheered so hard for the US men’s team. In the quarter finals, against Germany, the refs did not call a penalty when Torsten Frings handled the ball to prevent a goal and the US lost 1-0. The question of “what if” haunts me to this day.
Watching the highlights now, it is funny how all I could remember was that handball. It’d totally forgotten Donovan missing two great looks, or the fact that Germany should have scored 2-3 other goals.
It reminds me of how, in a 1v1 I can get so caught up in one aspect of the game that I don’t give it a fair overall assessment. That one thing, whether it’s cheesing or a single bad engagement or the utter hatred of a particular unit, just ruins my mood. However, I have noticed that the way I leave the game impacts my mood going into the next game. If I rage quit, it carries over, sometimes even amplified. If I make myself give quick gg, it can help a little. Oddly, the best therapy has been to give my opponent a genuine compliment on some aspect of their play. Taking a few seconds to give them credit before I leave the game helps me think about the game overall and focuses my attention on areas I need to improve instead of excuses I could make for why I lost.
I once asked LiquidSheth how he was able to stay so mannered and positive in his games, even ones where he was being trolled and stream sniped by Deezer. He replied very openly that in his past he had been through some pretty difficult times, and that nothing could happen to him in game that could compare to what he’s faced in real life. By contrast, he also shared about how loving and supportive his parents and family are, and that focusing on this keeps him from getting too discouraged by other situations. Reduced to clichés, Sheth was saying “it’s just a game,” and “be thankful for what you have,” but by getting personal and sharing from his heart he made those truths real for me.
Let’s stop and marvel at the wonderful opportunity we have before us. The fact that there is such a thing called ladder anxiety, and that tons of us have it is nothing short of amazing. Here, in a small contained environment, where there is little that is actually on the line besides our egos, we have a chance to develop the type of habits we need to face our fears. We are not just figuring out how to stop shaking like a flamingo in the arctic every time we hear a countdown sequence. We are preparing for that big job interview, for that moment when we tell the love of our life how we feel about them, for that day when everything that can go wrong does and we feel like giving up. We, in the simple act of playing a video game, are building character! We are learning the value of establishing healthy routines for self-improvement. We are practicing the discipline of respecting others no matter how we are treated. We are figuring out what makes us tick, and how to keep that tick from turning into a time bomb. Most of all, we get to have fun doing it, taking part in one of the most amazing communities out there: the sc2 community!
Thanks Blizzard for making this awesome game. Thanks TeamLiquid for providing a great place for us to share it together. And thank you reader, for being as thrilled and terrified of 1v1 ladder games as I am. Here’s to your growth and mine, as we enjoy those games together! GL HF GB!
EDIT: here's some more tips based on responses to this thread! Thanks a lot for proving me right about how awesome this community is <3 + Show Spoiler +
On April 27 2012 08:22 knOxStarcraft wrote: The best thing for me is to watch a motivational video on youtube. And once you do start playing always keep a calm mind in the game. i.e. never tell yourself you're better or worse than the opponent, and if you become angry or over confident just stop playing because that will only lead to more losses and more ladder anxiety
On April 27 2012 08:36 Marine50 wrote: Tip #9 - Just keep hitting that Match Making button, a lot of my anxiety is before or waiting for a game, once in the game it fades
On April 27 2012 08:53 Slardar wrote: On Daybreak I set myself a goal (In ZvT in particular) that I can creep-spread to his 3rd by the 20th minute mark, or beat that record with better multi-tasking.
On April 27 2012 10:51 Ragados wrote: I find that listening to aphex twin and led zeppelin before my games relaxes me. i usually like to play a custom or team game before 1v1s also.
On April 27 2012 19:37 KapsyL wrote: ah man i had that for so long. til i decided to make a stream and that gave me the motivation to press that scary button. good read though
On April 28 2012 02:24 vervejl wrote: Every time i hit that search button, I just say " show me what you got " cause in the end of the day, its all about your skill level =)
On April 28 2012 03:37 JOJOsc2news wrote: Playing while skyping with someone who is playing as well is really great too.
On April 29 2012 02:28 Tolkor wrote: One thing that I have found to be helpful is talking to someone between games. Helps to get my brain stimulated in other areas and relaxes the mind a bit. As long as its not arguing with your GF as to what she wants to do later that night instead of playing SC2 >_>
On April 29 2012 04:30 Wafflelisk wrote: a tip I have... is say "gg ty"... for me I'm thanking my opponents because they've exploited a weakness in my play that I can make a mental note of and focus on for future games. They've kind of acted as a mentor and helped me improve. This helped to eliminate my ladder anxiety because I have nothing to fear going into a game because I know going in either I 1) become better at SC2 2) get the warm feeling of winning
On April 29 2012 06:13 VaultDweller wrote: I used to instantly mute my opponent after we exchanged glhf's because I respond poorly to BM and the ladder is full of it. Now that I'm over it I don't really bother with muting anymore. I can see this solving the problem a lot of ppl have with the idea of being "alone" with a random guy... it might sound pretty wierd but I know a lot of ppl that are like that.
On May 03 2012 16:28 scypio wrote: One thing that held me back from playing the ladder was the fact, that at some point I hit a brick wall with a single build I did. . . In order to transition away from a certain playstyle it is good to assume one thing: you will get demoted. My advice is this: if you feel stuck - have fun! Play the ladder the way you want to play it, not the way already know. Yes, you probably get demoted but after a while you will earn your way back. And if it does not work out with your new build - well, you can always fall back to the old one. You will become a more versatile player with a better understanding of the game, I think it is well worth it.
On May 03 2012 23:46 DeanMalinco wrote: I watch a stream on TL of my race to get me in the right mindset. I usually like to watch one for 15-30 minutes and just kind of get my mind thinking about sc2. If you are winning or losing it is still helpful to take a 5-10 minute break. I will watch some TV, grab a drink, go outside on my patio for some fresh air, do some pushups, etc.
On May 04 2012 00:18 _fool wrote: I overcame most of that by engaging in friendly banter each game. Nowadays I always start my games with something more original then "glhf". I often mourn my fallen scout in public ("Jimmy was good man, and an even better scout!"), and more of that nonsense. It helps me relax, it helps my opponents relax (I guess?), and as a result I have a lot more fun. I often chat with my opponents after the game is finished, and those conversations usually yield some useful feedback. I even get bm'd/cheesed less (or do I just care less, as a result of being a happy gamer?)
