[dannnyds]

Been trying to ladder more and get better but around 80% of the games i play i get really nervous/anxious (at times to the point of getting a bit shakey) and start to forget things like what I'm doing/going to do, basic strats, parts of my builds etc. Has anyone been through this before and have any tips on how to stop being like this? its getting to the point where i just don't even want to consider laddering.

[WakingLife]

Ive been there before many many times especially whenever i just got into a new league and was vsing substancially better players. The only way i overcame nerves and anxiety whilst playing was mainly 2 things, your mindset and perseverance. Just think of ladder points as nothing, that you can throw them away and not care, think of your opponent as some other random nerd not some super computer that can outthink and out play you and constantly remind yourself that this is a game and that it is meant to be fun. Other than that just grind through alot of games and that nervousness will disappear

Quick Comments

	PiG:
	dazaris:

[Maynarde]

Hey man, good first step you've taken is to ask the forum. First of all, a lot of people have this problem and it's something that can be overcome in time.

Basically, the nerves / anxiousness is most likely due to your inner competitor and the need to win. There a couple of ways to go about this. You can either take the game less seriously (which is easier said than done) or you can just play the game until it goes away.

Sure you feel like it's too stressful to ladder right now, but it will pass I promise You start to get used to the maps / strategies / etc. Don't worry about your placement. Don't worry about your shiny league icon colour and how high you are in it. If you're too stressed over those details then you need to disregard it, because wherever you get placed remember:

If you play the game enough, and enjoy it, you will continue to improve %100 guaranteed.

Also there are plenty of in game channels to join with sc2sea boys and girls (i.e. "sc2sea" or "1v1") who more often than not are more than willing to help you out with your play and mindset. Including myself.

Hope this gave you some food for thought mate, gl hf

Quick Comments

	dannnyds:	+1 for insight
	PiG:	Listen to this dude, ignore his avatar :P
	SkyBreaker:	Excellent points. Far too smart for someone from SA, I suspect something suspicious here!
	TAhackdZ:	The hair is very misleading...But he's right.

[dannnyds]

The rank and points don't meany anything to me, i threw all my placement games on the NA servers to get into bronze and i still get nervous even there. I just hate the fact that i "stop thinking" or have rather literally a derrrrrrrrrrrp moment or 10 and end up loosing. If i do win (which i have) its mainly because i've either had a proxy rax somewhere and used it with all my scv's to do an all in, or my opponent had teched up to the max and not made units, or my opponent had made almost nothing.

edit: i LOVE the single player though.... SUCH AN EPIC STORY AND GAMEPLAY!

[PiG]

Yeah I remember I used to get like this. I think I always found the more I could make myself play and the more I could focus like what wakinglife said on just not overrating your opponents the calmer I would be.

I used to do some martial arts and I guess the mindset you learn their about perfecting technique and absolutely controlling your body really helped. With that in mind even when facing off with an opponent and parrying blows or throwing blows of your own you are more calm using perfectly controlled moves that you have practiced and focusing on your own actions and critiquing them calmly while reacting to your opponents moves.

After I started thinking about it more like that then it became alot easier to just focus calmly on how I was playing the game.

I guess what I'm trying to say and something I follow in all aspects of my life is that your mind is your own. Any emotions and feelings you have come from a certain place which doesn't have control over you. Ultimately you control your own mind and through perseverance and strength of will you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

Self belief and fath are the most powerful tools you have. Use them well mr dannnnyds.

Quick Comments

	dannnyds:
	xGKingdelete:
	ToRDolo:	Wise words from sensei PiG!! Made me check my own mindset/attitude as it's been getting poor recently!

[Doctor]

@dannyds i'm dealing the same problem as you , and i've search the internet for solution.. i found some solution , i hope it will help you.

This is the link for dealing with anxiety (Liquipedia) :
http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft...g_with_anxiety

And after knowing how to deal with your own anxiety , the proper way to set a mindset and improve , try checking this link , hope it will help you too.

Link for How to Improve (Liquipedia) :
http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/How_to_Improve

Quick Comments

dannnyds:

[PiG]

Originally Posted by dannnyds

The rank and points don't meany anything to me, i threw all my placement games on the NA servers to get into bronze and i still get nervous even there. I just hate the fact that i "stop thinking" or have rather literally a derrrrrrrrrrrp moment or 10 and end up loosing. If i do win (which i have) its mainly because i've either had a proxy rax somewhere and used it with all my scv's to do an all in, or my opponent had teched up to the max and not made units, or my opponent had made almost nothing.

edit: i LOVE the single player though.... SUCH AN EPIC STORY AND GAMEPLAY!

