Anyone looking to improve their gaming skills is going to run into a few common themes. Most gamers advise their followers to practice, practice, and keep practicing. Others might take a more mellow approach, recommending gamers implement a mindfulness routine to stay sharp through all the hubbub and excitement.
But what about gamers who really need to improve their competitive edge—especially for those who are starting to rise through the ranks in their chosen title? Basic pieces of advice won’t take them very far. In fact, if you’re looking to take your gaming to a new lethal level, then you’ll need to take into consideration all of the tips below.
Focus on Critical Thinking
The better a gamer’s skill level gets, the faster they’re able to complete in-game missions. Speed is one of the criteria for elite-level gamers… but they must also elevate their accuracy. In other words, it’s not enough to be fast; they must also make sound decisions and make accurate moves at the same time. This requires a great deal of critical thinking skills.
But critical thinking can be tough to develop. One of the best ways is to play a hard-boiled strategy game—but maybe not Civ VI. Instead, consider playing a casino title like roulette via a platform like PokerStars, which offers multiple variations to choose from.
Source: inc.com
Roulette might seem like little more than a spinning wheel, but the game involves probability-based strategies that require players to think quickly and accurately. This makes it one of the most engaging ways to develop critical thinking skills.
And Speaking of the Brain…
Gamers have a reputation for hunching over a keyboard and staring at their monitor for hours on end. The generalization is there for a reason: gamers have to spend hours and hours before a screen if they want to practice and grow as a gamer. But to take your gaming to the next level, it’s important to tend to the body.
Stretching and proper posture can save the neck and back from long-term issues. However, don’t underestimate the power of your diet. After all, that’s what feeds the brain, which is the most important part of the body for a gamer. To tailor your diet for gaming, eat a high-protein diet with plenty of fruits and veggies.
Building Communication Skills
Today, most eSports titles involve teamwork. Even for single-player competitions, a gamer will need to learn to work with a team on a regular basis for training purposes. This means that today’s most elite gamers have a highly developed sense of communication. Keep in mind that this communication is specific to gaming—in other words, they know when to get in touch with teammates, how to speak to them, and can even intuit what sort of information their teammates might need.
If you’re lacking in these areas, then simply join a gaming community. This might be a new channel on Twitch, which will let you see how other gamers communicate during matches. Another option would be to join a local eSports group, which might meet in-person or virtually. Along with developing communication skills, joining a gaming team can also be a highly rewarding social experience. And, much like tending to the body, taking care of our social lives is also important.
Try New Games
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Above, we mentioned that playing games like roulette can help develop critical thinking skills. But what about gamers who aren’t sure exactly what they need in order to improve? If you’re blanking on how to get better, then try out a new title—even if it’s not in your usual genre.
The more time and effort a gamer spends on developing their skills, the more likely they are to get into ‘tunnel vision’. This means that they’re focused solely on a specific game, which can take the enjoyment out of playing and leave them stuck in a rut. Trying a new game can help foster more interest in gaming in general, reminding a player why they started in the first place.
A Focus on Hardware
Sometimes, improving gaming skills isn’t about putting in more practice time, revolutionising a diet, or even reinvigorating a sense of curiosity around gaming. Instead, it comes down to hardware. If you’re feeling stuck in a rut, then invest some money into turning your gaming setup into a state-of-the-art gaming center.
Most professional gamers stick to a single brand. This means that all of their peripherals are aligned so they can function at their most optimal peak, since they were produced by Corsair, Logitech, or another big name. If you want to go above and beyond, consider using an ethernet cable while PC gaming. It offers an unbeatable internet connection.
Record & Learn
Source: wired.com
As mentioned above, one of the best ways to improve your gaming skills is to join a new community. Twitch offers one of the best ways to watch others do their thing and connect with followers. But there’s something else at play when you watch live streams: passive practice.
If the idea of logging on to Twitch doesn’t make you feel excited about gaming, then record your own gaming sessions and rewatch them. This gives you a chance to passively practise by watching your own recordings—and it will also give you a front-row seat to your own gameplay. It can be hard to gain perspective on which areas need improvement, which is why recording your own gaming sessions is a great solution for gamers of all stripes.
Target Next-Level Players
Lastly, we have one more piece of advice for gamers. This one ties into fostering new gaming communities, as it’s all about connecting (and competing against) new types of players. If you’ve hit a wall with your competitive growth, then don’t just shop around for a new Twitch stream or a new gaming group to join.
Instead, target a few groups that you know play at a higher level than you do. Be upfront about your skill level from the start, and you’ll find that most gamers don’t mind showing someone how to push their skills to the next level. In fact, that’s what most gamers are looking for in a new group as they advance in gaming: a high level of competition mixed with a desire to improve.
Source: business.yougov.com
