How To Get Better at Video Games: Ways To Improve Your Gaming Skills
While esports date back almost 50 years, it wasn’t until the last decade or two that they really started to take off.
Esports is just one example of how much competitive gaming has risen in prevalence along with the video game industry as a whole.
Millions of people worldwide play video games every year, especially competitive multiplayer games such as online shooters. Even single-player games can test player skill, knowledge, and dedication.
Overall, today’s video games are often more complex than the video games of yore, using dozens of systems and subsystems that players have to learn and master.
So with gaming trending towards higher entry barriers in terms of skilled play, how can you keep up?
Natural talent can get you so far, but eventually, you’re going to need to take some concrete steps to improve as a gamer.
Today’s WTFast guide is all about techniques and tips about how to get better at video games. Some of these answers may seem simple or intuitive, but having an organized list of steps from the experts is never a bad idea. So, read on!
What Are the Best Ways To Improve My Gameplay?
There’s a surprising amount of disagreement amongst the gaming community regarding improving at video games.
Some say you should be upgrading your equipment before you even think about strategy. Others say it’s impossible to improve because your natural talent is your limit.
One thing no one disagrees about is the importance of practice. Combine practice and research, and you’re on the right track.
Let’s break each of these major steps down to the details.
Practice Makes Progress
There’s an age-old saying that most of us got tired of hearing as children: “practice makes perfect.”
We definitely do not agree – nothing makes perfect. Practice does make better, though, at least in most cases.
One technique that isn’t widely discussed is the importance of high-quality practice, which could also be referred to as deliberate practice.
If you practice without proper guidance, you’re probably just going to repeat your errors. Unfortunately, habits are hard to break, so poor practice is pretty much the worst-case scenario. When repeat errors become habits, it’ll be more difficult to improve — and your goals will be farther away.
So, how do you make sure you’re practicing well? There’s no one-stop-shop answer when it comes to practicing your gameplay. Every game is different, and some are more forgiving than others.
For one, it’s important to make sure your practice routine includes trying and learning new things. Of course, you’ll need to repeat your favorite techniques to master them, but that doesn’t mean neglecting everything else is wise.
Becoming familiar with various mechanics and skills within your games of choice will make you a better player overall, even if you have a very specific role you play in competition.
Learning the Ropes
Beyond practice, research is an incredibly important step to improving yourself as a gamer.
Learning more about your game could be as simple as watching a stream from a reputable professional player or as involved as finding and paying a coach to help you recognize your mistakes and improve.
Don’t be afraid to do some research on the web about your trouble areas. Knowledge is power, and gaining that power will make your practice sessions much more effective.
Even public forums such as Reddit can be a great place to find tips and advice. Just remember to take everything with a grain of salt.
Research improves the ways you practice and your gameplay itself. The more strategy and tactics are involved in your game of choice, the more relevant this becomes.
You can always learn new techniques for simple games that focus on physical elements like reaction time and hand-eye coordination). It’s in more tactical games where your depth of knowledge truly shines.
For example, competitive Rainbow Six: Siege players can benefit greatly from researching how to interact with each map and each operator, rather than simply playing the game over and over.
Unless you make intentional efforts, you’re likely to stick to what you know during practice sessions. While you might be mastering something you can already do, you won’t be learning new things or expanding your toolbox.
Understanding your opponent, the environment, and other factors will set you up for success in the long run.
Cut Out Roadblocks
No matter how skilled or knowledgeable you are, outside factors can stop you from gaming at your best.
One such factor could be lag resulting from the speed and stability of your system or internet connection.
Without a doubt, lag is one of the biggest enemies of the gaming community. It’s also one of the quickest ways to turn a skilled player into a losing player very quickly.
If you hate losing, it’s essential to cut lag out of your gameplay. This is especially true for fast-paced games like most multiplayer games today.
Hardware Issues
If your PC is weak or your console is too old, you’ll likely start to notice serious lag in your gameplay.
For competitive gaming, make sure your system is meeting or exceeding the recommended system requirements. Minimum requirements are typically the benchmark for casual gaming, but competitive gaming should usually seek a bit higher.
Make sure to close all background programs while you game so that your RAM isn’t being taken up by other activities. Give your computer as much breathing room as possible so it doesn’t struggle and lag your game.
If necessary, turn down your game’s graphic settings. Playing on the highest settings can be fun, but it might tax your system a bit too much and induce slight lag, which can be detrimental during competition.
Network Issues
While hardware lag does happen, network lag is the more common issue.
With the majority of competitive games being online, you’re going to need a connection that’s fast and stable. These factors are measured by something called ping.
Ping is the time it takes data to travel from your local system to the game’s online server. The goal is to get this number as low as possible.
If you’re using a wireless connection, switching to ethernet should be your first priority. A wired connection is almost universally guaranteed to run more quickly, smoothly, and with fewer spikes or disconnects than a wireless one.
If your lag continues, the top way to combat it is with the new secret weapon of online gaming: a GPN.
You probably think that GPN sounds an awful lot like VPN, and you’re right! The Gamers Private Network is similar, except it’s entirely optimized for online gaming.
WTFast’s GPN technology finds the fastest route for your data, resulting in your lowest ping ever. It’s also much more stable than other connections, so you won’t experience lag spikes or random disconnects.
Plus, we stay up-to-date with the security measures in place for various games to ensure you aren’t erroneously flagged as a hacker or bot. That can happen a lot with a VPN connection because VPN services are often used to mask activity and bypass restrictions.
With a GPN, you can remove the biggest inhibitor to your online gameplay. That means the path to improving as a gamer becomes more clear and possible than ever before.
Distractions and Mental Health
Not all inhibitors are physical factors like your internet connection or your hardware. Mental inhibitors not related to your skill or game knowledge can seriously impact your ability to perform while gaming.
On the easier-to-solve side of things, cutting out distractions is a simple but effective step to take. Maybe you like to stream your gameplay and keep up with chat, watch streams, or play music while you game.
As fun as these things can be, if your gameplay suffers, try gaming without these background activities and see if you improve.
Mental health is much more complex and difficult to address, but it’s paramount nonetheless. If you’re finding yourself growing angry or stressed during gaming, it might be best to take a break.
A therapist could also help you find ways to deal with these kinds of obstacles, and there is absolutely no shame in getting help! In fact, it’s a very admirable step that shows great strength and humility.
Conclusion
Improving yourself as a gamer to the fullest will likely take a combination of everything we’ve mentioned: practice, learning, and cutting out roadblocks.
Cut out lag for good with our WTFast GPN and never have to worry about lag getting in your way again!
Sources:
History of Esports | The University of New Haven Online
