It's ridiculously easy to find yourself sat with the StarCraft II menu open, but simply not playing. Whether it's ladder anxiety, rage or just straight procrastination I notice that half the time I spend 'on' StarCraft, I'm actually just putting off laddering or practising.
What do you, personally, do to motivate yourself to hit the button and get into a game.
Maybe you've had a rough few games, maybe you've been cheesed to Hell, or simply you're just not in the mood. What is it that you do to get yourself into gear to start ownin' 'dem nubs?
League of Legends is hard because of how long the games are (usually 45min - 1hour), sc2 the games are 20-30 minutes and are straight forward in knocking out.
First off here is your problem. You aren't a pro. You play the game for fun and enjoyment. Ladder anxiety still doesn't make any sense to me. You are a guy on the interent, no one knows you, no one cares how you play on the ladder it's stupid to have that problem. Mindset I have is, am I in the mood to play SC II and have fun? That's what motivates me to have fun. Because at the end of the day its a game, people play it for fun. We watch it played for fun. Even the pros, if they don't have fun playing it shouldn't play it.
On May 09 2013 00:03 Tubbzie wrote: It's ridiculously easy to find yourself sat with the StarCraft II menu open, but simply not playing. Whether it's ladder anxiety, rage or just straight procrastination I notice that half the time I spend 'on' StarCraft, I'm actually just putting off laddering or practising.
What do you, personally, do to motivate yourself to hit the button and get into a game.
Maybe you've had a rough few games, maybe you've been cheesed to Hell, or simply you're just not in the mood. What is it that you do to get yourself into gear to start ownin' 'dem nubs?
It's as simple as that. Why would I ever "motivate" myself to play SC2? It's not my job, it doesn't pay my bills, it's not a hobby whose mastery makes me a better person, so there's no pressure at all to get better.
Personally I find my self doing the same, a few things I do to motivate myself 1) watch decent StarCraft2 streams to get my self in the mood 2) just click the Play button and just go with it, sounds stupid but if you just click the play button then there is no backing out with how quick matches are found 3) just relax and have fun playing, if you are getting cheesed to hell, or frustrated while playing then stop and have a break, then come back refreshed and ready to ladder 4) set your self a target on the ladder, like " I'll play till I win 5 matches today" or something along those lines
If you find yourself needing to work up the motivation to play, then maybe you should find a different game to be honest. Just play when you feel like it
I had a LOT of ladder anxiety in the past, but I got over it when I realized that I was playing the game for two reasons: to have fun, and to get better. Since then I haven't had any anxiety (except for when moving up to a new league). Before I let go of my anxiety I was in gold and now I'm in diamond. Letting go of ladder anxiety was the best thing that could happen to my ranking
Play 10 decent games or so, lose to a Protoss or Zerg who are mechanically a league below me but have the race to prop them up, get tired of game, repeat next day.
I get motivation from mistakes and games i lost. When I get owned pretty bad I always check the replay for critical errors I made and simply search for another game keeping in mind how to improve and avoid mistakes.
As previously said, noone really knows who you are and people dont care about your stats so just keep playing constantly trying to improve small things.
well for SC2 i suffer a bit from ladder anxiety even though i'm not good at the game. what i usually do is just watch a stream before playing and force myself to press the play button. From there i just try to have fun and learn at the same time.
seriously if its that hard to play a game, play something else it supposed to be enjoyable. I dont have enough hours in the day to sit there wondering if i want to play a few games..
If I want to play then I play, if I don't then I don't. This is not my job like it is some peoples, if its not enjoyable stop playing. I stopped having fun for two years then started again with HOTS, the game is not as good as it could be but it's on its way.
What dissuaded me for the longest time was the frustration I would get from losing. I advocate putting in a couple days of practice at the "professional," level. I would say in the range of 30 games, not what most pros practice but within the range of someone looking to get better.
What wound up happening after doing this a few times was I learned how to lose well. It takes you out of the mindset that each game is some reflection of personal failure or insult and helps you see the game mechanically. It really only increased my existing desire to play, by subtracting what turns most off of ranked games.
i used to be afraid of playing 1v1s. now i'm not, because all i do is the funday monday. if i lose, it's okay, because i gave myself a handicap, so under normal circumstances i will lose.
try playing unranked and just keep on laddering. Cause of the new bonus pool, remember that every win counts for like 3 loses, or makes up for rather, so just dont worry about laddering, just gogo and have fun
If you're having a hard time finding motivation I suspect your mindset is too much about winning and not enough about learning - you should try to approach it from a perspective of an opportunity to understand the game more instead of making "being good" your end goal.
If you have to do certain exercises and rituals and things to make yourself play you're not really addressing the problem. Forcing yourself to play is a simple as pressing the button, you need to have the self-discipline and self-motivation to do it. If you're a competitive person who plays the game to get better at it and improve, you need to have the self-discipline to make yourself play. That's really the main difference between an amateur and professional. The professional either enjoys playing the game enough, or cares enough about improving, to motivate himself to play. If you neither enjoy the game enough to play it, or care enough about improving to play it, you should not be playing this game. That's just the way it is.
I'm pretty sure when people say ladder anxiety, they really mean fear of losing or losing their rank. Get rid of this by understanding that the best players in the world all had terrible losing streaks, losing is required to get better, and that getting better, not WINNING is your goal. If your goal is just to win, make proxy gates every game. If you want to get better, treat every loss like you paying a player in ladder points for a lesson in improvement.
On May 09 2013 00:03 Tubbzie wrote: It's ridiculously easy to find yourself sat with the StarCraft II menu open, but simply not playing. Whether it's ladder anxiety, rage or just straight procrastination I notice that half the time I spend 'on' StarCraft, I'm actually just putting off laddering or practising.
What do you, personally, do to motivate yourself to hit the button and get into a game.
Maybe you've had a rough few games, maybe you've been cheesed to Hell, or simply you're just not in the mood. What is it that you do to get yourself into gear to start ownin' 'dem nubs?
Tubbzie.
haha. You rage. My suggestion to beat rage, try pissing people off. Talking smack is part of sports.
Its like that person who cut you off driving, instead of getting mad just get in front of them.
I simply enjoy playing Starcraft 2. I think if you require some sort of ulterior motive to play the game besides playing because you enjoy, you really have a problem and shouldn't force yourself to play.
If you aren't playing, you have an anxiety issue. Or you don't enjoy the game (so you shouldn't be playing anyway). SC2 is a game / hobby / passion -- if you have to force yourself to play, what does that say about your choice of passions?
I play because I enjoy the competition, the ups and downs of competitive ladder, and the thrill of defeating another human being.
On May 09 2013 01:15 heyoka wrote: If you're having a hard time finding motivation I suspect your mindset is too much about winning and not enough about learning - you should try to approach it from a perspective of an opportunity to understand the game more instead of making "being good" your end goal.
I completely agree.
Your successes are the fuel for your continued practice. Having successes is just a matter of setting the right goals.
Focus on short term achievable goals like "I'm going to try making 60 workers every game" or "I'm going to remember to get upgrades". Let those be the thing you aim for. If you play this way, you can't "lose" to someone, because your goal is has nothing to do with winning or losing. That will reduce anxiety.
