Lately, this game brings out the absolute worst in me. I have faced countless toxic players in the last month or so and it has rubbed off on me to the point where I have become as belligerent and irritable as I thought they were.
Losing makes me angry, and losing to a cheese infuriates me even more. I know that if I "played better" and "scouted better" I could have dealt with it but even recognizing that, I'm still angry.
Why SC? What is it about this game that makes me so freaking hostile? I can't be the only one who is struggling with this. I would love help, advice, any sort of suggestion as to how you all deal with frustration.
I tell myself, "It's just a game" but that doesn't matter. Winning is better than losing. Losing means you're inferior at SC2. I can't get out of that mindset. I try to think "Every loss is an opportunity to learn" but the frustration (and my perceived issues with balance) blow that concept out of the water.
It's me. I know it's me. I'm a nice person in real life but in SC2 I have become an asshole. I know it's my fault.
I don't want to be an asshole. I don't want to be angry over something as stupid as this game. I know it's me but I know I can't be the only one. I'm asking for your advice.
The best thing I can say is that Starcraft is an intensely difficult and competitive experience; some people can handle that well, others can't. The most important part of playing any game is to have fun. When I quit SC2, it was because playing the game started to feel like a chore, and I didn't feel like I was making any progress. I kept getting frustrated more and more, and no matter how much I tried to change my mindset, I could not actually have fun anymore, and so I quit. Uninstalled.
Now, to be fair, my reaction was a little bit drastic. My advice is to just go play some other games for a while, relax, and start having fun with your free time again. I played a lot of League and free Steam games (MMOs and ARPGs are excellent at reducing stress), and I think it's been a positive experience. In fact, I think I've actually gained more skill in SC2 from playing other games; my micro is much much better now that I've played a decent amount of MOBAs.
Good luck, I hope you can reduce the stress of playing!
Why do you care so much that you lose? Just play. Keep playing and keep improving. Don't be a rage quitter.
Also, it's okay to get angry. It's a game so you can use the opportunity to release your aggressive energy on other people in a benign way. If your anger is getting in the way of you winning though, then use some breathing techniques and focus on what you need to do to win.
Lately, this game brings out the absolute worst in me. I have faced countless toxic players in the last month or so and it has rubbed off on me to the point where I have become as belligerent and irritable as I thought they were.
Losing makes me angry, and losing to a cheese infuriates me even more. I know that if I "played better" and "scouted better" I could have dealt with it but even recognizing that, I'm still angry.
Why SC? What is it about this game that makes me so freaking hostile? I can't be the only one who is struggling with this. I would love help, advice, any sort of suggestion as to how you all deal with frustration.
I tell myself, "It's just a game" but that doesn't matter. Winning is better than losing. Losing means you're inferior at SC2. I can't get out of that mindset. I try to think "Every loss is an opportunity to learn" but the frustration (and my perceived issues with balance) blow that concept out of the water.
It's me. I know it's me. I'm a nice person in real life but in SC2 I have become an asshole. I know it's my fault.
I don't want to be an asshole. I don't want to be angry over something as stupid as this game. I know it's me but I know I can't be the only one. I'm asking for your advice.
Thanks.
honestly? Play a different game. RTS's and MOBA's once the game starts to piss you off, you'll never enjoy playing again
Some additional comment that came up: relax, relax. Try another race if you feel obsessed with improvement. Find a nice clan or a couple of buddies, there's plenty here on TL (pm me if you're playing on EU!). We can play some 2v2's or practice games. just.relax.have fun!
I think its about what you expect from the game and from playing it. If you play the game to win then you will be angry if you lose because you just wasted your time. If you play the game to become good at it then loosing is a positive thing as it teaches you a valuable lesson. I myself play because I like RTS games in general. Playing a long game makes me happy no matter whether I lose or win. You just have to figure out what the reason is why you play. If you want to play because you enjoy the game then there is no reason to be angry, ever. Just keep that in mind and maybe it might help you.
right. listen up mate. You could go over to neuros stream and talk about cognitive bollox for ages (love ya neuro if ya readin) but its just a fuckin game mate. If you get angry over losing at something which is largely anonymous like this then you might have to consider how it affects ur real life, if its a lot then im sorry but u just gotta stop playing. otherwise, like i said, its a game and it matters to no one ANYWHERE or EVER that you even play this stupid game. This reaction exists only with you. im 35 years old, and i used to think leveling up games and finishing them matters more than the degrees and work i was doin . . . its only now i see it as total time wasted and opportunities missed. Its not helped by watching twitch either, seeing people claim to rake in thousands of pounds and making a career out of playing games, im waiting for this bubble to quickly burst though, but i dont want it to.
