Thanks for watching and commenting everyone! Hopefully this helps anyone who is having a hard time pressing that Find Match button. Links to help you learn how to play sc2 are all in the description! Head over to my PiG Coaching channel for guides on how to play for all races ua-cam.com/users/PiGRandom. If you want to be a part of a community of other sc2 players and fans, join my Discord community discord.gg/SkhbzCM
My favourite PiG quote: "Just get on the ladder and have fun with it. The worst thing that happens is that you lose games and then you play easier opponents, which is great because then you're practicing at your level" - PiG, B2GM Protoss 2022
My first ladder match ever: got cannon rushed. Had no idea that was a thing. Felt so stupid to face such a thing instead of large scale battles, so I searched online for how to deal with it. This is how I discovered this community and got in touch with PiG and his great content. Frankly, I don't think I would have stuck with ladder games without youtube content, and that alone is a MASSIVE hurdle.
Just braved the ladder for the first time in years and I’m playing shithouse however, no anxiety. Been crushed by some fantastic builds and am looking to see what I can learn from them. I’m a 46yr old who has loved StarCraft since it came out so many years ago and original Warcraft before. My apm ranges between 40 to 60 depending on race and I play as random. I suck equally with all but it’s fun.
If you might still be interested in SC2 someday I'm looking to connect for some casual team games. I've been wanting that Predator portrait for 13 years now.
Pig, this is awesome. I myself and I'm sure many others have struggled with this sort of thing. I've been playing since Brood War and I'm an old head now but, I was good at the game, always beating better players and some well known/famous players. But I could not handle the pressure of live competitions (I went to a few WCG's / Live tournaments), I did place 2nd at most but the toll it took on my body was pretty horrible, and by grand finals I was completely destroyed physically and mentally. I tried streaming as well and if my views started going anywhere near 100 or over from raids I would get too overwhelmed to continue playing as well and have to stop. Getting older helped a lot of this because you just honestly care less when you grow up, but it was hell while it was happening - driving to tournaments I would have like bottles of water in the car(4 usually, 2 to drink because you also get pretty thirsty and your mouth dries out while in panic and one to tip on myself to keep body temp down), aircon going because I would be completely drenched in sweat, my phone would have to be fully charged in case I had to leave in an emergency and couldn't drive myself, lots of preparation to make myself feel as comfortable as I possibly could, just to get there let alone play and perform. This is also why I have avoided playing SC2 Ladder, I was just content having the occasional game and beating someone decent showing my apm was still in the 300's then fading back into obscurity because I didn't want to push myself to overcome that anxiety. Don't let this stuff mess up your opportunities for fun guys or to inhibit your potential and growth, learning to keep your ego in check and stuff from playing ladder and learning how to learn, can be invaluable experiences in how you tackle other problems in life and develop your analytical ability and task management. Starcraft is awesome for many reasons - try to have fun with it and don't take it too seriously.
I wouldnt call what I have ladder anxiety, but Im sure some people can still relate. For me I just never really feel like opening up the game and playing. Maybe it is kind of anxiety but around knowing you will have to make a lot of effort. Once I do convince myself to play a game though I almost always want to keep going and end up playing around 5 games.
The ego section of this video is something I really needed, I've always had lots of love for Starcraft and even though I was pretty decent at it at times the ladder anxiety always got to me in the end and made me quit for years. My general ability to play games combined with the fact that I used to be diamond 7000 years ago set some completely unrealistic expectations in my head, trying to play fast while working on improving everything at once while watching 20 guides before trying anything, and it all just causes me to lose energy and motivation to actually play the game and learn from match experiences, and it feels silly to overprepare so much just to lose to very basic things. I'll try to not be so mentally high-ranked this time and actually relearn the basics of the game and trust the process, and see where that takes me on the ladder
I'm a new sc2 player and my struggle has just been clicking that button, I've been playing AI but realised this isn't gonna help me, I'm finally gonna try and find some courage ^^
Hi Pig! Just turned 60. Opponents can be brutal in chat, especially when you win. As Zerg, I'll pool first, get a few lings to slow them down while macroing behind it. I don't really care what units I build (roach, ling, hydra) because a 3 base Zerg beats a 2 base whatever after a couple of minutes of building units. I consistently get "low skill" "learn the game" "noob" comments. This is the worst part of playing on the ladder for me, but you didn't mention it.
Truth is chat has become pretty bad lately with people lashing out at you even when you out played them in a standard game, not that i give an f but just an observation.
I am absolutely part of the second group of player, however not because of my MMR going down but because most games I feel so bad for all the mistakes I made even if I won. Watching a lot of pro sc2 has this downside of giving high expectations when playing the game, and as a result I am satisfied of the way I played maybe 20% of my games. Great video, you're very right on recognizing the good part of your own play aswell as the bad ones.
Feel the same way. I look back and realize tons of mistakes and just wish I had the opportunity to go back in time and fix them. It'd be cool if the AI was actually good enough that you could replay from your replays and the AI would just replicate what the real life opponent was doing. So if you lost because u accidentally fat fingered yourself and move commanded ur army for 3 seconds during a fight (happens to me often) you could go back and try again.
Looking at your peak mmr as your real mmr was a really great insight. Seems obvious when you hear it out loud, but definitely something I've been guilty of since day one. Definitely easy to get too into it and forget to have fun.
Oh man this video was awesome PiG!! I laughed with a bit of guilt when you said "you're old!!" Haha All of these tips are such important concepts to enjoying a stressful game like sc2. Loving your content keep it up!!
This video was absolutely spot on. I felt like you were talking to me personally throughout most of it. If someone is open enough to it, this can easily apply to real life. I've dipped in and out of Starcraft throughout the years and really enjoy every time I see you still going strong. Thanks for all the content, it's been a joy having you as my Starcraft guru.
I did it, I got over the ladder anxiety. I had the fear of losing MMR when i get to a higher level... even tho I am in Bronze league in NA. Now with more practice against real players and not the AI, I manage to climb to Bronze 1 with an MMR of 2930 atm of writing this. Not sure why I am not getting promoted to a higher league than bronze, but I read that 2900 on the NA ladder is around Plat 2, and am happy with that but ofc I do want to continue improving. Thanks for your Bronze to GM Pig!
Yeah the new content cycle around patches and maps is always a big motivator, and it seems to break up the meta a bit as everyone gets more experimental
Pig… thank you. I’ve been watching your coaching videos a lot and it might be silly to say playing a game can help you in life… thank you so much for your advice. I’ve been trying do learn the same way at work and at school and it’s made a huge difference. Thank you so much for your content man. I really appreciate it.
eyy Charlie glad the content's connecting, I've learnt so much from this game about learning itself, stuff I've applied to a lot of the other areas of my life - so I definitely know what you mean. GL hf yo
I just played my first 1v1 game and it was absolutely fantasticular. I had been playing StarCraft I since I was a kid, never online because it was pirated, but nevertheless, never got competitive. I then played StarCraft II only against bots. I began watching content about it. Began with Lowko, watched him for about half a year, than Winter for a year, Harstem when his channel launched and not too long after, you, PiG. I don't know if it is really a lot, but I was surprised to see I had played and won over 100 games versus the Elite AI and harder, it became second nature to go to custom games on ladder maps and play against some bots, just for a little bit of perspective on how anxious I was to play people. Coming back to the video, I forced myself to jump into a 1v1, also while recording the whole ordeal, just for the memories, thanks to you, of course. I was absolutely exhilarated to see my opponent, a terran who played MACRO, basic stuff, marines, tanks and a raven. He was Plat 3, and did not get any upgrades which resulted in a loss for him later, AND he GG'd, and I still loved every second of it, even if I lost, I was gonna smile for the rest of the day because I played a comfortable game. I could not believe it was not cheesing, proxy or any other bullshit strat that'd give me more trust issues so I'd have to scout every corner early. TL;DR: After playing against bots and watching StarCraft II videos for years, my first ever 1v1 game was against a terran who played macro like a decent person (not that some wanton ransacking isn't allowed every once in a while) and I loved it. Go play a 1v1, it really is not a big deal, the person on the other side is shitting their pants probably as much as you are, and if they aren't, your next opponent might just be more shat than the last one. And I thank every streamer I watched and PiG especially for giving advice about beginning to play, it really does feel safe to do so now. Thank you.