2nd EDIT: My Response to those who 'don't get' ladder anxiety + Show Spoiler +
I can't answer for everyone but for myself the fear comes from not knowing what is going to happen, and thus not knowing if i'm prepared for it. While everything remains unknown, it's tempting for me to focus on worst case scenarios: "What if he/she is a zerg? What if they cheese? What if... what if.. what if..." Some people, myself included, from time to time find this moment paralyzing. Once i'm in game, and scouting, and making decisions, that fear is replaced with genuine thrill and excitement, because I know what's going on.
This post is about how those of us who are less self-assured can get from that initial moment of dread to the fun of the game itself. It's about how to preoccupy our minds and have more positive thoughts, and to find a motivation that overcomes that unfounded emotion. Ladder anxiety is not always about people who have too big an ego and don't want to lose. Sometimes it's about the lack of ego, and the need to learn how to build confidence in stressful situations. I'm hoping to encourage the latter group.
For those who can't relate to this, i happily say 'good for you!' But also, please just realize we are all different, with different strengths and weaknesses. And please be sympathetic and cheer us on.
Also: if you found this article helpful. Pls upvote on reddit for me Thank you so much!
Tip #8 - Lose the ego. Stop giving a fuck about your ladder ranking, and winning games, and shift your focus to improving and having fun. And lose the sense of self entitlement, you aren't better than people. If they beat you, they won fair and square and it's your job to do better next time. This is the single most important tip.
Just remember that ladder is only ranked practice and nothing more. Showing up in tournaments is where it counts.
And remember, you want to lose some games. You will never improve if you don't lose. Don't get upset if you're losing, consider those replays gold as you can learn from them!
Only lesson I learned from this thread: Germans aren't only lucky vs The Netherlands :o
Anyway, nice thread , it's a game and people need to remember that. Blizzard can also do a lot themselves to promote 1v1 ladder play and add reward systems to make it more fun.
The best thing for me is to watch a motivational video on youtube. And once you do start playing always keep a calm mind in the game. i.e. never tell yourself you're better or worse than the opponent, and if you become angry or over confident just stop playing because that will only lead to more losses and more ladder anxiety
I no longer play this game actively, but while I did I couldn't help but ask myself one thing repeatedly.
If you have to force yourself to play a game for whatever reason, is it really a game you love to play?
At the moment I'm playing League of Legends and got hooked on ranked games pretty quickly. Strangely enough I'm not having any of the issues most people, including myself, know and/or have in SC2 with pressing that damnable "find match" button. On the contrary I sometimes have to stop myself from playing because I KNOW I am too tired to play a proper game but I just want to so desperately...
Thinking about it for some time I actually came up with some logical reasons why my behaviour and feelings playing League differ so much from those I had in SC2. But still... I believe what it comes down to is that the game is just more fun to me than SC2 was.
On April 27 2012 07:52 Epoch wrote: The most important tip is tip #8.
Tip #8 - Lose the ego. Stop giving a fuck about your ladder ranking, and winning games, and shift your focus to improving and having fun. And lose the sense of self entitlement, you aren't better than people. If they beat you, they won fair and square and it's your job to do better next time. This is the single most important tip.
Lol, way to dismiss the OP's entire message and replace it with your own.
To me, making your own goals and rewards is the best way to reduce the anxiety. If I accomplish my goal and lose, I can still feel good about the game. If I don't make my goal but manage to win anyway, the victory feels hollow. And once you start achieving your goals on a consistent basis, you can set new ones and continue to push yourself. Great thread!
Although I'm sure some of the above techniques are tried and true. I think the best way to overcome ladder anxiety is to realize that your ladder match is not significant in any way so you should NOT hype it up so much. By developing sophisticated warm-ups/pregame rituals you are essentially making it an even bigger deal. Ladder becomes a lot more relaxed as you play more games in a shorter period of time because you realize how each game is just one game out of so many.
That is some deep stuff, excellently written! People need to realize it's not just simple as WIN or LOSS, the game is you improving and challenging yourself.
On Daybreak I set myself a goal (In ZvT in particular) that I can creep-spread to his 3rd by the 20th minute mark, or beat that record with better multi-tasking.
HAHA classic. But like I said, a lot of the techniques are probably tried and true. However it is probably better to just realize that a ladder game is not a big deal at all. Doing all of these rituals might make it more difficult to achieve this mentality. Or it might get you to play enough games to realize that you don't need rituals to do something that's so insignificant.
Your self reward system is genius. I've been really wanting to ladder more recently, as my Starcraft addiction has once again caught up with me. (I can't stop watching all the pro events) I also just sold my house, and am waiting for the equity check to come through. Perfect time to start rewarding myself with a new proc/mobo, new desk, new mouse pad, and all that fun stuff.
Funny you mention the adrenaline, I actually no longer use SC2 as an enjoyable computer game, I generally only play it before I go to work out, or do some other intense physical activity. No joke, sometimes I'll do builds like cc first just to encourage opponents to cheese me so I get even more pissed off. Once I'm sufficiently mad after some matches and feel like punching a small child, I calmly get up and go to begin my workout, and it helps me out a ton, better than any of those creatine drinks you can buy.
And no I'm not really some rager, I don't physically harm things when I lose, nor do I take out rage on opponents, I gg wp every game. It's just how I channel the emotions the game sparks up within me in a positive way.
the best thing you can do is either admit to yourself you REALLY want to be good at sc2, or admit to yourself that you're better off playing casual.
now, if you DO want to be good, what else is there to do BUT TO DO IT? And KEEP doing it?
Does an athlete enjoy foam rolling and doing drills at first? No. Does an sc2 amateur enjoy spamming ladder games at first? No. But they do it because they WANT to be COMPETITIVE and that's what it takes. The drive to be competitive is what matters the most. Drewbie practices marinesplit before games probably because he wants to be competitive as possible, and he finds that a very hard micro challenge gets him warmed up. I douuuubt that that routine originated as a way to sate his nerves (only he really knows though).
