Mindset of a Gamer cont.
I was thinking about writing indepth examples. I said screw it. If you can’t understand why knowing game mechanics is important, then you’re beyond help. Good players understand what you can do and what you can’t do. Great players are able to execute. But how do you beat someone who knows as much as you? You have to think ahead of them. Not one step, not two steps, but three steps ahead of them. You have to know what they’re going to do before they do it. You have to know what they think you’re going to do so you can pre-counter their counter. Chess is a great game to visualize this. Calculate all the possibilities you can think of before each step. Do this enough times and it’s like working a math problem; you’ll know what to do in each situation. Again, what do you do if you know each others moves? You have to think ahead. Now this is where some inherent physical ability may come into play. Whoever can react faster may have the upper hand. Some people are just gifted. For the rest of us, theory and practice are the way to go.
Really, it’s that simple. Think ahead. I can’t tell you how many people just don’t do this. Envision what you need to do. Discuss it with people. And then put it in practice. And repeat. You’ll be surprised how many people don’t do this.
But you know what? We’re not done yet. Now that you and your opponent are both thinking ahead, what do you do? You need to think outside the box. Be innovative. Again, how many people don’t make it to this step? It boggles my mind how so many people are content with just going through the motions. This is the step that separates the great players from the amazing.
I’m tired and that wasn’t a great writeup but the main point is there. You want to win? You want to be the best? You have to be innovative. Maybe I’ll write more later.
Mindset of a Gamer
It’s no secret I enjoy playing games. There’s this huge psychological aspect of playing a game that attracts me. It’s the part where you know you’ve out-thought and out-played your opponent. It’s the part where you know you’ve won because you’re just better. That’s what it comes down to. You’re just better. How do you get to be better though? That’s the part lots of people don’t understand. Let’s list out what’s important to playing a game:
1. Knowing the game system/game mechanics
2. Knowing the player mechanics/your abilities and your opponent’s abilities (whether it’s AI or another person)
3. Execution
That’s really about it and in that order. In other words, you have to know your goal, how you can achieve it and then do it. Most people stop right here. Actually I take it back, most people don’t even get to this point. They think they know the game system or mostly know the game system and they kind wing their way through the game. That’s good and all and works for 99% of the population. It should or else the game wouldn’t sell. For the other 1%, what happens when you want to get better? How do you get better? What’s important is actually reverse of what I listed above.
1. Execution
2. Knowing player mechanics
3. Knowing game mechanics
And I’m sleepy. To be continued..
