Composure is the restraint over emotional and mental agitation through an exercise of discipline.
Company of Heroes is a very mind intensive game that not only tests your intelligence, speed of thought, and ability to predict your opponent, but also assesses your ability to remain cool under pressure. Pressure can be defined as a number of situations: from being overwhelmed by three way flanks to not finishing off a tank with a 5% bug or becoming frustrated with your opponent's play style and losing track of your units in the midst of multiple battles. The recipient of these losing situations can often result in anger or frustration and will not only hurt how well you play, but your enjoyment of the game as well.
Many players, myself included, sometimes find themselves simply overwhelmed during the peak periods of action intense activity, such as dodging three grenades simultaneously. The common result is what I'd call a "mind lock". Your mind is handling so much information under stress that it locks up, ceasing to function efficiently. You find yourself knowing what you need to do but unable to do so.
Anger is another issue many players have. All of the previous examples are an easy source for anger, depending on how badly you want to win. They either get mad at the game, their opponent, or themselves. When you get angry you can't think clearly. Your face gets hot and make mistakes solely because you're consumed with rage and not focusing on the game.
In the end, a lot of players will simply RageQuit™ when something doesn't go their way. I've seen many players that have this problem late game. They play great in the beginning but things fall apart at the end. With a lot of units on the field at the late stage, a lot is going on and they are concentrating so much on their micro, focusing all their attention on one or two units, they forget about everything else and lose track of what they are supposed to be doing. You can be a great player and lose to a less skilled opponent that keeps their cool and maintains an adaptable plan according to what's going on. If you're fixated too much on only one thing, you're neglecting everything else. You can find yourself caring about one fight too much and forget that there is a war to win.
The key factor in all of these situations is stress. It's a game, but it's a game you want to win. If you really care about winning, you'll become emotionally attached to the game. If you're emotionally attached to the game it puts unneeded pressure on yourself to win, but in order to do that, you need to have a calm, clear mind. If your mind is clear you will play better. You will win more games and you will have more fun. You will realize your mistakes, identify your opportunities and learn from each game.
The best advice I can give to anyone with these problems is to relax. Slow down, make calm and deliberate actions. Work with what you have, plan for what you need. Don't expect to win, don't care if you lose, and laugh when your sniper misses three times in a row. Most importantly of all, always have fun!
