source: https://ask.fm/Laudandus/answers/141914851725

Do you think any sort of genetic natural ability exists that effects how quickly one can learn the game? (Natural Talent pretty much) Brian Neice

I think the question of how much is nature vs nurture is pretty immaterial (and very hard to answer) but it's clear that some people come into the scene with a better brain for Melee. I also think that there are substantial differences in processing speed, manual dexterity, etc. The thing is, I have met very few people who I think are so untalented in every area that they couldn't become good by playing a lot in a way that facilitates improvement. 99% of people who plateau do so out of ego or approaching the game poorly, focusing not on how to get better as they play but on something else (anything else is bad, but usually it's negative / ego-protecting thoughts that are the most damaging). The top players' playstyles are more a function of their preferences and how they practice than their natural talents, I think - Armada's playstyle looks like what you would get if you combo'd cpu's a ton and really wanted to win, Mango's playstyle looks like what you would get if you spent a lot of time trying to do weird stuff in skirmishes and make reads, and PPMD's playstyle definitely looks like he studied his own matches and reflected a lot on how the game works. It's similar for lower-level players, it's just that constantly thinking about how you're not playing your best right now or the opponent's character is broken or the opponent's style is lame defines your playstyle in a way that does not cause you to top 8 nationals.