Play to meet specific, measurable, meaningful and achievable ( in no more than a couple days practice) goals.
If that doesn't work, play Dota 2. Maybe you're just not playing the game that fits your personality.
Sometimes I find myself wanting to play Starcraft when I'm unable to, and then when I do have the time, not wanting to play something quite so competitive. It's funny because that same competitive aspect can at times drive me to play the game. But when I feel that I just want to relax, I'll play unranked and maybe try a new strategy or something against weaker opponents. At times even after a single unranked game, that in itself is motivating enough to make me want to play ranked.
Watching streams sometimes has a similar effect. I'll see someone executing a certain strategy and finding myself wanting to try it out for myself. My execution never goes quite as well as it did in my head, but it's enough to make me want to try. Watching replays might help as well. Hell, sometimes just opening the game is enough.
On May 09 2013 00:03 Tubbzie wrote: What is it that you do to get yourself into gear to start ownin' 'dem nubs?
Tubbzie.
When I have no motivation to play SC2 I do not play SC2. I am not a progamer and SC2 is not a job for me and I also have many other hobbies and interests and ways to spend my free time. When I do play SC2 I usually play against normal people of similar skill level because that's how matchmaking works. I do not "own them nubs". And here is why:
Owning them nubs is pretty difficult since majority of said nubs hardly play SC2 at all. They usually sit with SC2 menu open, simply not playing. They call it ladder anxiety, losing on ladder to them is a tragedy of the life. Since nub values himself so high he cannot stand this rude awakening, this objective demonstration of his real skill. However being a nub he still feels like he must play SC2 even when he doesn't feel like it, even when he has no motivation at all. I have no idea why, I can only guess, and none of the guesses is pretty. Well but enough about them useless nubs.
Take your mindset off of the ladder ranking, wins losses, etc. Instead, focus purely on what goes on in the game. If you lose, so what? Good chance to improve. If it's a cheese, watch the replay.
If anything Im trying to make myself play less. I feel like if I play too much without having an actual goal (something to improve etc) I will very easily stop improving all together and I definitely dont want that.
On May 09 2013 01:52 Dfgj wrote: If I'm not already motivated I don't play. It's not a job.
The problem with these kind of replies is the failure to realize that just because someone does not want to play at first, does not mean that the person won't find themselves having fun after a game or two. But that satisfaction that you get from winning a game isn't going to be there when you first queue a game up.
If I don't feel like playing, I don't play. I haven't been doing well the last couple days so I have been taking a break and playing Star Command on my phone or I hook up my PC to my TV and play some LA Noire or Borderlands 2. Or I haven't been playing games at all. I am working through a book on learning Python right now as well as a book on using Unix in context to Mac OS (wow Unix is awesome. It's so useful and can do things so much faster than going through GUIs).
Other times I just feel like playing and can go for hours straight. This especially happens when I want to perfect a strategy (like right now I am practicing perfecting the 2 immortal/2 colossus timing that we see a lot in GSL. I am finally winning PvZ again because of it).
Unranked helps a lot too. If I feel like I am at the start of a losing streak I just play that instead for a bit. Or go on Korea server and get stomped more, but I just play more for fun on there than competitively.
On May 09 2013 00:03 Tubbzie wrote: It's ridiculously easy to find yourself sat with the StarCraft II menu open, but simply not playing. Whether it's ladder anxiety, rage or just straight procrastination I notice that half the time I spend 'on' StarCraft, I'm actually just putting off laddering or practising.
What do you, personally, do to motivate yourself to hit the button and get into a game.
Maybe you've had a rough few games, maybe you've been cheesed to Hell, or simply you're just not in the mood. What is it that you do to get yourself into gear to start ownin' 'dem nubs?
Tubbzie.
Best way? Dumb your girlfriend and stop hanging out with people. Time is money and the less you spend on SC2 the less confidence you will have when grinding the ladder.
Good way? Have "mini-goals" so that the pressure of total victory becomes meaningless. If the goal is "get 3 reapers out and start a CC after" then whenever you do that consider that a win and dick around for the rest of the game. Keep doing that until its boring--then start a new mini goal that jumps off of the first one. This allows you to segment the game into its base parts allowing you the freedom to not have to worry about being perfect for a full match giving you less pressure.
Decent way? Don't aim for "number of games per day" but instead plan for blocks of time. For example, playing SC2 an hour a day would mean you ladder for 1-2 games and have enough time to hit customs for the last 10ish minutes. Or maybe you feel like rushing that day so you cheese 4-5 times and do a nexus war after. This transforms your relationship to the games as time spending instead of win earning--reducing the pressure of laddering. If the first game was 45 minutes and you only have 15 minutes left, then do a custom game or two instead of laddering up. Or, if you decide to ladder up instead of custom, just cheese for a short 10-15 minute game so you stay within your schedule.
Think about it like eating an apple. Its hard to shove a whole apple into your mouth, it's easier if you bite pieces off at a time. When grinding through ladder games, you either quit the world and swallow it whole or you break it down to bite size pieces.
Do yourself a favor and just dont play if you dont want to or you might end up with a problem "how do you motivate yourself to stop playing sc2 all the time".
Maybe you should take a break. Try doing something else for a while, like even a week.
On May 09 2013 02:18 syriuszonito wrote: Do yourself a favor and just dont play if you dont want to or you might end up with a problem "how do you motivate yourself to stop playing sc2 all the time".
On May 09 2013 01:52 Dfgj wrote: If I'm not already motivated I don't play. It's not a job.
The problem with these kind of replies is the failure to realize that just because someone does not want to play at first, does not mean that the person won't find themselves having fun after a game or two. But that satisfaction that you get from winning a game isn't going to be there when you first queue a game up.
If the process of playing doesn't motivate a person to do it on its own merit, then a way to force motivation is just a band-aid over the fact they don't enjoy the game. People aren't goldfish, they can remember the satisfaction of winning and playing if it's there for them at all.
On May 09 2013 02:30 Erik.TheRed wrote: All I need to do is tune in to some GSL/WCS or watch white-ra pwn some dudes with special tactics and I feel pumped up enough to ladder all day
Best motivation for me is when my GF goes out of town for a week to visit family lol
See the 89 billion other threads on this discussion. Not trying to be a jerk but frankly this question has been asked more times then I can count and there is countless suggestions on the topic in those other threads. When it comes to motivation HoTS doesn't really change the answers to that topic.
You shouldn't have to motivate yourself to play sc2... it's the funnest game on earth just play lol. I look forward every day to getting home from school and sitting down and playing, that's the only motivation you should need.
On May 09 2013 00:10 Jalued wrote: Watching good sc players helps cause it gives me a false sense that I can actually play this game After a few games those hopes fade away...
Haha this kinda happens to me as well, but every time I fail I'm getting more impressed by the pros!
I don't understand this phenomenon. Nobody is saying you have to play. You have no obligation. You should do what you find fun. If you're not tempted to press the find match button, clearly you're not having fun..
I don't. I tell myself I should cut back on the 1v1s and try to spend my time in a more productive manner. Yet slowly, invevitably the call of the starcraft becomes unbearably alluring and I crawl back to it much like a heroin addict to his next dose, all the while hating myself for it.
