TILT: Don't make your own defeat an inside job

Hello! Today I will be going through a topic that I consider very important to all gamers. A topic that I think easily anyone can relate to. That topic is tilting. What does the term 'Tilt' mean, how does it occur and how is a player affected by it? In this article, I'll explain about some misconceptions about tilting and how to minimize, if not completely negate its effect, on us.

First, let's start off with a simple explanation of what 'tilting' means:

In our digital world, this translates to "A person is on tilt after they lose a couple of games or when a few things considered very unlucky happen in a row. After that happens, that person's performance is heavily affected. The brain mechanically tries to make up for the losses, resulting in them playing recklessly, not thinking straight and completely being unable to analyze any situation". It seems hard for people to understand this situation and they often refuse to acknowledge they are in fact on tilt. You cannot help a person untilt if they cannot help themselves with it. 

 

So, why do we tilt?

What is the reason that we are so affected by a concept that we cannot think sraight about? In most cases, it's very simple. We try too hard to win and simply can't accept the inevitable. No matter how good you are, everyone loses a game or two and we simply don't understand that. Especially considering the way matchmaking works in games like League of Legends, Heroes of the Storm and Counter Strike: Global Offensive. Losing has great effect on our emotions and it is so easy for those emotions to take control over our actions and turn us into an underperforming and inconsiderate babies.

When do we figure out we're under some heavy tilt?

Then.

How do we avoid tilting then?
- First and foremost - accept that sooner or later you will lose. You have no say in this, especially in games that you playing alongside with 4 other people. It does not matter what the reason is for the loss, whether it be you making mistakes, your teammates making mistakes or simply luck not being on your side at that time. You cannot change the past, so there's no reason for you to overthink losses and let that affect you during your future endeavours.
- If you happen to build up a losing streak - stop playing! Simply call a break, get some fresh air and maybe even do something else for some time. Distract yourself from what happened and do not let these losses haunt you. Be happy. Be positive about what you're doing. You are doomed to tilt if you go into another game with the "Oh my God, I lost 3 games in a row already. I must win the next game at any cost" mentality. You will surely lose if you have that mentality and will turn into a mental trainwreck.
- Focus on your game only. Give your best when it comes to your personal play. Trying to help your team out is good, but usually results in a mindless pointing out of who did what wrong witch hunt and usually ends up in not only you being put on tilt but your whole team going down that road alongside you. Simply, people do not like being told what to do especially with the tone that people usually talk to each other in games. You must understand that sometimes people are stubborn and no matter how hard you try to help them, it would just make it worse for everyone. Stay neutral, don't point out everyone's mistakes and give your best. Try to win your games with your personal play. Focus on that and give it all you've got without being affected by what's happening around you.
- Do not ever, and I mean ever mock anyone over all chat. The only thing you are supposed to do in all chat is greet your teammates and opponents and call good game once it's done, no matter the outcome. The other team does not care about the bad item build of your top laner nor is there a reason for you to discuss that over all chat. Calling people out when you win a duel or when you lose one will do you no good.

A common misconception is that blasting high paced, aggressive music boosts your performance when it really is a double edged sword. Yes, there is the potential that such music might give you some sort of an adrenaline rush, intensifying your actions. You may even act a little faster than usual...  until you mess up once. People who are susceptible to tilting have it bad when they do this, as one bad play is needed for the tilt to take over. If you are one of those people and cannot play without music in the background, I would suggest going for something not particularly aggressive and instead listen to something that would make you feel relaxed and laid-back rather than feeling tense and on your toes.

In conclusion, I hope these few simple steps help you become a better player when it comes to keeping yourself calm and collected. Remember, it is never about your team not playing good enough, it is about you doing your best no matter the outcome. If you win, it's because you gave your best while staying calm and collected, you analyzed the game well and made the game-winning decisions. If you do not win, you should take a break if needed and try again later. You will eventually start winning again. It is never about making up for a lost game, it is about acknowledging the fact you lost, and the reason why you lost and not repeating the same mistakes the following games. Learning from your mistakes is what makes you a better player, not denying them.

Thank you for reading!

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