If you want to be competitive, then you can't spend that much time being scared of ladder. Especially because SO many pros have come out and said "when I stopped caring about ladder rank and more about my raw skills, ladder anxiety faded and I played more games more easily AND I got insanely better." That is a butchered quote from at least Demuslim, and I'm sure many other players.
bottom line -- sc2 has been out for nearly two years including beta. ladder anxiety is in my experience, something that happens when you are out of practice and care more about your rank/how people see you than how see your own skills. do you want to be good, or do you want to have a top8 master shiny star? if the latter, then derank to diamond and re-rank into master so you get placed in a weak division -- problem solved. if the former, then put in the work.
I agree with listening to music improving performance and reducing stress; can't bring myself to gg ever, though. Unless I've played well and my opponent played really well, and I respected his play, I'm not gonna rock the gg formality. I just don't think it's valuable.
Also kind of hard to be anxiety free if you're a competitive person by nature. If you want to win, you're gonna get upset at a loss, and feel reved up at the start of the game. To be carefree but competitive is a hard bat to swing.
On April 27 2012 09:28 Vei wrote: disagree with a lot of this thread.
the best thing you can do is either admit to yourself you REALLY want to be good at sc2, or admit to yourself that you're better off playing casual.
now, if you DO want to be good, what else is there to do BUT TO DO IT? And KEEP doing it?
Does an athlete enjoy foam rolling and doing drills at first? No. Does an sc2 amateur enjoy spamming ladder games at first? No. But they do it because they WANT to be COMPETITIVE and that's what it takes. The drive to be competitive is what matters the most. Drewbie practices marinesplit before games probably because he wants to be competitive as possible, and he finds that a very hard micro challenge gets him warmed up. I douuuubt that that routine originated as a way to sate his nerves (only he really knows though).
If you want to be competitive, then you can't spend that much time being scared of ladder. Especially because SO many pros have come out and said "when I stopped caring about ladder rank and more about my raw skills, ladder anxiety faded and I played more games more easily AND I got insanely better." That is a butchered quote from at least Demuslim, and I'm sure many other players.
bottom line -- sc2 has been out for nearly two years including beta. ladder anxiety is in my experience, something that happens when you are out of practice and care more about your rank/how people see you than how see your own skills. do you want to be good, or do you want to have a top8 master shiny star? if the latter, then derank to diamond and re-rank into master so you get placed in a weak division -- problem solved. if the former, then put in the work.
That's a good observation but you haven't actually said anything about how to get motivated to put in the work. People know they shouldn't be hesitant to ladder, but knowing doesn't translate into feeling that way. Not feeling apprehension about the ladder is what people are trying to figure out by approaching the ladder with a different perspective than they one they currently have.
Advice such as "just do it" or "get over the fear" is totally meaningless to a person who is obviously having difficulty with it.
Seriously, although it's hard and the exact thing that you're nervous about, the only real solution from my experience is to play more games. This is pretty embarrassing, but in bw, I got quite a few iccup accounts to 1 point. To put that in perspective, you start with 1000 points, and for people at the same level, you get 100 points for winning and lose 50 for losing. Once you get to 750 or something, you move down a rank and you start losing points at a slower rate. I had to make new accounts because people didn't want to play with someone with 1 point because they wouldn't get any points for winning. I eventually made it to D+ (2000 points) and then stopped playing a lot..... then after sc2 had been out for a few months I got master league .
You just have to play more and more until you get over it, the fear of losing disappears over time. I guess music makes you more comfortable, but in my own opinion, all that other warm-up stuff seems a bit silly.
On April 27 2012 09:28 Vei wrote: disagree with a lot of this thread.
the best thing you can do is either admit to yourself you REALLY want to be good at sc2, or admit to yourself that you're better off playing casual.
now, if you DO want to be good, what else is there to do BUT TO DO IT? And KEEP doing it?
Does an athlete enjoy foam rolling and doing drills at first? No. Does an sc2 amateur enjoy spamming ladder games at first? No. But they do it because they WANT to be COMPETITIVE and that's what it takes. The drive to be competitive is what matters the most. Drewbie practices marinesplit before games probably because he wants to be competitive as possible, and he finds that a very hard micro challenge gets him warmed up. I douuuubt that that routine originated as a way to sate his nerves (only he really knows though).
If you want to be competitive, then you can't spend that much time being scared of ladder. Especially because SO many pros have come out and said "when I stopped caring about ladder rank and more about my raw skills, ladder anxiety faded and I played more games more easily AND I got insanely better." That is a butchered quote from at least Demuslim, and I'm sure many other players.
bottom line -- sc2 has been out for nearly two years including beta. ladder anxiety is in my experience, something that happens when you are out of practice and care more about your rank/how people see you than how see your own skills. do you want to be good, or do you want to have a top8 master shiny star? if the latter, then derank to diamond and re-rank into master so you get placed in a weak division -- problem solved. if the former, then put in the work.
That's a good observation but you haven't actually said anything about how to get motivated to put in the work. People know they shouldn't be hesitant to ladder, but knowing doesn't translate into feeling that way. Not feeling apprehension about the ladder is what people are trying to figure out by approaching the ladder with a different perspective than they one they currently have.
Advice such as "just do it" or "get over the fear" is totally meaningless to a person who is obviously having difficulty with it.
His advice isn't simply "just do it" though. He brings up the question of "what do you want from the game?" and then draws an analogy to training in real sports which some people can relate to. I think anyone who has ever trained for a competition within traditional sports can find value in hs advice. No wrestler likes to do drills 3hr a day in a heated room to make weight. Linemen hate bags and boards. Rugby forwards don't like the strain of mauling drills. People general don't enjoy the hard work but do so anyways if they want to compete. Even if his advice is obvious he demonstrates it in a way that reminds people what they work for through a medium which they might have worked through in the past. The advice is not meaningless and I don't think it does anyone any good if you downplay it.
One of the most sought-after answers in the SC2 universe!! (much better than "42") Thanks for the post, Panda - You, sir, have made a fabulous contribution to the community.
djWheat said it awesomely a couple of weeks ago on his stream. Chat trolls were pointing out mistakes in Wheat's play, and Wheat did a patented rant: "I don't care if I lose 50 games in a row, I play to get better and I love the game!" That broke all of my anxiety right there. Now, having two kids keeps me from playing OFTEN. . . . TT
I find that listening to aphex twin and led zeppelin before my games relaxes me. i usually like to play a custom or team game before 1v1s also. you cant put too much thinking into winning and losing, just playing the game and practicing what you do best is most important. once i find some time, i can definitely get into masters with a bit of practice and patience.
