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Study: Players start slowing down at age 24 - Page 2

Forum Index > SC2 General
192 CommentsPost a Reply
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KingFool
Profile Joined January 2008
Canada428 Posts
April 11 2014 01:22 GMT
#21
I'm 29 for another few months. I hit 220-230 a few times yesterday. I was no faster at any time bw or sc2
Stimin myself on a daily basis
DarkPlasmaBall
Profile Blog Joined March 2010
United States46474 Posts
April 11 2014 01:23 GMT
#22
I'm turning 26 in 4 days. Shit x.x
"There is nothing more satisfying than looking at a crowd of people and helping them get what I love." ~Day[9] Daily #100
BisuDagger
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
Bisutopia19386 Posts
April 11 2014 01:30 GMT
#23
On April 11 2014 08:50 CrushDog5 wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 11 2014 08:46 BisuDagger wrote:
I have actually improved a ton recently. At 26 my typing dexterity and apm has greatly increased, but I'm also someone who matured late mentally too.


I would expect that everyone ages in exactly the same way as everyone else. Remember, though, that aging and experience are independent factors. You can get better with practice, even as you get slower with age.

How can you say everyone ages in the same way? I've always been 3-4 behind in maturity. While I have always been intelligent, I didn't start thinking very independently till much later the most. I don't practice so lot, I just understand the game better now and decisions are much easier/quicker to make.
ModeratorFormer Afreeca Starleague Caster: http://afreeca.tv/ASL2ENG2
BuddhaMonk
Profile Joined August 2010
781 Posts
April 11 2014 01:56 GMT
#24
The question of wrist problems comes to mind. It could be that wrists are just not meant to do so much and you top out at a lower age than other physical sports.

It's a shame though, as others have said, it does seem that the data is just random ladder players. While interesting, it says nothing as to the "slowing down" of pro players.
StreetWise
Profile Joined January 2010
United States594 Posts
April 11 2014 02:00 GMT
#25
On April 11 2014 08:07 SirPinky wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 11 2014 07:55 CrushDog5 wrote:
We've published a new paper based on the SkillCraft data from a couple years ago.

Download here

Here is the abstract:

Typically studies of the effects of aging on cognitive-motor performance emphasize changes in elderly populations. Although some research is directly concerned with when age-related decline actually begins, studies are often based on relatively simple reaction time tasks, making it impossible to gauge the impact of experience in compensating for this decline in a real world task. The present study investigates age-related changes in cognitive motor performance through adolescence and adulthood in a complex real world task, the real-time strategy video game StarCraft 2. In this paper we analyze the influence of age on performance using a dataset of 3,305 players, aged 16-44, collected by Thompson, Blair, Chen & Henrey [1]. Using a piecewise regression analysis, we find that age-related slowing of within-game, self-initiated response times begins at 24 years of age. We find no evidence for the common belief expertise should attenuate domain-specific cognitive decline. Domain-specific response time declines appear to persist regardless of skill level. A second analysis of dual-task performance finds no evidence of a corresponding age-related decline. Finally, an exploratory analyses of other age-related differences suggests that older participants may have been compensating for a loss in response speed through the use of game mechanics that reduce cognitive load.


The SkillCraft project is ongoing, and we have several interesting things in the works.

I'll answer questions if people have them.

Thanks to all the players who contributed games to the project.



Interesting study. But don't you find it coincidental that 22-24 years of age is typically when people enter the workforce fulltime and reduce the amount of time they play games like Sc2. Furthermore, being less rigorous in their playstyle, they might decide to take a more relaxed approach to the game. The benchmark for me was around 23. I appreciate the time invested in the study, but don't you think it would be more beneficial to track the same group of individuals 18-30 years of age over, perhaps, a 3-5 year period to demonstrate a true cognitive motor decline? I know you might not have that luxury. But I think the psychological maturity and stage of life is really at the crux of this observation. I have no empiracal data to prove it, just a hunch. Thanks for the contribution.

PS. I know I'm only one person but I started playing BW at 20 and now I'm 31. Even with very minor carpal tunnel in 1-hand I still have the same APM. Again, I think psychology is more involved in the study results, but that is my opinion.


I think that this has a lot to do with it. I know that when I was young, my gaming sessions were uninterrupted. I have a family now, so even when I play I am constantly being interrupted, this in turn slows me down as I have to answer questions from the kids, or answer the phone etc. Plus I cant take the game as seriously because these interruptions would result in rage if I still did.

Physically, I feel I peaked at 28, but thats athletics where a lot of people are trying to draw parallels.
I will not be poisoned by your bitterness
knOxStarcraft
Profile Joined March 2012
Canada422 Posts
April 11 2014 02:03 GMT
#26
On April 11 2014 08:44 CrushDog5 wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 11 2014 08:07 SirPinky wrote:

...being less rigorous in their playstyle, they might decide to take a more relaxed approach to the game. The benchmark for me was around 23.

...don't you think it would be more beneficial to track the same group of individuals 18-30 years of age over, perhaps, a 3-5 year period to demonstrate a true cognitive motor decline?