so what do you do. Play the game. Play the game more but everytime u hit that start button play some real good music and have a stream playing on second monitor. just build only workers for 5 games in a row and see if u can beat ur score. I cant really say anything, no one can. almost as soon as i post someone will fucking try to counter things ive said when mate, trust me, ive seen just how retarded it can get when the game is more than the real shit happening around you (mweeehh but whats real some smart ass will chime). . playing video games for 99% of all people is a time sink and ur personal preffered method of entertainment. if its gettin u mad bro, stop, take up something else. add me to contacts and well just talk and play the game at same time, have a laugh with it rather than treating like something its not. i lose nothing when i lose, i gain nothing when i win. personally i love playing the game doesnt matter how shit/good i am, i love sitting down and playing a few hrs of games after doing 80+ hrs of work a week
sc2 gives me that mind work out i crave. theres no other game like it! Its a game you really have to learn to play and practice. Thinking some shit up while at work and then trying it when i get home . . .good times
You realize it's just a game and you move on. Being competitive and upset that you lost is fine, but watching replays and learning from your mistakes is how you get better. It's not a tournament setting, you can literally just click on "Find Match" again and try one more time... no one is judging you but yourself, nobody cares if you win or not but yourself. If you got cheesed, it's even easier, typically it's a matter of "oh ok, I didn't see that coming and there was literally nothing I could've done after I missed that X Y and Z he was doing"
No sense in getting bent out of shape. Every loss is a chance to improve, not a chance to break your keyboard in half lol Nobody builds character and improves when all they're doing is winning every game with no challenge.
I think it's a common problem, I suggest learning some aggressive 1 or 2 base timings against each matchup, which lets you dictate the pace of the game, but would also give you enough units to defend. If your push fails and you lose because you fall behind, then you don't feel so bad. If you went 3 base and lose to a 1 base build you will get annoyed.
I used to think that 3 base macro builds are best since you can just make more units and outnumber your opponent. However, I have since realised that aggressive builds are better since they force you to micro and macro and transition on the fly, instead of a preplanned build order. Builds like 10 pool and 2 rax, are very good for improving because you will improve unit control and multitasking, but can still have transitions. Actual macro means doing it whilst pressuring opponent and outmultitasking them. Play with the aim of improving instead of winning.
If you want to play standard, always keep in mind the biggest threats that can hit during the current time, if you're expecting DT at 7.30 every game, then even if you lose to it, it doesn't feel as bad than to lose to it out of the blue.
Grow up. It sounds harsh, but that's the reality of it. It's just a game, and you need to understand that. You *are* inferior to a BUTTLOAD of other players and you will, most likely, stay that way forever. Youi can't win everything and you need to accept that.
Hell, back in BroodWar Flash was the most dominant force, by far, in an over decade long history of the game and during that time he was winning "only" 75% games he played. It shouldn't matter if you lose or win, just take pleasure in the fact you are slightly improving over time. If you can't than switch to a game that won't change the person you think you are.
On May 26 2015 06:35 StatixEx wrote: right. listen up mate. You could go over to neuros stream and talk about cognitive bollox for ages (love ya neuro if ya readin) but its just a fuckin game mate. If you get angry over losing at something which is largely anonymous like this then you might have to consider how it affects ur real life, if its a lot then im sorry but u just gotta stop playing. otherwise, like i said, its a game and it matters to no one ANYWHERE or EVER that you even play this stupid game. This reaction exists only with you. im 35 years old, and i used to think leveling up games and finishing them matters more than the degrees and work i was doin . . . its only now i see it as total time wasted and opportunities missed. Its not helped by watching twitch either, seeing people claim to rake in thousands of pounds and making a career out of playing games, im waiting for this bubble to quickly burst though, but i dont want it to.
so what do you do. Play the game. Play the game more but everytime u hit that start button play some real good music and have a stream playing on second monitor. just build only workers for 5 games in a row and see if u can beat ur score. I cant really say anything, no one can. almost as soon as i post someone will fucking try to counter things ive said when mate, trust me, ive seen just how retarded it can get when the game is more than the real shit happening around you (mweeehh but whats real some smart ass will chime). . playing video games for 99% of all people is a time sink and ur personal preffered method of entertainment. if its gettin u mad bro, stop, take up something else. add me to contacts and well just talk and play the game at same time, have a laugh with it rather than treating like something its not. i lose nothing when i lose, i gain nothing when i win. personally i love playing the game doesnt matter how shit/good i am, i love sitting down and playing a few hrs of games after doing 80+ hrs of work a week
sc2 gives me that mind work out i crave. theres no other game like it! Its a game you really have to learn to play and practice. Thinking some shit up while at work and then trying it when i get home . . .good times
I don't think that's the right approach for a game like sc2. I personally haven't played much ladder because of the time requirement, but I play with the aim of improving multitasking, and the skill of creating a mental checklist and planning the next few steps is transferable to many things in real life especially and jobs where time management and efficiency is important.
I read somewhere that a lot of Korean ex sc2 pros are headhunted by financial companies because their analytical skills are incredible. Other games like LoL and CS.GO do seem like a waste of time to me because twitch reflexes do not really help for real life.