On April 27 2012 10:45 tritonice wrote: djWheat said it awesomely a couple of weeks ago on his stream. Chat trolls were pointing out mistakes in Wheat's play, and Wheat did a patented rant: "I don't care if I lose 50 games in a row, I play to get better and I love the game!" That broke all of my anxiety right there. Now, having two kids keeps me from playing OFTEN. . . . TT
Its funny sometimes how he says that, but then when he loses to something silly he starts raging and saying he was so stupid for this and that. Its at that point when it becomes a bit comical, as its hard to believe that he truly "loves" the game. Its probably more appropriate to call it a love/hate relationship
Anyway, its interesting how much work people need to put in to enjoy playing a *game*. But I really like point 8, it does build character. Learning to deal with anxiety and enraging situations can be one of the main benefits of playing this, even if it isn't particularly pleasant, its probably better to learn it in a safe online environment than otherwise.
As a person who's experienced this, and know several people that have too i totally love the advice. When I was playing a ton of games i didnt have sc2 sound on, i just had music on and it probably helped. My breakthrough came when i wanted to do a ladder session but was feeling anxious about it, i asked myself, why do i care? if i have a fear of demotion, that demotion is more likely to happen if i dont play, i still get the adrenaline rush when i start but once i hit that first find match button, i have no problem with having a 10game session+. Its just getting that first game in for me. Good manners helped too, i felt like when i GGed out, i put that game behind me, win or lose it was fun. Although i am ashamed to say, if just as im about to type out GG and leave, someone tells me to leave the game in chat, i just go afk and grab a cup of tea and a sandwich and when i come back hopefully they're finished, I wish i could be as well mannered as sheth or white-ra!
On April 27 2012 09:28 Vei wrote: disagree with a lot of this thread.
the best thing you can do is either admit to yourself you REALLY want to be good at sc2, or admit to yourself that you're better off playing casual.
now, if you DO want to be good, what else is there to do BUT TO DO IT? And KEEP doing it?
Does an athlete enjoy foam rolling and doing drills at first? No. Does an sc2 amateur enjoy spamming ladder games at first? No. But they do it because they WANT to be COMPETITIVE and that's what it takes. The drive to be competitive is what matters the most. Drewbie practices marinesplit before games probably because he wants to be competitive as possible, and he finds that a very hard micro challenge gets him warmed up. I douuuubt that that routine originated as a way to sate his nerves (only he really knows though).
If you want to be competitive, then you can't spend that much time being scared of ladder. Especially because SO many pros have come out and said "when I stopped caring about ladder rank and more about my raw skills, ladder anxiety faded and I played more games more easily AND I got insanely better." That is a butchered quote from at least Demuslim, and I'm sure many other players.
bottom line -- sc2 has been out for nearly two years including beta. ladder anxiety is in my experience, something that happens when you are out of practice and care more about your rank/how people see you than how see your own skills. do you want to be good, or do you want to have a top8 master shiny star? if the latter, then derank to diamond and re-rank into master so you get placed in a weak division -- problem solved. if the former, then put in the work.
That's a good observation but you haven't actually said anything about how to get motivated to put in the work. People know they shouldn't be hesitant to ladder, but knowing doesn't translate into feeling that way. Not feeling apprehension about the ladder is what people are trying to figure out by approaching the ladder with a different perspective than they one they currently have.
Advice such as "just do it" or "get over the fear" is totally meaningless to a person who is obviously having difficulty with it.
His advice isn't simply "just do it" though. He brings up the question of "what do you want from the game?" and then draws an analogy to training in real sports which some people can relate to. I think anyone who has ever trained for a competition within traditional sports can find value in hs advice. No wrestler likes to do drills 3hr a day in a heated room to make weight. Linemen hate bags and boards. Rugby forwards don't like the strain of mauling drills. People general don't enjoy the hard work but do so anyways if they want to compete. Even if his advice is obvious he demonstrates it in a way that reminds people what they work for through a medium which they might have worked through in the past. The advice is not meaningless and I don't think it does anyone any good if you downplay it.
I feel that his post is aimed at people who want be competitive and want to know how to practice to get there, which isn't totally unrelated to ladder anxiety but it's not the same either. Playing SC2 isn't a case of choosing to either be a pro, or not care and be a casual, there is a significant population in the middle where people want to win and improve, but know they won't be pro.
You are right in that it isn't a meaningless post, and I said I thought it was a good observation. But that one line where he says "now, if you DO want to be good, what else is there to do BUT TO DO IT? And KEEP doing it?" is meaningless in the context of overcoming ladder anxiety. I put that in a separate paragraph to try and indicate that that one thing by itself was what I was referring to as meaningless.
While I'm sure this post has helped someone, speaking from personal experience, you don't really "get over" ladder anxiety. You either have anxiety or you don't.
I'm an extremely anxious person. I get wound up when I play. If I lose a game in which I perceived an advantage, I'm going to rage 100% of the time (especially against Protoss). Like with Brood War: I don't want to put in hundreds of hours just to be not-awful TO THEN have a CHANCE of enjoying this "game." I can honestly say that the only time I really have fun playing SC2 is when I'm offracing on my smurf account (sky terran! <3), and even then I get upset when I lose.
Throw in the fact that half the people you meet on ladder are going to BM you, it's just completely depressing. Losing ruins my night.
But really, maybe it's just me. I tend to rage in anything competitive (man, you should have seen me in basketball 3-4 years ago...being around me during one of my "moments" was bad for your health). I have a lot of pent up aggression and in all honesty I probably need counseling, even though 99% of the time I'm perfectly calm and wouldn't hurt a fly.
I've had ladder anxiety since I was a 13 year old playing WC3. You either have it or you don't, and there's no real way to get rid of it. So, yeah, as sad as it sounds, "get over it" is the only real advice you can give someone.
Edit: not to say it was a bad post! In fact I'll probably take most of it to heart. Just saying it won't be applicable to everyone.
Well written and helpful points. I would like to suggest that you be made a part of one of HuskyStarcraft's "Ladder Anxiety" videos just to put these points out there in your own words. Seriously though, I am going to take these words to heart - thanks for taking the time to write this up.
