This is something I'm just starting to overcome in poxnora. The nature of the game is VERY "I beat you 1v1 so I'm better" and couple that with the losing of rating and sometimes it can feel very tense to queue up, especially if you're worried about people watching your game. Here are some things I think about that've helped me overcome ranked anxiety. #1: In order to actually get better, you have to play. If you're scared to play because you're not that good you'll get stuck in an endless loop where you don't play because you aren't good, and you don't play enough games to get better. #2. Nobody actually cares about your rating or if you're good or bad. I know it feels like they do, but I can assure you the vast majority after a win are just patting themselves on the back and moving on. Don't let this idea keep you from playing games if you like pox and want to get better. #3. It's ok to lose. Some of the best players in pox have lost THOUSANDS of times. Take a look at the top 10 and you'll see multiple players who have lost up to even 4000 games. There's a saying I love that goes something like: "The master is the master because he's failed more times than the student has even tried". I love this because it perfectly encapsulates the idea that you have to keep on doing whatever it is you do in order to improve. Hopefully somebody finds this useful.
Ranking motivation really sucks with low playerbase - back in the day even top100 was considered sort of achievement, and there were enough players to rank up at least to top10 by just qing anytime you want, without having to worry about +5/-30 or playing same boring opponents several times in a row. So I feel bad for all newer players which don't get a chance to measure their epeen, unless they grind +5s all the way up, and even then it may not feel right cause most old players don't bother with it.
i have a different ranked anxiety: if i'm home my wife could start yelling something, my daughter can wake up. a urgent work call could come. times i can relax and play are rare.
i totally getcha man. i'm a very competitive person and the very nature of 1v1 in anything to me always gets me a little anxious. The concept of losing and having nothing to blame but just 1 person being better than you or you yourself being Bane Shift is difficult and my general reaction to that is getting angry. I've always avoided competitive games around friends or family because of how embarrassed i am of how i behave in these situations, was actually really hard for me to start doing videos because i found my general nature to be something that would be horrible to watch (imo it still is) but im glad that it's helped me to be able to help me improve in dealing with this anxiety. Also Firk elo man having a system right in front of your face just sitting there telling you that you're getting worst is just the worst thing
I have a different fear.. the fear of feeling that I'm a bad player, when in reality I could do much better with a little bit of self belief.
If your afraid to fail at an online video game and are overwhelmed by anxiety. I have no idea how you got this far in life no offense. Most of that fear is self circulated. People care but trust me one game doesnt tell me how good you are....Bane Shift maybe my deck matches up better for the map, draw, or opponents deck. The real guage is how good of fight do you put up with what you have at your disposal. I understand embarrassment....especially when your the sole reason for losing or someone is just flat out better at the game. But by quitting before you even try robs you of the opportunity for growth and the satisfaction of accomplishment. Fail hard, Fail early and learn from it. Experience is only gained through....well experience. This pertains to life not just Pox.
#1 is essentially is me. I've been playing this game on and off since 07 and I'm still a bad player because I almost never do PvP. I can beat someone new to the game, which isn't an accomplishment, but against any experienced player I'll lose which discourages me. I get frustrated when I lose pvp matches because I don't understand what I'm doing wrong. With the thousands of runes in the game and constant nerfs/buffs it feels almost impossible for someone like me to get better. The dwindling player base also makes it likely that you'll be going up against veterans.
Just ask for some help and advice. Most folks are happy to help others get better. In game that is. Not just in the forums. Especially vs your own faction
I used to do this alot back then. Then I started not caring about winning and just played because I loved the game. And after I played without worries of winning I actually learned alot. I also asked alot. I observed alot. I failed alot. I then actually made a Meta bg and actually counted every single square of movement. I made every AP count and made sure I paid attention to what I was trying to achieve in a game. I actually did MATH and figured exactly how many attacks it would take to kill my opponents champion while factoring in things like Tough, Resistances, SL Faction Bonus etc. The most important thing is MATH. If you aren't calculating correctly you will lose many matches. I can't tell you how many times I've thrown a match away because I forgot to calculate put down my Banner before attacking my opponent. The below example is how I used to play I attack champions without calculating and then when my opponent is almost dead I ask myself how I can finish off my opponent. Cast a spell? Negative equipment? Damage aura etc. Instead of thinking like this I need to attack twice with this champion and twice with this Champion. That would leave 4hp...."How can I boost dmg to make up for that 4hp?" Spell? Banner? Battlemaster? Equipment? Ahhh banner would grant me 1 dmg and because I'm attacking four times that should make up for the other 4hp. One more very critical thing is TIME. I have lost so many games because I couldn't complete my moves or powerturns on TIME.