To those who say it's just a game. Do you really know what you're saying? The guy is ask help to reduce anger, being a competitive person and all I know for a fact anyone who tells me it's just game I tell them this: how exactly does saying something I already know reduce anger? Fact is if you're going to tell someone it's just a game, I personally don't think you should comment in this thread period. It is terrible advice it will never help anyone. As for anger issues play arcade, like try some UMS or play custom games or team games. I know playing with friends helps reduce the competitive feel.
the ultimate answer to reduce your rage is, maru the cat videos. But there is nothing wrong with being angry about a loss. Use that anger in a productive way though and don't use that energy to blame others for not doing well. The latter is easier of course and if you don't have a friend that can handle you venting your anger, then you just grab the next thing, usually your opponent who will just put more oil in the fire. That way you train yourself to already prepare for a negative response, which will result in a more negative mind set going into it.
Best thing you could do is play with friends or against friends, that don't blame others. This will change your mindset to a more positive view again. There are other ways as well, break, single player game, games that give you encouragement. Games that prevent you from easily being negative towards your opponent. Or just muting chat from the beginning. I block the emotes in hearthstones for example, because the RNG can really enrage me sometimes.
In general distance can help cure your attitude. If you want to continue playing Sc2, muting your opponent from the start might be enough. Or after a harsch loss, watching some funny videos.
On May 26 2015 06:57 Rukis wrote: To those who say it's just a game. Do you really know what you're saying? The guy is ask help to reduce anger, being a competitive person and all I know for a fact anyone who tells me it's just game I tell them this: how exactly does saying something I already know reduce anger? Fact is if you're going to tell someone it's just a game, I personally don't think you should comment in this thread period. It is terrible advice it will never help anyone. As for anger issues play arcade, like try some UMS or play custom games or team games. I know playing with friends helps reduce the competitive feel.
Agreed. Sc2 isn't just a game. It's the greatest e-sport to ever be made, ever. It's a way of life. The energy I get from it fuels my desire to live.
To the OP, you got the hardest part down. The introspection. Many people will never admit what you have to yourself. How to cure rage is different for each individual. For me, it's off racing. Also, consider what NeuroZerg calls "moral victories." Instead of concentrating on winnng, focus on one aspect of your game play. No energy on queens up to 10 min, 50 workers by 8 min etc.
Why is it a kind of rage inducing game in general?
Because it's competitive, in competitive things, people become emotionally invested into it, which is why strong feelings are involved with winning and losing. Notice how winning in Starcraft is a truly exhilarating experience, you take a deep breath and pat yourself on the back, when you lose it hurts because you tried hard to win, and losing sucks.
Its perfectly natural to be mad, let the rage flow through your veins, but understand that after you allow yourself a little 5 minutes of being butt hurt, understand that even at the pro KR GM level ladder, the very best players in the world lose about 40-45% of their games.
Your hero, be it Maru or Life or Parting, they lose, kind of alot.
So don't take it so seriously, if they lose, your definitely going to lose, it's the only thing that makes Starcraft fun.
So after a very long hiatus, I decided to start playing SC2 again. I went through the campaign (was disappointing overall), and I've been fooling around, doing stupid stuff like worker rushing..... I just finished a game against (TvP) that left a very, very sour taste in my mouth though. My opponent didn't make any serious attempt to stop my scout at all, I had a scout for the entire early game so I knew he went for a cyber core and single gas into robo, with a very delayed 2nd gas, and with a very low unit count, so I suspected he was going to expand (the map has a backdoor expansion). He also didn't scout me at all, which I thought was incredibly odd..... I opened with a factory with my first 100 gas, with the intention to push out with 3 tanks, 1 medivac and 8-10 marines to poke at his front while I expanded myself. Immediately after getting my 2nd CC going, I popped down 3 more barracks.
I get just outside his base and suddenly there are DT's in the back of my base. No biggie, I figure. I've got a couple of units, I'll sacrifice some SCV's as a wall between my units in my base in order to give myself some time to cripple him in his base (I was seconds from attacking his ramp with my tanks and he'd have nothing there to really fight against me).
Nope. After looking at the replay, I managed to lose over 20 scv's to his 4 DT's, and only killed one of them in the scan. I actually had a 30 supply advantage prior to this. The problem was that it was all workers and an army that was now sitting outside his base.
I probably could have still won it, because I was crawling into his base with that small army of mine (he barely put up a fight to it), and I did have scans available for me to use to kill any DT's he'd throw at my army, plus I still had an overall supply lead (and terran mules are imba for getting an economy back running), but honestly, that whole situation annoyed me so much that I just left. Had the guy dropped DT's into my base 30 seconds earlier, my army would have been at home and able to do something, and had it happened 30 seconds later, I would have had enough reinforcements in my base to do something about it, but the timing was impeccable, and he literally didn't even scout what I was doing to know that.
