Online Anxiety

  • Thread starter Zylem
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Zylem

Zylem

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UsedToBeZylem
UsedToBeZylem
Evening everyone, I just joined recently after stumbling across these forums from a random Google search for Gran Turismo tips. I was wondering if anyone else here has ever had issues with anxiety when playing online. If so how do you combat it? The last few times I tried to join some online races I got too nervous and worried about messing something up. I really want to race online, meet new people, and even plunge into something like endurance racing with a team on iRacing.
 
Zylem
Evening everyone, I just joined recently after stumbling across these forums from a random Google search for Gran Turismo tips. I was wondering if anyone else here has ever had issues with anxiety when playing online. If so how do you combat it? The last few times I tried to join some online races I got too nervous and worried about messing something up. I really want to race online, meet new people, and even plunge into something like endurance racing with a team on iRacing.
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This is normal! Is this your first time playing an online game?

I would start with the below sub-forum:

GT7 Leagues & Online Racing

Find others to race online with and organize leagues in Gran Turismo 7.
www.gtplanet.net www.gtplanet.net

You can also add me on PSN: “BossBattle--“ (without the quotes). I don’t race competitively online because I’m not very good LOL…but I’m learning and would be happy to tag along someday!
 
For some people, anxiety is the result of our brain lying to us.
Do some practice, and see how it goes.
If you are really worried, don't set a lap time so that you start from the back. Just cruise around at the back for a race to get used to how it goes. Then start to race, and enjoy yourself
 
Hi @Zylem, same boat here. I have anxiety issues in general and playing online videogames really trigger that feeling, so I relate to you.

After almost a decade of growing up playing Call Of Duty i had to eventually stop because it was affecting me, it was making a more nagging, more impatient person and also triggered my anxiety more and more as I grew (because of personal life issues which then affected my online play).

Nowadays I barely if ever play online but I do like the occasional Sport mode race however I do get really nervous just like you mentioned so my best bet would be to meet some new people to have some fun while playing, don't be too hard on yourself about winning or going fast and it should make things easier and more pleasant for you, the results and consistency will come naturally with time. 🙂
 
BossBattle
This is normal! Is this your first time playing an online game?

I would start with the below sub-forum:

GT7 Leagues & Online Racing

Find others to race online with and organize leagues in Gran Turismo 7.
www.gtplanet.net www.gtplanet.net

You can also add me on PSN: “BossBattle--“ (without the quotes). I don’t race competitively online because I’m not very good LOL…but I’m learning and would be happy to tag along someday!
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BossBattle
This is normal! Is this your first time playing an online game?

I would start with the below sub-forum:

GT7 Leagues & Online Racing

Find others to race online with and organize leagues in Gran Turismo 7.
www.gtplanet.net www.gtplanet.net

You can also add me on PSN: “BossBattle--“ (without the quotes). I don’t race competitively online because I’m not very good LOL…but I’m learning and would be happy to tag along someday!
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Not my first time playing online. I used tonplay a lot of Star Craft. Never had the worries like I do with racing. Odd to explain I know, lol. Thanks for the kind words. Seems like I just need to play a few races and work on it.
 
Zylem
Not my first time playing online. I used tonplay a lot of Star Craft. Never had the worries like I do with racing. Odd to explain I know, lol. Thanks for the kind words. Seems like I just need to play a few races and work on it.
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I understand. Good luck and don’t be a stranger! Feel free to add me.
 
The most important bit is to remember it’s only a game, and to have fun!
If you mess up it’s not the end of the world, at worst you can learn from mistakes and try again 😁
 
I tend to set very high standards for clean racing, for myself. I view online boundaries the same as real. So when I mess up, it would cause a bit of anxiety. Not a particularly healthy habit but it's wired in at this point, it's just biology for the weirdest things to stick around.

Hindsight Edit: There's also the fact that with how many races and the sheer volume of different people out there with the amount of racing I do... that really makes it a weekly(daily) recipe for disaster regardless of my high standards nor trying to follow them, objectively I should just lower them since crowds work wonders of stupidity and lower the iq of every braincell on the track. Multiple crowds mean multiple ruined races regardless of skill, at least for console games but in my experience PC has been no different. The general public will always be dumb, and I hate saying that because it's just a human trait but it's so frustrating to face the limits of biology. Take care of your own mind and nothing else will matter. As socks aptly points, keeping a cool head is a skill lol. One I've never felt a need in recognizing, analyzing or mastering till this year/last year when it beamed itself up to front and center a priority.
 
