Psychology - best help at playing competitive video games

When playing video games, players often look for their edge in strategies and secrets both built into the game, or from flaws in game design. One way to work outside of the box is to use your opponent against himself with a bit of psychology.

Things You'll Need:

• Some kind of competitive video game
• A way to communicate directly with your opponent(s) during the game

Instructions

Step 1
Know who your opponent is. In arcades and at home on the console, this may be easier, not only because you are physical there with your opponent, but you have known him for some time. When online, try to start some light conversation and learn as much as you can before the match begins.

Step 2
Some cliché's are often true. There are lot of male gamers who use video games to vent their masculine inadequacies. Players who are hyper tense to any kind of social interaction before the game, and curse a lot, are often this kind of gamer. Use this to your advantage, if you can call them out and emasculate them once, by winning a round or scoring a kill, you can shake them and drastically decrease their performance for the rest of the match.

Step 3
Aggressive players often rely on pre-built strategies that come naturally. Especially in first person shooters, they will follow an "ant trail" to the action. Watch these player's patterns, and intercept them, often their aggression won't let them change their strategy until they are totally shut down.

Step 4
Watch for players that shy away from communication. If they aren't the aggressor type, then they'll shy away and use long range tactics or anything that is strategically viable that doesn't rely on player skill (including cheats).

Step 5
Out of game context communication can jar player's attention mid match. Using clear, full speech to false telegraph your next move, or just something random, will often make video game players second guess their next move and give you an opening.

Tips & Warnings

• Read up on the same techninques that sports athleats use to fake out their opponents. You'll find they mostly work in video gaming as well.
• Remember, these are real people you are playing with, and at the end of the day it's just a game. Don't hurt anyone's feelings or ruin anyone's fun.