I lose self esteem too quick..

[CMoon]

Guys. I don't even play Dark Souls ._.

Full Havels or Giant armor is a great way to get past 4 Kings and Nito, assuming that's the stumbling block

[Wyrmnus]

Guys. I don't even play Dark Souls ._.

Full Havels or Giant armor is a great way to get past 4 Kings and Nito, assuming that's the stumbling block

Said it once, an' I'll say it again. Way over my head, boss.

[Blinge]

Guys. I don't even play Dark Souls ._.

Okay so you don't wanna level resistance, that's basically a waste of souls.
you'll be fine, man

[Wyrmnus]

Back on topic. One of my biggest pet peeves here, is watching replays. Why? Because when I try to learn from a replay, my mind is too busy being jealous of the demonstrator's skill and the fact that I cannot do that yet.

[trap15]

Stop giving a shit.

Stop getting so caught up in how other people do.

[Sinistar's visions]

Playing shmups on a daily basis, switching through several favorites in a session, the progression of skill naturally develops. Enjoying the games while noticing the subtle improvements provides entertainment and satisfaction, a sort of value.

If one wants to be a mathematician, it's important to first understand 2+2 before advancing to calculus. In the case of shmups, learning the scoring system and the rules of the game, allows for a better edge in advancement.

After finding points which are seemingly impenetrable, going to a replay makes easy work of seeing a path open up, which then drives one to the next set of challenges imbedded in these games. An obstacle course of sorts, puzzles which require time and patience to conquer. Baseline twitch/reaction time increases also help in advancement.

All of these processes occur under the hood of what should be entertainment and quality time. Eventually, big goals get met. For example, I am finding myself right on the cusp of 1cc'ing DFK 360 mode and it's somewhat surprising to see one's abilities improve without any unnecessary conscious effort, regarding whipping oneself towards a completion.

Immersing in the challenging fun of gameplay will yield results, without any emotion based expectations clouding the necessary effort.

Also, by playing the personally harder contemporary games, especially bullet hell shooters, the older MAME shmups become profoundly more rewarding, with longer runs by virtue of the enhanced capabilities from daily efforts.

It seems that all shooters become more accessible as improvements grow.

In total, enjoy the game and be rewarded with the subtle improvements which lead to profound successes.

[CMoon]

Back on topic. One of my biggest pet peeves here, is watching replays. Why? Because when I try to learn from a replay, my mind is too busy being jealous of the demonstrator's skill and the fact that I cannot do that yet.

The reason I'm teasing you with dark souls nonsense is that there's nothing wrong with not being a top tier player, and there's no reason you can't enjoy a game if you can never master it. It isn't hard for me to think of something I really enjoy but am pretty pathetic at, but here's a GREAT example. I have a life-long passion for chess. I actually teach it as a class at my school and will play it with friends about any chance I get. When I was at my best (playing, reading every single day) I might have been 1400-1500 elo rating (something like a D or a C), and perhaps with complete dedication I could break 1700 (B), but this is nothing compared to the upper limits of the score where grandmasters may be over 2400.

I could feel bad about this, but I actually think the best players showcase both hard work and natural talent that not all of us have. I don't think any amount of work could turn me into the next Bobby Fischer, and I'm OK with that. Sometimes it is a good thing in of itself to be awed by others' talents while also enjoying your own (somewhat humbler) progress.