Nearing my two year chairhead-anniversary, this question has came up more and more.

Naturally, during your early Soldat gaming period, the more you play, the more you improve. But does that tendency stay? I mean, do you get better and better with the years you play, or is there a 'top' from where you'll only get worse, or you won't improve anymore?

To some, the answer may seem obvious: however, I know many players who have not played as nearly as much as I have ( started later ), and are better players than I and some other 'older' guys are.

over 3 years, going worse. Dont play much anymore, make maps, mods'n'stuff.

Definately going worse at gameplay or bad days maybe.

3.5... Stays at the same, gets worse when version change but it goes up while I play and stays in there.

I used to be a right ninja bastad in my day. Then I started getting 'relaxed' about gaming and just trying random weapons ...

..I tell ya. If you're one of those serious nutters about the game, stick to the same weapon and never leave it. After a while you won't even need a cursor.

used to be good, some 2 years ago... it's just a 4fun play now

I have played nearly 3 years (still some months short) and I still think I improve in some ways. I can get better with some guns I don't use much, I can always improve teamwork and so on. However, there's this certain peak and when you reach it, you just don't get better and better. Or better put, it doesn't show. But I don't think I'm getting worse either, I just have bad days sometimes, like everyone else. And I think that everyone can improve in some minor ways, no matter how good they are.

And I like to play semi-seriously. I try to win and have fun at the same time. I don't usually spray or do stuff like that for winning. Fair play for the win.

I gotta play atleast semi regurarely(a few cw's every 2 or 3 days.) to keep my shape up

Uuuh, stickin to Ruger since 3 years now. I think I can't get any higher with it, so skill depends on the day/my mood. Could try to improve my skill with other weapons, but I'm just 2 lazy.

I beleive everyone hits a roof on how good they can get. I feel I've already hit mine, I dont think I have improved in months. Eventually It will start going back down.

I've played for alittle over 3 years and feel that my m79 has not improved recently to a level of consistency I would like it to be at. autos: overall, I suppose, but there doesn't seem that much room to improve with 'em. ruger: not as good as i was before. barret: ive improved with this gun, but not much recently. I was better before with LAW, but there was a long period when it was nerfed that I rarely used it.

In order to answer this question, which is a good one, you need to understand that playing soldat, or any other online game invloves several factors, some of which are not under your control, they all go under something most reffer to as "skills".
I will try to explain myself best, hopefully you'll read it because this is a very important topic that frustrates and confuse alot of ppl.

1- Personal abilities:
yes yes we all have basic instincs and common sense in different levels, for several reasons: Age, way of thinking, wanting different things from the game, this is also influenced by the amount of time you invest in playing the game.

2- Advancment in the understanding of the game:
getting used to its controls, using all the tools we have at our hands (taunts, Death council, knowing the map in advance) everything that can be learned by anyone with some expirience.

3- Connection:
This is the none controlable part that frustrates alot of players and actualy changes in time, sometimes for wrose sometimes for better.
No matter how skilled or how clever you are, you can't kill an enemie if you see him only when he's 2 inches near you and already sent 2 nades to your face while spraying you at the same time. (Lag)
Sometimes players just see us before we see them because they get the info from the server sooner, that 0.5 seconds can be a major deal in high levels of game play

4- Current mental/physical status:
Like any game, you need to be awake and alert, Soldat is a very fast game that requirs alot of concentration espacialy when you're a real vet that gotten used to noticing so many things at the same time (more input, the more complicated it gets).
also there's the mental state, prehapes you're listening to some slow music and u are completly calm and dont give a [CENSORED] if the world explodes, while in other times in official clan wars you're alert to every sound movement and detail on the screen.
There's also the question of how bad you want to win, I remember finding myself like a predator, watching every pixel on the screen, using every bit of tactic and style I could think of to give my self edge on the up coming flagger , because we have 20 seconds to the end, and if we cap we win. being totaly calm reduces your attention and increase your respone time, if u get over stressed its starts going bad..



So sometimes, a player that has been playing for over 3 years, managed to win lots of matches in high levels of the soldat game will find himself getting owned by some new player in some public or a gather.
It can be due to his very bad connection , prehapes low FPS because of computer problems, prehapes he was just having a bad mood.

