Overwatch competitive guide (updated)

So I decided to write an updated guide for Overwatch competitive ranked mode. Here we go.

First of all, figure out your role before you even begin to play ranked. And stick to that role until you're really good at it. I started playing first person shooters seriously with Team Fortress 2 (with a friend) right before Overwatch came out (I couldn't get into the beta, damn you Blizzard). I mained Medic in tf2 (Team Fortress) until I got super good as a healer. Then when Overwatch came out I mained healers. I played all of them decently but noticed I was especially good with Mercy because the skills from tf's medic shined through in the transition. Mercy and Medic play similar, although I do think Mercy's pistol is better than the Medic's syringe gun. So the first and most important thing you need to do is find your role (mine was healer), learn it well, and stick to it.

Okay, so you've figured out what you like to do (dps, tank, or heals) and you're decent with some heroes. Now if you want to win consistently you need to play the same couple heroes you're decent with until you're super good with maybe two or three of them. For me I've become super good as Ana and Mercy. Once I realized that I shouldn't be playing Zenyatta and Lucio as much I found out that I can win a ton more games consecutively and consistently. Nothing wrong with Zen and Lucio but if I really want to win I should play Ana or Mercy. So if you want to increase your chances of winning every game stick to your absolute best characters every game. However, there are times when you should stray from this idea. For example, I know that if an enemy team has a Pharah and they're rocketing away at me when I'm Ana I should probably switch to Mercy (better maneuverability), Lucio (I can guesstimate her spacing prediction and shoot her out of the sky w/ sound gun), or Zen (if I'm feeling ballsy I can discord her and rely on my team to kill her). That's just one example. Other times you should play characters you don't play as often if your team would be a better composition. However, if your will to win is strong I recommend sticking to your absolute two-three best characters every match.

Next, we have the eliminations talk. No matter what you're doing (even being a healing main like myself) you're going to have to get some elims. Most of the time you take points or objectives by getting a pick (a kill), moving your entire team in, getting another pick, and repeating until you take the point or objective. That's what happens in most games. As a healer you can deal a lot of damage to enemy players when your team doesn't need healing. I've found that Mercy's pistol can kill fast in the heat of battle when the enemy team won't suspect it. In addition, you can get so many kills sniping as Ana from a safe distance. If you're dpsing eliminations is your main objective. You need to get elims often enough that your team can move in closer and closer to the point/objective without dying or getting pushed back. As a tank you need to get a lot of elims as well. It's super important! However, don't forget to stop dpsing when you need to and keep healing if you're the healer. So many healers forget there's a balance between healing, shooting, and repeating. Also, if you're Mercy remember to damage boost often. So many Mercys focus on just healing they forget that the damage boost gets you a lot of assists.

Lastly, you must think about your attitude and general outlook of the game, match, whatever. You need to know outright that you're not going to win every game and that your friends will definitely make you lose games. You will make your friends lose games. You have to remember that this is a competitive gaming experience and that if you can't handle losing then maybe you should play Quick Play or some other game. You're never going to become better than Koreans until you get massacred by them at five in the morning (California time) when they're playing at night in Korea. There are times when players get super upset, talk shit, throw games, etc because they can't handle the competitive aspect of this game mode. It's not for kids and its not for adults that act like kids. If you take any advice from this listen up to this next statement. You will have a much better competitive gaming experience if you remember that each match is a learning experience. And if you use that knowledge to your benefit you will continue to keep becoming a better player.

Also, remember to lighten up! It's a freakin' game after all!

Planet Cyber event success

So the Planet Cyber meetup I had with my friends went well. We were all able to play Overwatch on free accounts provided by the cafe. I didn't want to log in using my main account for security reasons. Anyways, we ended up only having a three man party of myself and two friends. I was hoping for more but I'm already planning another meetup next week Thursday to try to get a stacked six man team.

Overwatch worked fine and we had a blast. Talking on the headset was fun, the monitor was super nice, and the computer ran the game just fine. We played really well for our first time playing all together the three of us. I mostly played Ana and had fun. I'm ready to plan more of these Overwatch nights and recruiting more people for the cause.