I've played over a hundred games over the last few weeks, which is a lot for me, and this completely sapped any desire to keep playing I had.
Stop watching bm sc2 streamers. Do not feed into trolls, ignore the bm and if you must reply always stay kind and sincere. You basically just gotta treat them like children. They're always right... just say "ok" "huh" maybe an "alright" or even "gg" just don't really pay them any attention.
For yourself its fine not to say "gg" and just quit the game. If you choose not to "gg" you should probably enable only allows friends to chat. People love to message you after games just to say "gg". I am not going to lie this is probably what makes me the angriest, I don't show it though.
Call me all the racist names you want, tell me how bad I am, tell me how much better than me you are... do your worst... I am ready to die for mine.
On May 26 2015 06:55 Teoita wrote: Listen to Disney music while playing. I'm serious, you can't be angry while listening to Disney music.
But then you'll just get conditioned to have uncontrollable rage when you visit Disney World.
I am just thinking of the Lion King: Caaaaaaaan you feeeeeeeeel the raaaaaaage tonight? :D
Well dealing with anger might become a big problem. I also get angry sometimes, mostly when I get cheesed and don't react properly or when I just make silly mistakes. The trick is to realize that moment where the anger rises. Right at that point you need to tell yourself to calm down and that it's just a game. Like almost everything in life, anger control needs to be trained. Just try to focus.
On May 26 2015 08:51 Odowan Paleolithic wrote: Right now my remedy is to grab a p90 and blow some heads off or gank a young scanning character in EVE Wspace. Then I can come back laddering.
Eve is so much worse than SC2 when it comes to raging when losing.....
Honestly, the pressure is hard to take. I'm not sure how best to handle the high-pressure, but you can reduce the pressure.
May I recommend:
1 - Stop watching the pro scene, Stop watching (twitch) streams
Why spend all your time comparing yourself to the best in the world? They are modern day monks who live in training houses and have 300 apm and a zoo of RSI problems. You will never be them, why stress yourself out about not living up to those standards?
This also forces you to figure out all your own strategies/solutions, or ask real people in chat/over skype, which is far more valuable and pleasant.
2 - Start playing 2v2 with a mic and a friend, even if you headhunt the friend from ladder games.
Friends are good. 2v2 has probably a higher skillcap than 1v1, the scene is just tiny. You have to be prepared for cheese, but laugh it off and make sure your partner is fun to talk to while you play. Aim to have fun. Teamgames are just more fun.
It's more fun to pull off a practiced, ridiculous carrier play in 2v2 than to correctly execute a blink stalker timing in PvZ that you saw in GSL. That shit is hard - the feeling when you pull it together into a semi-viable build together is priceless.
3 - Play unranked.
Until you're a progamer, you're not actually competing. You're training/learning. If you're below high masters/GM, there's no good reason to play ranked except pride, and pride over what? Being able to beat guys who mostly suck (like me)? What are you competing for, the standing to go from scrub to greater scrub?
I hit low masters once, and I still had no idea what I was doing. I just did it better than some other scrubs. We're still scrubs.
I look at it this way. Losses are the only way we are able to see if our plans are working or if we need to go back to the drawing board. NASA launched hundreds of failures and SpaceX has had its setbacks, its human nature to fail. Its how quickly we stand back up that makes us strong. We weren't born knowing how to walk and talk but with help and a lot of failure, we learn. Starcraft is the same way instead of getting angry at losses just use them as a springboard to further ourselves. Please if you ever get mad at starcraft, go outside, read a book or just walk away for a day or so.
please add me on B.net i'd love to play a best of 10 with you. IGN Delta # 1710 for HotS. And for LotV I'm delta #236
anyone looking to play more just message me I'm on most mid-day or late night
If I'm super pissed at ZvT for a while I'll go T. To be a bit of a troll, I definitely feel that I win more undeserved games with T than with Z (Hi widowmines & all ins) but at the same time I can just as easily be steamrolled by the Zerg.
Visit the other side of the fence to realize that the grass isn't necessarily that much greener helps me when I'm frustrated for a while..
1v1's brutal and frustrating. The two previous articles were the strategies that worked for me. All I can add is to take breaks in your play and go listen to some music, read a book, drink some tea. I find unplugging from a computer activity to be most rejuvenating.
I'm get most frustrated at racial asymetrical advantages (particularly race X hit a map-strategy-matchup timeframe where his army is leagues ahead of mine and does game-ending or crippling damage. I force myself to think about the pro-gamers that succeed despite those disadvantages. I'm not matching up against a progamer, not even close, and there's always an opportunity to get better at mimicking what works for them into a closer match or a win.
On May 26 2015 09:47 stuchiu wrote: I played about 30-50 games a day for 5 months and eventually became numb. Not sure if that helps though.
