There's something wrong with my skills.

Maltrich · 12-08-2006, 10:57 PM

Okay, so I've been playing video games since I was four. Probably would have before that, but with no older siblings it took me that long to find out they existed.

Ever since I got my Sega Genesis, I've been what might be called an avid gamer. Gaming shares my free time with reading and foruming, but I believe that at times my playtimes have averaged well over eight hours a day. From kindergarten through tenth grade, I was freaking untouchable by anyone in my age group. Quite simply, I pwn'd.

Last year, in eleventh grade, I met several people who are better than me. To my surprise, most of them play less than I do. No big deal; ever since the rise of online play I had known that I would never be the best. But what bothered me was that I simply couldn't comprehend some of their skill. When they play SSBM it's a completely different game from when I play it. (I spent two weeks trying to learn to play like them from detailed guides and videos, and to this day I still can't wavedash.) When they play Soul Calibur 2, I get owned even though I can't tell what they're doing differently.

Then, this year, I found out that one of my friends who I used to trounce royally is much better than me at every game I've watched him play. He spends much less time playing than I do, and he was never so hot before, but now it's a feat if I can beat him once or twice in a night if we're playing anything he's played before.

I have a hard time 100%ing things.

To tell the truth, I'm becoming discouraged with the whole industry. I'm finding myself playing older games more than new (and disappointing) ones, and buying new ones very infrequently. I don't even have a memebership with any rental shops any more. My average play time is falling significantly and I'm at something of a loss, because I haven't really been able to get into any other hobbies (not for lack of looking), so I've been spending a lot of time refreshing forums and re-reading old novels.

Is this kind of burn-out common? Is there anything I can do about it, short of sucking it up and hoping some other hobby catches my interest before I become the world's most boring lazy person?

12-08-2006, 10:57 PM	#1
Maltrich Caffeine Addict +1 Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 8	There's something wrong with my skills. Okay, so I've been playing video games since I was four. Probably would have before that, but with no older siblings it took me that long to find out they existed. Ever since I got my Sega Genesis, I've been what might be called an avid gamer. Gaming shares my free time with reading and foruming, but I believe that at times my playtimes have averaged well over eight hours a day. From kindergarten through tenth grade, I was freaking untouchable by anyone in my age group. Quite simply, I pwn'd. Last year, in eleventh grade, I met several people who are better than me. To my surprise, most of them play less than I do. No big deal; ever since the rise of online play I had known that I would never be the best. But what bothered me was that I simply couldn't comprehend some of their skill. When they play SSBM it's a completely different game from when I play it. (I spent two weeks trying to learn to play like them from detailed guides and videos, and to this day I still can't wavedash.) When they play Soul Calibur 2, I get owned even though I can't tell what they're doing differently. Then, this year, I found out that one of my friends who I used to trounce royally is much better than me at every game I've watched him play. He spends much less time playing than I do, and he was never so hot before, but now it's a feat if I can beat him once or twice in a night if we're playing anything he's played before. I have a hard time 100%ing things. To tell the truth, I'm becoming discouraged with the whole industry. I'm finding myself playing older games more than new (and disappointing) ones, and buying new ones very infrequently. I don't even have a memebership with any rental shops any more. My average play time is falling significantly and I'm at something of a loss, because I haven't really been able to get into any other hobbies (not for lack of looking), so I've been spending a lot of time refreshing forums and re-reading old novels. Is this kind of burn-out common? Is there anything I can do about it, short of sucking it up and hoping some other hobby catches my interest before I become the world's most boring lazy person? __________________ The world's a mess, and I just... need to rule it.