I just started playing again 1 week ago, and I got sent to bronze, then I played yesterday with a new season and got placed in gold. I did a Livestream today and managed to get from Gold 3 to Gold 2 in only 2 and a half hours. I think the best part of StarCraft 2 is that there is always the chance to improve and get better. I will be making more live streams and hopefully improving myself throughout the new season, my goal is just to make it to Platinum!
Something that came to mind as you talked about anchoring our ego to a certain skill level, is that rankings are to be seen as a CONSEQUENCE of our gameplay, and not a skill level TO BE PERFORMED. So there's a huge verb (action/focus) difference here. If we see rankings as a consequence of our gameplay, our focus has to be on our gameplay. We can literally do nothing about our rankings, because the system decides if we deserve it or not. Deciding our ranking, then, is beyond our capabilities, and can only be achieved as a consequence of our actions. So, shift the focus into the gameplay, which might allow you to have fun, probably, and just accept the ranking the system gives you. And, if you really want to achieve a certain league for yourself, then remember that you are still climbing, you're not on the top of it yet. Take a chill pill and figure out the next step, the next point of grip so you can have a solid climb. Because, if we think that we have to PERFORM at a certain level, we will not be thinking in the game, in the moment. Our attention will be on the badge we will receive after the match, and we won't pay proper atention to what is happening right now, losing opportunities, losing focus and not paying attention to alerts, minimap, extra resources and so on and so forth. We will be thinking on how to micro the next battle while we should be macroing, how to do the flashy plays while we should be injecting hatcheries and spreading creep, thinking where to place siege tanks to demolish the enemy lings while we shoud've seen that our last scout revealed an early spire. If we are trying to perform, then we are not trying to play, we are trying to be shiny. And when we don't shine, we become mean to ourselves for not shining. Everything spirals out of control, and our fun is gone. Better to go watch something on YT. So, understanding this mindset and integrating it is my goal now. Thanks, PiG, for the opportunity for this insight!
Losing was a big part of my anxiety. What helped me get comfortable was playing team matches. They’re way more chaotic than regular 1v1 matches but it helped me get comfortable playing and trying out builds. It even got to a point where I was 1v2 ing matches and winning. After that I started 1v1s regularly and now I’m play 10+ matches a day. I hit masters 2 last season and I’m aiming for gm this season baby 😌
I had ladder anxiety. Beat up on AI for 8 months. With 180 apm. Never played ladder. Past few weeks I starting playing 2v2. It’s complete insanity. But it really helped! Now I play 1v1 too
I have had many friends over the years which i convinced to try Sc2 and exactly zero went more than toes deep into the game, one common behavior most of them had was that they immediately developed opinions on what is op and pretty much slowly stop playing saying that the game is bad and imbalanced, i tried to explain to them that balance isn't the problem and they just don't know how to react and it will come to them with experience but at the end of the day RTS is a 1v1 game and many people don't like playing a game that each loss is 100% on you.
yeah it's a more intense experience than most are keen for, but that's also where the most satisfying wins and biggest rewards come from. I do wish people played teamgames and it was more of an onroad pathway to getting used to the game before diving into 1v1
I'm just happy anytime I manage to stop a cheese. I rewatch those wins over and over again. I know it's not the best way to improve, but there's nothing more satisfying than defending an all-in that was difficult to handle a few months before.
Great video. I don’t really get ladder anxiety however there were defiantly a few things I can relate too. Being happy with your wins is defiantly a big one, happy without being arrogant. Also realise that I was maybe in a good position and with a little better scouting could have made better decisions and take the win.
Hit 3700 MMR two weeks ago then fell down to almost 3200, losing 18/20 games felt terrible, but now I'm slowly climbing my way back I know I'll get there as I'm definitely feel like im still improving at the game.
i used to get so anxious before a match that it would start to feel like physical pain, but now when i play some games at the bottom of the ladder i feel very relaxed, sometimes you just need to get used to the idea of losing sometimes and let go of the idea that you need to be perfect embrace the chaos that is inherent to playinga human opponent knowing that you can get balanced matchmaking also helps
I would consider myself falling into the third category (doesn't wanna lose to other players/mmr). When I started playing against other players a few weeks ago, I already had this mindset of "play to have fun, and if I win, it's a nice bonus" - and that hasn't changed. Still, for some (unknown to me and probably silly) reason, I only play against other players quite rarely (and when I do, I even often win). There is definitely something in my subconscious that makes me hesitate to click on this "ranked match"-button. Which is a shame, because every time a match starts, I get excited (in a positive way, as in "I have fun!"), and if I loose, then because of the other player having played better in this match, which is great! They hopefully were enjoying the game as well and are happy about the victoy and it makes them feel good. I was happy to have found somebody I can chat on occasion (in one of my first ranked matches, we got into chatting during the match, and I told them that I was new to SC2, and they gave me tips, analyzed a few of my games afterwards and such), and I found if I go into a match with or against them, it's so much easier, and I was more relaxed when we did it. So that was actually the best advice from You: joining the Discord :D I hope to be able to find a few nice people to talk to and get good matches out of it.
Just wanted to thank you for addressing this. I'm fortunate that my anxiety (oddly enough) only happens in my hobbies. I'm going to write out some of these tips and stick them next to my PC.
I still remember playing the game for the first time back in 2010. I lost 20 times in a row. I had no idea what I was doing but it was fun to play the game! When I finally learned about this thing called “a build” I jumped up into platinum. Now I still occasionally play and stopped caring about mmr, winning or losing. I just like to play and see what my opponent throws at me and how I can solve that puzzle
I don’t know for sure if this pushed me over the edge to play again but I’m close to giving it a try, I got to gold once 10 years ago but that was definitely a reach for me. I know it’s gonna be bronze for months maybe but I do have the desire to start again. Really enjoyed the breakdown of what to focus on in the process, incredibly applicable to a lot of things in life.
I did it, burned through 20 games and played them all out strictly trying to working on mechanics and managed to come out with 2 wins. Felt even better because it felt like most of my games I was the one applying pressure and I would only lose because I couldn’t fully utilize my income. Joined the discord and hoping to maybe have someone watch my gameplay and help me figure out things to tweak to improve, managed silver 🤙🏻
I'm clearly in the first group. I played only one dozen ladder games, ended up in Gold 3, and then I was so stressed out because the game is so fast. I lost most games in which I was cheesed and won most macro games. I already followed your advice of using just one build, so if I ever come back to laddering my next step will be to get muscle memory and standard memory (i.e. getting used to not forgetting supply, workers, fighting units and/or research, while also actually finding the time to take care of the opponent, possibly even to react to what they're doing). So, I guess the main thing I'm taking away from your video is to stop caring about my performance, because _in contrast to when you're sleeping with a woman the other person will actually be happy if you don't perform well._
the more you stare at the play ranked button the harder it will be i prefer the jump in approach just click it quickly (don't think about it for more than 2sec) and don't look at it again until an opponent was found and once you're in game what are you gonna do? just leave it for free? no, you're gonna play it out
Thanks for the video. It really helps. I am following your b2gm with Protos. Loving it. What do you enjoy playing the most? Zerg, Protos or Terran? Thanks 👍
The one I'm winning with the most! Seriously though, anything where I get to control the map and there's a lot of back and forth movement, that I find really fun and fascinating. I'd say I'm the worst when I don't have a lot of vision and have to play with minimal understanding of what my opponnent is up to. So I go through ups and downs where its going really well with one race and I love them, but the meta can shift and a week later it's the opposite! Right now ZvP experimenting with mass lings and mutas and there being a real war for map control is exhilirating!