Thanks for posting. A good read. The thing that struck home the most for me was what you wrote about laddering being Character building. I've used the same techniques I used to beat agoraphobia to get over ladder anxiety. After all, there are far more difficult things in life - as you say, it's a game, we just need to go play!
On April 27 2012 07:52 Epoch wrote: The most important tip is tip #8.
Tip #8 - Lose the ego. Stop giving a fuck about your ladder ranking, and winning games, and shift your focus to improving and having fun. And lose the sense of self entitlement, you aren't better than people. If they beat you, they won fair and square and it's your job to do better next time. This is the single most important tip.
This exactly. After I did this, no more anxiety at all, ever.
On April 27 2012 14:24 Logan_ps wrote: Thanks for posting. A good read. The thing that struck home the most for me was what you wrote about laddering being Character building. I've used the same techniques I used to beat agoraphobia to get over ladder anxiety. After all, there are far more difficult things in life - as you say, it's a game, we just need to go play!
Wow, that is awesome! My fav response so far. Looks like you could write your own article about ladder anxiety, and I would love to read it! =]
Yeah, this is an excellent post. I actually find the ladder anxiety thing fascinating myself: I've had some interesting IRL experiences and I have some concerning encounters with aggressive people quite regularly IRL, yet I find I tend to be more worried playing online RTS (in this case SC2) than in those situations...the same methods for growing character and (at the risk of sounding melodramatic) developing courage that we use in real life are applicable in SC2.
On April 27 2012 07:48 SanchoPanda wrote: Watching the highlights now, it is funny how all I could remember was that handball. It’d totally forgotten Donovan missing two great looks, or the fact that Germany should have scored 2-3 other goals.
That game is the reason I stop watching Soccer and why SC2 is so great (granted with ref reviews that could have been fixed, but FIFA is ridiculous). Unfortunately, the Germans have the refs to thank for their win, and the Americans have the refs to blame for their loss in that FIFA match. To me, every sport with variables other than skill that effect the outcome seem so archaic now.
But in SC2 there are no judges to make bad or biased decisions, no referees to miss calls, and in 1vs1 no one else to rely on. Whether you win or lose, it's your fault, no one else is to blame but yourself. And because of this I think people get anxiety on the 1vs1 ladder in particular because they internalize and personalize things. When some people fail to win a game they believe it means they are a failure.
I used to have ladder anxiety when I barely played because of school and was struggling to remain in masters. Last season, for the first time, I got put into diamond. With that.. anxiety completely gone. If I'm okay with being Diamond then i dont give a shit if i win or lose, and i've put in a TON more games because of it and im actually improving
just play more and forget the icon. If people try to troll you and make fun of your rank or wtv, block em
Dunno how many of these threads there is now, god damn there is like a new one every week -.- Press the "find game" butten and go.
You are not pro, since your not playing ladder, your probably pretty far from being pro, so just play. Its a habbit, first step is hard after that its ez pz.
Thanks for the post, OP. Always GGing is my favorite tip. After developing the policy of always staying mannered, I feel much happier when I ladder, and it helps me focus on my own journey of improvement. Every time I lose to Dark Templars, I get a little better at holding them off. I come a little closer to recovering even though I missed scouting it out. So I see all my opponents as important people who are in my life to teach me to hold off early aggression.
On April 27 2012 08:29 Ermac wrote: I no longer play this game actively, but while I did I couldn't help but ask myself one thing repeatedly.
If you have to force yourself to play a game for whatever reason, is it really a game you love to play?
At the moment I'm playing League of Legends and got hooked on ranked games pretty quickly. Strangely enough I'm not having any of the issues most people, including myself, know and/or have in SC2 with pressing that damnable "find match" button. On the contrary I sometimes have to stop myself from playing because I KNOW I am too tired to play a proper game but I just want to so desperately...
Thinking about it for some time I actually came up with some logical reasons why my behaviour and feelings playing League differ so much from those I had in SC2. But still... I believe what it comes down to is that the game is just more fun to me than SC2 was.
I see what you mean and I think it's commendable to have the self-awareness to be able to stop doing something that you genuinely don't enjoy when it comes down to it. Glad to hear you're having a great time with LoL.
Personally ladder anxiety is something I only get in "head to head" gameplay, though. I don't get nervous in 2v2. I suspect the point is that when I'm on a team I feel like someone's always got my back, and someone's always there to share the blame and pick me back up when we (inevitably) lose.
I didn't do sports as a kid so struggling with ladder anxiety is actually really helpful to me -- it helps me fight against inertia and accustoms me to competitive environments. So it's a form of personal development to me! And I don't have to worry about spending entire days just playing and playing like I would with Wintermaul in WC3 haha.
As someone who gets worked up, is really competitive, and sometimes takes things too seriously, I definitely need to keep some of these things in mind ^^
On April 28 2012 05:58 Altercate wrote: Thanks for the post, OP. Always GGing is my favorite tip. After developing the policy of always staying mannered, I feel much happier when I ladder, and it helps me focus on my own journey of improvement. Every time I lose to Dark Templars, I get a little better at holding them off. I come a little closer to recovering even though I missed scouting it out. So I see all my opponents as important people who are in my life to teach me to hold off early aggression.
Yay! Well said. It's amazing how being kind to others whether you feel they 'deserve it' or not, makes it SO much easier to have a positive outlook. Your reply just reconfirms it and encourages me, so THANKS RIGHT BACK!
On April 28 2012 05:58 Altercate wrote: Thanks for the post, OP. Always GGing is my favorite tip. After developing the policy of always staying mannered, I feel much happier when I ladder, and it helps me focus on my own journey of improvement. Every time I lose to Dark Templars, I get a little better at holding them off. I come a little closer to recovering even though I missed scouting it out. So I see all my opponents as important people who are in my life to teach me to hold off early aggression.
Yay! Well said. It's amazing how being kind to others whether you feel they 'deserve it' or not, makes it SO much easier to have a positive outlook. Your reply just reconfirms it and encourages me, so THANKS RIGHT BACK!
Also, i'm starting to like the nickname OP
Save the pandas!
