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Video Games

Streamlining your Focus in Gaming

No matter what we play, nobody starts as the best. This is part of what makes the playing experience so enjoyable, as we evolve our skills while also developing a greater appreciation of the game. Yet, despite everyone improving, not everyone grows at the same rate or reaches the same level.

While it’s true that each person has their own peak, and that some games can rely more on chance than technical skills, there are still some key ways you can improve your familiarity and comfort with how a title operates. One of the most important of these, which we want to talk about today, is improving your focus through improving unconscious actions.

What are Unconscious Actions

Unconscious actions refer to automating elements that you’re consciously aware of while playing that take up thinking resources. Coming from fighting games, this idea relates to things like knowing combo routes, being prepared for anti-airs, and understanding defensive options when cornered. Unless each of these is mastered, each part will take up a place in your conscious stack, reducing your overall effectiveness and making you more likely to feel overwhelmed.

This idea has origins in fighting games, but the same concept applies to every other type of game too. Improving the elements within your unconscious skills can provide greater levels of success in some titles and genres.

However, this is not always the case. Sometimes, automating actions can simply result in a smoother experience, while not changing your odds of victory.

This can be seen in games such as online casino slots, where developing your unconscious actions in games like Big Bass Splash and Jackpot City comes from understanding the terminology of slots, and the features of each title (which can often differ greatly between games). Understanding these aspects means less confusion, so you always recognize the results of play and how outcomes are formulated. Again, it’s about streamlining the process for smoother play.

The Right Training for Improving Unconscious Skills

Training to improve unconscious skills is actually quite simple and is best approached by breaking a game down into its components. Instead of trying to improve at everything at once, it’s about picking individual aspects and practicing them in a controlled environment. Some games offer demo or training modes for this purpose, where you can repeat a single exercise before going live. Other times, mods with downloadable maps can aid in singular skill acquisition.

When in a real game, you then dedicate yourself to looking for the opportunity to use what you learned, even if it means less emphasis on other parts of play. Over a few days, you’ll naturally adapt this new skill into your general play as second nature. When this happens, it adds another item to your unconscious skills, leaving you to move on to another area where you could improve.

Gaming

This idea might seem simple, but you’d be surprised how often it’s overlooked in modern gaming. People are far more inclined to jump into the deep end, which can be too overwhelming for new skills to develop, and might even consolidate poor practices.

Making incremental improvements might not be as immediately rewarding, but it’s the method that pros use to reach the top of their game. Give it a try for yourself for a few days, and you might be surprised at how much you can improve.