Really kinda needed this video, cuz this game and the community of trolls on this game can really piss me off. I used to vs PC on the hardest difficulty 7v1 back in 2008 but it was on custom maps I made with tons of minerals. I also played when sc1 originally came out but I didn't play sc1 using hotkeys until 2008 nor did I hotkey buildings I think until 2008, though it was different from sc2. Anyways I'm trying to get better and better but I beat up on myself, and get mad at proxy stuff and cannon rush's but actually beat most of that. What I struggle with is people who scout me well and counter me well. Also when I scout I don't really know what they are making based on two glasses being mined though I can guess. It's hard to macro and scout let alone battle, but those are my Goals. Also I started last year as zerg, and was doing great but then switched to Terran for fun and started really liking Terran, and now I'm on toss but it isn't coming as natural since I mostly just make zealots stalkers and void rays but I'm trying to branch out more. Last thing is damnit people who make a bunch of carriers really fast piss me off, it's like damnit I obviously should have pushed sooner even though he had a decent amount of zealots to stop me( how I felt as zerg, but as Terran the dark templars is a real problem so missile turrets and or ravens are a.must but out you in a gas deficit and tie up a starport). Yeah the old thing too.
I don’t know if I have ladder anxiety. But I feel like I have to be in the perfect state to play on my main account with my main race. I have to have slept well, not be hungry, have at least 4 hours of free time and so on and so forth. So much so that the criteria are never truly met, considering I almost always feel like I’m tired. I know it’s silly and try hard.
Everyone's lives are so busy a lot of people find it hard to find the energy to get in a lot of good gaming time these days. Definitely good to have fun with offraces/playing on non main account and lowering those expectations
for me i kinda always struggle to queue up alone. in sc2 or dota if im playing in a party with at least 1 other person i can have a good time and not care about rank, but if i'm trying to queue solo i suddenly can't click the button and struggle to even play unranked games. my solution in the past was to have 1-2 drinks to get myself to be able to play, but ive been trying to stay sober so im actually trying to just simply be better now
2 days ago, I went up 300MMR in one day with some 30 wins. The very next day I lost 9 matches in a row. When Im worried about losing MMR, I start losing matches. So im learning losses happen just learn from them and move on but its still hard to get over that anxiety.
I'm currently facing some anxiety on that topic. I only purchased (and began playing) SC2 a few months ago. I'd played SC1 and Broodwars A LOT when I was a kid. I think I was 12 or 13 or so when it first released, and I remember really enjoying it. So when I started playing SC2, it wasn't like it was ALL brand new to me.. but it still took some time before I was both; familiar with, and capable at, the game. My issue is; I still find myself getting pressed when I play against an AI opponent set to "Hard" difficulty. I would say my win rate against "Hard" AI opponent is something like 13/15 (W/L). Aside from just playing standard matches against a hard AI, I've been plating on the Versus tab against Hard AI (the game says it's to assess your abilities and determine your MMR properly. As it stands, I'm at 3010MMR (which, as I understand it... is where everyone more or less starts at?) but still find myself nervous to engage in 1v1 against another person. I think another source that this anxiety might be coming from is; I watch about as much Starcraft 2 as I play... and 99%+ of the matches that I watch are matches between Pro's and Grandmasters.. which I think might be coloring my perceptions of laddering. Getting the impression that everyone plays like that on the ladder. And since I KNOW that the pro players I watch the replays of would beat me in less than 5 minutes, 100 out of 100 times, I end up feeling like I'm NOWHERE NEAR good enough to play on the ladder. Perhaps some of you might know the answer to this, and if so, I'd love to hear it! But my question is this.... How would you compare and contrast an average 3000MMR new(ish) player, to an AI set to 'Hard'??? If a player is capable of beating AI's set to "Hard" fairly regularly... would they likely be skilled enough to compete with low MMR players??
AI and people play very differently. It would be like comparing treadmill walking to hiking. The core mechanics are there so you will have a good starting point. As for feeling like everyone is super good… quite a lot of players actually don’t watch pros play at all and they just play for fun with their own strategies. The game doesn’t start to resemble pro until you’re already in the top 5-10%. You can watch some series such as bronze league heroes to see what it’s like. I also used to enjoy watching lower league streamers to get an idea of what an average player looked like You will be just fine :) just give a go. I remember telling my first opponent I was new, and he just thought I was cheesing lol hope you have fun :D
Great video! Great idea to begin with but way to follow through... this is super helpful. It might be weird, but my #1 anxiety trigger is internet connection... I'm terrified of being the one lagging and somehow getting my ladder pass revoked 🙄
@@PiGstarcraft Haha, yup... my BW must be showing... hey, you'll be happy to know I fired SC2 up for the first time in 4ish years and got through 10 games vs AI tonight... eek is all I can say but baby steps are good 😁
One of the most discouraging things for me was when after practicing my macro build in AI games I was doing amazing, I was taking bases in time, getting upgrades, teching up, maxing out at 10-11 minutes on roach hydra, then I jump on the ladder and get rekt by cannon rushes, proxy gates, 14 pool, proxy reapers and the like. Turns out things get messy when there is an actual opponent in the game. I have lost proper macro games as well but like, I can accept losing to skytoss or mech because I was stupid and a-moved into 15 siege tanks. Losing to stupid things that shouldn't be good but you don't expect hurts more.
I am generally a single player gamer but once jumped into a multiplayer in the game C&C Generals. Got rocket tower rushed in the first five minutes and never played the multiplayer again.
That is PEAK first time RTS experience right there. I'll never forgetting a single huntress and demon hunter running into my base and killing all my peasants and single footman my first ever WC3 Ladder match...
The one thing that upsets me a lot on the ladder is when I get killed by a super random build that I just have no idea how to defend and then don't have the opportunity to play against it on a regular basis so it just feels like a build order win for them. Also, it feels bad that in sc2 u can just make one or 2 bad moves and lose the game and even if u know that's why u lost you don't have the opportunity to replay it or try again anytime soon, unlike in dark souls. I also find it frustrating that if I take a week or 2 off (which is often the case with work) the first day or 2 I come back isn't that fun because I'm so rusty mechanically. It feels kind u need to pay consistently to have any sense of improvement which makes it harder to get motivated to get on.
That lack of ability to experience the same situation again is one of the reasons why SC2 is such a difficult game to learn, I totally feel that. Having clan members or practice partners to try out the same situation again, or to pore over a replay and discuss it can really help out, but isn't available without already being in an active community. Short of that though as you improve you really want to be able to look at a replay and confidently pick out a series of steps to respond to something and write them down/commit them to memory. It won't be perfect next time but you'll have the beginnings of understanding how to react and be much better off. The mechanical rust is definitely a real thing there too. It's like your hands and brain tend to take a bunch of games to warm up and start getting back to your regular pace. Reframing on those days to really just focusing on my build and internally getting my rhythms back, really simplifying my focus and not being too reactive helps speed up the derusting as I avoid frustration. The days I don't reframe the goalposts to "let's just hit my build tight to 5 minutes" and go in freestyle... I tend to get mad at losses and it takes a full day of torture before I go into it with the right mindset on day 2 and make actual progress lol
Something I’m finding here is that I can’t stay on a similar play level as I keep running into those high mmr players that quit right at the beginning sending my mmr much higher than it should be.
yeah that's a pain, I'd advise focusing internally in those situations and you can still improve and have some really great games whilst the ladder gets you back to where you belong
I really like the point on fear of losing. Whenever I play any competitive game, my mantra would simply be "The MMR giveth, the MMR taketh". And once I stop seeing MMR as this thing I have control over, and the only thing I have control over is my own skill and enjoyment, I learn to have much more fun being 'in the moment' in game rather than worrying about whether my drop or my push will win. I just go and have fun microing. If I lose, good on the opponent. GGWP and I move on. If I win, cool let's just go on game 2 and see how it goes. In the end if MMR is really something you care about, the quote 'the battle is lost, but not the war' should hopefully give you some strength to push on. Some days it's a war of attrition, some days you push across certain boundaries, and others its falling back and resecuring your strengths. Either way, have fun!
I love that just pushing through the hardships of ladders gets so many of us to develop these little philosophies and mindsets to find joy within that challenge. Wise thoughts mate
I don't have ladder anxiety like i used to, but I'm still mildly afraid of getting sucked down from ~2900 mmr plat2/plat3 down to 2700 mmr gold1 because it seems like the closer you are to 2500-2600 mmr or so, the more smurfs you have to face, like you're sucked into some kind of smurf toilet. Its completely anecdotal but it "feels like" a higher percentage of 2900-3000 MMR players have an mmr that actually matches their skill, and therefore I have more close matches. As my MMR goes down and gets closer to 2500-2600, it seems like a higher percentage of matches turn into a "I steamroll" or "get steamrolled" because of people with low match history. The fix is... win moar and claw my way out of the toilet.