Well coaching can always help you but some basic steps would be to watch some streams of high level macro terran players and try to emulate their play. I would recommend Strelok.

More importantly stop proxy raxing and start playing macro style. Learn to macro really well and once you have your mechanics mastered you should be in gold or platinum. Once you learn how to macro start scouting to tell if your opponent is being greedy or not and punish them accordingly. If you can do both of those you will see a huge improvement.

I would recomend subscribing to TGM if you have'nt already for a constantly updated guide with a huge amount of relevant information you can work through at your own pace.

[dannnyds]

Originally Posted by PiG

Yeah I remember I used to get like this. I think I always found the more I could make myself play and the more I could focus like what wakinglife said on just not overrating your opponents the calmer I would be.

I used to do some martial arts and I guess the mindset you learn their about perfecting technique and absolutely controlling your body really helped. With that in mind even when facing off with an opponent and parrying blows or throwing blows of your own you are more calm using perfectly controlled moves that you have practiced and focusing on your own actions and critiquing them calmly while reacting to your opponents moves.

After I started thinking about it more like that then it became alot easier to just focus calmly on how I was playing the game.

I guess what I'm trying to say and something I follow in all aspects of my life is that your mind is your own. Any emotions and feelings you have come from a certain place which doesn't have control over you. Ultimately you control your own mind and through perseverance and strength of will you can achieve anything you set your mind to.

Self belief and fath are the most powerful tools you have. Use them well mr dannnnyds.

I've done Taekwondo for ~10 years and am perfectly comfortable with any kind of opponent there, which makes this double weird for me. And as far as the confidence thing goes i have ~0 (not very confidant person, usually pretty quiet).

Originally Posted by Doctor

@dannyds i'm dealing the same problem as you , and i've search the internet for solution.. i found some solution , i hope it will help you.

This is the link for dealing with anxiety (Liquipedia) :
http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft...g_with_anxiety

And after knowing how to deal with your own anxiety , the proper way to set a mindset and improve , try checking this link , hope it will help you too.

Link for How to Improve (Liquipedia) :
http://wiki.teamliquid.net/starcraft2/How_to_Improve

Thanks for the links, will go through them when i get home.

Thanks for the tips and kind words all

[Satu]

When you've first begun playing starcraft, or are at least kinda new and don't know how to handle ladder, you should feel that way. Pretty much everyone does. I won't go into detail, I'll just give you the most useful link and quote I've seen on this topic.

The link a teamliquid thread.

The quote is from someone who replied to the OP: "I was afraid of playing ladder in the start of WC3 too, because I liked pretty records and wanted to improve. A loss would somehow be an illustration that I wasn't improving. I did kinda get over that. I'd like to tell you that there were some mind tricks for me to do so. There wasn't. It only got better as I played more games, despite the nervousness. Tough it out, if you can and want, and good luck & HF!"

The poster's username is grubby, he is the WC3 legend.

Just remember, everyone had to go through the ladder fear, even the pro players.

(Yes, I've been saving this reference for a thread like this ^_^)

[dannnyds]

I think apart from the nerves my other main problem is i fail at macro/don't know how to do it all that well and then i end up with a malnourished side that is highly susceptible to le smash.

[Doctor]

Originally Posted by dannnyds

I think apart from the nerves my other main problem is i fail at macro/don't know how to do it all that well and then i end up with a malnourished side that is highly susceptible to le smash.

Do you also feel like not building ur Build Order the way you wanted ?

[dannnyds]

Originally Posted by Doctor

Do you also feel like not building ur Build Order the way you wanted ?

OMG YES!... dude don't read my mind between 4 and 5pm, that's dannnyds's private time (anyone get the reference?)

[Maynarde]

Originally Posted by dannnyds

OMG YES!... dude don't read my mind between 4 and 5pm, that's dannnyds's private time (anyone get the reference?)

Groundskeeper Willie from a Simpsons Halloween episode!

*swish* 2 points.

