17 replies to this topic

[War_Machine_704]

I get pissed off in games. I believe many of you do, too.

 

Loss X in a row, bad play, stupid mistakes, RNG. Make your own list of rage-inducing tank events. It happens. What I recognize, though, is that if I stay in that pissed off state, my game play frequently gets worse, more things piss me off and suddenly I'm into a losing streak death spiral. Even worse, the game I am playing for fun and relaxation has now become a source of frustration. Not good!

 

 

So what do you do? Well, first pay attention and recognize that this is happening. Hint: If you are stabbing the "Battle" button like it just insulted your mother, you may be experiencing a rage-tanking problem.

 

Once you recognize that this going on, though, what do you do to get out of it? This is where I'm looking for ideas. Here's some techniques I've used with some success:

 

1. Take a break. Put the game down for 15 or 20 minutes and do something else. Or call it quits for the day altogether, pick it up again tomorrow. I've seen some folks mention a "three strikes (losses) and you're out" rule along these lines.

2. Review your play. Review the game in your head, and think about what you could have done better. I've taken to recording my games and I'll frequently force myself to stop and watch the replay of the last game. This practice has general benefit of slowing down the death spiral, and it's possible I might actually recognize how I screwed up or could have done better while watching the replay.

3. Find a buddy or platoon up. Not such a great idea if your buddy is a tanking rage-aholic, but frequently this can help you get back on an even keel.

 

Each one of these techniques has helped me deal with tanking rage at one point or another. These don't always work, though, and then I'll watch my win rate drop like a stone until my battery gives out or the server gets shut down for maintenance.

 

QUESTION: What do YOU do to stay on an even keel while Blitzing, or to pull yourself back from the cliff of frustration, rage and death spiraling doom?

 

\\WM_704

[Aivris]

I used to play by the three-loss rule as well. I had been stuck at 61.9% WR for months, and it frustrated me with how I was winning matches and then losing matches even after coming back from a break. Then the IS-3 Defender missions came. I decided to give up on my win-rate and I just kept going into battles with the KV-4 regardless of the number of losses (provided that my ping didn't rise to unplayable levels). During that period, I ended up accomplishing multiple things:

• Getting the IS-3 Defender
• Falling in love with the KV-4 (again)
• Getting my WR over 62%

 

I found that without the stress of having to maintain a certain level of stats, I performed better than before. The KV-4 has always been one of my favourite tanks, and I was having fun just playing with it. I had the goal of playing as many battles as possible to get the required XP for the Defender missions, so since I got XP regardless of the outcome of the battle, I was okay even if the battle resulted in a loss. However, after finally getting the IS-3 Defender, I ended up burning myself out.

 

If you find yourself on the brink of raging, put the device down, walk away and punch a pillow or something. You might do or say something that you'll regret later. If you see someone doing something silly, don't take your anger out on them. Maybe the person on the other end is having a bad day or just wants to muck around with their tanks. If not either of those, then they must just be a potato...and potatoes can't talk...

 

[meonfire25342]

A game or two in your favorite tank always helps

[Gitgudm9]

As a result of my rage-tanking, er, my phone screen is cracked...

 

 

 

[Lokeen]

I employ the "three strikes I'm out" rule.  I usually platoon instead of playing solo.

 

One thing I find really helps, and sometimes hurts if you're laughing to hard, is hanging out with my fellow Triarii and various other guests on our TeamSpeak server.  Some of you may use Discord but regardless of your preferred medium I suggest getting on voice chat, if possible, for a few reasons;

 

1. Obviously better real time coordination with your platoon mate.

2. The opportunity to meet new people.

3. You'll pick up tips and tricks to help improve your gameplay and reduce tilt

4. It's just fun to hang out, even if you're not tanking.

 

We have many members and guests that frequent our TS server while they're working on a home project, travelling for business or even just off to the store running some errands and it's great to just socialize!  A lot of times your friends can move you away from tilt just by chatting and taking your mind of the game for a second, maybe putting the team or match you just had into perspective or just making you laugh at something they say.

 

This game has provided me the opportunity to make some really great and valuable friendships.  Don't forget that behind that pixel tank is a real person and if you make the effort to get to know people you could find yourself stumbling into a brand new friend!

 

Be nice to each other and stay classy!

Edited by Lokeen, 17 August 2016 - 11:42 AM.

[NateDawg2k16]

Well, I usually hop into my Ice Claw (or any other premium), and go seal club the rage out of me.

[gargoyle_2200]

What I've found helps me is changing my goal from 'winning' to 'doing really good'. Thus, if there is a loss but I do 4000 damage I feel pretty good, and if I have multiple games like that I can still come back and start winning again because I'm not frustrated. Of course, sometimes even that fails, and I think just switching tanks or taking a break is the best option.