On May 09 2013 04:15 Demicore wrote: I don't. I tell myself I should cut back on the 1v1s and try to spend my time in a more productive manner. Yet slowly, invevitably the call of the starcraft becomes unbearably alluring and I crawl back to it much like a heroin addict to his next dose, all the while hating myself for it.
On May 09 2013 03:58 Pokebunny wrote: I don't understand this phenomenon. Nobody is saying you have to play. You have no obligation. You should do what you find fun. If you're not tempted to press the find match button, clearly you're not having fun..
Its the problem with being given both responsibility and culpability. It's not Starcraft2 related but is a human reaction when you give someone something that feels too "big" for them to handle.
For example, when I walk on the edge of a sidewalk, I don't feel like I will fall into the street. but if I walked on the edge of a rooftop, I will feel like I will fall to the ground. The mechanics for both is the same, but the consequences for both are highly different.
If your quality of skill is judge based on your performance--then you fear having a bad performance because it directly relates to your quality as a player within the social network of the SC2 ladder.
SC2 being a competitive game for competitive people, most players don't like the idea of "settling for mediocre" and hence feel bad that they're only [below masters] and their failures feel amplified and their successes feel minuscule.
Because playing matches against friends *feels* different than playing matches against the ladder.
Sometimes what I do when I feel kinda like playing SC2 and kinda don't is try to find a playstyle that's different from my own (3 base ultras, phoenix PvT etc) and still looks like lots of fun, go learn the basic timings, then make my goal on ladder that day to find out how to best execute it.
This makes Starcraft more fun in the short term, and in the long-term I feel it's beneficial because I can learn different styles, increasing my repertoire and maybe even finding something I want to go back to repeatedly
My motivation drops when I compare it to DotA/Hon. But when I get to a certain level in Hon/DotA I want to go back to sc2. Since sc2 is induvidual play. Hard to keep doing one game all the time. But honestly: Sometimes it feels like it is impossible to reach GM without cheesing to an extent of really trying to win many games without practising at the same time.
I've been facing this same problem for quite a while now. For me it's simply too difficult to play a game because the loss feels really discouraging. Maybe it's that I don't quite understand HotS yet or maybe it's just because I don't find it that enjoyable anymore. As a Protoss player, for some reason, I simply don't find SCII to be that fun anymore.
However, I love being a spectator and those sort of things. SCII will still be one of my most favorite games to watch and definitely my most favorite E-Sport. Heck, spectating gets me into the game, so I suppose my answer would be that if you are having a rough time finding the energy to play, take a while off just to watch some castings and what not.
Don't let that rank stop you from playing. Guess what, none gives a shit about your rank. Just play to have fun and improve. You definately won't get better from just sitting there.
i open my 3gig collection of boxer images and view them in a slide show as i open up a fresh bottle of vaseline. after fiddling for a bit i get so excited that i must own some noobs in sc2.
On May 09 2013 04:26 Ballack wrote: Don't let that rank stop you from playing. Guess what, none gives a shit about your rank. Just play to have fun and improve. You definately won't get better from just sitting there.
Poker is also easy until you have your life savings on the table. The mechanics don't change but the *pressure* to win does. In the end, this is all in the mind and some people have better strength than others.
On May 09 2013 01:52 Dfgj wrote: If I'm not already motivated I don't play. It's not a job.
The problem with these kind of replies is the failure to realize that just because someone does not want to play at first, does not mean that the person won't find themselves having fun after a game or two. But that satisfaction that you get from winning a game isn't going to be there when you first queue a game up.
If the process of playing doesn't motivate a person to do it on its own merit, then a way to force motivation is just a band-aid over the fact they don't enjoy the game. People aren't goldfish, they can remember the satisfaction of winning and playing if it's there for them at all.
The lack of motivation is like a mild form of ladder anxiety, and it stems from not being guaranteed victory. Your individual games may not be inherently fun; after enough games, practically all of the enjoyment comes from the competitive aspect, or more specifically, winning. Saying that I therefore do not "enjoy" the game is semantics, as you seem to be implying that the competitive component of the game is not an integral part of it.
On May 09 2013 03:58 Pokebunny wrote: I don't understand this phenomenon. Nobody is saying you have to play. You have no obligation. You should do what you find fun. If you're not tempted to press the find match button, clearly you're not having fun..
Lol, this.
If you are lacking motivation to play computer games, then go do something valuable with your time?
Now if you are tired or angry and afraid you won't play well, that is what team games and unranked are for, but to be honest I have been wishing that I could lose my motivation to play for the past 15 years...
On May 09 2013 00:26 oGsTrueSmug wrote: Play 10 decent games or so, lose to a Protoss or Zerg who are mechanically a league below me but have the race to prop them up, get tired of game, repeat next day.
If you are losing to someone who has shit mechanics, than you actually don't know how to play.
If you feel like you should be playing more than you are and have trouble wanting to play, you are either putting to much pressure on your results or you simply don't enjoy the game as much as you used to. Perhaps take a break--if you really love the game, you will want to come back. If not, you'll find something else to do with your time.
It's normal to feel guilty for playing too much. Unless gaming is your job, you shouldn't feel guilty for playing too little :D
I have switched from SC2 to Dota 2 almost entirely. Maybe when the honeymoon is over I'll play some SC2, but for now, if there is not something I need to be doing RIGHT THIS MINUTE, I'm playing Dota 2. No motivation needed.
Where in the op did it say "feel free to discuss whether it's right or wrong to take Starcraft 2 seriously". Lots of posts like that which are very pointless. If you guys don't "get" the entire ladder anxiety and the will to get good, why do you post here? How serious players take a game is their own business and based on their opinion, not yours. What's so hard to get?
On topic: I don't know how to get rid of it, and it's tougher if i win a few games to motivate myself to play another. Sometimes i can spam games, sometimes i can't!
If you can't find a goal that lies behind that practice/ladder session you will reach nothing, because many times during that you will discover you are forcing yourself, pretending to train.
The other thing is, if you can't find a "fun" in practicing it will most likely fail.
Professional gamers most of the time reached the state they don't conciously have fun from playing a game as a whole, they garner the fun in details, or in achievements / feats of strenght. This is more like artisan honing his art, it can be tied to an ego and self-esteem as well.
Compare two mind-sets one is casual one is determined to do better. Both are having fun.
In case of Starcraft that would be:
Casual gamer "I made 4gate all-in, i crushed this silver-scrub" Feel of Contentment
Aspiring pro-gamer "My 4gate was done in x:xx time, and i hit him well, however he scouted my pylon, next time i will think for a better position blabla". Feel of wanting more and more.
Before, if I wasn't motivated to play, I wouldn't ladder at all. Now if I'm like 50% motivated I'll just play unranked since I can play a lot more relaxed.
I just watched a handless guy playing with a wooden spoon in his teeth to push keyboard keys and moving his mouse with his chin playing. If he can do it, why can't I?