Quick Comments

dannnyds:

[Doctor]

Originally Posted by dannnyds

OMG YES!... dude don't read my mind between 4 and 5pm, that's dannnyds's private time (anyone get the reference?)

hahaha , because i'm feeling the same man..
the answer u can find in the link i gave you

[PantlessPete]

Ignore the win or loss, focus instead on something you want to achieve. Something simple like "I will have full saturation on my main and natural without ever stopping SCV production" or "I won't get supply blocked"

For me it is often "I will have infestors out and upgrades on the way by X time" Regardless of what harass is being thrown at me, I must have them out on time!

Quick Comments

	dannnyds:	hmm never thought of that
	nirvAnA:

[LennX]

My way of dealing with it is to ladder expecting to lose every single game. Somehow it is working for me.
But GPD/CO are way more stressful for me somehow =/

[ke_ivan]

lulz, i'm there too, especially when i haven't played in a long time or don't want to lose points. like LennX said, I have to forget that games matter (since I'm in bronze) and play to improve. So when I first start off, I always tell myself play "your best, but you're gonna lose." the most impt thing for me is that even if i lose a game, i don't tilt. If i start tilting, i'll stop, watch some replays, and try to understand my mistakes.

I've also experienced shakiness after i win a particularly long game, especially after i haven't played in a while. after that i have to calm down a little and wait for that feeling to go away.

Quick Comments

dannnyds:

The shakes after a win are the good shakes

[Bash]

just keep laddering heaps, i went through that, until my mate hit plat and i was still silver, then i HAD to catch up.
Competitiveness>Nervousnesss ^_^

[SkyBreaker]

Definitely agree with Maynarde's post (as usual, he's stealing my ideas, I swear!) as well as that TL link re: anxiety while playing SCII.

I still get massive amounts of anxiety/nerves when playing, but my goal is to overcome that with simply re-searching after each game and getting straight back into the fray!

[Cordance]

Music will almost always help change your mood might take you a while to get the right kind of music that helps you be less stressed after a while of playing you wont need the music any more. If you find your getting stressed again for another reason you can go back to it.

Quick Comments

	Maynarde:	So true, your favourite music helps ALOT.
	dannnyds:

[dannnyds]

Originally Posted by Cordance

Music will almost always help change your mood might take you a while to get the right kind of music that helps you be less stressed after a while of playing you wont need the music any more. If you find your getting stressed again for another reason you can go back to it.

Wow it really did (kinda). Decided to play a 2vAI with a mate against 2 hard ai's while listening to CCR fairly loud. They pushed us twice and we held off while expanding but after my mate lost his expo he left me T_T. But i kept going to see how far i could get taking on 2 hard ai's on my own. I expanded again and pushed the main of 1 and took a fair chunk of it and was then pushed back to my bases. I held there for ~10 mins but in the end my economy was not all that strong (had a heap of gas i didn't need :s) and there was too much coming at me.

replay if interested: http://www.sc2sea.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=388

The shaking also was not as bad as it could have been given me being alone with 2 hards (which i feel is ~ >= a real person kinda nerves for me).

[Highlander]

I used to shake really badly whenever I was laddering and still do sometimes.

I really agree with a lot of the advice posted above.

A little trick I used in addition was to create a ritual that would help me to be calm, focus and feel ready.

I clear my desk, align my play area, make sure the missus doesn't need anything, get my ideal nighttime beverage (mocha in winter, water/mojito in summer) and so on.

It helps me to not only relax, but helps to make the overall experience a little more special and fun.

(This doesn't solve the issue, but getting your own ritual that works for you might help just a little.)

[rezyn8]

It used to make me feel sick if I contemplated going on the ladder, and that was before I even fired up SC2 on the PC!

But, as a lot of people here have stated, win or lose, it doesn't matter. Just ensure you are learning and are having fun.

You do need to go into a game with a plan however. EG: When I push I want Stim/Conc and 2 tanks, expand when I push, transition depending on the push result. In other words find a build order that suits your play - work on it so that you can pull it off without thinking - this will instil confidence in your own abilities and play.

I also listen to music in the background (not too loud!) to help calm me. I recommend the the TRON Legacy soundtrack - a lot of calming tracks but also some to help get you fired up.

On the learning side of things. I review my losses to find out what I did wrong and what my opponent did right (also helps with casting ) and I keep track of what I do in a spreadsheet with various notes on builds etc.

We are all students of the game. Laddering is like Uni exams, if you have studied and are confident of the subject you will blitz it - if not then of course you are going to feel feel nervous and anxious!

