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Ask HN: What are your best tips for quickly getting better at video games?

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Re: Ask HN: What are your best tips for quickly getting better at video games?

#3
Aside from practice, of course, it depends on the genre. Most of the time though, I find that looking for the community and consuming some of the content they create is a quick way to get up to speed on the "meta". Simply observing good players on YT, or reading comments on the subreddit, etc., will help draw the map from beginner to expert level. That allows to focus on specific tactics or aspects of the game that are low hanging fruit (in terms of making improvements).

Re: Ask HN: What are your best tips for quickly getting better at video games?

#5
Practice like you are learning a musical instrument or chess. Break it down into very specific subskills (like a specific chess endgame or guitar picking technique) and practice those in isolation in addition to your usual practice. Also find a coach if possible.

Re: Ask HN: What are your best tips for quickly getting better at video games?

#7

I've been playing games for about 30 years. If you figure it out, let me know.

30 years is a long time. Just out of curiosity, do you have any thoughts on the general trivia (things like flow state triggers, deliberate practice etc.) that exists in this niche?

Re: Ask HN: What are your best tips for quickly getting better at video games?

#8
post #7

I've been playing games for about 30 years. If you figure it out, let me know.

30 years is a long time. Just out of curiosity, do you have any thoughts on the general trivia (things like flow state triggers, deliberate practice etc.) that exists in this niche?

I could tell ya about carpal tunnel and how to get really bad quickly and regret that for 30 years?

Re: Ask HN: What are your best tips for quickly getting better at video games?

#9
This, specific deliberate practise is likely to yield the best results.

For learning in general, I highly recommend reading "The Art of Learning" by Josh Waitzkin. He was a chess prodigy and GM, (subject of the movie and book "Searching for Bobby Fischer") who then became a world champion at martial arts, so has an interesting perspective on learning really diverse skills.

Fun fact: I met Josh at a dinner party in 2020-ish and when he heard I was in tech he spent the whole conversation wanting my opinion on where AI was going to go next, what DeepMind were going to do etc.

Re: Ask HN: What are your best tips for quickly getting better at video games?

#10
post #8
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

30 years is a long time. Just out of curiosity, do you have any thoughts on the general trivia (things like flow state triggers, deliberate practice etc.) that exists in this niche?

I could tell ya about carpal tunnel and how to get really bad quickly and regret that for 30 years?

do tell :)
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