... I know I'm only one person but I started playing BW at 20 and now I'm 31. Even with very minor carpal tunnel in 1-hand I still have the same APM. Again, I think psychology is more involved in the study results, but that is my opinion.



Let me take these in turn.

1. You might expect people to take a more relaxed approach, but speed decreases with age. I guess I find it strange that 30 is more relaxed than 25, and 35 is more relaxed that 30 and so on. We have no way to rule it out, but it doesn't seem like to me.

2. I don't think it's MORE beneficial (it can be difficult to parcel out the practice from the aging), but I do think it would be a useful complement to this study. We have some data that does basically that now, but it will take some time to sort through.

3. As you note, it is a sample of one. The findings we describe in the paper are measured in thousands of players. Nevertheless, APM changes with age AND with experience. As you get better, you get faster; as you get older, you get slower. They offset each other, so it doesn't surprise me that some people's APMs do not shift much and it looks like nothing is changing. The bad news is that older is slower, the good news is that you are probably getting better!

1. The LDL seems to increase more with age in the lower leagues than it does in higher leagues. Wouldn't there be the same rate of LDL increase with age in all leagues if it were purely because of the brain slowing down? Also, from 25 > the sample size looks to be decreasing, which makes what you can take from those results less reliable. I would argue that from 25 to 35 responsibilities are steadily increasing on average, though less so than they are from 20 to 25.
StarStruck
Profile Blog Joined April 2010
25339 Posts
Last Edited: 2014-04-11 02:14:53
April 11 2014 02:12 GMT
#27
I'd say 18 in BW.

On April 11 2014 10:56 BuddhaMonk wrote:
The question of wrist problems comes to mind. It could be that wrists are just not meant to do so much and you top out at a lower age than other physical sports.

It's a shame though, as others have said, it does seem that the data is just random ladder players. While interesting, it says nothing as to the "slowing down" of pro players.


I dare say most players don't do the proper exercises/stretches to maintain their wrists.
CrushDog5
Profile Joined March 2010
Canada207 Posts
April 11 2014 02:26 GMT
#28
On April 11 2014 10:30 BisuDagger wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 11 2014 08:50 CrushDog5 wrote:
On April 11 2014 08:46 BisuDagger wrote:
I have actually improved a ton recently. At 26 my typing dexterity and apm has greatly increased, but I'm also someone who matured late mentally too.


I would expect that everyone ages in exactly the same way as everyone else. Remember, though, that aging and experience are independent factors. You can get better with practice, even as you get slower with age.

How can you say everyone ages in the same way? I've always been 3-4 behind in maturity. While I have always been intelligent, I didn't start thinking very independently till much later the most. I don't practice so lot, I just understand the game better now and decisions are much easier/quicker to make.


That's actually a mistake. I meant to type that I would NOT expect everyone to age in exactly the same way, so in a sample of over 3000 players not every 35yr old will be slower that every 30 year old, even in the same league.
SkillCraft.com - StarCraft + Science
CrushDog5
Profile Joined March 2010
Canada207 Posts
April 11 2014 02:39 GMT
#29
On April 11 2014 11:03 knOxStarcraft wrote:

1. The LDL seems to increase more with age in the lower leagues than it does in higher leagues. Wouldn't there be the same rate of LDL increase with age in all leagues if it were purely because of the brain slowing down? Also, from 25 > the sample size looks to be decreasing, which makes what you can take from those results less reliable. I would argue that from 25 to 35 responsibilities are steadily increasing on average, though less so than they are from 20 to 25.


It doesn't though, not significantly. There is no interaction between age and league, which means that the affect of age is NOT influenced by skill.

The sample size is, literally, 10 time larger than other studies of it's kind, at ages above 35. That's one of the nice things about dealing with replay data like this.

I really don't see how having a day job steadily makes your reactions slower after 24. You could be right of course. That sounds like a great headline " Scientists discover that having a day job slows your cognitive-motor system: Thousands of people quit their jobs." It's an empirical question. You should do a study.
SkillCraft.com - StarCraft + Science
LingBlingBling
Profile Joined December 2012
United States353 Posts
Last Edited: 2014-04-11 02:57:46
April 11 2014 02:55 GMT
#30
Not fan of these "studies" most are not very correct at all and sometimes silly. Maybe in athletics for professional sports like Baseball, Football(American) ECT, but saying your performance decreases on computers/games in your late 20s is just down right silly and false.

Our world functions on technology, sorry but if musicians can play at a high professional level until they are in their late 80s with a healthy brain, no way in hell a healthy 25 -35 year old is going to see a decrease in starcraft 2 performance at a professional level. Koreans stop around that age due to mandatory military service or real life priorities outside of their gaming career such as marriage ECT.

If you don't take care of yourself, you will see health problems at a young age. Pro Koreans play sc2 +12 hours a day, of course some of them will see wrist problems.
Remember our motto: We ain't got it.
Thaniri
Profile Blog Joined March 2011
1264 Posts
April 11 2014 03:07 GMT
#31
On April 11 2014 08:46 BisuDagger wrote:
I have actually improved a ton recently. At 26 my typing dexterity and apm has greatly increased, but I'm also someone who matured late mentally too.


