Great thread, G. I'm glad I read it. And the reason why will help anyone who doubts what you said.
When I came to Ghosts, I had my traditional learning curve ... but I turned it around earlier than I ever have in any previous CODs. However, the last few times I've played, I've struggled badly. My WLR dropped from 1.5 to 1.37 and my kdr dropped from 1.95 to 1.84. If I were in the 10,000s of thousands of kills, that would be a really significant drop, but I think I'm in the 3000 or 4000 range right now. In any case, the stats themselves are not what has been bugging me. What's been bugging me is that I've had several sessions in a row that did not go well.
Since BO1 I have ignored bad starts to matches. I have regularly had matches where I start out as bad as 0 - 9. (I mostly play TDM). I don't worry about it because over the years I've made a collection of goals to achieve during a match. Goal # 1 is to not die 12 times. Goal # 2 is to score more than 12 kills. TBH, those are the two goals I focus upon and the rest change almost per match.
Now, traditionally when I start out so crappy, I switch gears. I usually switch to my go-to CAC. I try to always have a class I feel comfortable with. A sort of security blanket class I can fall back onto in the worst of situations and feel confident I will do well. Another thing I've traditionally done when starting off badly is that I didn't rush to return to the action. Rather, I take a new read on the match flow. I could go further in explaining what I normally do when the crap hits the fan, but I don't think there's a need to.
I haven't been living up to any of those things. I haven't even been making 12 kills a goal. I haven't been making less than 12 deaths a goal. I don't have a go-to CAC. Haven't had one at any time during Ghosts. Everything I've taken the time, and great pride in learning to do? I realized while reading the OP I just tossed it all out the window. As if I am playing COD for the first time ever.
Now, some are going to say that's because Ghosts is so radically different. Maybe that is a factor but I'm going to tell you what I think is the largest factor ... I've been playing the game when I am too tired to play. Really. It really is that simple. I know why I've been doing it, too. I've been playing the game when I am too tired, well, for two reasons. First, I haven't had as much time to play the game and now have to rely on oddball hours (an odd statement coming from me in the first place). But the larger reason is that my routine became so reliable in previous CODs that I could play while hardly able to keep my eyes open and still perform fairly well.
Can't do that in Ghosts. At least, I can't do it. I need to be better than the 50% I've been playing at.
Slowing down and rethinking my game ... while outside the game, I hope, has helped me realize that.
