The Pro-Gaming Recipe

Posted by: Veed

Gaming, like everything else, isn't a skill you're just born with. You might have a natural flair for gaming, but skill and precision are things that can only be developed over time. And there's always scope to get better. Because if you don't, somebody else will.

If you want to be a pro-gamer, you've got to be willing to pay the price. So have you got what it takes, and more importantly, what does it take?

For starters, and to state the obvious, practice. Pro-gamers, like the practitioners of any other technique-based craft, be it dancing, football, acting or music, must devote copious amounts of time to the hard slog of practice.

In order to make themselves irreplacable- and this, above all, should be what you're aiming for- they must persevere at every move or game situation until they have it down to perfection.

Muscle memory plays a vital part, in this regard- a complicated game move can become second nature, depending on whether you practice it hard enough.

This is the real grind of a professional's life. And it's what distinguishes the average player from the world class gamer.

But- beware the cliche- if practice is the bow, then preparation is the arrow.

A gamer must know his game thoroughly- he must understand every nuance of how it works. Once that is done, you're ready to start devising original and elaborate strategies.

Go into a game knowing that you're capable of countering anything thrown at you by your opponent - simply because you've mastered all possible solutions to all possible obstacles. You've got to be able to get in the enemy's head, as the saying goes. In other words, pre-empt his every move and strategy.

But strategies too evolve over time, with newer and better ideas being developed constantly, in gaming communities and amongst the pro players. To come back to the initial point about practice, this means gamers have to keep working and reworking their game scenarios to stay ahead.

The third item that should be on every prospective star's check-list is, perhaps, physical fitness. Although gamers do not necessarily have to be in peak physical condition, some players swear by a regular physical training regime to improve their gaming skills.

London Mint manager Sujoy Roy is one of them. "I believe being physically fit can make a huge difference to your gaming skills. It can clear the mind, and it helps you focus more clearly.

"Being in good shape helps in high stress situations, when one wrong move can cost your team the game on live television," he explains.

And that's not all that being in good shape does, when you're on TV - it also makes you look great! With pro gaming now being broadcast live, CGS players need to make the most of their air time. They need to be able to 'work' the camera to their advantage.

Roy explains: "It's not only about looking the part, it also means being sharp when interviewed, and showing some of your emotions on the surface when playing - basically, giving the audience a reason to keep watching.

"Unfortunately, with so much gaming taking place in closed halls, many players are simply not used to the idea of having millions of people watching them on TV, and that's something that they need to keep working on," he said.

Last, but not least, a gamer needs to train himself to play his best, when under the most pressure - because that's how it's going to be, a lot of the time.

If the next match determines whether your team wins half a million dollars or not, the very thought is enough to make some players crumble. You must learn to thrive on pressure, or to feed off that pressure, as a famous Russian philosopher once put it.

And now it's time to stop reading, and start practicing. Good luck!