@1-mf If this were 3 seasons ago I would 100% agree with your post here. Back then I enjoyed sitting in mixtape for a couple hours because the players there forced me to up my game and play better than I did in pubs.
However, right now the situation is so bad it's impossible to improve by facing these players because they instantly take you out (most have rapid fire/zero recoil) and no matter how many clips you put into them it does nothing at all to their health bar.
No one that is at my level is going to beat someone like Hal and other players of his level without cheating, period. Since I don't cheat, and I was unable to even get into this gun run (I got taken out instantly everytime I respawned), I don't see how I can improve through facing "monsters."
I do agree I need to adapt and progress. I study the videos of Verhulst, ItzTimmy, District, Scrappy, Dazs, and other top players and when I see something I want to incorporate into my play I spend lots of time in the firing range.
For instance, I wanted to learn the various kinds of strafing and wall jumping and how to incorporate that into a fight, so I went into the range and set up situations with the dummies on hard or full combat that allowed me to learn to use the moves. This is my way of adapting.
I agree under normal conditions in apex this is the correct approach to improve, and I know you are trying to help and I thank you for that, but I think between the bad matchmaking and controller boxes it is going to be difficult to improve since you can't practice in an actual match without getting killed instantly.
I am thankful they added bot royale though because I've been able to practice in an actual match.