EDIT: Seriously though, some really good points made and written in a really good way. Props! :D
Love the helpful tips!! One thing that I have found to be helpful is talking to someone between games. Helps to get my brain stimulated in other areas and relaxes the mind a bit. As long as its not arguing with your GF as to what she wants to do later that night instead of playing SC2 >_>
All of these are good, but I really agree with number 6. When I first started playing I would always get so upset when I lost and would often just rage quit without giving my opponent a 'gg'. This was especially true when I was cheesed. I eventually made up my mind that I was going to 'glhf' and 'gg' all of my opponents no matter what strategy they used on me. Since I started doing that my mood has elevated greatly while playing games.
It's almost as if all your frustration goes out the window as you give out that 'gg'.
On April 28 2012 05:58 Altercate wrote: Thanks for the post, OP. Always GGing is my favorite tip. After developing the policy of always staying mannered, I feel much happier when I ladder, and it helps me focus on my own journey of improvement. Every time I lose to Dark Templars, I get a little better at holding them off. I come a little closer to recovering even though I missed scouting it out. So I see all my opponents as important people who are in my life to teach me to hold off early aggression.
Yay! Well said. It's amazing how being kind to others whether you feel they 'deserve it' or not, makes it SO much easier to have a positive outlook. Your reply just reconfirms it and encourages me, so THANKS RIGHT BACK!
Also, i'm starting to like the nickname OP
Frustration can be tough to deal with and does bad things to people when we succumb to it! I find it helps to remember that most people are nice when you get to know them, and most BM and anger encountered while laddering is just frustration being vented. IME if you try to stay calm and respond to frustration with kindness, MOST people turn out to be pleasant once they calm down! I've met my best "StarCraft friends" that way.
Interesting article, but I think the only real way to overcome ladder anxiety is to ladder. Systematic Desensitization. The only way to get used to war is to be on the front lines my friend.
I don't suffer from ladder anxiety, and I was gripped by your post until the last word. I think that's a sign that it was a great OP? :D
Thank you very much!
PS a tip I have (maybe it'll apply to other people?) is say "gg ty".. maybe it sounds stupid, but for me I'm thanking my opponents because they've exploited a weakness in my play that I can make a mental note of and focus on for future games. They've kind of acted as a mentor and helped me improve. This helped to eliminate my ladder anxiety because I have nothing to fear going into a game because I know going in either I 1) become better at SC2 2) get the warm feeling of winning
Really nice post Music helped me quite a bit, not listening to in game warnings made me more alert I feel.
The one thing that really helped me get over my ladder anxiety though was realizing that the absolute best thing that could ever happen to me would be to go down to bronze league. Why? Because then I wouldn't have to worry about rank or league or anything. That really allowed me to start enjoying the game and not care about winning or losing but just having fun and improving.
Really good tips. In my case, three things got me over my severe ladder anxiety: 1. I forced myself to click that find match button over and over until it became almost a reflex. 2. I used to instantly mute my opponent after we exchanged glhf's because I respond poorly to BM and the ladder is full of it. Now that I'm over it I don't really bother with muting anymore. I can see this solving the problem a lot of ppl have with the idea of being "alone" with a random guy... it might sound pretty wierd but I know a lot of ppl that are like that. and last but not least 3. I stopped caring about my league or rank ( this is probably the big one).
I wrote a blog post about this a while back, more about just having the right frame of mind rather than things you can do to artificially calm yourself down.
On April 29 2012 04:45 Noyect wrote: The one thing that really helped me get over my ladder anxiety though was realizing that the absolute best thing that could ever happen to me would be to go down to bronze league. Why? Because then I wouldn't have to worry about rank or league or anything. That really allowed me to start enjoying the game and not care about winning or losing but just having fun and improving.
I just actually did this. I lost all my placement matches on purpose and got placed in bronze. I've started playing again after 1.5 years of nothing, so my MMR was far above my abilities (was masters). Now I've played a few games and I can just relax more and focus on my macro, because I felt I cheesed too much before.
Way to beat ladder anxiety ^^ ? Play 20 games in a row, never have ladder anxiety again :D. I Always had ladder anxiety, even in wc3. So when you didnt play for a while you probably lose 15 games of those 20 and then losing isnt that big of a deal anymore ^^ when you lose like 10 games in row :D
On April 29 2012 06:13 VaultDweller wrote: Really good tips. In my case, three things got me over my severe ladder anxiety: 1. I forced myself to click that find match button over and over until it became almost a reflex. 2. I used to instantly mute my opponent after we exchanged glhf's because I respond poorly to BM and the ladder is full of it. Now that I'm over it I don't really bother with muting anymore. I can see this solving the problem a lot of ppl have with the idea of being "alone" with a random guy... it might sound pretty wierd but I know a lot of ppl that are like that. and last but not least 3. I stopped caring about my league or rank ( this is probably the big one).
Oh yeah... i totally forgot about using the mute button! Good point! Thanks for sharing <3
I don't get why people feel so nervous when playing ladder.
I don't gg unless it actually was a good game, or the other player actually played well, in which case I will let them know. But I do take a moment to identify the key reasons for losing.
If you are suffering from ladder anxiety, you are putting too much emphasis on the present and need to have longer-term goals. Like for the next year or 6 months at a minimum. I do care about my ladder rank, but learning a lesson is even more important than any amount of ladder wins.
Nice guide, and some different ideas/approaches I haven't seen and/or considered. This should be in strategy...? Though I guess it will see more viewers here, since it's not really strategy xD
this thread should be linked in the SC2 recommended guides thread heheh
Nice thread! I really love the idea of tip 4 and 5 about making your own reward system and also about trying not to rage quit ( which i tend to do a lot! xD )
On April 27 2012 07:52 Epoch wrote: The most important tip is tip #8.
Tip #8 - Lose the ego. Stop giving a fuck about your ladder ranking, and winning games, and shift your focus to improving and having fun. And lose the sense of self entitlement, you aren't better than people. If they beat you, they won fair and square and it's your job to do better next time. This is the single most important tip.
This one is the biggest and most important tip EVER, but it's extremely hard to get it to work. I still keep saying "Oh man, I'm in Silver now, I don't want to lose that ranking", even though I know I shouldn't be doing that AT ALL.
The only time I get anxiety from Starcraft is during tournaments. I dont really feel like I gain or lose anything from ladder play. It is basically a system meant for organized practice sessions against random other players. I just need to stop getting the jitters during tournament play.
On April 29 2012 14:34 sambo400 wrote: I don't get why people feel so nervous when playing ladder.