I only play when I want to. I really enjoy the game and the strategy and certain aspects of the community, so even though I'm busy with finishing up school I watch a lot of streamers and tournaments which helps me not forget how to play, and then when I have time and want to play I just hop on and hit the play button and ladder. If I'm having a particularly bad day or playing particularly bad then I'll just quit and watch a movie or read or something. The game shouldn't be something you have to "make" yourself do. Enjoy it or don't do it.
On May 09 2013 00:26 oGsTrueSmug wrote: Play 10 decent games or so, lose to a Protoss or Zerg who are mechanically a league below me but have the race to prop them up, get tired of game, repeat next day.
I think I have played you before. It was by far the easiest win of my life ^^.
I had people drop 0 seconds into the game--I don't know it can be easier than that.
Read "Don't shoot the dog," by Karen Pryor. It's about operant conditioning in day to day life, with examples from animal training.
In one example, she has a Wall Street guy stop "cursing himself" when he messes up his shots when playing squash, and instead just praise himself when he does good shots. Within a week or two he liked playing a ton more and played far stronger than before.
Assuming you don`t like the game... Then don`t play it.
Assuming it is ladder anxiety... just remember no stranger gives a crap what your rank is, or how many losses and wins you have. Sure, there might be a few occasions where some BM kid will talk shit after beating you, but honestly who cares what some 12 year old nerd says to you online. Or if you feel like a failure for losing, just remember you are not pro-gamer and your life isn`t ruined losing random ladder games. Just be glad you can even play games....there`s billions of people around the world who don`t have that luxury and are just glad to have a roof over their heads and food.
I pretty much had to stop playing because my attitude toward the game became so bad when I started to stagnate in masters league. I don't even rage really, I just get increasingly depressed and get nothing out of it. A ladder session can easily ruin my whole day so I had to stop. Which is strange because I can play dota2 for 5+ hours easily even through losses, and am always asking myself how I can improve, what I did badly in that game, don't blame my team, etc. Something about SC2 just "broke" my mind I guess.
On May 09 2013 06:56 mango_destroyer wrote: Assuming you don`t like the game... Then don`t play it.
Assuming it is ladder anxiety... just remember no stranger gives a crap what your rank is, or how many losses and wins you have. Sure, there might be a few occasions where some BM kid will talk shit after beating you, but honestly who cares what some 12 year old nerd says to you online. Or if you feel like a failure for losing, just remember you are not pro-gamer and your life isn`t ruined losing random ladder games. Just be glad you can even play games....there`s billions of people around the world who don`t have that luxury and are just glad to have a roof over their heads and food.
I hate this assumption.
Ladder anxiety is not that you care what others think of your rank, it's when YOU care about your rank. It's when you care about YOUR successes, YOUR failures. Ladder anxiety is when you don't think you're good enough and having that lack of confidence crash your skill. Its Miya beating everyone in the teamhouse and never winning a match. It's MKP owning a tournament--and then losing in the finals... again. It's when you beat yourself.
when i watch some vods of my favorite players, or just the top protosses in general, i'm always going to see build orders or styles that i REALLY want to try, you should try viewing some vods and i'm sure the same will happen to you
On May 09 2013 00:26 oGsTrueSmug wrote: Play 10 decent games or so, lose to a Protoss or Zerg who are mechanically a league below me but have the race to prop them up, get tired of game, repeat next day.
My problem is for me i don't look at starcraft as a relaxing game. I love it very much but its a tense high paced scenario. I don't have ladder anxiety but im lazy and i sit there thinking to myself. " Do i really have the energy to play right now?" after i just worked 8 or more hrs and then worked out for 1.5-2hrs. The answer 90% of the time is no. and thats why i never spend my bonus pools T.T
On May 09 2013 06:56 mango_destroyer wrote: Assuming you don`t like the game... Then don`t play it.
Assuming it is ladder anxiety... just remember no stranger gives a crap what your rank is, or how many losses and wins you have. Sure, there might be a few occasions where some BM kid will talk shit after beating you, but honestly who cares what some 12 year old nerd says to you online. Or if you feel like a failure for losing, just remember you are not pro-gamer and your life isn`t ruined losing random ladder games. Just be glad you can even play games....there`s billions of people around the world who don`t have that luxury and are just glad to have a roof over their heads and food.
I hate this assumption.
Ladder anxiety is not that you care what others think of your rank, it's when YOU care about your rank. It's when you care about YOUR successes, YOUR failures. Ladder anxiety is when you don't think you're good enough and having that lack of confidence crash your skill. Its Miya beating everyone in the teamhouse and never winning a match. It's MKP owning a tournament--and then losing in the finals... again. It's when you beat yourself.
I mentioned multiple assumptions as he never specified why. In that very same paragraph if you actually read it, I also mentioned about if he felt it was his own failure for losing causing anxiety.
Quite a few people miss the underlying question, and a few formulated it right: Seems like it's about needing a little help to dive into the game.
It's cliché, but I'm gonna say it anyway: What do you think about when you are there in the main screen, but not starting a game ? I'm interested in your answer. And like Gallerz did, I'll answer it for myself:
What makes me excited about playing starcraft is that I love to progress, learn, and find it satisfying when I my execution is on my top level throughout the game.
What makes me not play is when I feel I'm not in top shape.
My ways around it all revolve around focusing on the learning and not the ladder:
1: I read about some builds and practice them. 2: I find a practice partner because I love to practice the same matchup many times over. (In the chats or, I'm lucky, I have a friend who's better than me in all 3 races) 3: Variation of 1: I play very focused on 1 thing. A mix of a funday monday with a practice twist on a weakness. I think: I'm going to use more X unit, try to never engage without pressuring with drops, expand more, all in more.
All of this is very often by VODs wich inspired me. I try to watch less caster-fun VODs (husky) for more 1rst person VODs where I see the player all the time, hear his reasonning and build order. Seeing plays from player's perspective helps me accept a lot how chaotic it can be to play compared to what we see on casted replays. This is also where I get most of my ideas for 1-2-3: What I want to try in my play. VODs I watch are adapted because I'm a lower league french protoss ( so I watch anoss, tod and desrow's french tutorials), but also personalities I love and that explain well on stream (incontrol, grubby, psy on youtube, day 9 archives)
TL:DR : I feel the same way. I play unranked, switch the focus from feeling not at my best by focusing on learning, practicing a particular build/unit/element inspired by VODs
If you have to force yourself to play, just quit the game. It's about finding the game fun to play, which motivates. I can understand the ladder anxiety, but the only way you can avoid that is simply by playing 1v1's, and keep doing it. Once you played enough 1v1's, your anxiety is gone for most part.
On May 09 2013 00:26 oGsTrueSmug wrote: Play 10 decent games or so, lose to a Protoss or Zerg who are mechanically a league below me but have the race to prop them up, get tired of game, repeat next day.
User was warned for this post
oh please.
I Play all three races at master level.
Difficulty varies a bit yes, but stop acting like are a pro.
You are not at the skill level, to even maximize any of the races.
Just click the "Find Match" button and know that you'll improve just by clicking it.
Sometimes you'll get frustrated or angry or sad. If that happens, just walk away and do something else for a while. Maybe...study for finals or something. =P
Yup, definitely lots of unranked as training to get a large quantity of games in with minimal stress. Once you hit plat/dia players start to get considerably more serious about the game, which can make it challenging to compete. Learning new build orders from pros is motivation for me
I often feel inspired to play, when a tournament is ongoing or I'm watching a stream, sadly this will mean I will miss the stream and I often pick the stream over playing myself.
