Hello:  I am in dire need of a moral boost and hoping someone can supply some words of encouragement.  I am involved in a few games at present and attempting to get a better feel for maps that I am not very good at.  The down side is that I find I am going through a streak of incredibly bad die roll sequences.  I can start from numerous locations in strength against territories of 2 and find myself depleted to where I now equal the opposition with 2.  I can understand it occasionally but this streak is depressing.  I barely win a card on any board I play.  Team mates have stopped communicating in team games.  I suspect they just want a new partner, someone who has better luck with dice.  When it gets bad enough, I guess a player just loses interest in playing anymore.  I'll let you know.  I doubt that is far off.  I guess what I'm asking is, am I doing something wrong?  I just can't believe the rolls I'm getting.

I took a quick look at your recent stats, and would point out that despite losing a few in a row, you are actually higher in your global rank points now than you were at the end of December. 

When playing 5-to-7 player games, you lose more than you win pretty much all the time, but the wins are bigger.  Human psychology is not very good at this kind of situation. A general rule is that people feel losses about 2x as bad as reality, and feel wins about 1x as good as reality. 

So I would say, a) you are not in as bad shape as it feels, B) maybe you should play a couple games on a comfortable board and c) think about whether your bad rolls are making you behave differently -- rolling one more time than you should?  I sometimes do an extra rage-roll when I am frustrated, or overextend when I finally, finally get a decent attack going. 

#1  Give enough time the dice will turn around.  

#2 Almost anytime you try to branch out from the boards you're best at to try new things your GR will suffer due to learning curve.  It's the main reason many (but not all) people favor CP over GR as a sign of skill.  

#3 If its any consolation I'm still in the middle of a 8 month skid, with most of my wins coming in tourneys. But, I know it's partly that I'm playing a small number of games in a variety of boards, so every win or loss matters more.

Thank you both for taking the time to put my mind at ease.  I DO appreciate it, I really do.  But I just had another look at the only positive map I had going and I lost what little I had after another batch of bad rolls.  I am considering surrender.  For BTdubs, I am not even considering my over all stats.  I just want a couple good rolls in any game at all.  It isn't losing games.  It's why I lose.  Strategy and tactics don't enter into the equation if you get nothing but bad rolls.  And for itsnotatumor, I don't know what CP or GR are?       Rage-roll?  Yeah, I get that OK.  I think the psychology analysis is probably spot on plus I guess it is easy to feel down in January/February.  I find the standard RISK board a bit dull now and Civil War is nice but I want to learn the capital crusade map.  I don't seem to be learning much on it at present but I don't think it is to do much with tactics. Just bad rolls.  As I said, thanks for your advice.  I guess I'll stick it out and die slowly instead of surrender (again). Thank you very much.

Keep in mind too that as you branch away from the main map, the eschelon of competition goes up.  

A good opponent can make some +2 luck feel like the worst rolls of your life. When players are really good, I think their opponents feel the luck much more acutely.

But stick it out, you can learn lots when your luck is bad.

I used to get all sad about it, but then I realized, I expected to win every roll. I'd hit the button and expected the other guy to lose two. Everytime. It was tough on me. 

Change your expectations. Play the game like you will only [ever] win one in 3 attacks or one in 5.  Expect to push that little "3" button four or five times before you win a battle, and I bet you'll start to feel good about how often it actually does win. 

Oh and hey, even GoldenEye had the "Mostly Harmless" Trophy.  You and I can share it. 

There is also this to help you feel like we can all comiserate:

http://www.wargear.net/forum/showthread/3755/Bad_beat_page

I am not familiar enough with the site to know what the mostly harmless trophy is but I guess it means Goldeneye loses a lot?  The site address you give actually helps a lot.  I guess it isn't just getting bad rolls that is depressing but thinking I am the only one getting them.  To know that others suffer the same fate eases the pain substantially.  As long as the die are fair, who can complain?  I just had the feeling it was only me.  Thanks to all.  If anyone wants an easy win, come on over to Capital Crusade.  I'll keep trying.  I always fail miserably on pirates of the Caribbean so you can beat me there too!

