4 ms·

Yeh in MOBAs it is totally this. Less reacting in 150ms to a visual queue. More I have been in this situation 100 times and expect character X to do Y right now

Yeh in MOBAs it is totally this. Less reacting in 150ms to a visual queue. More I have been in this situation 100 times and expect character X to do Y right now. That’s why there is a whole psychology around moving in unpredictable manners at a certain level. Similar to the whole master swordsman fearing a novice more than another master.

hevi_jos 7y ago
What makes you a master is the ability to predict everything before it happens fast and automatically. A master swordman does not fear novices precisely because they know their movements before they do. They look at (imperceptible for amateurs) body language hints and know exactly what you are going to do before you do it. In reality there are physics constraints. Before you do a movement, you need to put weight in some part of the body, tense a muscle....e.g it is impossible to jump without a specific movement of going down and preloading. Not only that , they know exactly what is the best response to it to neutralize whatever comes to them.
- Nadya 7y ago
  It's a take from Mark Twain. >"But don't you know, there are some things that can beat smartness and foresight? Awkwardness and stupidity can. The best swordsman in the world doesn't need to fear the second best swordsman in the world; no, the person for him to be afraid of is some ignorant antagonist who has never had a sword in his hand before; he doesn't do the thing he ought to do, and so the expert isn't prepared for him; he does the thing he ought not to do: and often it catches the expert out and ends him on the spot." I played SSBB (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) competitively. I'd occasionally drop games to the worst players because they would choose one of several of the worst possible options available to them at any given time. I keep expecting them to react the "proper" way and so it would throw off my reads. Thankfully sets are best of 3. SSBB is a game entirely based on reads due to the characteristic lack of combos and "neutral position" being popular since there aren't many scenarios where you can build momentum in a favored position (unlike the more popular SSBM (Super Smash Bros. Melee) which has combos that allow you to create favored positions to keep momentum.
  - asark 7y ago
    Similarly, I've observed that opponents who are too bad can really annoy players of both gambling and parlour-style card games. Their ideal opponent plays "correctly", but poorly.
  - TheAceOfHearts 7y ago
    Tangentially related: "How Rangchu Did The Impossible With One of Tekken's Worst Characters" [0]. This guy beat the greatest Tekken players in the world with panda, which had previously been considered one of the weakest characters in the game. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHz2vDQ2m8E& https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHz2vDQ2m8E&
jdmichal 7y ago
Same thing with poker. Someone who doesn't understand betting strategy and odds is more dangerous. It takes the game closer to the underlying luck line, because you can't effectively communicate with the other player in the normal ways. And that's a scary proposition, because you're relying on decision making to create an edge... The luck layer is the same for everyone.
- antisthenes 7y ago
  It is not the same in poker, because there is a very defined strategy for playing against people who don't understand strategy - and that is to play a tighter range and better hands. It obviously doesn't eliminate luck; but the person who doesn't understand strategy isn't going to do well either.
  - jdmichal 7y ago
    I feel like you think you're disagreeing with me, when in fact you are supporting my point. The game goes closer to the luck baseline, and you beat the luck baseline by playing tighter. Also, that's all well and good for heads up play, but if you're at a full table, playing tighter for one person at the table is just going to see you winning a lot of nothing. (Players paying attention will just skip hands where you bite.)
    - antisthenes 7y ago
      Come to think of it, it will be closer to the luck baseline, because the distribution of starting cards depends mostly on luck.

hevi_jos 7y ago

What makes you a master is the ability to predict everything before it happens fast and automatically. A master swordman does not fear novices precisely because they know their movements before they do. They look at (imperceptible for amateurs) body language hints and know exactly what you are going to do before you do it. In reality there are physics constraints. Before you do a movement, you need to put weight in some part of the body, tense a muscle....e.g it is impossible to jump without a specific movement of going down and preloading. Not only that , they know exactly what is the best response to it to neutralize whatever comes to them.

Nadya 7y ago
It's a take from Mark Twain. >"But don't you know, there are some things that can beat smartness and foresight? Awkwardness and stupidity can. The best swordsman in the world doesn't need to fear the second best swordsman in the world; no, the person for him to be afraid of is some ignorant antagonist who has never had a sword in his hand before; he doesn't do the thing he ought to do, and so the expert isn't prepared for him; he does the thing he ought not to do: and often it catches the expert out and ends him on the spot." I played SSBB (Super Smash Bros. Brawl) competitively. I'd occasionally drop games to the worst players because they would choose one of several of the worst possible options available to them at any given time. I keep expecting them to react the "proper" way and so it would throw off my reads. Thankfully sets are best of 3. SSBB is a game entirely based on reads due to the characteristic lack of combos and "neutral position" being popular since there aren't many scenarios where you can build momentum in a favored position (unlike the more popular SSBM (Super Smash Bros. Melee) which has combos that allow you to create favored positions to keep momentum.
- asark 7y ago
  Similarly, I've observed that opponents who are too bad can really annoy players of both gambling and parlour-style card games. Their ideal opponent plays "correctly", but poorly.
- TheAceOfHearts 7y ago
  Tangentially related: "How Rangchu Did The Impossible With One of Tekken's Worst Characters" [0]. This guy beat the greatest Tekken players in the world with panda, which had previously been considered one of the weakest characters in the game. [0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHz2vDQ2m8E& https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHz2vDQ2m8E&

jdmichal 7y ago

Same thing with poker. Someone who doesn't understand betting strategy and odds is more dangerous. It takes the game closer to the underlying luck line, because you can't effectively communicate with the other player in the normal ways. And that's a scary proposition, because you're relying on decision making to create an edge... The luck layer is the same for everyone.

antisthenes 7y ago
It is not the same in poker, because there is a very defined strategy for playing against people who don't understand strategy - and that is to play a tighter range and better hands. It obviously doesn't eliminate luck; but the person who doesn't understand strategy isn't going to do well either.
- jdmichal 7y ago
  I feel like you think you're disagreeing with me, when in fact you are supporting my point. The game goes closer to the luck baseline, and you beat the luck baseline by playing tighter. Also, that's all well and good for heads up play, but if you're at a full table, playing tighter for one person at the table is just going to see you winning a lot of nothing. (Players paying attention will just skip hands where you bite.)
  - antisthenes 7y ago
    Come to think of it, it will be closer to the luck baseline, because the distribution of starting cards depends mostly on luck.