Overwatch – Overanalyzed – Damage and Death

Overwatch - Overanalyzed - Damage and Death

Overwatch – Overanalyzed – Damage and Death

Created by Professor Michael Van Etten, Professor of World Languages at Finger Lakes Community College (FLCC). Director of eSports. Member of FLCC Athletics.

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In Overwatch, the only penalty for death is time. In most cases (QP/Comp), a few seconds don’t really make or break matches. However, in league play, it can make or break an entire team. It’s ALWAYS better to retreat and live instead of staggering, feeding, and dying.

Most problems in team-based play can be tied back to pride and its subsequent effects. Overconfidence leads players to 1v1 all opponents, thinking they they can carry the team. We all remember “that one time” we 1v1’d and won and easily forgot the 100 times we lost. Ignoring plans and calls disrupts the function of the entire team, and leads to team losses. Overcommitment comes from delusions of grandeur, being “the best” and not accepting the consequences of a lost fight. 

Chasing opponents only take you further away from your own team and closer to theirs. This also includes chasing targets into rooms and hallways where your supports can (should) not follow. Divers and Flankers also over-extend when you attack, but become stranded behind enemy lines with no clear escape route. Don’t stand in the middle of the road! If you can see a sniper, they can see you, and are far more capable of taking you out. Use buildings, corners, natural barriers to mitigate damage. Certain heroes excel in eliminating teams crammed into small spaces like rooms and hallways.

You are human, and your opponents are human. By irrationally focusing on a single target, you place the rest of the team at risk. There is no personal vendetta worth ignoring the goals of the team. Win by being the better team. “Tilting“, or excessive anger, does not make you a better player. Anger clouds one’s judgement and leads to irrational and emotional decision making, often not in-line with the well-being of the team. 

Hard-counters exist in Overwatch, and some heroes naturally have an advantage over others. Some fights are lost because they are designed to win/lose in certain scenarios. Fights become easier when you include these advantages and disadvantages in your planning. Having the knowledge of abilities, cooldown timers, and weaknesses will make team fights easily exploitable. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.” (not Albert Einstein). If your plan isn’t working, don’t be afraid to modify it or try something new.

How many magazines does a Tracer need to 1v1 a Roadhog? Maybe Tracer shouldn’t 1v1 the Roadhog… How dangerous can a Reaper in the backline really be? Do we really need to turn around and challenge them? Ashe lit me on fire, just how dead am I? Know the math, use the math, win the math

Learn to retreat and reset, quickly and effectively. Learn to call a lost teamfight and avoid damage while regrouping. Regrouping will always be worth more than fighting to the last hero, and will deny the opposing team ultimate charge. Do not turn back around and try to deal poke damage by yourself. You won’t turn the tide of a battle by yourself, and at worst, cause even greater delay during the reset. Too many people die to unreasonable poke damage when there was no opportunity to follow it up with a team fight.