OR! prehapes even after 2 years of playing you managed to miss out on alot of espects of soldat, I see players that have been playing for so long yet still can't completly grasp the meaning of team work , or still didn't develope a keen sense of aiming with all the weapons.
Eventualy there is always someone better, espacialy in Soldat, if he plays twice as you, he's most likely to be better than you because he'll get more shots in you faster due to his good aim.
Ofcourse it doesnt have to be like that, it all depends you see...

As a matter of fact, I'm going to put this one in the guide :)
Just need to think about where...

Your level raises with the time playing, and once youve played this game for a long time, it wont drop under a certain level, even if you take a longer break.
But: the longer you play, and the higher your "default level" is, the harder it gets to improve. Especially the default level is showing the difference between those who are long term players and those who quickly train themselves for quick success - those who are routiniers can show more contuinity, and rely more on their basic skills after a break. rather than those who are very successfull for a short time, then take a break and have to learn everything from the scratch (more or less) again.

I think that... You start Soldat and play for two months. Then, you take a month break. When you come back to Soldat, you will have month's worth of skill. ;)

You get better since you get used to the moves, gravity, power, speed, etc of weapons and the little soldier.

 Quote:Originally posted by DeMonIc[b.r]

Naturally, during your early Soldat gaming period, the more you play, the more you improve. But does that tendency stay?


If you keep using M79, no. But if you keep using Ruger, you will eventually just start barreting.

I really think skill doesn't go down, if you keep playing that is. I think its just that other players get around your level of skill, and it gets harder for you to kill them.

I used to play 3 years ago. I stopped playing for 3 months and when I came back, I couldnt run right...couldnt shoot right.. had literally lost all my skills.

But I believe your improve if you keep playing constantly.
Your learn new things alot.

I been playin little over 6 months now and think im decent. I play hard, I cant stand losing, but I can accept defeat. Im always learning new things cant wait to see how I play when ive played for 2 years. If you work hard at it youll be where you wanna be on a skill level. Ive learned alot from my own play and from a few vets you know who ya are.

Depends on my focus form time to time. It does take alot of energy.

its diffent for each person...im better if i havnt played it in a while

 Quote:Originally posted by Silent Soldier3.5... Stays at the same, gets worse when version change but it goes up while I play and stays in there.



it gets better. Surely there comes a time when you're naturally aiming perfectly with any weapon, and you always seek highground and [CENSORED]. I mean, there will always be bad chances, where you just can't do anything and it is up to the skills of your opponent if you survive or not. Soldat is as much a game of chance as it is a game of skills. You can improve your chances by being "good", but that's really all you can do. Luckily new versions are being released, usually with massive gameplay changes. It gives soldat a little life again.

I've been playing for nearly 3,5 years and to tell you the truth...my best days have already passed.

I'm a person whose form or should I say skill is particularly unstable.

I can play really well for 3 months, without having a single bad day in the process, but afterwards I'm owned by almost each and everyone present on a server...
I can't help it, I guess it's rooted either in my attitude towards Soldat which has definitely changed within these couple of years or in my nature.
I have to admit though that there are some players that are way more talented than myself and when it comes to fighting against them I'm totally ineffective. Furthermore, I won't ever reach their level which is quite bothering at times ;).

I wouldn't completely agree on that break issue. Taking breaks works fine for me and I actually very frequently end up playing better after having returned from a break than before. I'm certain that it works for several people.

If you want to remain good, practise.
Practice makes perfect but then again don't push yourself too hard. Don't play too much because ultimately you might get sick of the game, therefore you won't enjoy playing it.

Zieg

PS. Who's the person to ask for a nick change here? The current one of mine is pretty much out of date...

I either play Soldat to think, or to do the opposite.
But as I've noticed in my 1 and something years, I always do better when I'm not thinking.

Just to add a twist on things in this second page, I find I am absolutely [CENSORED]ing awesome at aiming while drunk, but at the same time a very stupid player. I'll play chicken on purpose with law's, or just do silly maneuvers without thinking about the enemy.

I think you improve to a point, then reach a peak where you don't get much better but rather start playing around with weapons and tactics you hadn't tried before. I also think that you can reach a certain point skillwise where the only way you can improve is in instinct.