[_JadeX]

If I'm doing bad and having a bad day I pull out my Rhm.Borsig load only HEAT rounds and ruin everyone's day.

[RenamedUser_1016011594]

War_Machine_704, on 17 August 2016 - 02:48 AM, said:

1. Take a break. Put the game down for 15 or 20 minutes and do something else. Or call it quits for the day altogether, pick it up again tomorrow. I've seen some folks mention a "three strikes (losses) and you're out" rule along these lines.

2. Review your play. Review the game in your head, and think about what you could have done better. I've taken to recording my games and I'll frequently force myself to stop and watch the replay of the last game. This practice has general benefit of slowing down the death spiral, and it's possible I might actually recognize how I screwed up or could have done better while watching the replay.

3. Find a buddy or platoon up. Not such a great idea if your buddy is a tanking rage-aholic, but frequently this can help you get back on an even keel.

 

QUESTION: What do YOU do to stay on an even keel while Blitzing, or to pull yourself back from the cliff of frustration, rage and death spiraling doom?

 

Well, honestly I have no shame in saying #3 isn't an option because I run solo games maybe 20% of the time, max.  I always Platoon- it is IMO the best way to stay sane because if you get ripped by an SU152 or derped by a KV2, chances are your toon mate can still pull you through and what would have been a loss because of an unlucky high roll hit... stays a win.  You just forget wins... but you dwell on losses.  

 

That said, when things get bad... #1 is always my go-to.  Take a break.  Just walk away, or play SimCity or what I usually do is find a good Runners and Rammers game and just relax.  I will think through the match and what happened (AKA your #2) but not like a detailed review.  Just kind of like "yeah rushing that ST-I wasn't the best idea in my Panther 2, afterall".

 

But I'd say:

 

1. Platoon

2. Walk Away if the going gets rough

3.  Hit up TR's!!!  

 

 

[UwUmonkeChan]

I stop caring about stats. Every single time I've raged, it's because of stat related things. Like average damage and WR and etc. I simply just stop looking at them and all my problem goes away. Stats will destroy you.

[buckeyeinpitt]

What is this "rage" you speak of.....  I'm quite unfamiliar with this term.    Unless it is equivalent to threatening me with your glock and killing my entire family.  THAT might be rage I suppose.     Could just be well wishes to me from a fan, who knows.     I enjoy this "rage" of others... I just feed the beast and hope they overload until their head twirls around and explodes.   Then send them a simple message afterwards -  GG.  

 

I've never raged in my life.  

[MarcusAureliusAntonius]

I have started recording every game that I play. Win or lose I look at what happened. What went wrong/when did things go south? When you win you re-live the victory. This has helped my fun factor a lot, but this game is going down the tubes.

[BobboEvans]

I posted a note on another thread about this.  I no longer care about win rate and focus on damage.  As a result, I don't stress about a win or a loss.  Instead, I focus on whether my damage met my expectation.  For example, I'm often running the T-34-85 to grind credits.  My target damage range is 1500-2000.  If I lose but am in that range (or higher), I leave the game with the understanding that I did all I could.  If I'm below that range (in a loss), I analyse what I could have done differently to get my damage into range (I usually know....).  This has made me a much more patient player with more time to think in game.  The end result is that my win rate is steadily climbing, I have raisins over the last 2 months in 2 of the 3 tanks I use to grind credits (34-85 and KV-2).  My win rate in my other credit grinder (Pz III/IV) is 80%.  My 30 and 90 day win rates are over 60%.  All this by ONLY worrying about damage and not stressing about losses.

 

There is a reverse issue to a damage focus... I get trolled a lot more than I used to... but I'm also the guy alive at the end a lot more, too.  I just smile and get my damage win or lose.

[Three60Mafia]

There was an awesome thread back in the day about Being on a Tilt. 

 

http://forum.wotblit...__fromsearch__1

 

jensen215_, on 28 October 2014 - 07:23 PM, said:

This is a discussion about the concept of being "On Tilt" in World of Tanks Blitz. I think it's important to explore this concept because it can have adverse effects on the enjoyment of the gameplay. This is also more directed at players that are more proactive in their self-evaluation and assessments after each game - but it can apply to any player. I've not seen this term being used here, so maybe "Tilt" can be used as nomenclature to describe "abnormal game performance".


What is Tilt?

Tilt is originally a poker term used to describe a competent player beginning to perform well below his capability after a bad game or two. Tilt is caused by emotional frustration clouding the judgement of an otherwise calm and consistent player. The resulting emotional response results in increasingly aggressive play, frustration and pessimism - which ends in an irreparable losing streak.


Why is Tilt relevant to World of Tanks Blitz?