We noobs aren't Serral, Maru, Reynor or any of these big names... but there _is_ one big name we very well could be - Kybrit. Not a name to strive for though.
nice motivational speech. I must say, I avoid ladder, I have a potatoe of a laptop, gaming is chunky, and also, I can never guarantee that I have X amount of time to play, family life (wife / kids etc).... EDIT, haven't played in 8 years... started trying again. None of my old mates play anymore, makes me feel like a dinosaur...
I just don't play. Easy. Kapp But for real, I found that the main way to deal with is just to... play. Over and over. A lot of it early is the adrenaline rush and unfamiliarity to it. That goes away with repetition. Also, the less you care about your rank and results the better. Also, remember that most ladder systems are falsely viewed as a progression system. They aren't. They're made to make you SETTLE at your rank, to provide you with balanced games. So unless you're going pro or wanna try hard, there's little pressure to "keep climbing". That said, I still prefer playing coop vs AI or vs friends. Beating randos doesn't excite me much.
I use to HATE ZvZ, then pig said something I’ll never forget: “ZvZ is the crazy, insane mini game you get to play 33% on ladder.” This changed the game for me. It’s now my highest win rate and something I LOOK FORWARD to. Weird eh
haha yeah I used to struggle so much with it in the early days and just flicking a mental switch whenever I saw ZvZ really helped me out, glad it worked for you too!
@@PiGstarcraft absolutely did! The same advice you give about being curious about the losses and rewinding was helpful in improving. Not investing your entire being into winning or loosing also just really helps to take each game in stride.
I've only played against bots or my partner, I've never hopped on the ladder even though I really want too. I can hit a 2.5 base 30 roach attack with speed at 6~ minutes which I feel is REALLY good for just playing against bots but that "Ranked Anxiety" is paralyzing.
Wow that's a great benchmark! My advice would be to just dive straight in. Remember first games are against a huge range of opponents most around ~plat - so expect to get hammered by a few crazy things and don't expect to win any games for at least a little while, and just see if you can hit your build and focus on your plan through that anxiety. If you can do as well as you've done vs bots you might even get placed as high as plat, but don't stress because your MMR will be flexible for 25 games so it'll find you well matched opponents very easily. So if you're losing don't worry you'll get easier opponents, and if winning remember you'll get much harder opponents and get smashed soon enough :) GL hf yo!
didnt watch the video yet, but weird how i had minimal anxiety first, and it built up as i played the ladder more. Probably more akin to second category as they are defined in the video, but idk. I just dont feel like playing mirrors... or certain things... Yea after watching the video somewhat, it's def coz of the second reason. oof. Always looked up to Dark, (mainly because he validates me spamming roaches like a noob) now i understand why.
I feel like the first tip might even be better for a separate video. It’s such great advice but feel like it won’t reach people who actually need it because of the title?
@@PiGstarcraft!! You talked to a good degree about onboarding and how hopeless new players can feel when they’re learning the game and getting on ladder. Absolutely solid advice I thought. However, if I was a new player finding the game difficult and went to UA-cam to find advice, I probably wouldn’t have clicked on a video called “ladder anxiety.” I might not even know what that was. So for example I thought you could include that advice in a separate video called “advice to new players” or something. Now, I keep an eye on your content to a fairly consistent degree (I think, at least >
i dont want to play becuase i hate how competitive i am and i know im going to lose and im not saying i should win all the time but i am too competitive to enjoy losing alot which makes it worse
@@PiGstarcraft it's frustrating because I love the game and I want to play it but matchmaking not just in this game but all of em is just so off putting now a days.
My big problem these days is by the time I'm able to get to the game I'm too tired to play, I know I need to put in the reps so I can play while fatigued, like going to the gym. But then the twitch vod comes on and I'm playing bannerlord or path of exile. xD
haha yeah definitely good idea to just lower your expectations and have a separate account or unranked you play when tired where your goals are much lower and you're just letting yourself flow with some practice
> How to deal with LADDER ANXIETY Loose many games in a row by not even trying. Just make workers. Don't mine minerals. Fly your base to the corner of the map. etc
Look i just wanna play 4 to 5 damn games and win at least 2 and call it a night not do learn and grind thingy i do that at work when home i wanna relax and have some fun loosing all 5 while giving my best is not fun or 4/1 and so on O yea in back of my head im still masters and it kills me every time i see diamond as my rank
Then there's those toss players that are toxic and add extra salt 🧂 by BM you while they beat u add to the anxiety I never had ladder anxiety until I hit Masters.
First of all, The ladder is mostly broken. For the past 2 years I been playing against players that get ranked as Masters and they can barely play. They don't know where the opponents base is, where our braces entry points are, what upgrades are, what certain units do, how many units to put on gas, what order things get built, like super general basic stuff. Aaand they are ranked masters in single and team. Meanwhile just recently I got ranked as bronze in the US and Diamond in EU for single and Masters in Team in EU/US. If you are playing multi player, the game is a complete disaster or you just crush the other team without even trying. It feels like Blizzard wants to retire SC2 and they are doing this to get players to stop playing.
Best advice? If u got ladder anxiety, just shut off this game, it's not worth it. It's not your fault. A game shouldn't make you to feel this way, games are supposed to be fun, relaxing, not feel like a burden or trauma.
@@yllekfrizco4557 the ammount of energy and time required to "flex & git gud" isn't worth the reward you get in this case, at least for me. I'd rather spend my time doing something else instead of learning how to click my pixels better than other people to find out who has a bigger e-penis.
Why? If you are watching a very engaging movie you might/will "fear" for the protagonists if it seems something bad will happen to them - even though the situation is made up.
Not really. I wouldn’t play if I felt nothing. The emotions are what makes the game fun. Every game is a rollercoaster and the buzz when you win a great game is awesome. Much rather have the ups and downs of SC2 than the mind numbing boredom of minecraft.
Thanks for watching and commenting everyone! Hopefully this helps anyone who is having a hard time pressing that Find Match button. Links to help you learn how to play sc2 are all in the description! Head over to my PiG Coaching channel for guides on how to play for all races ua-cam.com/users/PiGRandom. If you want to be a part of a community of other sc2 players and fans, join my Discord community discord.gg/SkhbzCM
My favourite PiG quote: "Just get on the ladder and have fun with it. The worst thing that happens is that you lose games and then you play easier opponents, which is great because then you're practicing at your level" - PiG, B2GM Protoss 2022
My first ladder match ever: got cannon rushed. Had no idea that was a thing. Felt so stupid to face such a thing instead of large scale battles, so I searched online for how to deal with it. This is how I discovered this community and got in touch with PiG and his great content. Frankly, I don't think I would have stuck with ladder games without youtube content, and that alone is a MASSIVE hurdle.
Glad you hung around mate
You know what, I got cannon rushed in my first 2 ladder matches, and then I exhaustively researched cannon rushing, and also I found pig. That's funny
Just braved the ladder for the first time in years and I’m playing shithouse however, no anxiety. Been crushed by some fantastic builds and am looking to see what I can learn from them. I’m a 46yr old who has loved StarCraft since it came out so many years ago and original Warcraft before. My apm ranges between 40 to 60 depending on race and I play as random. I suck equally with all but it’s fun.
love this attitude
If you might still be interested in SC2 someday I'm looking to connect for some casual team games. I've been wanting that Predator portrait for 13 years now.
@@cypher6083 haven’t played in a long time but I do cycle back to it every couple of years.
Pig, this is awesome. I myself and I'm sure many others have struggled with this sort of thing. I've been playing since Brood War and I'm an old head now but, I was good at the game, always beating better players and some well known/famous players. But I could not handle the pressure of live competitions (I went to a few WCG's / Live tournaments), I did place 2nd at most but the toll it took on my body was pretty horrible, and by grand finals I was completely destroyed physically and mentally. I tried streaming as well and if my views started going anywhere near 100 or over from raids I would get too overwhelmed to continue playing as well and have to stop.