It seems a bit weird to make solutions to other peoples problems, when I myself suffer from it, but what I've found, is that if you don't celebrate a victory and gain happiness from a win, as much as a loss will devastate you, you will find it extremely difficult to motivate yourself to play Starcraft.
Sometimes I don't have any urge to play 1vs1, only team games because they are less stressful and no pressure. If I lose 1vs1 games I will just get upset because i know it was all my fault that I lost.
i like to play as long as i am improving, no matter how many losses i take. if i keep losing and i cant figure out why i stop playing because it becomes frustrating rather than entertainment
I open my redbull, watch a stream/vods while I sip it to get into the mood of crushing faces then start my owning playlist music and go into a killing spree on ladder.
On May 31 2013 01:44 Firestorm wrote: The psychology of playing an unranked game isn't really any different than playing a ranked one?
Its the lack of a punishment/reward system.
You lose points when you lose, gain points when you win. This is too much pressure for most people--even if it's fake pressure.
Play poker with money, play poker without money. Different feel in both games. Play poker with chips, play poker without chips (no money involved), different feel in both games.
i like to play as long as i am improving, no matter how many losses i take. if i keep losing and i cant figure out why i stop playing because it becomes frustrating rather than entertainment
This. If you want to rephrase your question to "how do I stay motivated to do things I dont enjoy?". My answer would be find something you like about it or stop doing it.
I built a website (http://sc2replaystats.com/) to give me information on what i was doing on the ladder. I found that more information helps me get over the ladder anxiety, since its the unkown that freaks people out. With the more information i was able to improve my game, and in turn that helped me with the motivation and ladder anxiety.
Don't have a good solution besides get a second account for the days where you can win a game i start losing a bunch in a row i jump on over to my second account and that helps.
But i agree with some of the people above, turn on some music, grab a drink and just hit that find match button !
I find it harder to start playing, but when I do start I can easily just keep playing. Especially when I'm losing I have the urge to continue playing, winning gives me the satisfaction but losing will keep pushing me. I've had friends who didn't want to play because they simply didn't find ladder fun or became incredibly aggrovated by the losses. The setting goals strategy is not bad, if you're finding yourself incredibly frustrated try to make an effort to hold it in or gg.
Set yourself a fun goal. This week it's to figure out factory timings for mech. Even though I'm losing I don't really BM or whine because I'm trying to figure out how it all works and I KNOW my build order isn't very good. I'm only platinum so people would say "focus on macro/improving etc" but if I feel like I'm having a bad weekend I will pound out 5 flat out macro games where all I do is hit 3/3 and 200 as fast as humanly possible with 18 barracks and time my remaxes. Even if I lose, I still win if my 3/3 and 200 was faster.
I don't suffer ladder anxiety. I just don't force myself to play Starcraft longer than my interest holds. These days that's about 5-7 games or so. Who cares if you win or lose so long as you enjoy what you do.
Well for me personally, If i don't feel like playing I won't play. I'm not gonna force myself. I haven't played since hots beta and don't really have a desire to. If you aren't motivated to play a game for fun(games are for fun) then why force yourself?
On May 31 2013 02:39 ReachTheSky wrote: Well for me personally, If i don't feel like playing I won't play. I'm not gonna force myself. I haven't played since hots beta and don't really have a desire to. If you aren't motivated to play a game for fun(games are for fun) then why force yourself?
Ladder anxiety is not a lack of desire to play the game--it is a desire to play the game conflicting with an unbearably amount of stress either before, during, and/or after any given game. The confusing feelings is what causes people to start these threads.
If they simply didn't have fun, that would be easy. The problem is that they *still* want to play the game.
Why not just play unranked ? Or maybe play on a different server without pressure ? I usually have the opposite problem though. If i start to play its hard to stop, cant really do just one or two games. It will always be more in the end :/
On May 31 2013 02:49 ROOTFayth wrote: I tried unranked and it doesn't even seem to work, you just play vs huge scrubs most of the time, doesn't seem to take into account ur MMR
On May 31 2013 02:49 ROOTFayth wrote: I tried unranked and it doesn't even seem to work, you just play vs huge scrubs most of the time, doesn't seem to take into account ur MMR
It works like normal matchmaking, but you start at the beginnign again and play bronze players at first. It sucks a bit, but after a few games you play your normal skilllevel. Its like starting a new account i think.
On May 31 2013 02:49 ROOTFayth wrote: I tried unranked and it doesn't even seem to work, you just play vs huge scrubs most of the time, doesn't seem to take into account ur MMR
It works like normal matchmaking, but you start at the beginnign again and play bronze players at first. It sucks a bit, but after a few games you play your normal skilllevel. Its like starting a new account i think.
I disagree. Most people choose unranked because they want to try a race they usually don't, or some goofy strat that probably won't work. You almost never get a 'normal' game in unranked because almost nobody is playing their best. If they were on their game, they'd be playing ranked.
In my opinion, there's no cure to ladder anxiety if you're afraid of losing. You just have to not be afraid of losing. The worst thing that can happen is if you're almost #1, so you pull lots of tricks in games and maybe cheese players you know are better. You hit that rank and you're happy, but now you have to face even better players, and your 'standard' game is lagging behind.
The only thing you can do here is shrug, say 'it happens', and play your best standard game when it suits you, and cheese when it suits you. Just trust the ranking system and don't think too much about your WL
On May 31 2013 02:49 ROOTFayth wrote: I tried unranked and it doesn't even seem to work, you just play vs huge scrubs most of the time, doesn't seem to take into account ur MMR
I've been trying to get into Masters, I've always told myself that I could do it if I played enough. Usually been around in Plat in WoL and top Dia for Hots but so much takes the air out of you.
Depending on what time you play at you will face MUCH better opponents, plats, masters and a defeat to the first one always hurts more even if I tell myself that his rank doesn't matter, it's all about the MMR.
Today after a nice 6games losing streak, because I didn't focus I just wanted to play for fun I decided to drop my MMR heavily, going down into gold(but still a high plat MMR) and I feel like I can have fun while playing. I don't have to focus 100% if I dont want to, it can still sometimes get challenging if a Protoss is being a Protoss and just stomps over you so you have to get into the zone fast before defeat.
Imo you cant motivate yourself if you don't have fun doing something, Starcraft isn't something like a job that you have to go to to make money, it should only be about fun. If you rather just joke around in low leagues instead of the top, thats totally ok.
Trying way too hard will only make yourself frustrated and could affect your real life negatively, so rather say "fuck you Starcraft I wont touch you again for a week" than letting it affect you and maybe even those around you.
I don't very often get tilted but when a certain race can be totally safe for allins while setting up for macro/mid timing attacks AND doing so with half your own APM.. I just want to punch a hole in my concrete walls..
On May 31 2013 02:49 ROOTFayth wrote: I tried unranked and it doesn't even seem to work, you just play vs huge scrubs most of the time, doesn't seem to take into account ur MMR
It works like normal matchmaking, but you start at the beginnign again and play bronze players at first. It sucks a bit, but after a few games you play your normal skilllevel. Its like starting a new account i think.