U-555 wrote:

I am not familiar enough with the site to know what the mostly harmless trophy is but I guess it means Goldeneye loses a lot?  The site address you give actually helps a lot.  I guess it isn't just getting bad rolls that is depressing but thinking I am the only one getting them.  To know that others suffer the same fate eases the pain substantially.  As long as the die are fair, who can complain?  I just had the feeling it was only me.  Thanks to all.  If anyone wants an easy win, come on over to Capital Crusade.  I'll keep trying.  I always fail miserably on pirates of the Caribbean so you can beat me there too!

Goldeneye was a James Bond film from back in the 90s. They made a First Person Shooter game from it on the Nintendo 64 that was arguably one of the best console games of the era. I still continue to play it once in a while. When playing multiplayer mode (was it one of the first to do this?!) they would list awards at the end of the game depending on how you did. the comment from Ratsy was an obscure way of sayin "Buck up, kid. It's only a game. You'll inevitably feel it come around."

stick with it. you'll be fine. 

Maybe so but it is a long depressing road right now.  Thanks for all the encouragement.  I have about half a dozen boards on the go and losing miserably on every one.  Just a game, I agree but I start wondering why I bother.  I guess on the upside, somebody has to be canon fodder.  I remember when I had dreams of becoming a corporal.  Not anymore.  Maybe if I let these games run out and then just one game at a time.  Thanks everyone.  Anybody want to earn some quick points?  Just invite me!

Just eliminated from another game, this time by wonder woman.  Nothing against women playing at all but my ego couldn't be lower.  That was the only board I had a good start on.  Maybe I should just go upstairs and do some dishes and make dinner?  Some days this really sucks even if it is just a game.

You kiddin? Wonder woman is awesome. Both an amazing player, and a good sport. 

Being Elim'd by her is gonna happen. To all of us.

Since you are enjoying Capital Crusade, you should join the one I started:

http://www.wargear.net/games/join/486642

And while you're at it join this also:

http://www.wargear.net/games/join/486736

Great new map. Lots of fun.

ratsy wrote:

You kiddin? Wonder woman is awesome. Both an amazing player, and a good sport. 

Being Elim'd by her is gonna happen. To all of us.

+1

Just hop back in some games :) the odds have to change eventually

Maybe in a few days when I feel I can deal with losing again.  Try a new map?  I don't think so.  That's what got me in this mess.

Hey Man,

You are on here to have fun/distract you from real life. Right? As with alcohol if more and different isn't working maybe try less or none? You are participating in an activity where in a 4 person game you should lose on avg 3 times for every win, and 15 times for every win in a 16 person game.  If you're not ready to lose 3-15 times in a row maybe it's time to stop clicking.

As a rule of thumb, if video games are getting you worked up, it means there's unresolved stuff in Real Life that's stressing you out.  Maybe you should reflect on/problem solve the stressor/de-stressor balance in your life. Work, social life, family life, exercise level, natural light intake, diet, etc.  

Top issue with depression is the feeling of being trapped or stuck. Which parts of your life are making you feel this way the most? What actions can you take to address them? The tough part is that these issues generally won't solve themselves it will take conscious effort/action on your part.  

There's lots of research based quality resources & people out there that can help (but also a lot of counterproductive garbage.)  If you want I can make some suggestions to point you in the right direction.

Thank you both.  Itsnotatumor is right.  I have an issue to deal with outside the game.  I use the game to escape the issue I don't believe can be resolved.  But thanks for offering.  And yes, I think I'll take the mad bomber up on the offer to play a game.  I feel better today just getting all the support from this group.  Thanks everyone.  You've been very kind.  VERY kind indeed.

And all of this is why I love this site so much

Johasi Vidad wrote:

And all of this is why I love this site so much

Yes, it's very unusual to find an online community that is so kind.

Ozyman wrote:

Johasi Vidad wrote:

And all of this is why I love this site so much

Yes, it's very unusual to find an online community that is so kind.

I guess that is what happens when you bring together a bunch of strangers to fight each other.