Bad company till the day I die.

7 Jun 06

Some people seem to have the mistaken impression that I think I'm a very good gamer. Don't worry, I know my weaknesses. I used to be quite good at a couple of games. Now I'm lucky to get to average in most games. Part of it is that I don't focus on one game as much as I used to. Mostly, it's that I now only play for fun. When I stop having fun, I move on to something else. That's why I like casual online play. I don't mind losing as long as I'm not being crushed, humiliated or insulted.

I thought I'd go over some of my bad gaming habits so I can dispel this illusion. First is impatience. This gets me in all kinds of ways. Sometimes I'll send units into unknown danger just to see some action. Other times I'll skip something (like a wonder, structure, research, etc.) that should be key to my strategy just because it takes too long, and I could do something else with those resources now. Or it might just be attacking too early.

Next, I can over compensate with excessive turtling. Knowing my impatience, I sometimes counter it with building defenses. I usually take this too far and my assault forces suffer. One scout will come near, and I have to have a full line of anti aircraft guns. Don't get me started on walls.

Third, my lack of patience combined with bouncing from game to game means I don't micromanage well. I never remember which special powers are best against which units. Often I find myself wishing I could do something when I realize (just too late) that I had that ability if I had just pressed the button or used the hot key.

I don't like losing things either. I'll often focus too much on regaining a city, planet or base that I lost when the victory would be closer if I just moved on. It's the same with units that kill my hero or favorite battleship. They must be punished regardless of cost. It's not rational, but it's often fun.

I don't know if this is a bad habit, but I actually like being outsmarted. When someone pulls off a great feint and gets me out of position for their main thrust, I might be a little frustrated at me, but mostly I'm applauding the move. When an opponent counters the tech or type of assault force I'm using, I'm impressed. If they succeed at that fake retreat or perfect pincer movement, I'm the first with the congratulations. It might be soon followed by my resignation, but to me, it's fun to see a well executed plan, even if it's not my own.

Finally, my worst habit is probably my army balance. While I understand combined arms theory, my forces, in practice, tend to be made up my favorite units. I almost never get the balance thing right. That means I usually have to attack with overwhelming force instead of the right amount. That means waste and, too often, defeat.

I'm sure I have more bad habits, but those are the ones that come to mind right now. Feel free to let me know your habits or your thoughts on mine. Now that you know my weaknesses, let me know if you want to beat me up online sometime.

Jason