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Every race ups the heartrate a bit, but the more you do the less it will affect you. Just dive in. Both GT and iRacing are fun, but with GT you'll probably be able to fit in quite a few more races per day which might be a better way to get started and get over that anxiety. Don't get stressed about getting good qualifying times - just set a time and dive in. It's more important to learn how to race with others imo, and how to keep it as clean as you can (despite how bad other players are - keeping a cool head is a skill in itself).
 
Akwaaba
If you are really worried, don't set a lap time so that you start from the back. Just cruise around at the back for a race to get used to how it goes. Then start to race, and enjoy yourself
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This right here. Make sure to do a bunch of qualify laps to get the track dialed in. Pause the game before crossing the start/finish line, then "retry." Starting from the back is a great way to learn to keep pace, and, you'll "allegedly" be matched with other drivers who drive like beginners as well. You will make mistakes, we all have and still do. Keep learning. Even the fastest sim racers were beginners at some point. Watch some tips videos on youtube as well.

The more time you put in, the more relaxed you'll get. Between GT Sport and GT 7 I've put in thousands of races and I still get butterflies before each start, usually after my first/second race of the day I'm able to shake it off.
 
Oh man, you are definitely not alone in this! My foot is shaking on the gas pedal every time I line up on the grid, and that music that plays when the race is loading makes my heart rate double. I especially freak out when I qualify well, because I don't want to be that guy that screws up and takes anyone else out. I worry much more about effecting someone else's race than screwing up my own.

Just know that it is completely natural to feel that way, and you have a lot of good company. Maybe trying a more open lobby that just races for fun? No pressure, just a bunch of people trying to have fun!

Good luck with the nerves.... mine have never really left. LOL
 
I imagine real race cars drivers feeling anxiety everytime too. Not saying we're real race car drivers. Saying the activity of racing others causes anxiety. For example, the whole race start process is intentionally anxiety inducing. Engines revving, countdown lights and sounds, etc.... Not feeling anxious would be abnormal.
 
Zylem
Evening everyone, I just joined recently after stumbling across these forums from a random Google search for Gran Turismo tips. I was wondering if anyone else here has ever had issues with anxiety when playing online. If so how do you combat it? The last few times I tried to join some online races I got too nervous and worried about messing something up. I really want to race online, meet new people, and even plunge into something like endurance racing with a team on iRacing.
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Online can be fun m8 you just have to meet the right people but i did give up league racing i found that to stressful you could spend all week practising and still be taken out turn 1 and things could get heated ;) Now i just be friend clean racer's i meet on new games and see if they want to race quick 3/4 lap races we used to get 10/15 fun events in most evenings if you are taken out or crash the next race wouldn't be long :) Just waiting for good hosting options atm there is a lot missing :(
 
I once saw an interview on youtube where an interviewer laughed manically, he couldn't stop crying with laughter upon hearing that real race drivers are so terrified before a race that they all go to the bathroom to ensure number 2 is done and dusted; so that it wouldn't happen in the race on lap 30 or whatever
 
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wheelhp
I once saw an interview on youtube where an interviewer laughed manically, he couldn't stop crying with laughter upon hearing that real race drivers are so terrified before a race that they all go to the bathroom to ensure number 2 is done and dusted; so that it wouldn't happen in the race.
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I made a PSA video for this exact thing. :sly:

 
I barged into GT Sport thinking I knew what I was doing. Played a couple of weeks, entered a race A. And promptly got LAPPED.

Took me a while to recover from that and get up the nerve to race again, and worry about looking like a fool. Then I realized a lot of people don't even care how bad they look. It's ok to not want to make the mistakes or ruin someone else's race, but mistakes are gonna happen no matter what, so just remember to apologize. You are just as likely to have your race damaged by someone else as you are to do it on your own so go ahead and give it a go, in small steps.

Another option is to look for lobbies in the multi-player where it is race for fun. Often a good chance to meet fellow drivers and learn tips in an environment where people are more relaxed as well and no one has ratings damaged. Racing in some lobbies definitely taught me a lot about improving my driving and gave me the confidence to do more side by side racing.

All in all it's supposed to be fun. I still get nervous and my heart races before every race, but I just work to race as best I can and if I make a mistake learn from it or at least hope it gives me a clip worth laughing at.

We've all started somewhere.
 
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LSFDRX
Oh man, you are definitely not alone in this! My foot is shaking on the gas pedal every time I line up on the grid, and that music that plays when the race is loading makes my heart rate double.
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It's especially worse when you qualify in a pole position! Cus you feel almost obligated to finish well. Mid pack, or lower pack, meh, who cares, do what you can, hope for the best.
 