World of Tanks is inherently a competitive game, where you engage other individuals in pixel tank combat. AFKers notwithstanding, this means that you are essentially pitting yourself against human beings that are governed by emotional reactions. As many of you know, the actions of a few can really swing the influence of a match - especially those players that place a high value on good winning performances. As such, the higher your own expectations of your own performance - the greater the effects of tilt that you will potentially experience. So here are my own observed qualities of tilt:

• Tilt is relative, depending on a tanker's individual self-expectation of what is considered to be "normal performance/expectations" (ie: damage done per game, WR)
• Tilt is governed by an emotional response to a situation, and is triggered by an event outside of normal expectations (usually a very bad round of tanks).
• Tilt is a downward spiral that continues to get progressively worse until corrective measure are undertaken (ie: Loss streaks exceeding five or more)

 Even the best players suffer from tilt - except the better performers will know how to mitigate the effects of tilt itself (more on that later). Hence, this concept is important because everyone has the potential to suffer from it - and will find the consequences on their stats and enjoyment adversely affected.


Am I on Tilt, or are the players just bad?

The most important thing is to recognize whether or not you may be on tilt to begin with. The pilot can't pull out of a stall over the ocean at night if he doesn't have the instruments to assist him out of the uncontrollable dive. So in essence, you'll have to calibrate your own instruments to determine whether or not you may be experiencing a negative/destructive emotional response to a particularly bad round. Players being bad is something you will have to do your best to compensate for - and the blame will almost always fall to the random players on your team. Some of it is due to actual fail by your team, personal ego or even partly affected by mild symptoms of FG_'s Dunning-Kruger effect. This is just a normal function of the human brain, but let's focus on some tilt symptoms:

Symptoms

• Nasty streak: Losing more than five games in a row
• Unnatural aggression: Opting to rush the enemy in situations, taking unnecessary hull damage to hasten the game and take a quick win at all costs
• Scapegoating: Exponentially angered by the actions of the platmates/allies, even though they are not doing anything particularly wrong
• Self-Loathing: Performed below self-assigned damage threshold
• Loss of Control: "Ah who cares, clearly everything is down to luck anyway! my losses so far prove that!". Player stops trying because he believes he cannot recover from the losses.

As from the list above, those are based on my personal observations - but I invite everyone to add to the symptoms. We've also experienced at least one, two or more of the symptoms of tilt - because a lot of the forum warriors tend to be more sensitive and alert to their own game performance. As I've just covered the symptoms, let us explore some of the potential triggers of tilt in our server:

Triggers

• Time of day: Playing very early in the morning or extremely late results in poor MM (and randoms). Losses incurred have high chances to make the player experience Loss of Control.
• Stamina levels: Playing whilst tired and fatigued results in a shorter temper fuse and poorer acceptance of mistakes. Seeing a lemming when we're tired makes us a lot angrier than when well-rested.
• Harsh self-expectations: Playing with a high damage benchmark or Win rate makes it easier for you to move into Scapegoating and Self-Loathing when something goes awry.
• Guilty dive: Failure to carry a game, failure to cover a platoon mate, or missing easy shots (RNG, curse you!) can result in a tilt trigger. Especially if the person feels they have failed a platoon mate.
• Taunting: Doesn't often occur with the mature performers here, but taunting and inciting can lure solid players to deviate from their usual game-plan. This can result in an unexpected loss.

How about some suggested ways we can mitigate tilt?


Methods of mitigating Tilt

Thinking about this section, I realized that it depends on the player's own preparation and steps they take to win a match. It also demands that the individual is honest and self-aware about their own emotional thresholds. Just how reactive and proactive are you in ensuring you don't fall into the trap of Tilt Spiral?

Reactive Measures

• Stop Playing: "Maybe the next game I will win for sure!" No, just close the app and do something else. Clear your mind and re-approach the game after you've calmed down.
• Analyzing Gameplay: Take a good look if you were using a non-optimal strategy. Yes you got top damage, but did you sacrifice map control to do so? What adjustments should be made?
• Venting Anger: You have to take out and manage that frustration somehow. Some people seal club in loltraktors and some move on to other games. Find a way that works for you.

Proactive Measures

• Reasonable Goals: Don't go into a day with unreasonable expectations, increase your goal milestones step by step. 
• Maximum Loss Thresholds: Set a personal "You shall not pass!" barrier of losses. Be fair, if you lose five games - then make a commitment to take a break and do something else.
• Positive Mindset: Make the best out of a situation, and play your hardest - tilts are a temporary phenomena. Platoon if that helps you maintain a more social and relaxed mindset.

I know this is an explosion of words here, but I would like to know what you guys think about applying the concept of tilt to World of Tanks Blitz - and if you believe it is a relevant phenomena in this game. I also invite additions to not only the symptoms of tilt, but also ways to mitigate tilt based on your experience in battles.

