Thread: Ladies and Gentlemen, I am a Scrub

Sirlin.Net - Playing to Win Book - Intermediate

I don't know if this has ever been posted on these forums, but that is the most widely cited definition of a scrub. Apparently, I fit every description that he lays out.

So, as a test to see how legitimate it is, I will use the ACE 23 and AK5C, and ACR exclusively in BF4 for a while to see if things change. As I am mentally incapable of camping and getting RGO kills, I just won't use those tactics.

If anyone has thoughts on this definition, I'd like to hear them, because I've never seen a good discussion of this before.

I guess I don't fit the definition of scrub as described as I do care about the win but I play as a scrub which is why I'll rarely be a squad leader.

I read the 1st page you linked. Yeah most people here are scrubs by his definition. I'll always use what's best because I don't want die or lose to someone who is using the best weapon at the time. If you're going walk around with a rulebook on how play a video game then he's right you've already lost. Play to win it's not damn popularity contest.

Originally Posted by Blah64

From that article, I thought the identifying characteristic of a scrub is someone who calls the methods that they lose to 'cheap' because they, themselves do not use such methods, therefore attempting to invalidate their opponents victory.

In that regards, I do not think you are a scrub just because you try to limit yourself. You don't get into a 'hissy fit' because someone used an 'overpowered' weapon on you.

This is what I took away from the article as well. Self-imposed mental rules designed to improve one's own skill doesn't make someone a scrub. But if they complain when others break those imaginary rules: scrub.

I know I used to be a scrub in regards to AWPs in CS, but thankfully my aim became better and I learned how to deal with them.

Then you guys haven't heard me complain about the AWS, the AK5C, the MG4, the ACE 23 and the HK416. I do it all the time. I hate it when I get killed by those weapons because they're balanced to the point that they have no flaws, whereas every other weapon has +' and -'s.

I just happen to be an extremely good scrub, I guess.

Edit:

My interpretation of the article is as such: If you don't use the most effective tactics ruthlessly, efficiently, and emotionlessly, then you are a scrub and you will never amount to someone that anyone would care about in the gaming world. If you have an independent mind, you are useless to a team that wants to win. Creativity is discouraged outside of deciding when to use certain countering tactics. The only fun involved is when you and your team wins.

And it's all true. A cohesive team doesn't think as a group of individuals, it thinks as one mind. Only the best tactics are considered and experimentation is frowned upon because it introduces risk. To the team, the only thing that can matter is the win.

Originally Posted by Allane

Then you guys haven't heard me complain about the AWS, the AK5C, the MG4, the ACE 23 and the HK416. I do it all the time. I hate it when I get killed by those weapons because they're balanced to the point that they have no flaws, whereas every other weapon has +' and -'s.

Then yes, by the article's definition of a scrub, you are one.


I'm not going to worry too much about the article because while I always play to win, I also play to get better. So I'm not going to use something obnoxiously overpowered when its just going to be patched out the next week (examples in CSGO being the temporarily overpowered Deagle, auto-shotgun, and AUG). Yeah, those would have made some wins easier. For a week. Instead I worked on things that were more reliable.

Perhaps if I thought I didn't have room for improvement I might be more concerned about fitting into this article's definition of a scrub.