Yeah, man. I feel you.

I have an extreme panic disorder and severe anxiety as a side effect from ocd meltdowns over the years. My heart races hard during tight races. The last FIA series of sport was intense and my rate was well in the 140 range.

I didn't think I would be that bad considering I raced my whole life before going virtual but anxiety is irrational and a greedy bastard most of the time.

Crap. You can watch an old video if the GT world championship where they had the drivers wearing heart monitors and displayed bpm's in the 140"s.

All I can say is more exposure and building skill will knock it down a bit but it's also adrenaline and if you don't get a little pumped up it's not worth it. And probably why I'm a better hot lapper than racing... lol
 
It takes quite a time to adjust into online for a rookie. Fact is you are going to have also bad experiences. **** happens, so what. With easily over a decade behind the wheel online I can say it's all worth it because of the good experiences.
 
Zylem
Evening everyone, I just joined recently after stumbling across these forums from a random Google search for Gran Turismo tips. I was wondering if anyone else here has ever had issues with anxiety when playing online. If so how do you combat it? The last few times I tried to join some online races I got too nervous and worried about messing something up. I really want to race online, meet new people, and even plunge into something like endurance racing with a team on iRacing.
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A certain amount of fear is perfectly OK and even beneficial, because it sharpens your senses and pumps out adrenaline, this adrenaline can positively affect your reflexes, but ALWAYS remember. It's your health that always comes first, no game is worth getting "sick" about. So take care of yourself and your body. Enjoy the GAME and drive as best you can, as fast as you want. There are countless players here who like to welcome "new friends", you can ride with them or simply measure yourself against their times.
It will be a very different experience for you at the beginning and it is in no way comparable to racing against the AI.
If you start online races you will be sorted into a system similar to Starcraft and you start "at the bottom". In these power ranges, lap times tend to be rather slow. There are two reasons for this, on the one hand many drivers are simply "slower" there (which is clearly not a bad thing!!! ), on the other hand there are also drivers who drive more like in an Acrade "stock car" racing game.
I find such drivers to be extremely unpleasant and I can't handle them well myself. The higher the class in which you drive, the fewer of these 2 types of drivers you usually meet.

That means it can happen to you that if you ride at the back you will still be pushed off the track or slowed down. If you find you could be faster than the others, swing into improving your qualifying times to start further up the grid.
Your fear will go away when you reach pole for the first time, or even better after the race, see great awards like: "Clean race", "Fastest race lap" or "Victory".
Don't let yourself be pressured and don't pressure yourself.
Try to drive as fair as possible, but avoid driving defensively all the time.
Defensive drivers are treated as fair game and victims in certain driver ratings, at least it sometimes seems that way, since in these leagues the other drivers usually do not have good and constant vehicle control either.

Feel free to add me as a friend if you want, my ID is my username here.
I can then put you in contact with other very, very nice and friendly players who will be happy to help you if you have any questions or problems/worries.
 
I have the same problem, it got so bad that i've only ever done around ten or so races in sport mode, in GT Sport. I suffer from depression and anxiety in real life (am on meds for it and was going to counselling for a while), so i'm not able to deal with the heavily beating heart, nervous sweats and shakiness, so had to give up Sport mode early on.

I can tell you though, that if there were no Driver Ratings and Sportsmanship Ratings in GT, i honestly think i'd have a MUCH easier time and would be able to enter races again.

The problem is that i always try to race the cleanest race possible, even against the AI (i've quit and restarted many races with the AI if i think i messed up too much), so all the stories i've read of people getting dive bombed and other such dirty tactics that actually reduce your own sportsmanship/driver ratings was one of the main reasons i got put off the idea. I can accept penalties if i caused them, but from what i've read other players can still negatively affect your ratings through no fault of your own. So because of that, i don't bother.

In all but two or three Sport mode races i've done i've opted to avoid qualifying so that i can try start at the very back of the grid, then stay there for the whole race (to try avoid dive bombers and dirty drivers, who really up my anxiety levels), unless i'm even then being held up by slower/bad drivers that i think i can get past quickly and cleanly and stay well away from for the rest of the race.

After a handful of races starting from the back though i started wondering why i was bothering, and promptly gave up altogether. Since then i've enjoyed racing the AI while not having to deal with the worst of the GT players out there (and yes, i did get a few trying to take me out in those few races i did).

