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What should I do?

RedMoon2546

Smash Cadet
Joined
Jul 11, 2015
Messages
30
Location
your closet
NNID
omi
recemtly, I've lost motivation to play. All I do during the day is practice on training mode, for glory, play other people streaming, and everything in between. I feel LIke me playing hasn't changed at all and I can't see to win consistently since January. I want to go to tournaments and have fun but I don't feel like driving to get my ass whooped. I feel like I should leave the competitive mindset alone and just stop. I can't play well and haven't played well in a long time and all I end up making happen is me being frustrated after trying to win for 4 hours. What should I do?
 

Reila

the true enemy of humanity is anime
Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Messages
9,240
Location
Alma
No one can answer that question other than you. If you want to stop, then stop. If you are discouraged because you are not seeing improvements on your playstyle, then maybe you could try changing your mindset and the way you play before giving up on Smash? If you are playing on "auto pilot" you won't ever improve and I say this as someone who more often than not plays on auto-pilot... and then gets annoyed for not improving as much as I should.
 

FieryRebirth

Smash Ace
Joined
Jan 11, 2008
Messages
511
NNID
Rara-Avis
Switch FC
7032-4095-8921
Sometimes your mind doesn't agree with you on what you want to do. Playing a competitive game for so long can make your brain just shut off general interest and/or passion temporarily, especially if it starts to feel repetitive(like playing strictly your main for weeks).
 
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Wintropy

Peace and love and all that jazzmatazz~! <3
Joined
Aug 28, 2014
Messages
10,032
Location
Here, there, who knows?
NNID
Winterwhite
3DS FC
1461-6253-6301
I'd say go to whatever tournament is closest, enter, try it and see how it goes.

You will probably get beaten. That's okay. It's good experience. What is important is that it will distinguish whether you want to continue with competitive Smash or just focus on other things.

Either way, there isn't a right or wrong answer. Do what's best for you.

Incidentally, play with friends. This is a good way to hone your skills whilst still having fun.
 

Turrin

Smash Journeyman
Joined
Nov 23, 2014
Messages
258
Location
Seattle, Washington
NNID
Turrin
3DS FC
4425-1919-5126
Can I copy/paste my general response for these "how do I improve" threads? On whether you should go to a tournament, it partially depends on how close it is. Regardless of that, I was under the impression that you go to a tournament to get connected with people and your local scene, not just to win or lose. I'm going to Seattle to start college in a week - I'm gonna go to a local tournament and I will most definitely get rekt. Not gonna stop me.
Regarding improvement, the easy things are to save replays and watch yourself play to figure out what you're doing wrong. Another is to play people that are significantly better than you and get advice from them. Smash ladder is pretty good for that - my first match on that site I got falcon punched three times in a row and people are more than willing to give tips if you ask. Finally, if you really want to take a break, just do so for a day or two. I'll take a day off from the game every now and then and I tend to feel extremely refreshed when I come back.
 

GhostUrsa

Smash Ace
Joined
Jan 8, 2015
Messages
523
Location
Minnesota
NNID
GhostUrsa
3DS FC
1220-6542-6727
You need to evaluate why you are playing in order to figure out what you want to do. Much like any sport, there are different levels of commitment and no one can decide that but you. The one bit of advice I can give that will help you, both here and possibly anywhere in life, is to look at your outlook for your task and change it.

All the people who play a game, be it physical or electronic, that enjoy their pastime have roughly the same outlook. This isn't to win, but to have fun, to improve and to see what they are made of. If your sole reason to play is to win, then all you will accomplish is a self-fulfilling prophecy of dread and soul-crushing nihilism. You need to fail in order to improve, as you only learn from defeat.

I know that sounds like some hippy drivel you see in some bad Hollywood stereotype, but it is sound advice that couches have been telling athletes for generations. There are millions of combinations of actions possible in a given match, and victory only teaches you one possible winning combination against one other combination played by your opponent. Failure not only shows you what didn't work, but allows you to study habits you have that are giving you options that will never work. Every champion has more failures in their belt that victories (now whether those losses are in ranked, recorded matches is another thing), which is an encouraging thought for the rest of us just trying to do our best.

Figure out if you are playing for fun, or want to play for fun, and then look into things that will make that a reality. Or don't and find a hobby that will. Life is too short for one person to fret over things that make them unhappy for too long.
 

KirbCider

Smash Ace
Joined
Jul 2, 2015
Messages
688
Location
East Texas
Playing competitively is okay; however one should remember games should also be played to have fun as well.

You're also going to get doubts like that. I've gotten them, and I know my friends have gotten them too. Every now and then someone somewhere will think they haven't improved. Some people will have days where they just can't play their best or win much.

This is all completely natural. I can't tell you how many times I've had these days. Some days it feels like For Glory just wants to see me squirm, but one thing you have to keep in mind is you can't win all the time. Losing is all part of the gaming experience and honestly? I'd prefer to lose often rather than not at all. If I did nothing but win all the time I'd grow bored of the game cause there would simply be no challenge or a reason to play it. I know losing (especially often) is frustrating, but it shouldn't be a bad thing.

In any case, don't stress so much on winning but rather just have fun. Again it's okay to play competitively; however you need to also be able to have fun win or lose. Don't let your competitive side rule you. Always focus on just having a good time.

You will improve. It may not happen immediately, but you will.
 
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Objekshin

Smash Cadet
Joined
Jul 1, 2015
Messages
67
Location
Ellicott City, MD
I've had doubts like many times over the years. I usually played with my bro, and always lost. It was absolutely infuriating.

But I always asked everyone for advice on how to get better, and they always were willing to divulge secret skills and whatnot, and I ended up exploiting them more than they ever did. It usually takes time though, so don't expect to get better in just a few hours. I sunk around extra 500 hours (I should have been studying) into smash, just to get even with my bro. And then another couple hundred hours and I became known as the best in my school and church.

Life will sandbag you around sometimes. IT HAPPENS. Everyone has their off days, off weeks, off months, off whatevers. But if you keep a positive attitude, you won't feel as bad. Just imagine how much worse other people are. Some people don't even have the joy of being able to play a video game, let alone smash. Feel good that you can.


Always ask people you play for advice, Put time and effort into it, Be happy, and never give up.
 
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