This is the only way to do it really. It's a hit to the ego to lose constantly. Eventually you just won't have an ego any more. It'll be beaten out of you at some point.
i don't understand how this is a problem tbh. i get mad when i lose, sometimes extremely mad and BM my opponent, but then i queue up for my next game and instantly don't care about the last one. you just keep playing? and if you start your next game and you're still mad and thinking about the last one then stop playing starcraft and do something else
i feel like people dance around the obvious basic advice that you shouldn't be playing if you're not enjoying it and you're not making money off of it. is it taboo to just say "stop playing starcraft if you're that upset"? it's not like starcraft is a necessary life skill for anyone who's not a progamer, it's recreation. if i'm watching a new TV show and it sucks i'm not going to keep on watching 30 more episodes and complaining about how much it sucks...
often i feel the problem isn't rage so much as it is people being psychologically addicted to playing the game and not having other hobbies to turn to. just do something else, it shouldn't be so intensely upsetting if starcraft isn't fun for a while
I stick to simpler tasks i know i can do at a time and i try to complete them.
Things that i've worked on this week. 10 games over 270 apm. 30 different control groups made on workers before starting my natural hatchery. Scout the gas timing every time. Put a timer up to hit injects.
Sounds like you should discard your rules (i.e. you shouldn't cheese, etc) and reevaluate your rules and make new ones. If you think like that like a lot of people do, you'll be handicapping yourself. For example, you won't proxy hatch because you think it's unhonorable or whatever, but really, if all you care about is the win, why not try to win!
I think being frustrated that you lost is healthy. But raging just doesn't help anything. It doesn't help you improve, it won't help your next ladder game so what is the point of going nuts and raging?
Losing a 1v1 game of SC2 is ego destroying. Iv'e played this game for 5 years and still get shit on every ladder session :D
On May 26 2015 08:51 Odowan Paleolithic wrote: Right now my remedy is to grab a p90 and blow some heads off or gank a young scanning character in EVE Wspace. Then I can come back laddering.
Eve is so much worse than SC2 when it comes to raging when losing.....
When I lost my shiny nullified cloaky proteus I just laughed. Since the guy was so lucky I landed next to him. I understand the loss. There is much less manner muling in that sense.
In sc2 it's annoying that I know I should have done something then kept thinking about it.
To get good? That's a bad reason to play SC2, in my opinion. Nobody is good. Unless you've won a GSL or are in at least Code-A, you're no good. Better opponents can still demolish you with troll builds that shouldn't work, etc... etc...
I don't mean that competition is pointless or bad... but playing "to get good" is too vaguely defined. How can you celebrate success? You get Masters - but then you aren't GM. You get GM - but then you aren't top of the ladder. You get top of the ladder - but then you haven't won any tournaments. You win some tournaments - but those didn't have any stiff Korean competition. You move to Korea - but you can't compete and you return home.
Playing to win will inevitably disappoint you. But learning to compete with humility, even with bm exploding all around you, is probably an important virtue to cultivate.
Personal development through healthy competition (learning to win and lose gracefully, learning to teach lesser players, learning to handle bm calmly, etc...) is a good reason to play SC2.
Play to get better at the game, play because you enjoy the game, play around with new strategies and perfect old ones, but play most of all to refine and strengthen your own character. That's my take, anyway.
Yesterday I lost a few games. But in one of those games, I managed to fly a single hunter-seekered muta back into his flock of ravens. Didn't kill them, but hey. Was a good night
My point being: you might want to try getting satisfaction out of things other then winning.
Also, what helped me out (not so much with anger, more with ladder anxiety): talk to your opponent a bit. He might like the same music, or live next door, or have a pet hamster. Very hard to get angry with people that have hamsters.
For me, I feel that knowing why you lost can really help reduce the rage. For instance, whenever I spent resources worse than my opponent (i.e. more banked resources) I would almost always lose. Knowing that it was something I did, and also knowing that it was something I could improve on with practice, made playing after losing much more bearable --> If I wanted to win, I just had to focus on X (spending resources better).
I went from never playing terran before to high diamond in 5 months' time without raging or hating the game
Go outside and tell your friends and family that you love them and that you want them to help you detach from the time you spend playing games. This emotional commitment is unhealthy.
I also think if you lose two games in a row (or even just one), its perhaps better to stop playing for the day because the anger and frustration can escalate especially when your playing the next games in tilt mode.
The other thing is that SC2 is not a logical game. Doesn't matter if you have 6 bases with a giant eco behind you.. still going to lose when your entire army gets bopped (things snowball out of control so fast in so many situations). This is my personal experience but SC2 seems to reward aggressive alot more than SC:BW especially on ladder. It means that instead of playing "standard" one should try to make life as difficult as they can to their opponent. This way you feel less frustrated knowing just how much annoyance ones caused even in defeat.
Unlike everyone other poster here it seems, I don't think the issue here is with the way you approach sc2.
