Definition: “Visual impairment involving a loss of peripheral vision”

We have all been there. The boss it at 10% and you are dps-ing like a madman. You feel in the zone and your heart is pumping fast. Your hands are starting to get clammy as a consequence of the nerves and the lightning speed that your fingers are hammering the keys. You can smell the epics (it’s true.) And then it happens. You are so focused on the boss and maxing your dps or healing that you completely miss that warning flash by Deadly Boss Mods and the glowing black void zone on the floor. Before you know it you are looking atand wondering where it all went so wrong.

So how do you avoid tunnel vision?

This is quite a tough question. How do you overcome such a strong emotion as excitement? It is all very well saying, “stay calm and stay focused,” but in reality it is a lot harder. I remember back in the good ol’ days of Sartharion and his pesky 3 drakes the frequency with which skilled players would die to fire wall as we neared a kill. It was astonishing. These were excellent players but the excitement that came with a possible realm first got to them. They panicked and inevitably died.

So how did we get around this? It was actually a very simple bit of advice. I asked the raiders to focus entirely on the surrounding river of lava. They were not allowed to look at the boss. They knew their rotations off by heart of course and there served no benefit in staring at the boss’ hp bar. By focusing on the possible problems (the fire wall) and completely ignoring the steady death of the big dragon they succesfully avoided the wall from then on.

So if you are struggling with tunnel vision I suggest focusing on an event other than the boss. You can also try looking at the screen as a whole rather than focusing in on a specific area. This is a hard thing to describe but I will do my best. When someone catches you, “staring into space,” that is sort of what it is like. It is letting your eyes wander back from the screen. This lets you maintain greater peripheral vision, letting you see potential problems and things to avoid or act upon much more easily. Try it now. Just, “zone out,” and stare at nothing in particular.

If you are tunnel visioning then as a raid leader you can also try calling a break. Tell everyone to get up from their computers and go to the kitchen for 10 minutes and grab a drink (preferably non-alchoholic.) This simple action will relax the raid group and when they return, people should be much more attentive and alert. Don’t let people simply sit at their PCs for the break as their brains will simply obsess over the encounter which will create more anxiety and excitement, which are bad things for tunnel visioning.

So there are some simple but effective tips to help you avoid tunnel visioning a boss. Do you have any others that work for you?