As someone who has been a fan of “Team Fortress 2,” falling in love with “Overwatch” was a no-brainer. I have been playing the game since I first installed it last year (around September or November, I think). Believe me, I have never been emotionally attached to a game like Blizzard’s. There is just something about this game that I can barely explain but I love the feeling.
In my experience, I can say I have learned a lot about “Overwatch.” The origins of each hero and their skills, the lore and everything that revolves around the title. But in terms of gameplay, I must say I need to learn more.
I am currently sitting at the Gold tier; not necessarily a huge achievement, but it is way better than being at the bottom of the rankings. To cut this drama short, here are four things I have learned from playing “OW.”
Know your place
The beauty of this game lies within the heroes. They are all powerful in some ways, however, they do not surpass each other. At some point in the match, they can either be a superior or inferior. They are developed in a way that they complement each other, helping promote balance.
However, not understanding how a particular "Overwatch" hero works can be a downfall. Basically, you need to know your place in the match. If you think you can play a support, then so be it.
Do not mind the killings. Let the DPS do their jobs. I saw a lot of players who tend to play support at first, but when the situation presented itself to be tough, they changed to either Solider: 76 or Genji. They thought that changing heroes at a crucial point of the match would help the team. No, not really.
Play with the team
“Overwatch” might have its own complexities, but the premise is pretty simple: it is a team game. Do not go to a choke point all by yourself even if you think that you have what it takes. You will only be shredded. If you are pushing for a point, but no support is around and there are like 3 or 4 opponents out there, do not go.
You will just be risking the team’s opportunity to take the point down, not to mention the time you wasted.
As much as possible, carry out strategies together with your team. You do not really have to be a pro to understand the benefit of this idea. It is a matter of knowing which move will benefit the team the most. I have seen some players trying to dash forward even if the rest of the guys were still not there. Trust me: if you do this, you will fail most of the time.
The 2-2-2 composition
The 2-2-2 composition refers to the equal composition of characters in a team in "Overwatch." Basically, two supports, two DPS/defense, and two tanks. I know it is cliché, but this actually works most of the time.
Why? Well, that is because the team is well-balanced. You have a good number of characters from each department.
If you see two DPS, two tanks, and one support, go pick another support. The math is quite simple here. Help your "Overwatch" team win the match by providing a well-balanced composition of heroes. There is no need for three DPS, as it is absurd similar to having three tanks. Of course, you also do not need three supports. 2-2-2 is key!
Play aggressively, but be smart
I remember a match in "Overwatch" before where I played Winston. We were down to a minute and a half, but still no luck in capturing the first point in Eichenwalde. I changed to Winston from Roadhog, as I thought the latter just did not work.
I told Mercy that no matter what, she should heal me. When our McCree got lucky and nailed the opposing team’s Zen, they were left with one healer: Mercy. I believed that was the signal, so I dived straight to her and electrocuted her. The enemy Reinhardt was bugging me, but fortunately, my Soldier: 76 was there. Two heroes down, four to go. Finally, I eliminated Mercy, but our Mercy was also killed leaving us with one healer: Lucio. I knew that if I did not rush to the point, we would have been done. I sacrificed. I jumped, but Lucio kept healing. Our Pharah and Soldier: 76 were fighting off in the leftmost building, eliminating D.Va.
Yes, I got killed, but our Reinhardt and the rest of the guys were able to capture the point.
The enemies respawned, but they were late. You see, sometimes, to win a match in “Overwatch,” you need to think of a smart move. This is regardless of you dying or surviving. Either way, as long as you get the W, the sacrifice is all worth it.