There are similar phenomena in essentially any competitive game. be it computer games, board games or sports. I have heard several other people say (from first hand experience) that raging is not about the game, it is about frustration of some other part in your life that you struggle with. Solve or come to terms with your issues --> less rage. I have felt the same myself as well: if I have a bad day (or week, or month) at work, I tend to be less mannered when I do sports compared to when I'm on a roll at work.
So while maybe some of the advice here may help you dampen the symptom (the in-game rage), I think you need to come to terms with the real life struggles you may go through before you can truly take a loss in sc2 in a comfortable way.
Apologies for doing the internet psychologist. It is very rarely appreciated to be analysed by a random poster on internet, specially not if it happens to be accurate. I just have noticed how true this is in the cases I have come in contact with, so maybe it'll help you understand what is going on with you a bit more. If I am all wrong and it is really just about how you approach the game, then just man up and be nice to people, wth man...
I think it's in nature of SC2 because of how most games unfold. It's up up and then a sudden down.
Up = you build, you play seriously, you try to play flawlessly for X minutes Down = you insta-loss to something crappy
Imagine it like this, you work for days for something, putting your mind to %110, and then somebody comes and throws it out of window. Then you press play again button hastily just to live that experience again.
Some people just realize and accept this nature of the game, and play that way. They expect to lose however good they are playing from their perspective. It's like poker, your hand might be good but you can't be sure if opponent's better.
Some people play like they don't care. They pick a build and try to execute it without thinking much in the progress. Since the goal is to just practice the build, they don't feel frustration after losing.
For myself I'm a very lazy person. Therefore if I work hard for something, my effort is more valuable in my eyes than tryhard people's. So 1 silly game of SC2 is enough for me to quit game for months.
On May 26 2015 17:41 ETisME wrote: I normally just queue up another game. It forces me to refresh my mind.
If I keep losing non stop then I just get depressed rather than rage
The more I lose the more I queue up another game. When I am on a winning-streak I play like 4-5 games, when I am on a losing-streak I play like 15 games... hoping that it gets better but eventually losing to players two leagues below mine.
If you face a lot of people who rage at you, just laugh at it! Well, not ingame probably because it will make them rage even more =). But just laugh because they get so angry in a computergame (a game!) that they have to type it. Also know, when they are typing, they don't micro/inject/chrono/mule/scan/macro/.....
When I get angry I watch the replay and try to learn why I lost or what made me rage (winning never made someone angry) so when i face that issue again (that made me rage) i'll know how to handle it ingame so it won't make me lose/rage. If it wasn't gameplay that made me rage/angry but what the opponent said then just start muting people. Not seeing them rage makes you relax aswell!
The ladder is designed to provide you with a 50% win rate. If you only play to win, you are gambling by flipping a coin and feeling happy on one result and getting mad on the other.
Play to learn, to improve and develop expertise. If you win a game but did not hit specific benchmarks, that is a failure. If you lose a game but hit certain benchmarks perfectly, that is a success and what is more you have a replay you can analyse to identify what went wrong and what adjustments to make to stop it happening again.
Realise that if you win a game then the opponent did not play well enough to help you learn anything. If you lose a game you have the privilege of playing someone who made less mistakes than you did and has provided you with the information necessary to defeat them in the future. Squash any thought of blaming the opponent for your loss.
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same.
On May 26 2015 20:33 Startyr wrote: The ladder is designed to provide you with a 50% win rate. If you only play to win, you are gambling by flipping a coin and feeling happy on one result and getting mad on the other.
Play to learn, to improve and develop expertise. If you win a game but did not hit specific benchmarks, that is a failure. If you lose a game but hit certain benchmarks perfectly, that is a success and what is more you have a replay you can analyse to identify what went wrong and what adjustments to make to stop it happening again.
Realise that if you win a game then the opponent did not play well enough to help you learn anything. If you lose a game you have the privilege of playing someone who made less mistakes than you did and has provided you with the information necessary to defeat them in the future. Squash any thought of blaming the opponent for your loss.
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster and treat those two impostors just the same.
You made me make a account for this site. You have the best answer i saw in this whole topic. I do get angry sometimes but i dont really get angry. I was just reading the topic for the fun of it to see what others do. Then i refresh at the end and happy i did, because then your post came up. That is what i thought as well, not the whole of it at once, but in pieces. Thanks for this great post
To get good? That's a bad reason to play SC2, in my opinion. Nobody is good. Unless you've won a GSL or are in at least Code-A, you're no good. Better opponents can still demolish you with troll builds that shouldn't work, etc... etc...
I don't mean that competition is pointless or bad... but playing "to get good" is too vaguely defined. How can you celebrate success? You get Masters - but then you aren't GM. You get GM - but then you aren't top of the ladder. You get top of the ladder - but then you haven't won any tournaments. You win some tournaments - but those didn't have any stiff Korean competition. You move to Korea - but you can't compete and you return home.
Playing to win will inevitably disappoint you. But learning to compete with humility, even with bm exploding all around you, is probably an important virtue to cultivate.
