footiedrummer,

So you're saying that your parents are not genetic biologists and neither are you?

I'd love to see the evidence from this.

What about attitude? When I first started playing Age of Empires I was shit. I started at 15 when I was recovering from years of bullying at school. My self confidence was shattered, and I was nervous to take any risks. Most of all I didn't want to be noticed as being noticed had often led bad things to come my way.

I started sixth form college and I was still shit at age of empires. Different circumstances coerced me into coming out of my shell and making new friends and growing as a person, but on Age of Empires I still played people the same rank and ranks below me, never better (there is a point to this). I was safe on the internet, comfortable, no matter what happened outside.

Second year of college came and I started to get with girls, and eventually became reputable for it. Being a loser still, I was proud of it and overconfident, and one day I decided that I didn't need Age of Empires anymore for comfort; I entered the competitive stage and risked my pixel points.

I set myself a goal of ONLY playing the weakest civilization, because then I would always be disadvantaged and reminding myself that I didn't need the points. I lost at first, but I realised I didn't care. I learned new things that I hadn't noticed in the game during the years because I was happy being comfortable. I played only people better than me, and I rose to being one of the world's best Portugal players and the best player in the UK at one point.

The only thing that changed was my attitude. I quit the game at over 2200 on the ELO ladder (equivalent of a Chess grandmaster I believe) because to break 2300+ massive amounts of time were needed, time I wanted to socialise with.

Anyone can be good at anything, but the attitude is needed as well as other factors (I tend to question things a lot which helped me in AoE).

Edit

I've said this before but to me it's very important: the only way to actually improve is to blame yourself.

It's a given that Russia will always beat Portugal (assuming both players can play the game reasonably and are not noobs) because of their quick army mass against Portugal's slow start. I can blame Russia being too powerful for me losing, but what good is that to anyone? How does that help me to beat Russia? I blamed myself for being too slow and got faster in my gameplay to beat them, making me
a better player overall.

I'm very good at debating, i study a very debate orientated subject anyway at University but it just feels good when you're logically picking someones argument apart and winning. We have this thing called a moot in my course and it is amazing. It forces you to stand up and defend what you're saying against 5 people who are trying to disprove what you are saying.

I also have a very good memory. Like i remember stuff in the most minute of details. Not something i really worked on, its more like i see stuff like its photographic in my mind.

You're a fucking douche...you should be a lawyer....


hahah jk bro I hate debating maybe because I'm never good at it, I'll let you do you, and I'll do me thats it. But yeah I think you should be good at something positive though...debating is soo ego crushing.

Our philosophy society at my Uni regularly meets with the Debater society, I haven't met one Debater member who didn't grasp the basic people skills needed to be a succesful human being.
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