Like, you're just playing, then somehow you just start doing really well, kicking major ass. After it's over you jsut think
'Woah. How the hell did I do that?'
'Woah. How the hell did I do that?'
Have you ever zoned out in a game and started performing really well
- Thread starter Sean Hollyman
- Start date
Usually only on Guiter Hero, although sometimes I can "zen" on Call of Duty or Halo. This backfires the less reflexive and more strategic the title gets, with zoning punished severely in Starcraft II and Battlefield 3.
I have gotten nukes on mw2 while absolutely shitfaced, when sober I struggle to get a harrier..does being drunk count as zoning out?
Guitar Hero and Call of Duty, definitely. They're both games where I'll start doing really well, and as soon as I realize I've been doing well, suddenly I start doing crappy again.
It's called "flow", and yes, I have. Usually when playing Starcraft, but here and there in other things as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_%28psychology%29
Quoting from the article for specific reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_%28psychology%29
Quoting from the article for specific reference:
When I play Gears of War, I play it to this indie band called Antartica Takes It!. They are like a ukelele soft alt band. It mellows me out pretty nicely.
Also, when I get baked, I the man at racing and fighting games. Tekken, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom, Forza 4, Mario Kart. I will fuck shit up when I get high as hell. I'm also really good at the Skate games when I'm ripped. It seems like it's happening in slow motion. Ultimate percision, man.
Also, when I get baked, I the man at racing and fighting games. Tekken, Ultimate Marvel vs. Capcom, Forza 4, Mario Kart. I will fuck shit up when I get high as hell. I'm also really good at the Skate games when I'm ripped. It seems like it's happening in slow motion. Ultimate percision, man.
Only when i play UmvC3, i'm mostly a single player man , so maybe thats why . But when i play comepetitive games this happens , i think because i'm a very competitive person. Although i taught myself to learn from losing and not minding losing , theres sometimes i refuse to lose.
This actually happened yesterday. I was playing a player match it was my x-23 , dr doom and morrigan , vs, wolverine , dante and sentinel . Long story short , i start battle , and made a mistake from go , lost both my x-23 and dr. Doom in the first 10 seconds of the fight ( at the same time). When morrigan came in , i just tore his team appart 1 vs 3 . I predicted almost all of his moves and barely got hit . Needless to say , he quit right after. Morrican + astral vision + lvl 3 x-factor ftw .
This actually happened yesterday. I was playing a player match it was my x-23 , dr doom and morrigan , vs, wolverine , dante and sentinel . Long story short , i start battle , and made a mistake from go , lost both my x-23 and dr. Doom in the first 10 seconds of the fight ( at the same time). When morrigan came in , i just tore his team appart 1 vs 3 . I predicted almost all of his moves and barely got hit . Needless to say , he quit right after. Morrican + astral vision + lvl 3 x-factor ftw .
Pretty much exactly this. I find that minigames such as the Knifey Fingers game in Rage were much easier when I stopped concentrating and just kinda stared at the screen like it was a Magic Eye picture, just letting if flow naturally while going onto autopilot. Low and behold...well that still didn't work for the Knifey Fingers game in Rage, I ended up having to cheat by pausing it simultaneously with every stab to see where the next stab would be on the final round.siahsargus said:
That aside though, I think zoning out - by definition - increases your reflexes because really that's all you're relying on when you go on autopilot: your reflexes. Best example I can think of for this is yeah, the various "jobs" in Fable 3 or the Guitar Hero games. When playing GH, I just know that as soon as I actually start "trying" at it I'm going to get my ass kicked.
Batman:Arkham Asylum - I was trying to get the "Freeflow combo 40" achievement(like it sounds get a 40 hit combo)and kept messing it up.It wasn't until I stopped trying and wasn't even thinking about it that I suddenly was able to string together massive combos and picked up the achievement no bother
Yeah back when I used to play Guitar Hero, the whole "zen" thing happened quite a bit... Still never managed to beat Green Grass and High Tides on Expert though.
Oh yeah and in UMVC3 online, It was just my low health (Non-Turnabout) Phoenix Wright vs his entire team (Firebrand, Cap and Morrigan I believe it was)
I won without a scratch, you must realise that a good PW WANTS you go run at him all gung ho when he's got to land an Objection! Poor fellow didn't even know what hit him.
Not even a rage filled "you will not beat me" just a calm "it's already over, you just don't know it yet." Lvl 3 X Factor + Turnabout Phoenix Wright is just that awesome
He still came out of the gate swinging... Every single time. /Facepalm
Oh yeah and in UMVC3 online, It was just my low health (Non-Turnabout) Phoenix Wright vs his entire team (Firebrand, Cap and Morrigan I believe it was)
I won without a scratch, you must realise that a good PW WANTS you go run at him all gung ho when he's got to land an Objection! Poor fellow didn't even know what hit him.