I know i was only a handful of races into Sport mode, but my anxiety levels weren't decreasing in the slightest, so to reduce the chance of another panic attack i had to stop for my own mental health reasons. :(
 
SkylineObsession
I have the same problem, it got so bad that i've only ever done around ten or so races in sport mode, in GT Sport. I suffer from depression and anxiety in real life (am on meds for it and was going to counselling for a while), so i'm not able to deal with the heavily beating heart, nervous sweats and shakiness, so had to give up Sport mode early on.

I can tell you though, that if there were no Driver Ratings and Sportsmanship Ratings in GT, i honestly think i'd have a MUCH easier time and would be able to enter races again.

The problem is that i always try to race the cleanest race possible, even against the AI (i've quit and restarted many races with the AI if i think i messed up too much), so all the stories i've read of people getting dive bombed and other such dirty tactics that actually reduce your own sportsmanship/driver ratings was one of the main reasons i got put off the idea. I can accept penalties if i caused them, but from what i've read other players can still negatively affect your ratings through no fault of your own. So because of that, i don't bother.

In all but two or three Sport mode races i've done i've opted to avoid qualifying so that i can try start at the very back of the grid, then stay there for the whole race (to try avoid dive bombers and dirty drivers, who really up my anxiety levels), unless i'm even then being held up by slower/bad drivers that i think i can get past quickly and cleanly and stay well away from for the rest of the race.

After a handful of races starting from the back though i started wondering why i was bothering, and promptly gave up altogether. Since then i've enjoyed racing the AI while not having to deal with the worst of the GT players out there (and yes, i did get a few trying to take me out in those few races i did).

I know i was only a handful of races into Sport mode, but my anxiety levels weren't decreasing in the slightest, so to reduce the chance of another panic attack i had to stop for my own mental health reasons. :(
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I'm sorry to read about your problems and I wish you a lot of strength to continue living with your illness as well as possible. My wife has it too, she was fine for a couple of years but has been getting progressively worse over the past year so I know these issues very well and know that it can be very difficult to live with and added "pressure" can cause it greatly aggravate the situation.

I advise you play the game how you like it and maybe you will find the strength to find some friends or who you probably have to talk to about your problems while playing, maybe others feel the same as you or they can at least understand it and are interested in racing with them. I'm sure if you drive against friends/acquaintances you will be able to deal with the "pressure" that can arise in a race much better.

I wish you all the best and lots of strength.

(By the way, I wish that everyone who is suffering from depression themselves or someone with this problem in the family has the strength to get through it all and be able to live with it as well as possible)
 
s0cks
Come on Grandpa, tell us a story! What has been your most memorable experience?
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Online? :D

Many of course during the years. But if I had to pick one it was the time of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue. Everything was so new fresh, crisp and fluid. The real start of the new era.
There was a pre-online race screen (time trial?) that had an analogue clock. With a friend or group you could plan to hit the online join button at the exact same second so you could be matched in the same lobby. And many times it worked out.
The driving experience was really smooth.. on High Speed Ring.. Daytona.. Suzuka.
The year was 2008.

p.s. I'm not a Grandpa yet ;)
 
Wow, I did not expect all the replies when I was drafting this post up in my head. First, thank you to all who replied with tips and encouragement. It’s nice to know I am not the only one that gets the “pre-race jitters”. I hope to play more and in time calm those down. I have always enjoyed playing any type of driving game and have wanted to take to next jump to online for awhile.

I think my first step will be to start in the back of the pack and focus on keeping it clean and smooth.

For those that replied saying they have the same issues, I hope you all can take the same thing I have from this thread that you’re not alone. Let’s all take small steps and conquer this together! Please feel free to add me on PSN, my tag is UsedToBeZylem. We can all cruise around the track together!

Thank you again!
 
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Just a quick update I wanted to share with you all. I decided to take some of the advice here and start from the back and just focus of fun clean racing. I hopped in the daily A and did just that and it was a blast. I climbed all the way up to 6th before the person in front of me slammed their brakes on the straight which caused me to swerve and spin. I still managed to finish up five places from where I started. It was a great time and I was laughing during the whole race. I’ll continue to push on and keep improving my skills. Hopefully I’ll have more updates to share with you all in the future!

I really want to get comfortable racing online and try to join an endurance team on ACC. I really enjoy watching endurance racing and the opportunity to take part in one is what is pushing to be work through my discomforts.
 
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Enough people have no problem jumping into online racing and smashing straight into others without care for anyone to have any issues with someone joining looking to improve and race properly, even if making some mistakes along the way.

It's easy to tell someone else not to worry, but honestly everyone playing is hoping for more drivers trying to do the right thing to join in and less knuckleheads with no self awareness whatsoever.
 

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