How late? Were you learning algebra at 20 or something?

Your APM/WPM has probably gone up from just practicing more honestly.
Trojanoz
Profile Joined January 2012
Australia22 Posts
April 11 2014 03:28 GMT
#32
Many good points raised I think more specific research is required to remove the outstanding variables.

Some information

1) You cannot assume the reduction of players APM is due to a reduction in physical ability as others have pointed out practice time etc has an effect.
2) Also the study seems to be talking about reaction time. APM is not a measure of reaction time it is a measure of the speed something can be done at. I might be able to press a hundred keys a minute but how long will it take me to observe something and then react to it. That’s the real test of reaction time.
3) What this study shows is that speed not reaction time is less for older players of StarCraft 2 than younger players of StarCraft 2. You cannot draw any conclusion about reaction time nor can you conclude that a reduction in speed is due to an actually physiological cause (other factor may play a role).
I thought I made a mistake once but I was wrong
BisuDagger
Profile Blog Joined October 2009
Bisutopia19386 Posts
April 11 2014 03:34 GMT
#33
On April 11 2014 12:07 Thaniri wrote:
Show nested quote +
On April 11 2014 08:46 BisuDagger wrote:
I have actually improved a ton recently. At 26 my typing dexterity and apm has greatly increased, but I'm also someone who matured late mentally too.


How late? Were you learning algebra at 20 or something?

Your APM/WPM has probably gone up from just practicing more honestly.

I don't practice nor play like I used to 4+ years ago. And I meant just behavioral maturity. My education has always been up to par. It's nothing major. And I guess most people say males are way behind in maturity years then females. I am just willing to admit that was true for me growing up. Now I feel like I'm caught up to the curb.
ModeratorFormer Afreeca Starleague Caster: http://afreeca.tv/ASL2ENG2
theMagus
Profile Joined February 2013
578 Posts
Last Edited: 2014-04-11 03:45:40
April 11 2014 03:45 GMT
#34
excellent study, thank you for all your efforts

funny to see the relatively older people here vehemently deny getting slower with age though lol.

i'm 30+ myself and i wouldn't dare claim to be as fast as i was in my 20s. it's just not true. i don't feel too bad about it though cause wisdom and experience more than make up for it
"Give away the stone. Let the oceans take and transmutate this cold and fated anchor. Let the waters kiss and transmutate these leaden grudges into gold. Let go."
Marcinko
Profile Joined May 2013
South Africa1014 Posts
Last Edited: 2014-04-11 03:53:24
April 11 2014 03:48 GMT
#35
So what you're telling me is that at the ripe age of 31, I am pretty screwed?
....
felisconcolori
Profile Blog Joined October 2011
United States6169 Posts
April 11 2014 04:05 GMT
#36
On April 11 2014 12:48 Marcinko wrote:
So what you're telling me is that at the ripe age of 31, I am pretty screwed?


No, just that you wouldn't play as well now as you would have if you were younger. That said, if you have the skill, go for it. See if you can't get into WCS Europe, Americas, or hell... fly to Seoul and give Code B a shot.

There are statistical outliers, always, so just because there are no great and amazing pro players over 30 doesn't mean you couldn't be one! (Just that, y'know, the odds are low. Lower than if you were doing it while you were 19.) (Also, apologies to Nestea - but he's been napping for the past year or so.)
Yes, I email sponsors... to thank them. Don't post drunk, kids. My king, what has become of you?
Yorbon
Profile Joined December 2011
Netherlands4272 Posts
April 11 2014 04:40 GMT
#37
The present study investigates age-related changes in cognitive motor performance through adolescence and adulthood in a complex real world task, the real-time strategy video game StarCraft 2.


Haha, really? Sc2 has nothing to do with the real world, regarding both story and skills.
shivver
Profile Joined June 2011
United States232 Posts
April 11 2014 07:29 GMT
#38
just for the record at age 24 I went from a 20 apm bronze to spiking 500-600 apm in multitasking trainer around early 25

I'm not saying I'm against what the thread is saying, but obviously there are exceptions.
Glioburd
Profile Joined April 2008
France1911 Posts
Last Edited: 2014-04-11 08:07:32
April 11 2014 07:42 GMT
#39
In a competitive point of view I'm not even sure it changes anything on BW, and it certainly doesn't change anything for SC2. And for any RTS, APM doesn't change because of the age, RTS mechanics only depend of the practice, these are not reflexes.
It may however influence on games like QuakeLive (maybe CS), where you need insane reflexes.
"You should hate loosing, but you should never fear defeat." NaDa.
Waxangel
Profile Blog Joined September 2002
United States33702 Posts
April 11 2014 14:20 GMT
#40
i have no idea how to interpret this study, but I guess it's cool that people are doing this kind of work
AdministratorHey HP can you redo everything youve ever done because i have a small complaint?
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