Getting older helped a lot of this because you just honestly care less when you grow up, but it was hell while it was happening - driving to tournaments I would have like bottles of water in the car(4 usually, 2 to drink because you also get pretty thirsty and your mouth dries out while in panic and one to tip on myself to keep body temp down), aircon going because I would be completely drenched in sweat, my phone would have to be fully charged in case I had to leave in an emergency and couldn't drive myself, lots of preparation to make myself feel as comfortable as I possibly could, just to get there let alone play and perform.
This is also why I have avoided playing SC2 Ladder, I was just content having the occasional game and beating someone decent showing my apm was still in the 300's then fading back into obscurity because I didn't want to push myself to overcome that anxiety. Don't let this stuff mess up your opportunities for fun guys or to inhibit your potential and growth, learning to keep your ego in check and stuff from playing ladder and learning how to learn, can be invaluable experiences in how you tackle other problems in life and develop your analytical ability and task management. Starcraft is awesome for many reasons - try to have fun with it and don't take it too seriously.
I feel like we don't choose whether to have anxiety or not. We develop anxiety as a trauma response, to some bad event or general toxic environment.
I wouldnt call what I have ladder anxiety, but Im sure some people can still relate. For me I just never really feel like opening up the game and playing. Maybe it is kind of anxiety but around knowing you will have to make a lot of effort. Once I do convince myself to play a game though I almost always want to keep going and end up playing around 5 games.
I have the same issue.
Same. It seems like such a high energy type of a game. Have to be super inspired similar to working out lol
The ego section of this video is something I really needed, I've always had lots of love for Starcraft and even though I was pretty decent at it at times the ladder anxiety always got to me in the end and made me quit for years. My general ability to play games combined with the fact that I used to be diamond 7000 years ago set some completely unrealistic expectations in my head, trying to play fast while working on improving everything at once while watching 20 guides before trying anything, and it all just causes me to lose energy and motivation to actually play the game and learn from match experiences, and it feels silly to overprepare so much just to lose to very basic things. I'll try to not be so mentally high-ranked this time and actually relearn the basics of the game and trust the process, and see where that takes me on the ladder
I'm a new sc2 player and my struggle has just been clicking that button, I've been playing AI but realised this isn't gonna help me, I'm finally gonna try and find some courage ^^
Hi Pig! Just turned 60. Opponents can be brutal in chat, especially when you win. As Zerg, I'll pool first, get a few lings to slow them down while macroing behind it. I don't really care what units I build (roach, ling, hydra) because a 3 base Zerg beats a 2 base whatever after a couple of minutes of building units. I consistently get "low skill" "learn the game" "noob" comments. This is the worst part of playing on the ladder for me, but you didn't mention it.
Don’t worry about it, it’s just people raging at a video game. Probably just because they don’t understand a certain mechanic or strategy
Turn chat off. lol
Truth is chat has become pretty bad lately with people lashing out at you even when you out played them in a standard game, not that i give an f but just an observation.
At the very first sign of BM I will block them. I think its F11 to bring up the menu.
I block people that are rude - that mutes their chat.
I am absolutely part of the second group of player, however not because of my MMR going down but because most games I feel so bad for all the mistakes I made even if I won.
Watching a lot of pro sc2 has this downside of giving high expectations when playing the game, and as a result I am satisfied of the way I played maybe 20% of my games.
Great video, you're very right on recognizing the good part of your own play aswell as the bad ones.
Feel the same way. I look back and realize tons of mistakes and just wish I had the opportunity to go back in time and fix them. It'd be cool if the AI was actually good enough that you could replay from your replays and the AI would just replicate what the real life opponent was doing. So if you lost because u accidentally fat fingered yourself and move commanded ur army for 3 seconds during a fight (happens to me often) you could go back and try again.
Competitive RTS matches is about who made less mistakes.
Looking at your peak mmr as your real mmr was a really great insight. Seems obvious when you hear it out loud, but definitely something I've been guilty of since day one. Definitely easy to get too into it and forget to have fun.
Oh man this video was awesome PiG!!
I laughed with a bit of guilt when you said "you're old!!" Haha
All of these tips are such important concepts to enjoying a stressful game like sc2. Loving your content keep it up!!
This video was absolutely spot on. I felt like you were talking to me personally throughout most of it. If someone is open enough to it, this can easily apply to real life.
I've dipped in and out of Starcraft throughout the years and really enjoy every time I see you still going strong. Thanks for all the content, it's been a joy having you as my Starcraft guru.
much love mate
I did it, I got over the ladder anxiety. I had the fear of losing MMR when i get to a higher level... even tho I am in Bronze league in NA. Now with more practice against real players and not the AI, I manage to climb to Bronze 1 with an MMR of 2930 atm of writing this. Not sure why I am not getting promoted to a higher league than bronze, but I read that 2900 on the NA ladder is around Plat 2, and am happy with that but ofc I do want to continue improving.
Thanks for your Bronze to GM Pig!
New maps really help get over the anxiety. I always end up playing more games around the times the new maps are released.
Yeah the new content cycle around patches and maps is always a big motivator, and it seems to break up the meta a bit as everyone gets more experimental
Pig… thank you. I’ve been watching your coaching videos a lot and it might be silly to say playing a game can help you in life… thank you so much for your advice. I’ve been trying do learn the same way at work and at school and it’s made a huge difference. Thank you so much for your content man. I really appreciate it.
eyy Charlie glad the content's connecting, I've learnt so much from this game about learning itself, stuff I've applied to a lot of the other areas of my life - so I definitely know what you mean. GL hf yo
I just played my first 1v1 game and it was absolutely fantasticular.
I had been playing StarCraft I since I was a kid, never online because it was pirated, but nevertheless, never got competitive.
I then played StarCraft II only against bots. I began watching content about it. Began with Lowko, watched him for about half a year, than Winter for a year, Harstem when his channel launched and not too long after, you, PiG. I don't know if it is really a lot, but I was surprised to see I had played and won over 100 games versus the Elite AI and harder, it became second nature to go to custom games on ladder maps and play against some bots, just for a little bit of perspective on how anxious I was to play people.
Coming back to the video, I forced myself to jump into a 1v1, also while recording the whole ordeal, just for the memories, thanks to you, of course.
I was absolutely exhilarated to see my opponent, a terran who played MACRO, basic stuff, marines, tanks and a raven. He was Plat 3, and did not get any upgrades which resulted in a loss for him later, AND he GG'd, and I still loved every second of it, even if I lost, I was gonna smile for the rest of the day because I played a comfortable game. I could not believe it was not cheesing, proxy or any other bullshit strat that'd give me more trust issues so I'd have to scout every corner early.
TL;DR: After playing against bots and watching StarCraft II videos for years, my first ever 1v1 game was against a terran who played macro like a decent person (not that some wanton ransacking isn't allowed every once in a while) and I loved it.
Go play a 1v1, it really is not a big deal, the person on the other side is shitting their pants probably as much as you are, and if they aren't, your next opponent might just be more shat than the last one. And I thank every streamer I watched and PiG especially for giving advice about beginning to play, it really does feel safe to do so now. Thank you.
HAHAHA burned starcraft cd ftw!!!!!
@@besnergreen Hell yeah. Those were epic, along with my dad's also burned Age of Empires 1 CD.
I just started playing again 1 week ago, and I got sent to bronze, then I played yesterday with a new season and got placed in gold. I did a Livestream today and managed to get from Gold 3 to Gold 2 in only 2 and a half hours. I think the best part of StarCraft 2 is that there is always the chance to improve and get better. I will be making more live streams and hopefully improving myself throughout the new season, my goal is just to make it to Platinum!
Something that came to mind as you talked about anchoring our ego to a certain skill level, is that rankings are to be seen as a CONSEQUENCE of our gameplay, and not a skill level TO BE PERFORMED. So there's a huge verb (action/focus) difference here.
If we see rankings as a consequence of our gameplay, our focus has to be on our gameplay. We can literally do nothing about our rankings, because the system decides if we deserve it or not. Deciding our ranking, then, is beyond our capabilities, and can only be achieved as a consequence of our actions. So, shift the focus into the gameplay, which might allow you to have fun, probably, and just accept the ranking the system gives you. And, if you really want to achieve a certain league for yourself, then remember that you are still climbing, you're not on the top of it yet. Take a chill pill and figure out the next step, the next point of grip so you can have a solid climb.