Not even a rage filled "you will not beat me" just a calm "it's already over, you just don't know it yet." Lvl 3 X Factor + Turnabout Phoenix Wright is just that awesome
He still came out of the gate swinging... Every single time. /Facepalm
I've certainly gotten the sensation a few times, and I've actually somewhat narrowed down a bit of a trigger which causes it (at least for me):
When it's either do or die.
I guess that warrants a bit more of an explanation; but perhaps the best way to describe it is when my health bar gets smaller (or I can't afford to make mistakes), I start play better. This isn't really a case of playing perfectly either, as it leans moreso towards trying to gain (or keep some semblance of) control over a chaotic situation. No matter what it is, it's not the sort of thing I can tap into on command; furthermore, trying to replicate an earlier situation which caused it usually does not go well.
As noted earlier, this state as a few names: "flow", "zen", "in the zone", "hyperfocus", and so on. It's not restricted to video games, just about any sort of activity can induce the effect. Sports are another common venue for it (leading to many athletes having bizarre rituals to try and induce it, with mixed results), and just anything which can be called artistic. But as the relevant thought-processes lean more towards the long-term results, the less likely it is to happen; it's more applicable to "in the moment" situations, which may be why sports and games are better known for this sort of thing.
The main trait of this state, based on my own experiences, is that the person affected appears to thinking much faster than normal and acting decisively. Despite the fact they often feel that they were merely reacting to the situation, the results almost always imply that there's higher-order functions at play; it actually makes a bit more sense when they say that it appears that "time slowed down" for them while they were in said state, it's almost impossible to catch someone off-guard when they're in this state and their actions always seem to be the right one.
Interestingly, some games actually do vaguely simulate this sensation without actually inducing it; usually as an in-game ability (often activated). "Bullet-time" and "adrenaline rush" are common names. Very useful, but they're effects are easily outdone when the player actually enters such a state.
When it's either do or die.
I guess that warrants a bit more of an explanation; but perhaps the best way to describe it is when my health bar gets smaller (or I can't afford to make mistakes), I start play better. This isn't really a case of playing perfectly either, as it leans moreso towards trying to gain (or keep some semblance of) control over a chaotic situation. No matter what it is, it's not the sort of thing I can tap into on command; furthermore, trying to replicate an earlier situation which caused it usually does not go well.
As noted earlier, this state as a few names: "flow", "zen", "in the zone", "hyperfocus", and so on. It's not restricted to video games, just about any sort of activity can induce the effect. Sports are another common venue for it (leading to many athletes having bizarre rituals to try and induce it, with mixed results), and just anything which can be called artistic. But as the relevant thought-processes lean more towards the long-term results, the less likely it is to happen; it's more applicable to "in the moment" situations, which may be why sports and games are better known for this sort of thing.
The main trait of this state, based on my own experiences, is that the person affected appears to thinking much faster than normal and acting decisively. Despite the fact they often feel that they were merely reacting to the situation, the results almost always imply that there's higher-order functions at play; it actually makes a bit more sense when they say that it appears that "time slowed down" for them while they were in said state, it's almost impossible to catch someone off-guard when they're in this state and their actions always seem to be the right one.
Interestingly, some games actually do vaguely simulate this sensation without actually inducing it; usually as an in-game ability (often activated). "Bullet-time" and "adrenaline rush" are common names. Very useful, but they're effects are easily outdone when the player actually enters such a state.
Very often.
One time I was kind of feeling out of it (read something depressing that day), then I went to go play DDR to get it off my mind. During one song, my mind just went blank, and I didn't care if I scored or missed. And I ended up with ONE great, and the rest Perfect. And I saw that one "great".
Another time, after doing many many many speedruns for a sonic level, I zoned out and got every damn shortcut in one shot.
And then there are the times when I played Halo splitscreen-online with a buddy, and we managed to coordinate perfectly without saying a word. One time, it was the two of us against 3 guys WAY higher level than us, and we won. Narrowly, but we won. And we barely spoke the whole match, aside from "Guy just killed me. Coming down the left tunnel." and stuff.
Managing to "Zen" when playing a game is a GREAT feeling.
One time I was kind of feeling out of it (read something depressing that day), then I went to go play DDR to get it off my mind. During one song, my mind just went blank, and I didn't care if I scored or missed. And I ended up with ONE great, and the rest Perfect. And I saw that one "great".
Another time, after doing many many many speedruns for a sonic level, I zoned out and got every damn shortcut in one shot.
And then there are the times when I played Halo splitscreen-online with a buddy, and we managed to coordinate perfectly without saying a word. One time, it was the two of us against 3 guys WAY higher level than us, and we won. Narrowly, but we won. And we barely spoke the whole match, aside from "Guy just killed me. Coming down the left tunnel." and stuff.
Managing to "Zen" when playing a game is a GREAT feeling.