Frustration and Competitive Gaming

Coming up I’ve always been a fierce competitor. It doesn’t really matter if it’s a game, basketball, pool, work, cards, or checkers. I’ve always found enjoyment in bettering myself. Because of this attitude it can sometimes send off the wrong message of who I am as a person when gaming with members off the site. I’ve been frustrated in games, and sometimes I’ve been vocal about it lol. I’ve never personally insulted anyone though. Well last night I quit out of an inner clan FFA tourney because I was having a horrible game, and I wasn’t going to advance. Now I wasn’t mad at anyone in the game, but at myself. I should’ve won. Now before you read that comment let me explain myself. I’m not cocky. I just don’t go into a game thinking I’ll lose. So look at it as a mindset and a standard that I’m putting on myself as a player when I go into a game. When I go into a game I know what needs to be done, and I get disappointed when I don’t accomplish that. So if I don’t accomplish what I needed to I always look back at what went on, what I could’ve done differently, and how to keep myself in a better position next time. The worst part of it all is that it takes place on X Box live. Unlike a basketball game, there are factors that are just beyond control that determine games all the time. So it’s really hard not to let that stuff get to you when people should be dead, but they aren’t. I’m usually pretty good at not letting Live get to me, but since I’ve been getting less sleep lately it happened last night. I let my disappointment of not playing my best and frustration of Live get the best of me.

As I said, I quit out of the game. I hate saying the word quit though because I don’t really felt like I quit. In basketball when you get frustrated you can take a time out or sit on the bench for a few minutes to regain your composure. So this is what I did in my mind. I knew I couldn’t make a run to get to the next round, and I backed out to get control of my frustration. I know some people will probably read this and think it’s crazy, but I’m not. There are two kinds of people. You have people who settle, and people who don’t. It doesn’t matter what you do in life because this is an attitude I’m referring to. When growing up playing basketball I always hated not starting. Nothing was worse than your family coming, and you’re not starting. So for years I took it upon myself to get myself in a position so valuable to the team that they couldn’t start me on the bench. Well it finally happened around 19 years of age. I don’t play much anymore due to being busy with work and the house, but it’s something I look to get back into. When I played though I knew I had a quick first step, and I didn’t let anyone intimidate me no matter how big or fast they were. So in the league I was in I eventually was considered an A player when they would divide up the teams at the beginning of the season. I could shoot, drive, pass…. Lead a team. I couldn’t ask for nothing else. That same drive is in me in Halo also. Some people think because they’re old they can’t be good, but I don’t buy that. I just think it’s an excuse for people to use not to better themselves because it’s easier. I realize most play for fun, and that’s cool. I respect it totally just not my style.

I think Halo 2 is the ultimate game for competition. Yes, it has its cheaters and issues, but the game itself is astounding in a competitive aspect. So many different ways of attacking each map, multiple ways of using weapons to get to certain points, and the ultimate chess game. I know, how can I compare this to chess. Your smarter players will always be steps ahead of you. To be good at this game of course you must have skill, but once you have the skills it becomes a thinking game. You learn respawns, nade tosses, weapons tricks, jumps, baiting enemies, and map control. There is just so much thinking involved in this game. Because of this one aspect, this game is always the standard. It raised the bar so high, that it’s almost untouchable in my opinion.

Anyways, just wanted to write to offer a little insight into the competitive mind. What makes it tick. Why it’s not a bad thing to not settle for mediocrity.