I don't gg unless it actually was a good game, or the other player actually played well, in which case I will let them know. But I do take a moment to identify the key reasons for losing.
If you are suffering from ladder anxiety, you are putting too much emphasis on the present and need to have longer-term goals. Like for the next year or 6 months at a minimum. I do care about my ladder rank, but learning a lesson is even more important than any amount of ladder wins.
I've actually gotten many responses from people saying they "don't get" why people have ladder anxiety. You happened to say it in a very nice way (thank you ).
Well, I can't answer for everyone but for myself the fear comes from not knowing what is going to happen, and thus not knowing if i'm prepared for it. While everything remains unknown, it's tempting for me to focus on worst case scenarios: "What if he/she is a zerg? What if they cheese? What if... what if.. what if..." Some people, myself included, from time to time find this moment paralyzing. Once i'm in game, and scouting, and making decisions, that fear is replaced with genuine thrill and excitement, because I know what's going on.
This post is about how those of us who are less self-assured can get from that initial moment of dread to the fun of the game itself. It's about how to preoccupy our minds and have more positive thoughts, and to find a motivation that overcomes that unfounded emotion. For those who can't relate to this, i happily say 'good for you!' But also, please just realize we are all different, with different strengths and weaknesses. And please be sympathetic and cheer us on.
Ladder anxiety is not always about people who have too big an ego and don't want to lose. Sometimes it's about the lack of ego, and the need to learn how to build confidence stressful situations. I'm hoping to encourage the latter group.
Ok, well to those people, I would still reassure them in a similar way. If they are afraid of the unknown, then the most basic thing they need to understand is that the game has rules, and nothing beyond boundaries set by the rules will ever happen to them. Banshees with cloak won't be at your base until about 7 minutes, DTs wont ever come into play before about 7:20, and so on, a player who goes for 6 pool can't also have a huge economy when they attack you, etc. And there are tons of resources out there to help you understand how to identify and deal with all these "scary" tactics they may face (however it will take many times facing a strategy before they understand how to play against it, I'm not saying the game is easy)
If someone knows all this and is still terrified to que up a game, then it is either for ego reasons or they have failed to internalize the fairness of the game, and really they aren't playing starcraft, they are playing misunderstanding-craft, which is a 1 player game that you can't win.
I blame the massive popularity of people like Husky and so on for the phenomenon of ladder anxiety. They build these games up to be these epic clashes of ingenious strategy of extreme importance, and thats what new players think they are getting into on the ladder, when in reality its just 2 dudes playing an electronic board game with a 3rd guy going nuts about it. for the sake of entertainment.
When I say ego, what I mean is the brain protecting itself from negatives,
Tip 1. There's no prize for ladder, it's just designed to give you games you can learn from when you lose. Tip 2. There's no prize for ladder, it's just designed to give you games you can learn from when you lose. Tip 3. There's no prize for ladder, it's just designed to give you games you can learn from when you lose. Tip 4. There's no prize for ladder, it's just designed to give you games you can learn from when you lose. Tip 5. There's no prize for ladder, it's just designed to give you games you can learn from when you lose. Tip 6. There's no prize for ladder, it's just designed to give you games you can learn from when you lose. Tip 7. There's no prize for ladder, it's just designed to give you games you can learn from when you lose.
One thing that held me back from playing the ladder was the fact, that at some point I hit a brick wall with a single build I did.
Back in the days of season 1 I would go for thor rush every single game, execute it relatively well and stomp my opponents out of the bronze league and into the plat.
But then I stopped, since the rush no longer seemed to work and I didn't know how to do anything else. It took me a couple of months to overcome ladder anxiety and I feel I'm finally done with it, with 700+ 1v1 wins.
In order to transition away from a certain playstyle it is good to assume one thing: you will get demoted.
It happened to me on a couple occasions: when I switched to random, focused on 2rax expand builds, mech builds etc. But each time after playing about a hundred games I was able to get back into "my" league.
My advice is this: if you feel stuck - have fun! Play the ladder the way you want to play it, not the way already know. Yes, you probably get demoted but after a while you will earn your way back. And if it does not work out with your new build - well, you can always fall back to the old one.
You will become a more versatile player with a better understanding of the game, I think it is well worth it.
I think you give some great tips. Some of them I already adepted to pre-reading this, but tips like the Marine Split Challenge for a warm-up, that's something I'm gonna start doing now.
I think I will definitely do this for my future games. It's hard to get grumpy or tense or angry when there are SUNSHINE, LOLLIPOPS and RAINBOWS, everything that's wonderful.....
Does anyone have a great playlist of this style, but longer? 11 songs just isn't enough!
Is this nonsense seriously still going on? If you stress out over this game, then maybe you just dont enjoy it. If you dont enjoy it, stop playing. Thats what incontrol always says.
Just to add a few personal things that help me get ready to have a quality SC2 session (with or without it being on ladder).
1) I watch a stream on TL of my race to get me in the right mindset. I usually like to watch one for 15-30 minutes and just kind of get my mind thinking about sc2.
2) Obtain / buy a secondary / smurf account to warm up on. My friend gave me his account and all i do on it is cannon rush or off race every single game for fun. This allows me to warm up and get ready to play my main account. I usually play 2-3 games.
3) Take breaks when you need them. I think a lot of players just spam find match over and over. I do the same thing to grind games when laddering, but knowing when you need a small break is key. If you are winning or losing it is still helpful to take a 5-10 minute break. I will watch some TV, grab a drink, smoke something, go outside on my patio for some fresh air, do some pushups, etc.
I used to have pretty nasty ladder-anxiety. I'd show pretty frightening physical symptoms: shivering with cold, trembling hands, clenched jaws... and that was just when I *considered* playing a ladder game! At this stage I usually hadn't even started the game yet When eventually pressing The Button, my only thoughts would be: "Maybe there's no one online, and I don't have to play? Maybe the algorithm will fail and it won't find me an opponent?"
I overcame most of that by engaging in friendly banter each game. Nowadays I always start my games with something more original then "glhf". I often mourn my fallen scout in public ("Jimmy was good man, and an even better scout!"), and more of that nonsense. It helps me relax, it helps my opponents relax (I guess?), and as a result I have a lot more fun. I often chat with my opponents after the game is finished, and those conversations usually yield some useful feedback. I even get bm'd/cheesed less (or do I just care less, as a result of being a happy gamer?)
