Passive Increase in Skill

[BioMechanic]

I've experienced this a lot. I think it comes from simply trying too hard, especially if you're stuck at a certain place. Although you intend to try different tactics, you've been teaching your brain to perform a certain way, and it becomes progressively tougher to change. On the other hand, when you approach it fresh, allowing your brain to re-set, so to speak, you usually do much better.

Been happening a lot lately to me, in VF4 and HSG3. If I've been playing for a while in Kumite, I tend to rely on the same combos, and get my butt whipped. I'll fight a great match and beat a Hero, but then lose to a 1st Kyu, for example. In HSG3, I'll be trying extra hard to get super perfect impact, but the longer I play, the harder it becomes, and sometimes I miss it by a HUGE margin.

There's a fine line between this and mere mental fatigue, however.

When this happens, I let it rest for a day or so, then I'm back to "normal." It's almost like your subconscious chews on the problem when your conscious isn't immersed in it.

Hey MechDeus: You opened Survival Mode yet in Burnout? It's really tough (at least it is for me).

[MechDeus]

Yeah, I've opened Survival, but haven't played it yet. Beating all the Tournaments first for the cars and tracks. However, so far I can usually make it through the first couple laps without crashing, so long as I don't try any reckless stunts or use Burn into oncoming traffic (though I do specifically on one track, as the highway is long enough that use can use your Burn, and by the time you're done, you've earned enough Burn that you have a whole second meter to keep going ).

[Regus]

This happened to me recently with GTA3. The first time around, I had a tough time going through the story mode, and after I completed it, I just messed around for a long time.

Well, I had not seriously played the game in about 3 months, and decided to start a new game the other day. It's amazing how easy this game is once you know all of it's ins and outs. I finished the story mode, no sweat.






And how about that other phenomenon: "Beginner’s Luck".

You get to an area the first time and waltz through it like it's nothing, but come back to it some time later, and you just can't get past it, no matter how hard you try.