Eye closing problem

[Ogelevil259]

I really want to "git gud" at touhou but I have this kinda weird problem:
Whenever I get stressed I tend to close my eyes :blush:
this isn't a problem irl and most of the time I don't even notice.
Unfortunately upon playing Touhou I discovered this apparently apply's to video games as well.
In other word's whenever I'm about to die I close my eyes... It's only for a second but as you can imagine it can really mess me up.
Does anybody else have a similar problem where a nervous tic was interfering with a game? If so what did you do about it?

[shockdude]

In other word's whenever I'm about to die I close my eyes...

Hmm. When you're about to die, try bombing at the same time you close your eyes. So long as you bomb before dying, you'll be fine even if your eyes are closed. Do this enough and you might even develop the ability to bomb on reaction without needing to close your eyes.

[CyberAngel]

Watch some Lunatic mode replays. It'll be an eye-opening experience. ...No, I didn't say that just for the pun, that's an honest advice. They'll give you the idea how much leeway you actually have in the games. Then try Lunatic mode yourself. Yes, you'll fail. Don't try to win, just do some crazy stunts. But odds are things will feel much easier when you go back to whatever mode you're playing normally.

Also, since the issue seems to be psychological, you need to realize that failing is okay in this genre. Losing a life is okay. Losing a continue is okay. Losing a run is okay. These are the games which you need to play many times and gradually get better over a long time. One failure isn't the end. A dozen failures isn't the end. You just need one success, and it'll come when it comes. You need to enjoy the process, not the result.

[Ghaleon]

Dont tunnel vision on where you are. Look for openings up ahead. Something you should do anyway.

[Ogelevil259]

Thank's so much for your advice everyone

Hmm. When you're about to die, try bombing at the same time you close your eyes. So long as you bomb before dying, you'll be fine even if your eyes are closed. Do this enough and you might even develop the ability to bomb on reaction without needing to close your eyes.

This is really good advice my reflexes are a bit to slow to do this now but if I keep practicing I hopefully will get the hang of it.

Watch some Lunatic mode replays. It'll be an eye-opening experience. ...No, I didn't say that just for the pun, that's an honest advice. They'll give you the idea how much leeway you actually have in the games. Then try Lunatic mode yourself. Yes, you'll fail. Don't try to win, just do some crazy stunts. But odds are things will feel much easier when you go back to whatever mode you're playing normally.

Also, since the issue seems to be psychological, you need to realize that failing is okay in this genre. Losing a life is okay. Losing a continue is okay. Losing a run is okay. These are the games which you need to play many times and gradually get better over a long time. One failure isn't the end. A dozen failures isn't the end. You just need one success, and it'll come when it comes. You need to enjoy the process, not the result.

I already watch lunatic replays but I never really tried it myself. And I won't deny I feel a bit frustrated whenever I lose. I haven't really been using continue's should I be? I should mention I don't really care about getting a high score or beating the game in lunatic mode at least for now I just want to be able to clear the games and get the endings so I never really used continues as I figured better get used to it now.

Dont tunnel vision on where you are. Look for openings up ahead. Something you should do anyway.

Actually usually when I'm not closing my eyes I have the exact opposite problem! I read somewhere that I should look a little bit ahead of my character and so I tend to run right into the bullets...

[CyberAngel]

I haven't really been using continue's should I be? I should mention I don't really care about getting a high score or beating the game in lunatic mode at least for now I just want to be able to clear the games and get the endings so I never really used continues as I figured better get used to it now.

No real reason not to use them. Finishing the game with continues will make sure you're getting better at the whole game equally. That's kinda more important early on, else you'll be surprised and confused by new attacks and take longer to make any real progress. Not using continues is more useful for high-level goals like scoring and survival challenges, but you should have all stages open for practice by that point anyway.

That said, TH10-12 might be quite a bit more frustrating in that regard since they force you to restart the stage on continue. Still, feel free to use that feature to your advantage as much as you see fit.

Actually usually when I'm not closing my eyes I have the exact opposite problem! I read somewhere that I should look a little bit ahead of my character and so I tend to run right into the bullets...

Actually, you should keep as much of the screen in sight as possible. Playing in windowed mode or sitting farther away is good for that, but it might need some getting used to the games beforehand. Just try it once in a while to see if you're at the point where it helps rather than overwhelms.