After we played Overwatch we did run into some technical computer problems. We installed Team Fortress 2 (which took 20 minutes) but after trying to launch it kept giving my computer and a friends' a Steam error. The guy running the place couldn't figure it out so he gave us a lot more time instead. We used that extra time to play more Overwatch.

One of my friends was upset about how Team Fortress didn't work but hey technical issues happen. All the other gamers there were playing Dota 2 and none of them had any problems. I can tell that this pc cafe is a moba cafe because all the guys there play is Dota. Which is actually super cool. Dota is a great game. I used to play it when I first got my computer but I stopped around the time Heroes of the Storm came out. Because of the popularity of the game yesterday I decided to reinstall it last night. I think I'll give it a whirl again sometime soon.

Anyways, I'm planning more game nights at Planet Cyber solely for Overwatch. If I get more people (just five for a full team) then that's all I'll need to get an amateur team going. It's going to be hard because I have to be a community organizer. I might have to resort to Meetup.com and Craigslist to find more players.

Wish me luck!  

Will Ferrell Starring In Esports Movie

Will Ferrell will be starring in a movie about esports. ESPN says it “will have similarities with the role he had in Talladega Nights”.

"His schtick, as exciting and unexpected as you may find this, will be that he’s an old dude playing in competitions where nobody else is over the age of 30, and esports powerhouses Evil Geniuses and Fnatic are both “in discussions to participate in the film”." (Kotaku)

I tried looking for the trailer but it doesn't appear to be online anywhere-meaning that the fact that most gaming publications and gamers know this is pretty cool. I wish I could see the trailer and get the pre-giggles. I'm a big fan of Will Ferrell and his comedic antics.

The fact that he's doing a movie about esports is a major win for us gamers. Whether you're semi-professional gamer (or super hardcore) like myself, pro gamer that gets paid and wins tournaments, or just a casual player that plays when they have the time we can all appreciate the fact that gaming has become a huge phenomenon and has been unleashed upon the general populace like a bat outta hell. 

I think gaming used to be a bit taboo when I was a kid. It meant you were a basement dweller who didn't have a girlfriend and still lived with your mom. But now everybody is a gamer. Hot girls are gamers (gamer grills), weight lifting jocks are gamers, dads are gamers, and even old ladies (see story about 80-year old granny who streams Skyrim). Gaming has become a part of the mass media culture in many aspects. This means that its no longer as exclusive as it used to be but things are much better now that everyone can be accepted and initiated with the rites of gamerdom.

Esports has made gaming even bigger and its great. I do enjoy watching gaming tournaments on Twitch from time to time and I can see that the gaming community has widened in race, gender, class background, and age. Gaming has also brought people together who otherwise would've never known each other in a million years. I've met countless friends through online gaming, it's pretty cool.

If this movie hits the major box offices (and I'm sure it will) it will be a huge win for gamers and the gaming community.

Gamers are really funny people. Just talk to me or any of my friends. 

overwatch teen makes pros quit in shame

There was esports drama at a professional tournament (Nexus Cup) recently where one Korean 17-year old girl named Gegury was so good that she made esports pros quit their career in shame. Rage quit much? She's one of the top ten Zaryas, has a 6.31 kdr, and a win rate of 80%. She played so well at the tournament that other players reported her to Blizzard for cheating. But they didn't stop there. Two of the players from Team Dizziness were willing to stake their entire overwatch careers based on if she was cheating-saying they would quit if she was found not to be hacking. One of the guys said he might show up to her house with a knife for cheating. He also said he was not kidding. Not exactly well balanced individuals. What the fuck, right? Once the accusations were leveled Blizzard found out that she wasn't cheating and they even praised her. She did a clinic showing off her great Zarya skills. The manager of Team Dizziness said he felt so bad about how everything went down that he's going to disband the team.