Because, if we think that we have to PERFORM at a certain level, we will not be thinking in the game, in the moment. Our attention will be on the badge we will receive after the match, and we won't pay proper atention to what is happening right now, losing opportunities, losing focus and not paying attention to alerts, minimap, extra resources and so on and so forth. We will be thinking on how to micro the next battle while we should be macroing, how to do the flashy plays while we should be injecting hatcheries and spreading creep, thinking where to place siege tanks to demolish the enemy lings while we shoud've seen that our last scout revealed an early spire. If we are trying to perform, then we are not trying to play, we are trying to be shiny. And when we don't shine, we become mean to ourselves for not shining. Everything spirals out of control, and our fun is gone. Better to go watch something on YT.
So, understanding this mindset and integrating it is my goal now. Thanks, PiG, for the opportunity for this insight!
This goes much deeper than SC2. GG WP Great Video!
Losing was a big part of my anxiety. What helped me get comfortable was playing team matches. They’re way more chaotic than regular 1v1 matches but it helped me get comfortable playing and trying out builds. It even got to a point where I was 1v2 ing matches and winning. After that I started 1v1s regularly and now I’m play 10+ matches a day. I hit masters 2 last season and I’m aiming for gm this season baby 😌
I had ladder anxiety. Beat up on AI for 8 months. With 180 apm. Never played ladder. Past few weeks I starting playing 2v2. It’s complete insanity. But it really helped! Now I play 1v1 too
eyyy yes! Teamgames are such a great way to get into it with slightly lower stakes/pressure - I should have mentioned this in the video
those 1v2's are what has me diving head first into ladder
I'm feeling real called out for the old guy likes marine drops segment. Great stuff!
Really cool video Pig. I used to have ladder anxiety but realized it’s just a game and I don’t care if I lose now. So much more fun
This was helpful. Thanks for taking the time to talk about it.
I have had many friends over the years which i convinced to try Sc2 and exactly zero went more than toes deep into the game, one common behavior most of them had was that they immediately developed opinions on what is op and pretty much slowly stop playing saying that the game is bad and imbalanced, i tried to explain to them that balance isn't the problem and they just don't know how to react and it will come to them with experience but at the end of the day RTS is a 1v1 game and many people don't like playing a game that each loss is 100% on you.
yeah it's a more intense experience than most are keen for, but that's also where the most satisfying wins and biggest rewards come from. I do wish people played teamgames and it was more of an onroad pathway to getting used to the game before diving into 1v1
@@PiGstarcraft Yep team games is going to be a game changer imo and this is why i have high hopes for stormgate
How do zerg must react to terran mass turrets, gellions + ghosts + battlecruisers? Banelings - but he even have a skill to split it all. I dkw.
I'm just happy anytime I manage to stop a cheese. I rewatch those wins over and over again. I know it's not the best way to improve, but there's nothing more satisfying than defending an all-in that was difficult to handle a few months before.
Congrats, you're savouring those wins and enjoying the journey of improvement!
Great video. I don’t really get ladder anxiety however there were defiantly a few things I can relate too. Being happy with your wins is defiantly a big one, happy without being arrogant.
Also realise that I was maybe in a good position and with a little better scouting could have made better decisions and take the win.
This is exactly what we need mate, thanks for golden nugget, absolutely agree with what you have said :)
Glad this helped!
Hit 3700 MMR two weeks ago then fell down to almost 3200, losing 18/20 games felt terrible, but now I'm slowly climbing my way back I know I'll get there as I'm definitely feel like im still improving at the game.
eyy we've all been there on those epic loss streaks! It feels terrible at the time but enduring it will make you tougher in the long run
i used to get so anxious before a match that it would start to feel like physical pain, but now when i play some games at the bottom of the ladder i feel very relaxed, sometimes you just need to get used to the idea of losing sometimes and let go of the idea that you need to be perfect
embrace the chaos that is inherent to playinga human opponent
knowing that you can get balanced matchmaking also helps
Thank you for this!
I would consider myself falling into the third category (doesn't wanna lose to other players/mmr). When I started playing against other players a few weeks ago, I already had this mindset of "play to have fun, and if I win, it's a nice bonus" - and that hasn't changed. Still, for some (unknown to me and probably silly) reason, I only play against other players quite rarely (and when I do, I even often win). There is definitely something in my subconscious that makes me hesitate to click on this "ranked match"-button. Which is a shame, because every time a match starts, I get excited (in a positive way, as in "I have fun!"), and if I loose, then because of the other player having played better in this match, which is great! They hopefully were enjoying the game as well and are happy about the victoy and it makes them feel good.
I was happy to have found somebody I can chat on occasion (in one of my first ranked matches, we got into chatting during the match, and I told them that I was new to SC2, and they gave me tips, analyzed a few of my games afterwards and such), and I found if I go into a match with or against them, it's so much easier, and I was more relaxed when we did it. So that was actually the best advice from You: joining the Discord :D I hope to be able to find a few nice people to talk to and get good matches out of it.
Just wanted to thank you for addressing this. I'm fortunate that my anxiety (oddly enough) only happens in my hobbies. I'm going to write out some of these tips and stick them next to my PC.
You don't know how much this helped me!! Thanks Bro!!
That's great to hear mate!
@@PiGstarcraft just lost 8 games in a row and still going…
Ok 9 now. Really hard not to quit…. Ugh!!!
I still remember playing the game for the first time back in 2010. I lost 20 times in a row. I had no idea what I was doing but it was fun to play the game! When I finally learned about this thing called “a build” I jumped up into platinum. Now I still occasionally play and stopped caring about mmr, winning or losing. I just like to play and see what my opponent throws at me and how I can solve that puzzle
I don’t know for sure if this pushed me over the edge to play again but I’m close to giving it a try, I got to gold once 10 years ago but that was definitely a reach for me. I know it’s gonna be bronze for months maybe but I do have the desire to start again. Really enjoyed the breakdown of what to focus on in the process, incredibly applicable to a lot of things in life.
I did it, burned through 20 games and played them all out strictly trying to working on mechanics and managed to come out with 2 wins. Felt even better because it felt like most of my games I was the one applying pressure and I would only lose because I couldn’t fully utilize my income. Joined the discord and hoping to maybe have someone watch my gameplay and help me figure out things to tweak to improve, managed silver 🤙🏻
I love this video. Makes me feel a lot better about my own progress
I love watching StarCraft 2 tournament, never played the game though, might have to give it a try after this.
PiG: "Playing games is better with friends!"
Me: "What's friendses, precious?"
I'm clearly in the first group. I played only one dozen ladder games, ended up in Gold 3, and then I was so stressed out because the game is so fast. I lost most games in which I was cheesed and won most macro games. I already followed your advice of using just one build, so if I ever come back to laddering my next step will be to get muscle memory and standard memory (i.e. getting used to not forgetting supply, workers, fighting units and/or research, while also actually finding the time to take care of the opponent, possibly even to react to what they're doing). So, I guess the main thing I'm taking away from your video is to stop caring about my performance, because _in contrast to when you're sleeping with a woman the other person will actually be happy if you don't perform well._
the more you stare at the play ranked button the harder it will be
i prefer the jump in approach
just click it quickly (don't think about it for more than 2sec) and don't look at it again until an opponent was found
and once you're in game what are you gonna do? just leave it for free? no, you're gonna play it out
Thanks for the video. It really helps. I am following your b2gm with Protos. Loving it. What do you enjoy playing the most? Zerg, Protos or Terran? Thanks 👍
The one I'm winning with the most!
Seriously though, anything where I get to control the map and there's a lot of back and forth movement, that I find really fun and fascinating. I'd say I'm the worst when I don't have a lot of vision and have to play with minimal understanding of what my opponnent is up to. So I go through ups and downs where its going really well with one race and I love them, but the meta can shift and a week later it's the opposite! Right now ZvP experimenting with mass lings and mutas and there being a real war for map control is exhilirating!