Reached best at about 1 year and 6 months, steadily got better up to 2 years, and now it's just spiralled out of control. Anyone could beat me at 2 years and 6 months, at about 3 years and some months, it's still getting worse though. However I do have my good days, and if I play soldat for lots of days in a row, I get back to my best... But if I even miss 1 day, I just turn n00b.

 Quote:Originally posted by Chakra`Just to add a twist on things in this second page, I find I am absolutely [CENSORED]ing awesome at aiming while drunk, but at the same time a very stupid player. I'll play chicken on purpose with law's, or just do silly maneuvers without thinking about the enemy.



Oh yes, a fellow alcoholic-soldat! Seriously, i always play soldat when i get home frome a drinking-raid. If i don't go straight to bed, that is. Though, i find it that all my skills are gone, it's pretty damn fun.
One day i find my K/D ratio on about 2.20(at leo's) and the following, painfull morning it's below 1.9 :D

 Quote:Originally posted by GhOuLyUuuh, stickin to Ruger since 3 years now. I think I can't get any higher with it, so skill depends on the day/my mood. Could try to improve my skill with other weapons, but I'm just 2 lazy.


Funny how you almost got kicked from NbK for using nothing but spray and barret six months ago. ^^


I'm nearing the max of my physical capabilities. Though I'm often over-complicating dodges and having slight flaws in the agility part. But of course there are ways of breaking the wall and exceeding the max...

Bla.

this summer will mark my first year of playing soldat, which in my very ignorant oppinion, this is the biggest part of developement. actually, more like the minute you can frag admiral is when you have REALLY started to play the game.

i learn fast, real fast. just reading your posts now i wont forget for a long while (huray for virgin mind) i actually remember things from 2nd grade that i still use today.

for about a month, i was nearly untouchable at call of duty 2, and i have a screenshot to prove it, i stopped playing altogether because it was so simple. I learned faster than everyone else and totally dominated.

as for soldat, it is like a simplified form of call of duty that is much more fun. (personnally i would rather be massacared by good people in soldat than pumping unknownsoldier full of nazi buckshot over and over and over.)

so really, in all that i didnt even answer the question:

answer:
no idea. i didnt play soldat long enough to really know, but i have seen a decline in the rate i get better, mostly because alot of pubs suck.

you will get better when someone who is just as good as you comes along and plays you. you gain nothing from pawning little major (9999999)

Eh, since 1.04 is like 3.5 right?

Anyways, I have only used the ruger for that entire time through every single version, through all the changes made to it and I'll be damned if I'm gonna stop using it any time soon.

To answer the question though, I'm definitely worse than I was at around 1.2.1 era simply because I play a lot less. However, since I've been playing for so long with one weapon I find that I can stop playing for a couple weeks and then come back and be exactly the same as I was before. It's like it doesn't matter anymore. I reckon I could not play for up to a year and still be the same when I come back. All the movement, and reactions are pretty much built into me now.

I really wish I was still as good as I was before though, it was just ridiculous...

I believe I've gotten worse than I was.

2 years i guess? (when was 1.1.5?)
heres my fav list (always was changing)

1.minimi
2.barret
3.ruger
4.mp5
5.barret
6.m79 (current)

i've improved alot while playing soldat for 2-3 years. my movement is smooth and fast.
but my aim depends on my mood. if im feeling awesome, my aim is 98%
and the suckier my mood is, the sux0r my aim is. now my improvement has stopped, because i know almost everything. (taunts are the only thing im not using now)

I have played soldat like 3 years. First 2 years did go well aaaand the 3rd... well i just suck now :/

Btw i did play soldat every day 1-5hours on first year ;o now i play like 0-4 hours on month lol

Playing since some time before I registered here, I would say you don't loose any of your skills if you keep playing. Only if you leave for more then 2 months. I think I don't really get better, I came to this level 2 months after I started. Some days it's horrible other days I kill all.

If you reach a certain level it has more to do with concentration, luck and 'having a good day'. I suppose. When I play at night or when drinking booze I can't hit much, but when I'm fresh waken up, ayeye I can feel good :)

I always get boring of every gun I kill with, so I chance and in this period when I play with spass and knife I'm not always as good. But I want to be able to handle all guns in a average way. I would feel bad if I could only kill with 1 specific weapon. But with certain combinations it's a lot harder sometimes.

I'm best when I haven't played for some days in the 2nd (after 1 warm up round) game. Totaly fresh.

That's best.