Stats Sacrifice for Testing - Positive or not?

[EndlessPower]

I was wondering, so I decided to check for your opinion guys I used to be a lvl 25 1st LT arround 1800 ELO as prolly some of you remember and I saw myself stuck in there, like losing wining losing wining, keeping my skill leveled and stuck there.

So I though "that's it, i've had enough of just reproducing regular strats" and I decided to buy aoeIII and the expansions and start a new project. I just started playing games as I wanted, with the civs I felt like and trying a whole lot of diferent strats that came to my mind, to try and break the usual strats.
Obviously this has ruined my stats and I'm back in 2nd Lt which I'm not rly worried about since I've got my reserve AOEIII account for when I feel ready. After all this, I wonder, was it worth it? Did i learn anything with this? I sure did watch a lot of recs and try lots of diferent things, try diferent points of view from some guys at agesanct and here at N3O, things I read here and there. What do you guys think? After having playing more or less 250 games on TAD, was this any positive for gaming experience?

Yep this is what happens when I have too much free time.

[Tatltael]

o_o just play sioux

[EndlessPower]

That was actually the first civ I tested, you could just go look (I guess its in the strategy forums) for all my complaints about the sioux cetans

And yes I know this sound a bit groovy but it's simply a wonder in weather sacrificing stats purely for testing stuff is positive or not when you're stil not a very experienced player.

[Kaiser_von_Nuben]

I say no time spent playing real games is wasted, whether you're testing or not. I look at AOE3 like learning a foreign language; you just need to keep doing it and eventually it becomes habitual and natural. Of course you'll have hard times, but you won't get anywhere without taking chances. Granted, I do most of my testing in unrated games where people might not be playing their best, but simply drilling strats over and over again really helps my game. Getting in 250 games is an accomplishment imo.

Look at it this way: You have studied this game inside and out and you know how to play every civ. That makes you understand every foe you will face and refine the strats that work best for you. Plus you've had real experience microing, scouting, eco managing, etc. All that helps. When you are ready, you will go in there with all your well-honed skills and rocket up the ranks (if that's what you want to do )

I think testing is always worth it. As long as you don't stress over each and every decimal point your PR moves, it will make you a better, more well-rounded player. I think you have done the right thing.

[Comadevil]

Playing AOE3 is about fun and it isn't about ELO and PR (except maybe for those who play for prizes). So u should play that u still have fun including to go new ways, so u don't play the same over and over again

Just look at my 1v1 stats (which are horrible, because i am more in team games)

Why i should care about it? If i ask my boss at work: Do i get a higher wage if i get 2000 ELO at AOE3??? He will just look at me with big, big eyesm, trying to comprehend about what i am talking about.

So u don't get anything for high PR and ELO except maybe the respect of people u will never meet in real life (except a few)

[Soccerman771]

1. Did you have fun?
2. Did you help someone else get better?

The best learners are teachers....

[Sporting_Lisbon]

This is the main reason why my win percentage is below 50. I enjoy knowing the different matchups, but other people might prefer sticking to a civ or OP civs and getting their rank up. Sticking with a civ is good in short-term, playing all civs is way better in the long-term.

[EndlessPower]

[quote=""Sporting_Lisbon""]This is the main reason why my win percentage is below 50. I enjoy knowing the different matchups, but other people might prefer sticking to a civ or OP civs and getting their rank up. Sticking with a civ is good in short-term, playing all civs is way better in the long-term.[/quote]

You just made me feel alot better That was EXACTLY what I though

[quote=""Soccerman771""]1. Did you have fun?
2. Did you help someone else get better?

The best learners are teachers....[/quote]

1. A lot of fun. That's one of the reasons why I did this.

2. Well, I dont think any of the guys I found in QS while doing this recieved any help... But here in the clan I try to do all I can to help who needs and who I can.

[lordandcount]

Well did a lot a testing and most of the time my rank go downwards, but sometime I find effective tactic that I use a few times to get rank back up and then start testing again. But most I play for fun and to trashtalk to lazy.