[QEDMazaire]

I am in a Massive slump at the moment as well and this is the way i am dealing with it:

1) Taking a break and nothing thing about the game, removing myself from it for 1 or 2 days, even forums and blogs etc. ANYTHING to do with starcraft. This way i come back REALLY wanting to play the game and it give your head a break from the intensity it can be really hard to focus playing SC when you are studying or trying to do something complicated all day. hence frustration.

2) Massing games. This way, its a check, saying that maybe my MMR has gone up and i am just not as good as other players - that can be really frustrating. Just remember that with massing games, every match take a deeep breath, Think about it and start thing about the most basic things in the game, am i scouting? WHAT did i scout? is my macro solid? did i respond fast and appropriately? if i won, how did i win? and if i lost, what did my opponent see? Never try too much to get into next level stuff, it will only give you the illusion of making mistakes.

When i am massing games to help get better/out of slump, thinking about the very basics and thinking in a super structured manner helps so much, and i usually have this sort of discipline to do thing like that, because i have had a big break.

I'm not sure it will work for every body but it sure as hell is working for me.

EDIT: spelling, grammar, all the fun stuff.

[Jaywalk]

dont mass game. play a game, if win, play another, if lose, open up the replay.

u need to find real reasons why u lost. here is an example from one of my games -

1. I got proxy rax all in'd and lost because i didnt have a bunker down.

So then u have the problem, and u think of a fix for it, it doesnt have to be perfect, but it has to be something

1. Use my first SCV scout to check possible places around their base, use my first marine to check around my base.

Now I know that i will do that at the start of every TvT, thus I have learned from this game, and most likely wont lose to this strat again easily.

Using this method im not just rolling the dice when i go into the next game, and hoping i play better because im playing more and more, i have slightly improved my game every lose i take. If i lose a couple of times, its ok because im learning something every time. If i lose lots of times in a row, then ill recognise my heads probablly not in the right space for some reason, and ill just play again when i feel like it tomorrow or later. dont force it or you wont enjoy yourself

[MatiNO]

take a break for a while and cool off then come back fresh .

[iM yang]

i just keep playing, NEED MORE GAMES

Quick Comments

Fenner:

retweet

[Loach]

I know this sounds stupid.. but I go and play HoN with my mates.. and end up raging more.. I feel as it i'm GOING to rage.. I might as well FULL rage so that the next time I play I have no rage left in me... so I get to peak rage.. then play Worms Reloaded whilst watching a movie or tv show I love - instant relief...

Of course u cld just do as what other people said and fapfapfapfapfapfap

Quick Comments

cruxBsK:

add me cruxbsk :P

[stronK]

hey guys, i recently got promoted to diamond 2 weeks ago and was enjoying a win ration of 3:1. since then, i have gotten completely down hill. today i think i probably won 3/15 games. its fustrating, and i dont know what to do . feels bad man

[ROOTPetraeus]

Check out this thread http://www.sc2sea.com/showthread.php?t=3420

Quick Comments

	Satu:	Petraeus is the master of useful linkages.
	nirvAnA:

[TADivinity]

3:1 are super-normal results. The fact you lost 3/15 after a streak like that is totally normal - its just MMR doing its thang.

[SanG]

when i get in a slump, i ladder more hehe. I don't feel bad about losing a lot tho :/

[eniram]

In my opinion the best thing to do is not worry about it and keep playing. If you start to get in your own head take a break and come back when you're more calm.

[iRLpuku]

play dota 2

[TheGentleman]

I generally stop playing ladder after losing 3 games in a row. I've disobeyed that rule once before and consequently was not... TheGentleman

[cruxis]

I read title as 'What to do during a dump."

And I was going to be like "read something?"

[syfCabracan]

I'd swap to NA, which ever server you care less about, and practise getting my build exactly right even if I'm not reacting to my opponent, or practise cheese on NA to get rage. If I'm still unable to execute a build or just playing terribly I take the night off, but try to make sure I play the very next day.

[IrisFlaunt]

in a slump? start playing.

[Mr_Zain]

I learnt rather recently the power of the loss and indeed the loss streak on ones state of mind and gameplay. If you treat mass losses not as a question of your skill and rank (which to be honest, unless you're fighting to get into a clan - no one really cares about) you will always be more inclined to try cheesy strategies to get ahead in points but not necessarily in skill and understanding of the game. The yield is short term and it can become extremely frustrating when you switch to a more macro oriented game and realise you just aren't up to scratch with the league you're playing in. This is a good thing. It forces you to adopt a better understanding.

From what you say, the lack of play makes you slip - there are three main elements to any good game (and this doesn't just apply to SC2 but really to any competitive activity): The plan, the execution and the mindgame. If your plan is bad and you execute it well over and over eventually you will lose with it as you verse better players. Replays can help with this. Coming away from a long streak of not playing is likely to be a failure of execution. This is something which you can endure and grind with practice and play. The mindgame though, often an understated element, is the most important particularly concerning loss streaks and will really mess up the first two elements irrespective of how good a player you actually are. If you think you're versing people that have beaten you before, and beaten you confidently, you will no doubt come at the game with a more cautious perspective and this is often not a good thing. It's important to play the game, not play the person - as cliche and difficult as this advice can be. Ultimately, like anything in life, a careful balance of these three factors will better ensure that you continue to have fun and enjoy playing this game and that you are playing effectively and not get caught up in superficial ranking systems which serve to detract from your ability and skill in the long term in any event.

In short, don't stress about it and try and recognise which of the three elements is really messing you up before diving into the next game. There is scarcely nothing more infuriating from my perspective than watching a game I just lost, but often if my strategy was completely off, even if my execution was perfect it wouldn't have helped me win and I need to re-evaluate what it is I'm trying to achieve at what points in the game.

Zain

[Atha]

I just stop, and jack off and/or do something active. Easy.

[souljah]

Best thing to do when you're in a slump is to stop laddering and get your act together again by playing customs with your clan mates. Gives you a way to get your confidence back while at the same time, you can learn from your mistakes in the game without jeopardizing your ladder points =)

Another good point that I think PiG raised up in his blog post is to take breaks. Try to take a break every few games or so because you find yourself tired after a few long, intensive games in a row.

[cruxSpoon]

STOP LADDERING - is the best advice

I just got demoted to diamond (from masters), cause i kept laddering. Right now...i need a hug. It feels like, all this effort I put into getting better at sc2, 6 seasons to get to masters from diamond, gone in a week.

How do you break the cycle though? The one where, you play bad, stop laddering, your skill atrophy's cause you aren't playing, then you go back and play, start losing again, take break, skill atrophy's, and so on and so forth? HOW DO YOU STOP THAT SHIT?

Never, never, have i been this upset over pixels on a screen....

[syfCabracan]

Originally Posted by cruxSpoon

Never, never, have i been this upset over pixels on a screen....

Even when Bambi's mother died?