@@PiGstarcraft just reading you makes me want to play ☺️
Great video! I can totally relate to this. Forty something, full time job, kids. Adulting :)
Really kinda needed this video, cuz this game and the community of trolls on this game can really piss me off. I used to vs PC on the hardest difficulty 7v1 back in 2008 but it was on custom maps I made with tons of minerals. I also played when sc1 originally came out but I didn't play sc1 using hotkeys until 2008 nor did I hotkey buildings I think until 2008, though it was different from sc2. Anyways I'm trying to get better and better but I beat up on myself, and get mad at proxy stuff and cannon rush's but actually beat most of that. What I struggle with is people who scout me well and counter me well. Also when I scout I don't really know what they are making based on two glasses being mined though I can guess. It's hard to macro and scout let alone battle, but those are my Goals. Also I started last year as zerg, and was doing great but then switched to Terran for fun and started really liking Terran, and now I'm on toss but it isn't coming as natural since I mostly just make zealots stalkers and void rays but I'm trying to branch out more. Last thing is damnit people who make a bunch of carriers really fast piss me off, it's like damnit I obviously should have pushed sooner even though he had a decent amount of zealots to stop me( how I felt as zerg, but as Terran the dark templars is a real problem so missile turrets and or ravens are a.must but out you in a gas deficit and tie up a starport). Yeah the old thing too.
I don’t know if I have ladder anxiety. But I feel like I have to be in the perfect state to play on my main account with my main race. I have to have slept well, not be hungry, have at least 4 hours of free time and so on and so forth. So much so that the criteria are never truly met, considering I almost always feel like I’m tired. I know it’s silly and try hard.
Everyone's lives are so busy a lot of people find it hard to find the energy to get in a lot of good gaming time these days. Definitely good to have fun with offraces/playing on non main account and lowering those expectations
for me i kinda always struggle to queue up alone. in sc2 or dota if im playing in a party with at least 1 other person i can have a good time and not care about rank, but if i'm trying to queue solo i suddenly can't click the button and struggle to even play unranked games.
my solution in the past was to have 1-2 drinks to get myself to be able to play, but ive been trying to stay sober so im actually trying to just simply be better now
join a community so you have friends to play with! my discord has heaps of people helping others out and playing together discord.gg/SkhbzCM
2 days ago, I went up 300MMR in one day with some 30 wins. The very next day I lost 9 matches in a row. When Im worried about losing MMR, I start losing matches. So im learning losses happen just learn from them and move on but its still hard to get over that anxiety.
I'm currently facing some anxiety on that topic.
I only purchased (and began playing) SC2 a few months ago. I'd played SC1 and Broodwars A LOT when I was a kid. I think I was 12 or 13 or so when it first released, and I remember really enjoying it.
So when I started playing SC2, it wasn't like it was ALL brand new to me.. but it still took some time before I was both; familiar with, and capable at, the game.
My issue is; I still find myself getting pressed when I play against an AI opponent set to "Hard" difficulty. I would say my win rate against "Hard" AI opponent is something like 13/15 (W/L).
Aside from just playing standard matches against a hard AI, I've been plating on the Versus tab against Hard AI (the game says it's to assess your abilities and determine your MMR properly. As it stands, I'm at 3010MMR (which, as I understand it... is where everyone more or less starts at?) but still find myself nervous to engage in 1v1 against another person.
I think another source that this anxiety might be coming from is; I watch about as much Starcraft 2 as I play... and 99%+ of the matches that I watch are matches between Pro's and Grandmasters.. which I think might be coloring my perceptions of laddering. Getting the impression that everyone plays like that on the ladder. And since I KNOW that the pro players I watch the replays of would beat me in less than 5 minutes, 100 out of 100 times, I end up feeling like I'm NOWHERE NEAR good enough to play on the ladder.
Perhaps some of you might know the answer to this, and if so, I'd love to hear it!
But my question is this.... How would you compare and contrast an average 3000MMR new(ish) player, to an AI set to 'Hard'???
If a player is capable of beating AI's set to "Hard" fairly regularly... would they likely be skilled enough to compete with low MMR players??
AI and people play very differently. It would be like comparing treadmill walking to hiking. The core mechanics are there so you will have a good starting point.
As for feeling like everyone is super good… quite a lot of players actually don’t watch pros play at all and they just play for fun with their own strategies. The game doesn’t start to resemble pro until you’re already in the top 5-10%. You can watch some series such as bronze league heroes to see what it’s like. I also used to enjoy watching lower league streamers to get an idea of what an average player looked like
You will be just fine :) just give a go. I remember telling my first opponent I was new, and he just thought I was cheesing lol hope you have fun :D
Great video! Great idea to begin with but way to follow through... this is super helpful. It might be weird, but my #1 anxiety trigger is internet connection... I'm terrified of being the one lagging and somehow getting my ladder pass revoked 🙄
LOL the trauma from the dial up days still there eh, that's rough
@@PiGstarcraft Haha, yup... my BW must be showing... hey, you'll be happy to know I fired SC2 up for the first time in 4ish years and got through 10 games vs AI tonight... eek is all I can say but baby steps are good 😁
Hey thanks. This was really helpful
One of the most discouraging things for me was when after practicing my macro build in AI games I was doing amazing, I was taking bases in time, getting upgrades, teching up, maxing out at 10-11 minutes on roach hydra, then I jump on the ladder and get rekt by cannon rushes, proxy gates, 14 pool, proxy reapers and the like. Turns out things get messy when there is an actual opponent in the game. I have lost proper macro games as well but like, I can accept losing to skytoss or mech because I was stupid and a-moved into 15 siege tanks. Losing to stupid things that shouldn't be good but you don't expect hurts more.
that was great!
thank you
I am generally a single player gamer but once jumped into a multiplayer in the game C&C Generals.
Got rocket tower rushed in the first five minutes and never played the multiplayer again.
That is PEAK first time RTS experience right there.
I'll never forgetting a single huntress and demon hunter running into my base and killing all my peasants and single footman my first ever WC3 Ladder match...
This is actual, real life advice.
The one thing that upsets me a lot on the ladder is when I get killed by a super random build that I just have no idea how to defend and then don't have the opportunity to play against it on a regular basis so it just feels like a build order win for them. Also, it feels bad that in sc2 u can just make one or 2 bad moves and lose the game and even if u know that's why u lost you don't have the opportunity to replay it or try again anytime soon, unlike in dark souls.
I also find it frustrating that if I take a week or 2 off (which is often the case with work) the first day or 2 I come back isn't that fun because I'm so rusty mechanically. It feels kind u need to pay consistently to have any sense of improvement which makes it harder to get motivated to get on.
That lack of ability to experience the same situation again is one of the reasons why SC2 is such a difficult game to learn, I totally feel that. Having clan members or practice partners to try out the same situation again, or to pore over a replay and discuss it can really help out, but isn't available without already being in an active community. Short of that though as you improve you really want to be able to look at a replay and confidently pick out a series of steps to respond to something and write them down/commit them to memory. It won't be perfect next time but you'll have the beginnings of understanding how to react and be much better off.
The mechanical rust is definitely a real thing there too. It's like your hands and brain tend to take a bunch of games to warm up and start getting back to your regular pace. Reframing on those days to really just focusing on my build and internally getting my rhythms back, really simplifying my focus and not being too reactive helps speed up the derusting as I avoid frustration. The days I don't reframe the goalposts to "let's just hit my build tight to 5 minutes" and go in freestyle... I tend to get mad at losses and it takes a full day of torture before I go into it with the right mindset on day 2 and make actual progress lol
Something I’m finding here is that I can’t stay on a similar play level as I keep running into those high mmr players that quit right at the beginning sending my mmr much higher than it should be.
yeah that's a pain, I'd advise focusing internally in those situations and you can still improve and have some really great games whilst the ladder gets you back to where you belong
fake it til you make it boiiiiiiii
Trembling hands are where I define myself over ladder
exactly what i need
Finally!
i have ladder anxiety and i know it’s just a game. I want to start playing regularly 1v1 but i have also so much fun playing 2v2 and 4v4.
Teamgames are awesome! No shame in preferring them. It's definitely a more intense/different experience playing on your own
teams are way harder and more stressful hahah what?? All that time building an army to get 1v2'd. thats usually what gets me playing in ladder!! :D
I really like the point on fear of losing. Whenever I play any competitive game, my mantra would simply be "The MMR giveth, the MMR taketh". And once I stop seeing MMR as this thing I have control over, and the only thing I have control over is my own skill and enjoyment, I learn to have much more fun being 'in the moment' in game rather than worrying about whether my drop or my push will win. I just go and have fun microing. If I lose, good on the opponent. GGWP and I move on. If I win, cool let's just go on game 2 and see how it goes.