Anyways. Imho, tip #7 can be generalized as "be nice to your opponent". Worked miracles for me
Great compilation of advice, I overcame my ladder anxiety almost 2 years ago, and I can verify that these points are certainly vital to most people when dealing with the issue. Awesome read!
I believe the GG part is the biggest, keeps you from getting overly frustrated which then ruins your other games, and you are basically just wasting practice time at that point. Great write up!
So after a local tournament, and watching all the recent events, i had the urge to play again. i read this article and thought it helped me a little.
turns out.... it helped me greatly! i hated ladder and always got upset when i was losing to stupid stuff. ive stopped caring about losses, and just focused on having fun. cant say ive had this much fun with starcraft 2 since beta when i was casting. ive almost reached 100 terran wins, been promoted to diamond (started plat), and just used the self rewards system to purchase myself some computer upgrades since ive reached my goal (100 terran wins or a league promotion) i havent bought myself anything computer related since i quit casting and this was the perfect excuse!
not only has this helped me, but i told my bestfriend about the article and have been sending him all my replays.... now he is going to get back into playing! so exciting. thanks again... you truely turned my outlook on ladder around. id donate to you if i could!
On May 10 2012 14:45 Schickysc wrote: So after a local tournament, and watching all the recent events, i had the urge to play again. i read this article and thought it helped me a little.
turns out.... it helped me greatly! i hated ladder and always got upset when i was losing to stupid stuff. ive stopped caring about losses, and just focused on having fun. cant say ive had this much fun with starcraft 2 since beta when i was casting. ive almost reached 100 terran wins, been promoted to diamond (started plat), and just used the self rewards system to purchase myself some computer upgrades since ive reached my goal (100 terran wins or a league promotion) i havent bought myself anything computer related since i quit casting and this was the perfect excuse!
not only has this helped me, but i told my bestfriend about the article and have been sending him all my replays.... now he is going to get back into playing! so exciting. thanks again... you truely turned my outlook on ladder around. id donate to you if i could!
sorry for the lack of punctuation, blame apple.
This post alone made the whole article worth the effort imo! Please send me some replays too! sanchopandasc@gmail.com
I agree watching pro plays gives me the urge to play again, I think skyping was the best motivational feeling I had to ladder, but my friends having been playing as much and so I've lost this. music is really good too
It doesn't matter if you lose, it doesn't even matter if you lose 20 games in a row, because the ladder is always right in the long run, and you will be placed correctly in the ladder. Due to MMR, the ladder is self-correcting so it's impossible to stuff up your profile and losing doesn't matter.
On the flip side, large temporary win streaks also don't matter for the same reason too.
The GG'ing with style might be the best tip of them all. When I get immensely frustrated during ladder sessions, like a strong majority of you out there, this anger is almost assuredly self-directed. If I play a macro game with an opponent and they straight up outplay me, I try to have the presence of mind to "gg wp" them. Even better is to complement them on an aspect of their play that was superb. If my zerg opponent is drowning me in creep, I complement them on that; if my terran counterpart is picking my apart with drop ship harass I try and give them props for that. So on and so forth. Not F10 "N'ing" as soon as I type GG lets me destress and evaluate what I've done wrong in the game, and come to terms with that. Barring your opponent being a real ass, you can generally have a short pleasant conversation upon giving them a genuine compliment. For me, this gives me motivation to hit the Find Match button another time without a pissed off losers attitude.
I like 'em, but I especially like #8. That and surround yourself with the game. Make in-game friends and out-of-game starcraft friends. Read about the game and really submerge yourself inside it. Then, it's just natural to want to play SC2.
I really strongly support the tip about GG'ing with compliments. It's the magic one for me.
Someone cannon rushes you and says even something mild like "LOL" before you are forced to leave. How do you feel? Logically you should not feel bad, but you do. "I've just lost to an idiot, I suck."
I've done all three of these: 1) Ragequit -> Your bad mood doesn't go away, you don't want to play, you feel like a loser 2) Rage -> You get twice as angry yourself, you feel like an idiot and bad at this game 3) Compliment -> In one or two minutes, you don't feel bad about the loss. Your mind realizes it was just a game and the other guy won. It's magic!
To me this was an amazing discovery and helped me to play thousands of games. -) But have to admit I sometimes forget this rule.. especially when playing tired.
Great post. :D Personally what got me playing a lot is the idea of a schedule, where I have to play X amount of games a day.
On April 27 2012 08:29 Ermac wrote: I no longer play this game actively, but while I did I couldn't help but ask myself one thing repeatedly.
If you have to force yourself to play a game for whatever reason, is it really a game you love to play?
At the moment I'm playing League of Legends and got hooked on ranked games pretty quickly. Strangely enough I'm not having any of the issues most people, including myself, know and/or have in SC2 with pressing that damnable "find match" button. On the contrary I sometimes have to stop myself from playing because I KNOW I am too tired to play a proper game but I just want to so desperately...
Thinking about it for some time I actually came up with some logical reasons why my behaviour and feelings playing League differ so much from those I had in SC2. But still... I believe what it comes down to is that the game is just more fun to me than SC2 was.
1v1 is the ladder button that is hard to press. Not team games, which actually do compare to LoL.
I just registered today and I must say, I'm quite dazzled with the degree of communication within this community. I've read a number of threads and they've all been interesting reads... I never knew that there was so much going on behind the scenes of the tumbleweed ghost town Blizzard calls their Sc2 chatrooms.
I'm truly intrigued!
With regards to the OP, I particularly like the tip about shaking out one's wits - I'll have to focus hard and tell myself that perfection isn't all that matters.
On June 21 2012 12:21 NexRex wrote: Great thread, very interesting. It's good to keep all these in mind. I listen to classical music to get myself in the calm mood.
Whoa! Haven't tried classical music before... usually more upbeat stuff. I'll have to give that a try. =] Thanks for the input.
EPT![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/IivMz.png)
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). By doing this, it is possible to learn a thing or two about players’ habits and routines. For instance, while following coLdrewbie’s stellar run in the MLG winter NA qualifiers, I noticed that before matches he would always warm up with a quick custom game of “Marine Split Challenge.” He also did this in the winter Area in NY, and again at MLG Columbus.![[image loading]](http://i.imgur.com/ZeLJp.png)
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Thank you so much!
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