I disagree. Most people choose unranked because they want to try a race they usually don't, or some goofy strat that probably won't work. You almost never get a 'normal' game in unranked because almost nobody is playing their best. If they were on their game, they'd be playing ranked.
In my opinion, there's no cure to ladder anxiety if you're afraid of losing. You just have to not be afraid of losing. The worst thing that can happen is if you're almost #1, so you pull lots of tricks in games and maybe cheese players you know are better. You hit that rank and you're happy, but now you have to face even better players, and your 'standard' game is lagging behind.
The only thing you can do here is shrug, say 'it happens', and play your best standard game when it suits you, and cheese when it suits you. Just trust the ranking system and don't think too much about your WL
But you play mostly vs people who play ranked as unranked. Its not really seperate. At least when i tried it 8/10 of my opponents played ranked ladder.
On May 31 2013 03:27 Tobblish wrote: I've been trying to get into Masters, I've always told myself that I could do it if I played enough. Usually been around in Plat in WoL and top Dia for Hots but so much takes the air out of you.
Depending on what time you play at you will face MUCH better opponents, plats, masters and a defeat to the first one always hurts more even if I tell myself that his rank doesn't matter, it's all about the MMR.
Today after a nice 6games losing streak, because I didn't focus I just wanted to play for fun I decided to drop my MMR heavily, going down into gold(but still a high plat MMR) and I feel like I can have fun while playing. I don't have to focus 100% if I dont want to, it can still sometimes get challenging if a Protoss is being a Protoss and just stomps over you so you have to get into the zone fast before defeat.
Imo you cant motivate yourself if you don't have fun doing something, Starcraft isn't something like a job that you have to go to to make money, it should only be about fun. If you rather just joke around in low leagues instead of the top, thats totally ok.
Trying way too hard will only make yourself frustrated and could affect your real life negatively, so rather say "fuck you Starcraft I wont touch you again for a week" than letting it affect you and maybe even those around you.
I don't very often get tilted but when a certain race can be totally safe for allins while setting up for macro/mid timing attacks AND doing so with half your own APM.. I just want to punch a hole in my concrete walls..
Never punch a concrete wall.
A sledge swung like a golf club striking the base of the wall is much more satisfying and allows you to topple down the whole wall in one shove once you've destabilized the base.
Unranked helps...but ye I totally understand the sentiment. It can be hard sometimes, especially after long hard games, where you lose and you dont know how to improve. Sc2 is not a game that can just be played for "fun" as such...you gotta bring it to win it everytime
Haha its a game bro. You shouldn't need any motivation to play other than liking games. What a silly question. If you aren't motivated to play it then just choose a different game.
i don't. i actually sometimes WANT to play it - though not all that often anymore - but i don't allow myself to do so. watching starcraft already takes away enough of my time but is much less stressful and much easier for me personally to limit. if i was to start playing again i'm afraid i'd quickly start playing too much and end up cutting back on studying, work, socializing, rapping/writing or sleep. all of these things are more important to me than playing starcraft.
On May 31 2013 02:49 ROOTFayth wrote: I tried unranked and it doesn't even seem to work, you just play vs huge scrubs most of the time, doesn't seem to take into account ur MMR
It works like normal matchmaking, but you start at the beginnign again and play bronze players at first. It sucks a bit, but after a few games you play your normal skilllevel. Its like starting a new account i think.
Yup, think of it as two separate MMRs - one for ranked and one for unranked.
The guy that talked about goals was correct ... if you set yourself a goal of attaining the next league, then you review VODs, replays, strategy threads and practice the build vs. AI, practice partners, unranked ladder, ranked ladder.
If I don't want to play SC2, I don't play SC2 and I go and play some other game, although I always end up coming back to SC2. Now with the amount of schoolwork I have I get around 1-2 hours of gaming every 3-4 days, so as soon as I have set a break for myself I start up SC2 immediately and start playing ranked. I think the thing that "motivates" me the most to play SC2 is just how little I can actually find time to play it; so when I have time to play it I can sit there for however much time I have and just play ladder matches and it doesn't feel like grinding, it just feels like a terrifically challenging and rewarding experience.
I dont have to. I think if you hve to consciously motivate yourself to play you are either a pro or playing an unhealthy amount casually. This maybe judgemental but i have been doing pro gaming since 13 or 14 (am 21 now) and always grew to hate the games i played just as much as i loved them. if you play this much of a single game, it's not fun after a while and you have to find your own motivations.
i find motivation in a few things: 1. watching top pros play this game. reminds me of how far i have to go and how incredibly complex this game is. reminds me of how lazy I am as a player in scouting/map control/etc and i see it as a challenge to improve 2. sc2 is an incredible game and playing it so much doesn't blind me of that. in most players minds, we can envision the absolute perfect game we can play (zero mistakes) even though we can simultaneously understand it's impossible. i get a sort of existentialist pleasure from nitpicking through my games, strategies and opponents to help chase this impossible goal. but there is pleasure in the pursuit. hard to explain this one :p 3. the ability to take a break. most people i have seen have a problem taking a break because they fear they will lsoe their skills quickly. even if it's only a few days. I have taken week and month long breaks from this game and come back at the same level, despite my mechanics failing i can think more clearly about the game and straetgy, and i'll win games i wouldn't even think were possible before.
@OP i hope this helps you.. if you have motivation issues playing sc2 it is probably not right for you. sometimes you just have to think "yolo" and play the game for the fun of it. this is an incredibly challenging/intellectually stimulating game. Just be glad we are not birds so bored of life in a cage that we chomp at our own feathers for entertainment. this is the pinnacle of strategy games in the modern time, enjoy it
I never understand these types of OPs. If you want to do something, JUST FUCKING DO IT!!! Instead of spending so much thought and energy finding motivation to do a particular task, you could actually just do said task.
I play a game, if i win i'm happy and i play another one. If i loose i go Idra mode and start thinking why such a pathetic player has killed me. Then, I stop being Idra and i try to analise my game so i find my mistakes, and then i search another game xD So yeah, i'm motivated by wins and trying to improve xD
I don't think there's anything wrong with losing motivation to play once reaching, for instance, Master's league. At least for older people, it's even more tiring the on the wrists, and draining in general. However, with unranked play available, I simply don't have to care about being my best all the time.
The realization that everything else that isnt SC2 is rather boring. That's honestly how I feel half the time when I'm not playing. "I could be playing Starcraft 2 right now and I'd have a lot more fun"
I feel like all of these ladder anxiety / motivation to play posts all relate to one concept, fear of the unknown. When you get anxious before starting a game, what's most likely running through your mind are a bunch of What if questions, what if he all ins, DT's, banelings, hellbat drops, etc.
By simply getting better at scouting and focusing on knowing what your opponent is doing, you can relax a TON more in this game. Knowing what is coming and losing to it is fine, you can look back and say, I shouldn't have taken my third so quick, I needed more barracks/gateways/spines, whatever.
On the other hand, without scouting well, it IS nerve racking to have a flock of mutas hit your mineral line when you move out, or when you simply aren't prepared for it. Knowing is 90% of the battle.