In the end if MMR is really something you care about, the quote 'the battle is lost, but not the war' should hopefully give you some strength to push on. Some days it's a war of attrition, some days you push across certain boundaries, and others its falling back and resecuring your strengths.
Either way, have fun!
I love that just pushing through the hardships of ladders gets so many of us to develop these little philosophies and mindsets to find joy within that challenge. Wise thoughts mate
I don't have ladder anxiety like i used to, but I'm still mildly afraid of getting sucked down from ~2900 mmr plat2/plat3 down to 2700 mmr gold1 because it seems like the closer you are to 2500-2600 mmr or so, the more smurfs you have to face, like you're sucked into some kind of smurf toilet.
Its completely anecdotal but it "feels like" a higher percentage of 2900-3000 MMR players have an mmr that actually matches their skill, and therefore I have more close matches. As my MMR goes down and gets closer to 2500-2600, it seems like a higher percentage of matches turn into a "I steamroll" or "get steamrolled" because of people with low match history. The fix is... win moar and claw my way out of the toilet.
MOVE THE GOALPOSTS
We noobs aren't Serral, Maru, Reynor or any of these big names... but there _is_ one big name we very well could be - Kybrit. Not a name to strive for though.
this is a solid video
nice motivational speech. I must say, I avoid ladder,
I have a potatoe of a laptop, gaming is chunky, and also, I can never guarantee that I have X amount of time to play, family life (wife / kids etc)....
EDIT, haven't played in 8 years... started trying again. None of my old mates play anymore, makes me feel like a dinosaur...
10:25 hold on a moment, this seems weirdly familiar to me
I used. Then started taking Pig and Neuro advice to heart.
I just don't play. Easy. Kapp
But for real, I found that the main way to deal with is just to... play. Over and over. A lot of it early is the adrenaline rush and unfamiliarity to it. That goes away with repetition. Also, the less you care about your rank and results the better.
Also, remember that most ladder systems are falsely viewed as a progression system. They aren't. They're made to make you SETTLE at your rank, to provide you with balanced games. So unless you're going pro or wanna try hard, there's little pressure to "keep climbing".
That said, I still prefer playing coop vs AI or vs friends. Beating randos doesn't excite me much.
I use to HATE ZvZ, then pig said something I’ll never forget: “ZvZ is the crazy, insane mini game you get to play 33% on ladder.” This changed the game for me. It’s now my highest win rate and something I LOOK FORWARD to. Weird eh
haha yeah I used to struggle so much with it in the early days and just flicking a mental switch whenever I saw ZvZ really helped me out, glad it worked for you too!
@@PiGstarcraft absolutely did! The same advice you give about being curious about the losses and rewinding was helpful in improving. Not investing your entire being into winning or loosing also just really helps to take each game in stride.
thx
I've only played against bots or my partner, I've never hopped on the ladder even though I really want too. I can hit a 2.5 base 30 roach attack with speed at 6~ minutes which I feel is REALLY good for just playing against bots but that "Ranked Anxiety" is paralyzing.
Wow that's a great benchmark! My advice would be to just dive straight in. Remember first games are against a huge range of opponents most around ~plat - so expect to get hammered by a few crazy things and don't expect to win any games for at least a little while, and just see if you can hit your build and focus on your plan through that anxiety.
If you can do as well as you've done vs bots you might even get placed as high as plat, but don't stress because your MMR will be flexible for 25 games so it'll find you well matched opponents very easily. So if you're losing don't worry you'll get easier opponents, and if winning remember you'll get much harder opponents and get smashed soon enough :)
GL hf yo!
didnt watch the video yet, but weird how i had minimal anxiety first, and it built up as i played the ladder more. Probably more akin to second category as they are defined in the video, but idk. I just dont feel like playing mirrors... or certain things...
Yea after watching the video somewhat, it's def coz of the second reason. oof. Always looked up to Dark, (mainly because he validates me spamming roaches like a noob) now i understand why.
I feel like the first tip might even be better for a separate video. It’s such great advice but feel like it won’t reach people who actually need it because of the title?
which one are you referring to?
@@PiGstarcraft!! You talked to a good degree about onboarding and how hopeless new players can feel when they’re learning the game and getting on ladder. Absolutely solid advice I thought. However, if I was a new player finding the game difficult and went to UA-cam to find advice, I probably wouldn’t have clicked on a video called “ladder anxiety.” I might not even know what that was. So for example I thought you could include that advice in a separate video called “advice to new players” or something.
Now, I keep an eye on your content to a fairly consistent degree (I think, at least >
Do you get such an anxiety that your brain stop working?
SeedToStoned - I started out on BW when I was 14. Now I’ve been stuck in Gold for years.
Nothing wrong with being in gold!
i dont want to play becuase i hate how competitive i am and i know im going to lose and im not saying i should win all the time but i am too competitive to enjoy losing alot which makes it worse
haha the struggle, yeah I find it hard to commit to multiplayer in a lot of games unless I go really quite hard into it and improve fast
@@PiGstarcraft it's frustrating because I love the game and I want to play it but matchmaking not just in this game but all of em is just so off putting now a days.
So true…38 years old and I push that find match for fun….. I loss I win. Need a couple of drinky poos before I hit that button! Lol
My big problem these days is by the time I'm able to get to the game I'm too tired to play, I know I need to put in the reps so I can play while fatigued, like going to the gym. But then the twitch vod comes on and I'm playing bannerlord or path of exile. xD
haha yeah definitely good idea to just lower your expectations and have a separate account or unranked you play when tired where your goals are much lower and you're just letting yourself flow with some practice
> How to deal with LADDER ANXIETY
Loose many games in a row by not even trying. Just make workers. Don't mine minerals. Fly your base to the corner of the map. etc
Look i just wanna play 4 to 5 damn games and win at least 2 and call it a night not do learn and grind thingy i do that at work when home i wanna relax and have some fun loosing all 5 while giving my best is not fun or 4/1 and so on
O yea in back of my head im still masters and it kills me every time i see diamond as my rank
I'm 40 playing with a beer in my hand.
I'm going to Dark Templar rush my next 20 matches.
Pig for president. 🐖 🐷 🐽
Then there's those toss players that are toxic and add extra salt 🧂 by BM you while they beat u add to the anxiety I never had ladder anxiety until I hit Masters.
First of all, The ladder is mostly broken. For the past 2 years I been playing against players that get ranked as Masters and they can barely play. They don't know where the opponents base is, where our braces entry points are, what upgrades are, what certain units do, how many units to put on gas, what order things get built, like super general basic stuff. Aaand they are ranked masters in single and team. Meanwhile just recently I got ranked as bronze in the US and Diamond in EU for single and Masters in Team in EU/US. If you are playing multi player, the game is a complete disaster or you just crush the other team without even trying. It feels like Blizzard wants to retire SC2 and they are doing this to get players to stop playing.
sometimes u just gotta smoke some weed, have a couple beers, and go into game with no expectations!! have fun!
I'll take the shakes, but the sweating is so distracting. Even in team competitive games, it's a damn waterfall under my arms.
haha I used to get that
step one: don't play on the ladder
ef me man :D
Best advice? If u got ladder anxiety, just shut off this game, it's not worth it. It's not your fault. A game shouldn't make you to feel this way, games are supposed to be fun, relaxing, not feel like a burden or trauma.
Or flex & git gud 💪 some ppl got somethin to prove, and herein lie valuable life lessons
@@yllekfrizco4557 the ammount of energy and time required to "flex & git gud" isn't worth the reward you get in this case, at least for me. I'd rather spend my time doing something else instead of learning how to click my pixels better than other people to find out who has a bigger e-penis.
If you’re nervous over a video game it’s actually a bit sad.
Why?
If you are watching a very engaging movie you might/will "fear" for the protagonists if it seems something bad will happen to them - even though the situation is made up.
Money down op has never played and/or is projecting his own ladder anxiety lol
Not really. I wouldn’t play if I felt nothing. The emotions are what makes the game fun. Every game is a rollercoaster and the buzz when you win a great game is awesome. Much rather have the ups and downs of SC2 than the mind numbing boredom of minecraft.