jleonnn wrote:Play maps you're bad at, or haven't even tried, and use your worst settings. That way, you would be dropping, cuz major is still high, and it IS legal. Like, when i was sarg. 1st class, going on to LT, i started joining other, more "fun" games, and i found myself a private... And you would drop even more because of your high rank. Besides, other people (myself included) can only dream of being a colonel...in fact, the closest i've been is 420 pts... that's still a long way off...
What I'm saying is that, if you have a skill and a high rank, you should be thankfull...
I think there are a few points here:
1. I think the journey is often more enjoyable than the destination. I absolutely loved CC when I was racing through the stripes and up to the major rank, CC was really fantastic fun for me then (about a year ago now). I think it was especially fun because I was playing my favourite style of game when I was doing it.
2. Yet to progress to 2,500 I had to adjust my game selection (overall) and play less large public standard games, so there was more 8 man dubs and trips. I think i'm reasonably decent at them, but they don't get the old blood flowing to be honest with you. I quite surprised myself at reaching the top 100 (I think I won 5 8 man dubs in a row + maybe a bunch of trips) and have spent the last couple of months maintaining at that level without any great difficulty but with sadly little enjoyment.
3. The trouble with gradually de-ranking by playing unfamiliar styles is that
I don't enjoy playing unfamiliar styles. At all. Shoot me for my lack of interest in diversity but there you go. I like a few styles on a few maps and while some very nice people have partnered up with me on various other maps to give me a bit of variety none have really made me think "Ah ha!
This is what I can do in 2010"
4. I really only want to play a couple of casual games at a time through this year (probably 2.1 8 man dubs) while mainly playing classic speed flat (4-5 man). Maintaining my 50% record at standard games while playing a game as unpredictable as that will be a real test for me in 2010...hence I'll find it enjoyable. There is no point doing that from 2,900 points; it is just ridiculous to play stripers over and over again and that level. There is no points in it, my equalitarian stat will go down the toilet and I am obviously a target in every game I play.
5. I am not in any way trying to devalue getting a high rank...though I know it might look like I am throwing away like trash the hat I (don't doubt) many right now are struggling to achieve. But the simple fact is that I got it, held it without difficulty and would never have lost it by playing as I do. I don't do variety well so there seemed little choice but to de-rank in this manner.
Anyway, about 500 points to go and as Ron noticed when playing me today I am really, really shit at freestyle speed. Too slow both in mind and with the drop down menus. I might have won a couple, but dodgy dice put paid to that and for most I was positionally screwed anyway...just in case anyone is considering a cheeky 'Point Dropping' Accusation!
And I'll pass you aor2 strats 
