Skill in gaming can be a difficult metric to measure. Sometimes we can struggle to pick up what our others seem to learn almost instantly, as we’re left far behind the people we play with. Other times we might dominate our group of friends, only to take our skills online to be humbled. No matter what game you play, however, one central ability improves all types of gameplay – your autopilot.
What we mean by this is your ability to instantly respond to developments in a way that exceeds reaction alone. It’s critical thinking as an automatic unconscious response, without the act of stopping to use your head. It’s a skill we all use to a degree, but it’s also something that can be improved and evolved through deliberate study and effort.
Read and Internalize the Rules
It might seem silly to mention, but you’d be surprised at how often this little piece of advice is overlooked in favor of people learning through doing. Of course, you can make a lot of progress by jumping in the deep end, but there’s also a good chance you’ll miss out on some of the game’s most fundamental systems. This can have profound effects on your play down the line, both in your skill ceiling and in how you’re seen by other players.
Take the poker version called Texas Holdem as an example, as a game where it’s easy to learn the basic rules but impossible to master. If you go into Texas Holdem without knowing all the right terms like the flop, turn, or river, you’ll put yourself on the tables as a minnow, as a prime meal for sharks. To succeed in Texas Holdem, you’ll need to reach a level where every term is automatically translated by your brain in a way that never shows your inexperience, thus never making you a target.
Build the Foundation
Overlooking the practice of basic skills is also a common mistake made by players in a rush to see direct action. This is akin to building a home on an unstable foundation, where you’ll generate negative autopilot patterns that inhibit your long-term potential. Instead, take 10–20 minutes a day to focus on learning one key skill, and then try to implement that into your game plan until it becomes second nature. This helps reduce what is called a mental stack, freeing up mental resources to be allocated where you really need them.
Many genres like fighting games offer robust training systems built to aid in each part of your autopilot. For example, simple anti-air training has you recognize and defend against an opponent’s jumping attacks. This one skill alone can make the difference between a bronze-ranked player and a gold-ranked one, and many games have similar components that need to be drilled into your reflexes.
The final thing to remember is that while your autopilot will eventually kick in by default, it still needs to be monitored. Bad practices can creep in, consolidating poor decisions and damaging your autopilot programming. The more open and honest you are about your play, the easier it will be to detect whenever this might happen. Put in the time, accept where you need help, and there’s no telling how high your autopilot could help you climb.