I wouldn't call it anxiety of playing 1v1's, but sometimes I lose a game where I'm virtually ahead in every category only to lose because of a really bad engagement or something. When that stuff used to happen, I would sit at the menu screen and soil over my loss, but now, I just jump into a team game. The process of playing another game always makes me get over what just happened in the 1v1.
For those who say they don't understand ladder anxiety:
I don't really care what other people think of my SC2 league. The real issue is that Icare.
I'm really quite good at many other games and tend to rank very highly. RTS on the other hand is a real struggle for me. And so I have this striving to get better at this game. It's like it's that really tough nut - you really want to crack it and so despite banging your thumb over and over again you just keep trying.
For those who say the game should only be played for fun:
Darn right - but what is 'fun' for you may not be 'fun' for others. For me improving is a large aspect of the fun, especially in a game like this. And so therein lies the trap. I want to try hard to win - and when I lose 7 times in a row it gets very frustrating. No longer fun at all. But I still have that drive to get better so that I can recapture that fun.
So that's why this thread is a good one. I need reasons to keep trying.
One of the main reasons why I stopped playing Starcraft 2 was because I had no more goals. I hit masters, won some games in there, but then didn't really have anywhere to go. I thought it was probably too much of a time investment to try to hit grandmaster and the UMS scene on there was terrible, so I just stopped.
I love the game, wish I could hit find match more times per day and still have the lifestyle I desire.
I do find its easier to be motivated to ladder in mass when I have something build order wise that I want to perfect in each matchup. When I'm at a wtf do I do vs ____ race mindset laddering is shitty.
I do think it would help some people that have this issue if they could hit hide ladder match history, rank, and league. Blizzard could just put a barcode for your name on any ladder you are in and then not show it in your profile.
On May 09 2013 00:03 Tubbzie wrote: It's ridiculously easy to find yourself sat with the StarCraft II menu open, but simply not playing. Whether it's ladder anxiety, rage or just straight procrastination I notice that half the time I spend 'on' StarCraft, I'm actually just putting off laddering or practising.
What do you, personally, do to motivate yourself to hit the button and get into a game.
Maybe you've had a rough few games, maybe you've been cheesed to Hell, or simply you're just not in the mood. What is it that you do to get yourself into gear to start ownin' 'dem nubs?
Tubbzie.
Are you a professional starcraft 2 gamer? Do you in any other way or form make money through starcraft 2? (casting, streaming etc.) Do you have future goals to sustain yourself finanicially through starcraft 2?
If the above 3 are answered with 'no', why would you want to motivate yourself to play starcraft 2? It's a game, games are meant for fun, using up your free time in an entertaining matter.
If I have to forcefully motivate myself to play starcraft 2 or any other game, I would just stop playing it instead. Because obviously, the game no longer has enough entertainment value for me. If I have ladder anxiety or am tilting etc. There's obviously something wrong, since the game is emotionally getting to me, while there aren't any outside stress-marks involved, such as having to perform etc.
No financial gain or future goals from a game + not being able to play normally or enjoy it -> Stop playing.
On May 31 2013 03:53 Juice! wrote: If you need to motivate yourself for a game .. stop playing that game.
Seriously tho, if you need the motivation, you somewhere deep inside not like the game.
Basically this. I don't understand why people make such a big deal about "oh my god guys I don't feel like playing Starcraft, what do I do?". If you don't feel like playing just don't play...
On May 31 2013 03:53 Juice! wrote: If you need to motivate yourself for a game .. stop playing that game.
Seriously tho, if you need the motivation, you somewhere deep inside not like the game.
Basically this. I don't understand why people make such a big deal about "oh my god guys I don't feel like playing Starcraft, what do I do?". If you don't feel like playing just don't play...
This is pretty simply actually. You value some things, you want them - still, you know you need to put in effort to achieve them.
You want to run a marathon - you need to motivate yourself to wake up earlier and run on a regular basis for a couple of months.
You want to be a good guitar player - you need to motivate yourself to practice scales, timing, precision picking instead of just fooling around and rockin' your heart out.
You want to improve/maintain your SC2 skills - you need to play to the best of your abilities. And if you do so - bad things will happen. You will be matched vs better opponents and lose. Even worse, you should look at the replay and see the guy stomp you once again, relive your own failures.
"Playing the game" is not the goal - at least not for me. Playing a good game - well, that is something else. In order to play a good game I need to be matched with a better player, I need the game to be close, I need to feel that I'm playing well and I need to win.
To play a good game I need to go through some bad ones and some mediocre ones. This is where some motivation comes in handy.
Having an interesting idea and then putting it to the test motivates me the most. It doesn´t even have to be ridiculous cheese but can be even the slightest bit of micro/ building placement etc adjustment.
I find that ladder only takes me so far. I lack motivation to ladder 4+ hours a day. I prefer to have practice partners and I try to dissect my matchups on paper. This has been a huge motivator for me. Especialy when I find a good practice partner that I can compete with on a regular basis.
On May 09 2013 00:32 partydude89 wrote: I play unranked now. i really does help
Really? I don't even see the point of that excisting I haven't used it once. If you have ladder anxiety just realise that your ladder rank is completly meaningless. I get myself to play by having the desire to improve and generally enjoying the game itself (or atleast focusing on the aspects of the game I don't find to be really poorly designed).
Also practicing for something (like an online cup, or a small tournament you do with your friends or just finally beating that one dude you always lost against) or just running more customs to focus on individual matchups helps as well.
On June 20 2013 22:32 TXRaunchy wrote: get stoned and play.
and lose every game when you forget what build you were doing, forget what you scouted, get supply blocked constantly, and think that really bad strats sound really cool and viable
On June 20 2013 22:32 TXRaunchy wrote: get stoned and play.
and lose every game when you forget what build you were doing, forget what you scouted, get supply blocked constantly, and think that really bad strats sound really cool and viable
On June 20 2013 22:32 TXRaunchy wrote: get stoned and play.
and lose every game when you forget what build you were doing, forget what you scouted, get supply blocked constantly, and think that really bad strats sound really cool and viable
Thats more drunk play, not stoned play. Stoned is pretty much: Feels like playing slow-motion, IRL you are really slow.
It is really hard to find motivation to play the game. I played WoL for about 3000 games. I got to diamond I got the nova icon. I was so happy. Then HOTS came out and I was diamond again, for awhile flirting with master level, but then I quit because I wanted to play other games on my PS3. SC II isn't a game that is easy. It is hard. And when you come home do you want another challenge? or do you want to relax. Lately I just want to relax haha. But one way I manage to get excited to play is by watching streams or events that have my favorite players in them, it gets me excited to try to play like them. I also recently demoted myself from diamond to gold to learn another race, debating on which one though.
On June 20 2013 22:32 TXRaunchy wrote: get stoned and play.
and lose every game when you forget what build you were doing, forget what you scouted, get supply blocked constantly, and think that really bad strats sound really cool and viable
Thats more drunk play, not stoned play. Stoned is pretty much: Feels like playing slow-motion, IRL you are really slow.