Personal development through healthy competition (learning to win and lose gracefully, learning to teach lesser players, learning to handle bm calmly, etc...) is a good reason to play SC2.
Play to get better at the game, play because you enjoy the game, play around with new strategies and perfect old ones, but play most of all to refine and strengthen your own character. That's my take, anyway.
Sorry is my last quote of the day. This i found also a rememberable post.
Dont forget the description from Nony under his name: "Fucking up is part of it. If you can't fail, you have to always win. And I don't think you can always win." Elliott Smith ------ Yet no sudden rage darkened his face, and his eyes were calm as they studied her. Then he smiled. 'Witness.'
I just want to say, a big part of the problem lies with the structure of BattleNET for SC2. Now, granted battlenet is a great matchmaker in that it works and you can get a game any time 365 days a year.
But let me relate a story about my first fond experience playing online RTS games. I logged in to the Zone -an old MS gaming site years ago to play Total Annihilation. There I was able to meet friends and chat, and join a clan. My clannies were all awesome people and I would often log in just to chat.
When we played, it wasn't to PROVE SOMETHIN, it wasn't to GAIN POINTs and claim superiority. It was to practice and mess around with your friends. And often , that made you even better than people who took the game too seriously.
I tried that on SC2 chat, even going to the AdoptANewb site, but it just wasn't the same. Somehow, the community just doesn't seem to be able to congregate in a meaningful way on SC2's iteration of Battlenet. I don't know why that is, it just is.
In short, rage comes from this isolated experience of you vs the world, and not having a congregation of friend to enjoy this great game with. I think you should start to experience the game with others if at all possible. Hopefully Battlenet can be a better place to provide that in the future.
I remember I got really pissed after losing to DT's once. But normally I don't get upset after a loss.
After I started varying builds, as opposed to iterating a standard build, the game got more exciting and much less stressful. I was less focused on winning and more on learning a new strategy and having fun smashing unexpecting opponents. Doing a wide variety of builds, making some newbie mistakes and learning that some builds just lose to others and so on makes for a much less emotional impact than having your "perfected" standard build being destroyed by cheese or whatever.
Also, not caring particularly about rank or league is a huge factor as well. If you can get into a mindset where you realize that your rank really does not matter you will be less affected by a loss.
"Fake it until you make it" has never applied more imo
You don't stop raging cus you find a magical way to stop getting angry, you stop raging because you've made it a habit
I also get enraged to the point of retardation sometimes, and my habit is to always queue up the next game and never linger. The rage from the last game wont affect you in the next because after a while it's just what you do. Of course losing streaks just keep building sometimes and shit hits the fan, and thats as far as i've gotten with my philosophy of coping with the pathology of having sc2 ladder in your life
You don't need to have a great learning mindset to get decent at SC2, ive reached high master while throwing up at day9s mantras and hogging the "blowing off stream" thread. Not optimal of course, but it helps convincing yourself your anger and/or frustration isnt holding you back too much
playing against randoms on ladder aside, I've also found i feel a lot less frustrated after losing to a player whose name i recognise(like a streamer or a GM) or just a guy in some group channel i sometimes visit even though ive never talked to the guy, so what was said earlier about the "you against the world" sounds like a good take on it to me as well
In your post I can definitely recognize myself. I've always been a very competitive player, and often really bm in game but I think that I'm slowly fixing my attitude.
You say you want to be good at starcraft. I read some posts and it looks like this point is missing - if you quit playing for a while or play " just for fun" you're not gonna get good.
However to "get good" your goals should be long-term. That doesn't mean your goal has to be "I want to go pro", but at least something you can realistically in a few months of good practice. For example, "getting top 8 in my division", is not a good goal, because you might reach that thanks to a lucky winning streak, and then stop playing because you're not motivated enough, and go on a losing streak immediately after. If you're diamond, for example, getting masters or GM can be a good goal.
The result of having long-term goals is that you're not gonna play to win single games, but rather winning over a large period of time. To do this, it's more important to play a lot of games, than it is to win most of them. Before I realized this my typical practice was like: I get a few wins on ladder -> feel accomplished -> don't for a while not to ruin my record -> go on a massive losing streak because of my lack of practice -> extreme frustration. Now I'm more like: I get a few wins on ladder -> my long term goal is still very far away -> play more games -> I might lose more than 50% of them but it's still fine cause I played a lot and improved. or I lose a few games on ladder -> nice, because I'm even more motivated to play more, which will make me improve
This should reflect on your playstyle too. If you don't play for the single game wins, your style will become less coinflippy and as a result your losses will be less frustrating and your wins more rewarding. That doesn't mean you only have to play macro, but that you don't cheese just because you desperately need that ladder win.
Like someone said before - on short term you'll always be close to 50% winrate, it's fine. But if you practice hard enough, that 52-53% will result into massive improvements, which is what you're working for.