[Geekpeek]

It's just love of the game. We want to show off our skills and that turns into performance anxiety. Some other members suggested ways to control the anxiety. I'm sure you can, but I believe they'll always be there in the background somewhere.

And that's just love of the game man.

[Zanderax]

The nerves are what make the game fun for me. When I'm having a really intense match I get shaky too and the adrenaline starts pumping and it's just the best fun you can have. But if you don't like them then try a sedative or just remember that if you lose someone else wins or if you win someone else loses

[jobmercy]

Im still going through this as well. I kinda have the same feeling as grubby. I want pretty records, I hate to see my match history full of skulls, and I get frustrated when I lose, then end up losing some more because the feeling of frustration, stupidity and anxiety with anger stays there..What I usually do to get back in control is to just let go of anything in your mind and just play the game the best way you know. I usually play during weekends, co'z it's less stressful for me, and I can concentrate more. pop in some favorite tunes while playing. I have a headset and an earphone on all at the same time to keep out noise. And to get out of frustration, I play SF as my other game..Killing someone virtually is good for your shakes and fears. Rep points if you agree on this! LOL..have a great time laddering and don't mind die'ng..even pros die horribly in game..and we're not pros yet..

[TcaTX]

Ive had this problem and I still continue to have it. The way I make it go away is to stop focusing on winning, just play a group of 5 games or so, then take a break, then play some more. Just focus on improving and as you get into the groove the nerves will disappear.

[VB_HpK]

As most of the people above me had stated, music! Use Grooveshark/ iTunes or something. And take a little break in between games no matter if you win or not. This is for you to chill down. But yeah i got nerves when i started laddering too. It should be gone when you are used to laddering a lot!

[ToRsupapower]

well, this may help and may not (also may make me sound obnoxious, which helps me in a way if you see) basically when i join a game i think to myself, "damn, what a scrub i'll beat this guy anyday" and if it loose that game its, "wtf how did i loose to this scrub? better keep playing" but sometimes i go on some bad tilt and donate my points until a win a game and then i can safely turn my pc off, because if i log onto starcraft 2 to ladder it has to be off a win or i feel nervous i will be demoted.

[ToRsupapower]

Originally Posted by dannnyds

Wow it really did (kinda). Decided to play a 2vAI with a mate against 2 hard ai's while listening to CCR fairly loud. They pushed us twice and we held off while expanding but after my mate lost his expo he left me T_T. But i kept going to see how far i could get taking on 2 hard ai's on my own. I expanded again and pushed the main of 1 and took a fair chunk of it and was then pushed back to my bases. I held there for ~10 mins but in the end my economy was not all that strong (had a heap of gas i didn't need :s) and there was too much coming at me.

replay if interested: http://www.sc2sea.com/downloads.php?do=file&id=388

The shaking also was not as bad as it could have been given me being alone with 2 hards (which i feel is ~ >= a real person kinda nerves for me).

Your post, is great :P i love when people just go out, no matter what their league is and just say, " i tryed and i'm wanting to better" it's one of the things that make me feel good inside to see the love people put into this game and i'd like to help as much i can too

[myk777]

I think everyone of us has went through this kind of process. Searching for a ladder match hearing the 3-2-1 sound and loading screen, makes almost everyone of us a little iffy and uncomplacent.

I have some of my share in this as well. As I play more games these things happen less. But then to some point I did some tweaking and changes in my playing environment so as far as for me not to get nervous in anyway. I listen to my favorite anime music / kpop or jpop. I turn on the online radio and just listen while playing. Sometimes I even sing along.

I also play in my mind that I'm playing a game for enjoyment. I want to win but if I lose it's ok as long as I did my best in my good efforts. I try to strive my best when it comes to strategies. I also don't look much at the Favored or Slightly Favored. This is not an indication of skill but more or less an indication of how far apart is your league from his.

Even if I lose, I always say I'll win next time. This is my mindset whenever I click on the ladder button. I'm sure pro-gamers have also experienced this in the past.
Just be calm every game.

Before each game think of what you want to do and employ the strategy. For example I want to build banshees and harass and then expand to macro. Employ that strategy as best as you can and when for example he harasses or 4gates or rushes you, try to make adjustments. But stay always calm and listen to good music while playing. Just enjoy and even the stress will become enjoyable in the end.