 

I did not write this, I merely adapted the article so that it would be relevant to Blitz

Here is the original article  http://forum.worldof...world-of-tanks/

Thank you for your Time

 

[War_Machine_704]

gargoyle_2200, on 17 August 2016 - 05:57 AM, said:

What I've found helps me is changing my goal from 'winning' to 'doing really good'. Thus, if there is a loss but I do 4000 damage I feel pretty good, and if I have multiple games like that I can still come back and start winning again because I'm not frustrated. Of course, sometimes even that fails, and I think just switching tanks or taking a break is the best option.

 

I think this change of goal from 'winning' to 'doing really good' is very good advice. Thanks, gargoyle!

 

I have been working on building up my win rate lately, and that definitely has had an impact on my overall enjoyment of the game. On the one hand, I'm proud of the fact that I've ground my WR up a full percentage point in the last few months (Don't scoff, all you unicums out there; as player who's just a bit better than average with 10K+ games under his belt, that's a lot of work!) On the other hand, noticing that I've dropped my winrate 0.03 percent in the last 90 minutes of play is not inspiring. Completely ignoring stats isn't really an option for me, (I'm too competitive) but keeping them at arms length (infrequent, once a day or less checking) might be a better option.

 

[War_Machine_704]

Three60Mafia, on 17 August 2016 - 08:23 AM, said:

There was an awesome thread back in the day about Being on a Tilt. 

 

http://forum.wotblit...__fromsearch__1

 

This is great! Thanks for digging this up, Three60! I figured someone had posted on this topic, but I didn't find this one.

 

I particularly appreciate the proactive approaches to Tilt: Adjust your goal, change your mindset.

 

All this input has made me think I need a personal mantra for playing Blitz:

 

"Consistent play is better than aggressive play." or "Don't play angry." or some pithy quote from the Art of War.

[PixelBucket]

War_Machine_704, on 17 August 2016 - 02:48 AM, said:

I get pissed off in games. I believe many of you do, too.

 

Loss X in a row, bad play, stupid mistakes, RNG. Make your own list of rage-inducing tank events. It happens. What I recognize, though, is that if I stay in that pissed off state, my game play frequently gets worse, more things piss me off and suddenly I'm into a losing streak death spiral. Even worse, the game I am playing for fun and relaxation has now become a source of frustration. Not good!

 

 

So what do you do? Well, first pay attention and recognize that this is happening. Hint: If you are stabbing the "Battle" button like it just insulted your mother, you may be experiencing a rage-tanking problem.

 

Once you recognize that this going on, though, what do you do to get out of it? This is where I'm looking for ideas. Here's some techniques I've used with some success:

 

1. Take a break. Put the game down for 15 or 20 minutes and do something else. Or call it quits for the day altogether, pick it up again tomorrow. I've seen some folks mention a "three strikes (losses) and you're out" rule along these lines.

2. Review your play. Review the game in your head, and think about what you could have done better. I've taken to recording my games and I'll frequently force myself to stop and watch the replay of the last game. This practice has general benefit of slowing down the death spiral, and it's possible I might actually recognize how I screwed up or could have done better while watching the replay.

3. Find a buddy or platoon up. Not such a great idea if your buddy is a tanking rage-aholic, but frequently this can help you get back on an even keel.

 

Each one of these techniques has helped me deal with tanking rage at one point or another. These don't always work, though, and then I'll watch my win rate drop like a stone until my battery gives out or the server gets shut down for maintenance.

 

QUESTION: What do YOU do to stay on an even keel while Blitzing, or to pull yourself back from the cliff of frustration, rage and death spiraling doom?

 

\\WM_704

Depends. sometime i turn on calming music, sometimes I keep powering on until I get a good game, most of the time I stop playing for a while and usually draw or write. When it gets really bad, thought, I put holes in the wall

[gargoyle_2200]

War_Machine_704, on 17 August 2016 - 10:23 AM, said:

 

I think this change of goal from 'winning' to 'doing really good' is very good advice. Thanks, gargoyle!

 

I have been working on building up my win rate lately, and that definitely has had an impact on my overall enjoyment of the game. On the one hand, I'm proud of the fact that I've ground my WR up a full percentage point in the last few months (Don't scoff, all you unicums out there; as player who's just a bit better than average with 10K+ games under his belt, that's a lot of work!) On the other hand, noticing that I've dropped my winrate 0.03 percent in the last 90 minutes of play is not inspiring. Completely ignoring stats isn't really an option for me, (I'm too competitive) but keeping them at arms length (infrequent, once a day or less checking) might be a better option.

 

 

I definitely care about my stats as well. However, I care more about my WN8, Star1 and WN7 than I do about my winrate (though I do care about that as well). Even on a loss those stats can go up. I think if you just relax and play you will actually perform better; having the added stress of trying to win, ironically, has the opposite effect. The more stressed, tired, etc you are the worse you will do in game.