TL;DR play to win, but to win over a large period of time, not the single ladder game you're in.
EDIT: Also, try to force yourself to just type gg or at least leave without saying anything. If you bm your opponent, you are probably making yourself even more angry, other than ruining your reputation.
you have to have some personal introspection time about why you're raging and fix it: it's different for everyone.. Just always know what you're doing, like if you're going to go play dota to "blow off steam" then recognize that you're wasting your time with regards to getting better at starcraft.. to get better at starcraft, you need to be in a mood and humor that is conducive to breaking down your ego/intellect and reshaping it into something better.. people saying that it's "just a game" don't understand the competitive feeling apparently, because when you feel that drive it's not "just a game," just like a relationship isn't "just a relationship" although an outside observer might see it that way. don't let noobs bring you down for taking starcraft seriously, they're just noise, you need to meditate and learn who you are to become a better player and a better person.
People here have allready said all the interesting stuff about bettering your self and shit, so I will just give you the method I used to stop raging. 1. Never rage quit. Stay in the game for as long as you find reasonable, it helps to come to terms with it, and from time to time you get an epic comeback win cause the other guy does something very stupid, or you just weren't as dead as you thought. (P.S don't be a Firecake and hide Town Halls all over the map) 2. GG or nothing, save the insults for someone who deserves them, rather than someguy who is doing his best to win..
A quote from the talk that I like: "Your heart might be pounding, you might be breathing faster, maybe breaking out into a sweat. And normally, we interpret these physical changes as anxiety or signs that we aren't coping very well with the pressure. But what if you viewed them instead as signs that your body was energized, was preparing you to meet this challenge?"
As a short term strategy, you can take all that negative energy and drive it into your next match. I call it "using the tilt". In the long term, dealing with rage does involve changing the goal of each match, for example, from winning the match to hitting a benchmark. Playing the game with no social connection is a bad idea, so props to you for reaching out to the forum. Plenty of others have already contributed really good advice on those two points, so I'll just stop here. Good luck, have fun!
Sometimes I feel exactly like the OP so I can understand him. Im a calm and nice person but sometimes it turns me into an asshole. I don´t know why. It must be the fact that you are kind of anonymus on the Internet. And I don´t wanna be like that, like the OP said. This bugs me cause Im pretty close to 30.
What helps me is listening to aggressive music AFTER playing something that made me angry. I mostly listen to Heavy Metal and Electronic Music and soundtracks from Anime/Video Games but Metal is mostly the main genre I listen to. And there comes a band called Slayer into play. Their music is like a vent for me. Somehow all the anger is gone. This also works for me when I listen to Static-X, Ektomorf or Soulfly. Those are 4 bands I can always listen to no matter how I feel.
Try it. Listen to some music you like or that gives you a good feeling and maybe it works out.
think about why you're angry, really ask yourself if there's a reason to be angry (most of the time there really isnt). dont think of the game as a way to win and lose but a way to learn.
Stop playing to win and start playing to improve. A part of your gameplay is bad? Practice it until it's on the same level as your other skills. You loose to a certain build or a certain matchup? Practice it, try new things. Stop paying attention to points and start paying attention to yoru own gameplay. I havent played in 2 years or so but I've never been angry that I lost - every defeat is a learning experience, you can either suck it up and learn or get angry at the game and gain nothing from it.
Sometimes the worst thing you can do is play seriously. I speak from experience, and I would often absolutely go bat shit annoyed if I did badly in certain games.
Honestly, it's so much more conducive to learning and improving to play around.
It isn't 100% relevant, but it explains a few things that have helped me in learning and practicing new/old things in life.
I would get angry not to loose, but to keep getting matched against people who were former diamond/master while i am just silver. There are no new players in this game and it feels like everybody is at least platinium level, even in silver league because that's just where the players that just play a few games a month and thus don't get promoted are. It's just impossible to be matched with players with similar skill and you can't improve when you just face people that roflstomp you because they are not in the league they are supposed to be in. And most of the time when you ask someone how to deal with what they did they just call you a noob and insult you. It's a weird mentality in MOBA/RTS where as soon as you start typing something, no matter what, you are instantly a whiner and you should just "shut up and play".
I just want to say thanks to everyone for posting here. I've read every single post and I will try to put your advice to good use. As stated, I know it's my issue and something for me to resolve - I blame no other player but myself, even if I'm being harassed and/or bm'd.
A lot of my frustration stems from my perceived issues with game balance (especially at non-pro levels). I can either continue to be frustrated and gripe about this or adapt and change. The latter is more productive, I'm sure.
Again, thank you for your input and advice. If you wrote it, I read it. I appreciate your taking the time to help.
EPT
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I just have noticed how true this is in the cases I have come in contact with, so maybe it'll help you understand what is going on with you a bit more. If I am all wrong and it is really just about how you approach the game, then just man up and be nice to people, wth man...