Oh man im so focused when im drunk. It's just I always feel I'm in a position I can all in and win
On June 20 2013 22:32 TXRaunchy wrote: get stoned and play.
and lose every game when you forget what build you were doing, forget what you scouted, get supply blocked constantly, and think that really bad strats sound really cool and viable
Thats more drunk play, not stoned play. Stoned is pretty much: Feels like playing slow-motion, IRL you are really slow.
Oh man im so focused when im drunk. It's just I always feel I'm in a position I can all in and win
TBH, i focus much better stoned. I got promoted from plat to diamond while high, haha.
Recently I get my motivation from Select. Seeing him put so much effort into becoming a better player and improving so fast is really pushing me to play some more too. However it's hard to enjoy SC2 when you play Dota2 and it's much easier (not skill-wise) to enjoy.
I have only fun at non-tournament maps. Because nobody can see how the pros play on these maps, so they what they think/like. A lot more diversity strategies than on tournaments maps. I really hate that everyone are trying to steal strageties of pros and play this against me an then asking me what they did wrong at end of the game. Ofc waay too predicable adn very easy to win against these people if they steal strats of pros.
I never had to ask myself this question in Brood War before so I guess I don't understand. Even when I wanted to be super good at Brood War like 6 years ago I never had problem with motivation. I'm assuming, the OP is passionate about SC2 like I am about BW and if the OP isn't then he may never understand the feeling in SC2.
On May 09 2013 00:03 Tubbzie wrote: It's ridiculously easy to find yourself sat with the StarCraft II menu open, but simply not playing. Whether it's ladder anxiety, rage or just straight procrastination I notice that half the time I spend 'on' StarCraft, I'm actually just putting off laddering or practising.
What do you, personally, do to motivate yourself to hit the button and get into a game.
Maybe you've had a rough few games, maybe you've been cheesed to Hell, or simply you're just not in the mood. What is it that you do to get yourself into gear to start ownin' 'dem nubs?
Tubbzie.
Small digression here, I don't want to derail this thread.
Ladder anxiety, procrastination, I always hear these reasons for not playing Starcraft.
I've to say, one of the other big factor at least for me is that playing Starcraft 2 = lost time in the long-term. Unlike sports, playing instruments, studying/working, you do not actually benefits from playing Starcraft 2 other than acquiring a short-term skill which is not exactly rewarded and considered highly by society.
On May 09 2013 00:03 Tubbzie wrote: It's ridiculously easy to find yourself sat with the StarCraft II menu open, but simply not playing. Whether it's ladder anxiety, rage or just straight procrastination I notice that half the time I spend 'on' StarCraft, I'm actually just putting off laddering or practising.
What do you, personally, do to motivate yourself to hit the button and get into a game.
Maybe you've had a rough few games, maybe you've been cheesed to Hell, or simply you're just not in the mood. What is it that you do to get yourself into gear to start ownin' 'dem nubs?
Tubbzie.
Small digression here, I don't want to derail this thread.
Ladder anxiety, procrastination, I always hear these reasons for not playing Starcraft.
I've to say, one of the other big factor at least for me is that playing Starcraft 2 = lost time in the long-term. Unlike sports, playing instruments, studying/working, you do not actually benefits from playing Starcraft 2 other than acquiring a short-term skill which is not exactly rewarded and considered highly by society.
Your derailment is a perfect point for motivation however. In the old bnet back in SC1 days and even WC3 a game that I failed at in multiplayer, I was totally motivated because the social aspect of bnet was really really good and I was always meeting people to talk with, trash talk, or troll. Those were the times man. Back when saying let's settle this in a 1v1 was acceptable and wouldn't get you ignored. Back when hiding building on the map was possible when you knew there was no way you could beat your opponent so you resort to the mind games (through trash talk) while hiding a tree in the woods. That kind of stuff motivated me and was totally long term benefiting because I have many online friends still and the nostalgic conversations I have with coworkers is great. So SC2 should be able to offer similar benefits for the gamers out there.
On May 09 2013 00:03 Tubbzie wrote: It's ridiculously easy to find yourself sat with the StarCraft II menu open, but simply not playing. Whether it's ladder anxiety, rage or just straight procrastination I notice that half the time I spend 'on' StarCraft, I'm actually just putting off laddering or practising.
What do you, personally, do to motivate yourself to hit the button and get into a game.
Maybe you've had a rough few games, maybe you've been cheesed to Hell, or simply you're just not in the mood. What is it that you do to get yourself into gear to start ownin' 'dem nubs?
Tubbzie.
Small digression here, I don't want to derail this thread.
Ladder anxiety, procrastination, I always hear these reasons for not playing Starcraft.
I've to say, one of the other big factor at least for me is that playing Starcraft 2 = lost time in the long-term. Unlike sports, playing instruments, studying/working, you do not actually benefits from playing Starcraft 2 other than acquiring a short-term skill which is not exactly rewarded and considered highly by society.
Your view of SC2 is short-sighted, I find it incredibly funny that you compare it to things such as sports and playing instruments to prove that it's worthless.
In my opinion, it is exactly the same as those. If you play it with a positive attitude, it changes the way you approach unfamiliar situations. You scouted a Terran going rax > gas then lost your scout. How do you handle the situation? You eliminate things you know he CAN'T be doing, then try to infer what he IS doing based on what information you have available in front of you. This small skill, which you should be practicing every single game of StarCraft helps with: interpersonal relationships, office politics, dealing with strangers, troubleshooting computer equipment, and countless other tasks the average person does on a daily basis.
Games like BW changed the way I thought when I was younger. It made me a more competitive person, which I really needed, and helps me to see through the BS of daily life and pick out the bits of information that matters when dealing with hostile people. It gives me an edge on others in my career field because they don't see things quite as fast as I do based on the smallest bits of information.
I play SC2 because I simply love playing the game. Experimenting with builds, making people rage because "Your race is so fucking stupid" etc etc etc. The whole act of the game is a fun and relaxing thing IMO, much like working out the tough part of a song on the piano.
Does it matter at the end of the day? No. Am I a better person for having refined my play as much as I possibly can. I like to think so. In the smallest way, I am working on myself, not my game, and that's why I find the game incredibly fun.
Mostly so that I can still compete with my friends in platinum. I don't want to be a burden to them when we play team games. Honestly I only ladder 1v1 to have a good idea of how good I am when we try to balance Clan "civil war" team games and so we can kick more ass when we 3v3
It happens to me also especially after i lose some games in a row. Starcraft is on but i go through Facebook ;p
For me there's this near narcotic need to win from time to time, i cannot just play the games to have fun cause the only really fun moment for me is the winning screen. When that does not happen for extended periods of time (i.e. when i started to play some BW since march) i become a rage machine and its not very nice.
So i guess for me the motivation is: "Maybe this time i'll win" and i play again
I personally enjoy playing some team games to get warmed up but it's hard when people aren't online, or come online, play one or two games, and log out. I wish more of my buddies sat around in the menus while doing other shit. It would make them easier to get a hold of to organize some games.
I'm guilty of chillin' in the menus between urges to play, but usually, it's because I'm watching Starcraft and online in case a friend logs in.
Motivating myself to play is pretty easy as long as I have some smoke, some smokes and feel physically & mentally fit to play.