[Malik]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindful...8psychology%29

i found mindfullness and other meditation techniques to be helpfull i was scepticaall when some first suggested it but once i tried it i really helped me wind down. Not just playing starcraft but when doing other things in general.,

[tutsicockroach]

imo the more you play the more this sort of fear will go away. sadly, the only way to gain more confidence is to actually play, which is what you are scared of in the first place.

playing custom games don't help either, there is a huge difference when something is at stake. i usually feel a bit nervous during my first game of the day but after that i feel a lot more comfortable. i guess the only advice i can give is to keep playing and get used to laddering. playing some relaxing music might help too (what i usually do).

[i8noodles]

when i play i cant feel my fingers most of the time, and i swear they will fall off if i tugged on them a lil bit, but then a cup of hot tea/water kinda heaps and a blanket =) just dont drink when there is a major battle happening happened to me once....it..wasnt...pretty for me or my brave zealots ><

[Hamachi]

I feel the same way as the OP. I think the best thing you can do is grind out a lot of games. Atleast I hope!

[bswhunter]

Get slightly buzzed and play rap.
Really loud

Srs thou, I find that room temp affects my playing alot. I find I play best at pretty low temps, so I try to keep the room pretty cool while playing.
So if theres a tempature that you find your mind works better at, try playing with that temp around.

Also, get good at macro. I feel fairly safe going into late game cuz i can rely on having an abundance of larva to turn into stuff.

[Aean(:]

Originally Posted by i8noodles

when i play i cant feel my fingers most of the time, and i swear they will fall off if i tugged on them a lil bit, but then a cup of hot tea/water kinda heaps and a blanket =) just dont drink when there is a major battle happening happened to me once....it..wasnt...pretty for me or my brave zealots ><

I dont know how you manage to have a drink mid-game - -

[PapaSmurf]

Good tips guys. Think best of all though is just too keep playing games. Now time to put this into practice

[Langford]

if you are shaking you should probably stop playing naked
i know this might seem strange or unique but being cold can cause the body to shake
the body does this to warm itself due to the friction of the muscles
i'm sure the distracting shaking that your body is uncontrollably doing is causing your build orders to falter
i would suggest wearing clothes, or perhaps a jumper. although playing naked in summer is a nice feeling, i wouldn't suggest to carry over to the colder seasons - (late autumn / winter)

Quick Comments

Zanderax:

The thing I really needed to hear :D

[Maynarde]

Originally Posted by Langford

if you are shaking you should probably stop playing naked
i know this might seem strange or unique but being cold can cause the body to shake
the body does this to warm itself due to the friction of the muscles
i'm sure the distracting shaking that your body is uncontrollably doing is causing your build orders to falter
i would suggest wearing clothes, or perhaps a jumper. although playing naked in summer is a nice feeling, i wouldn't suggest to carry over to the colder seasons - (late autumn / winter)

Sacrilege.

Playing naked is every Starcraft gamer's right, I would suggest a better idea is to get heating. It's not very expensive for a portable solution, you can even get central heating (if you can afford it).

[NDG.Stitch]

haha ya i know! nerves kill u when laddering.

i know this is more of a "how can i help u thread" but i guess putting down my experience works as well!

used to shiver like crazy during the loading screen when i see that my opponent is slightly favored. i'd keep telling myself "I GOTTA BEAT THIS GUY, IF I DO I'LL GET INTO MASTERS." that never worked. because it ended up with me doing an all-in but poorly timed. i didn't know how I could get rid of all these nerves. when i see the pro's ladder they are so chill!!!! so i decided to turn on music. i turn on music that pumps me up and gives me a sensation that i'm enjoying this game because it's fun as hell! and after that I could mass ladder non-stop. now that i'm gaining my confidence back, i've learned to play this game with a mindset where you play it because you love it. whether or not u win, you should make the best out of it by playing your best!!!

hope you can overcome this obstacle in getting better.

[Frogurt]

I look at the situation pragmatically. My fear is that I perform badly and disappoint myself.

If I'm nervous it means my fear is more likely to come true, if i'm confident it won't be as possible. But I find it easy because I was a musician before I entered the magical world of competitive gaming.

Also remember that fake confidence in indistinguishable from real confidence

[mGGmetaStatic]

I start off with a 1v1 Funday Monday theme to shake the nerves off.
I tell myself I'm just dicking around and my opponent is probably more nervous than me by the time he finds out my command canter isn't in any of the mains or there's a planetary fortress in his natural :P

I always expect to lose my first match of the day so I might as well have some fun at the same time right