1. #1

    Getting Over the Hump

    So I'm playing on Xbox 360 and I'm currently ranked around 26th. So that might be somewhere in the top 100 overall if we talk about all systems (not sure of the breakout between each platform). The problem is, I feel like I'm stuck. I feel like for my last 100-200 hours of gameplay (EVO & even HD), that I haven't actually improved at all. I just keep playing using the same skill level to squeeze out every millisecond that I'm capable of and then I can't do anymore. On nearly every single track in this game I'm anywhere from 13 to 50. But I just can't break the top 10, or even top 5 on a single course. I feel like I should be able to do that at least some of the time with where I'm currently at. I've played some courses for 2-4 hours straight and might still only end up with a top 30 time, and that's frustrating because I feel like I should be able to do better than that.

    So, top players of the forums, how do you generally play? Do you have any tips for someone like me who is trying to get to the next level? I'm not really looking for tips like 'well if you lean this way on this ramp it'll do this....' but more like how do you normally play? How long will you spend on a certain course? If you aren't making progress after a certain amount of time will you just stop and try a different course? When playing a track do you normally only continue if you have nailed the first obstacle or two, and immediately restart when you mess up? Or will you often play through the entire course just so you can get more familiar with it, even though you know you won't beat your current time on that run?

    Those are the kinds of questions that I'm curious about. But any sort of feedback for someone in my position would be appreciated! I'm not looking to become the top player in the world, but at least a contender for some world records on a few courses.

    EDIT: Thought of more questions. How often do you watch top runs? Do you watch them repeatedly? Or maybe watch the entire top 5 so you can see different ways to attack obstacles? Do you watch them before you start playing the course? Or in the middle of playing?

    EDIT 2: Of course I get 8th on Marina Mania right after posting this...but still looking for some info on the above questions. Maybe I should make threads like this more often...
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  2. #2
    Wraath's Avatar Member
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    Im in a similar position, but im far slower on the rankings. I have come to realise, and it may be upsetting, but good players are good because they are good, and world class players are world class players because, well, they are world class players. I'd like to think they are that much better than me because they have put more time in, practice more, and know the lines better than me, but really, I know that that person is just a better player naturally. Theres nothing you can do about it. That's the reason why the majority of people place exactly the same on every track. Im sure we all know the lines and we all practice a hell of a lot. It's just whoever has that natural skill which you cannot learn, which is what makes you better than others.
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  3. #3
    xzamplez's Avatar Senior Member
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    I kept setting higher goals for myself. Get every track top 5000, then 2500, then 1000, and so on. Honestly, as long as you keep trying to improve your runs (single player or track central), you will inevitably improve. Be patient, and stay competitive.

    EDIT: Wrath is wrong. Nobody is naturally world class or even good at the game when they start. We all go through the same learning process, and as a result, improve.
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  4. #4
    Wraath's Avatar Member
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    Xzamples give it a rest. Wraath is wrong? I didn't say people were naturally world class. I said not everybody has the potential to be world class.
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  5. #5
    emcee's Avatar Senior Member
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    There are some great questions there mike, things I often wonder myself. Hopefully some of the good riders have the humility to answer them directly, would be interesting to know.
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  6. #6
    willyums's Avatar Senior Member
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    Havent really put any time into Fusion beyond platting everything and doing challenges/achievements - but I'd say I was pretty similar to you on Evo.

    I can rarely play a track for more than 15-20mins without getting annoyed if I haven't improved.
    If it was a track I liked, I'd aim for around top 15; a track I didnt like, roughly top 40.
    As soon as I scraped out a run I felt happy with I would usually just move on to the next track because I was mainly interested in global points instead of individual ranks, but doing that obviously hurts your chances of getting those top runs.

    I felt the same kinda frustration as you though. I remember clearly that most of the ranks I would end on were 14th-18th, like well over half of them (ignoring dlc here, never bothered much with it).I reached 11th global (I think, excluding multis and glitched scores) and I got a couple of wr (one on a dlc track no one played & the other lasted a few hours), and by then getting anything over 12th felt mediocre. That sounds arrogant but I just mean it always felt like I was capped there - rarely doing better than that and I just got bored of it and stopped playing.

    Now on Fusion I dont really know what I want from the single player (other than it being fixed), whether to put any effort in at all, and if so whether to compete for global or just a handful of tracks but go for more top 5 runs etc. or maybe I'm too out of practice to get close nowadays I dunno.
    I guess if I had any advice it would be to get your goals sorted out properly - high global rank or a chance at some world records etc. It's hard to go for both at the same time if you're not one of the very top players imo.

    I wrote way too much haha, thats what happens when you have work to do and dont wanna do it

    edit: just re-read your post and realised I wasnt very helpful lol, might try again tomorrow and be more constructive
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  7. #7
    xzamplez's Avatar Senior Member
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    Originally Posted by Wraath Go to original post
    Xzamples give it a rest. Wraath is wrong? I didn't say people were naturally world class. I said not everybody has the potential to be world class.
    Yes, because I've heard it before. The only variable where somebody is at a disadvantage is older age, because of slower reaction time. And that's for gaming in general.

    It's an excuse used by people who simply aren't willing to put the time and effort it takes to reach their goal.

    I've been playing religiously since late HD, and didn't reach top 15 until the second year of Evo. Time and effort.
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  8. #8
    Wraath's Avatar Member
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    So you are basically saying the people who are ahead of you on the leaderboards have put more time and dedication into the game than you? And it's got nothing atall to do with the individual and their own particular natural skills? I disagree with that.

    It's the same as everything. Take the 100m sprint for example. The reason Bolt is number one is not because he trains harder and has put more time in than the next person. It's because he is naturally gifted that 0.01% more than his competitors and that gives him the edge.
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  9. #9
    Eh I have to slightly more agree with Wrath here. I think that everyone's brain has a limitation. There's a reason that certain people are world record holders on multiple games that are completely different. Because their brains have a certain attention to detail that others just don't and can't have. It's kind of like an IQ thing. Now, granted, I highly doubt that anyone has ever reached their full potential, but it may take someone 1000 hours to achieve the ability that someone else achieved in 100 hours.
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  10. #10
    Wraath's Avatar Member
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    Mike, it is a theory which has been on the table for a long time, the old naturally gifted Vs hard work dilemma. None of us are Einstein so I will stop here.

    I'v noticed that I get worse after being on a track 30-50 mins. I'll then go back on it the next day and beat my pb on the 2-3rd run. It's kinda crazy. I think you just gotta do what works for you, but then again, everybody has their limits.
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