Cheating is very common in esports-especially at pro tournaments. For example there's a lot of hacking in professional Counter Strike. Even though overwatch is completely new to esports there's already been scandals. There's a lot of "experts" out there that think they can spot a hacker but Blizzard says,"We shouldn't be so quick to fan the hammer." Some people are just really fucking good. So yeah-git gud. In addition, some of the camera angles in overwatch can make playback aim appear snappy or less fluid in game. Blizzard has a way of detecting hackers in overwatch so don't be too quick to go on hacker witch hunts like this one.

source: The Know

My favorite Smash 4 players

     When its super late at night and I'm really tired I watch a lot of Smash videos from tournaments that may have happened like a week, two weeks, or even a few days ago. Its a blast and I've learned a lot from watching high level players duke it out. I've seen some of these great players in action at the local weekly tournament that I go to. Here's a list of some of my favorite players. Some of them are from right here in SoCal.
     It goes without saying that ZeRo is arguably the best Smash 4 player probably of all time. In 2015 alone I heard he won something like 52 national tournaments in a row, which is an insane record for a pro gamer! He's put in so much time and work into this game that working another job just isn't an option for him when he can make money playing Smash. ZeRo is definitely one of my favorite players. Also, he used to be a regular at Fire and Dice, the place I go to tournaments at every week. It would've been great to see him in action at a small local like that. I feel like ZeRo's come from a very humble upbringing from Chile and now he's made it as a pro gamer in America. Its kind of like the Korean Starcraft pros moving to America and becoming household names as players here. It's a beautiful thing. The thing I like about ZeRo is that he used to be a Diddy Kong main and he was so good with Diddy back then before they nerfed him. Now he's a Sheik only kind of guy but that's ok. I do get tired of the fact that pretty much all the top players in SoCal play Sheik (that's kind of boring) but hey, Sheik is the number one character in the game so playing her definitely has its advantages.
     Although ZeRo is a hype player with mad skill my favorite player is Nairo. I don't know too much about Nairo but he mains Zero Suit Samus and absolutely annihilates with her. His combos and overall style is so fun to watch. He's not a SoCal player but he's beaten ZeRo before. In 2015 he beat ZeRo at MLG, probably one of the first times ZeRo lost a national tournament. Nairo is the best Zero Suit Samus player (imo) but there are others who represent ZSS really well in big tournaments.
     Mars is one of those players. I don't know much about Mars but I saw a mirror match (Zss vs Zss) against Nairo and it was one of the best sets I've ever seen in Smash 4. They were going off!
     I also have to mention Dabuz, a super good Rosalina and Luma main that really took it to ZeRo at Genesis 3. That set was so hype. Dabuz even two stocked ZeRo in Game 1! Again, this was one of the better sets from 2015.
     Now time for the locals. Zenyou is one of the first super good Smash players I met at my first tournament. His Mario is absolutely amazing. Uptilts for days and combos that will make you automatically eat 70% in one string. When I went to my first tournament he talked to me and gave me great advice about my playing and just overall what its like being at a tournament and stuff. He's a great guy and gives back to the Smash community.
     Next, Larry Laur. Larry is a great Fox, he's a space animal legend. He places really high at big tournaments as well as locals. I used to main Fox so I really dig when high level players main him. Because Fox is a fast faller I feel like he gets combo'd super easy and his recovery can be punished pretty easily if you don't mix it up a lot.
     In addition, my favorite local Smash player from SoCal is definitely Jwest, or Jweast. He's a Samus main that is absolutely amazing. People always talk trash about Samus about how she's a garbage character but when Jwest plays her he absolutely crushes people. I saw a set where he actually took a game off ZeRo, it was super hype! I've seen him play at the local I go to and hope to see him in action again. I feel like he can go super far with Samus. I don't even think Esam's Samus is as good as Jwest's quite frankly, although I could be wrong. I just love Samus but I'm always too afraid to play her in a tournament match. Maybe one day I'll just go all Samus instead of Zss and see how I do. I feel like I've learned a lot about how to play Samus from watching Jwest.
     Also, I see great things from this guy Dynamo, a Sheik main. He's super young and he's already good at Smash, doing really well at the local. He's one of the first people I met at my first tournament and he always gives me great advice. Whenever I lose a match he can explain to me what I did wrong and how I can improve next time. Then there's this other kid CharlieDaKing, a Fox main. He'll go really far in Smash 4 as well, he's already a super good player. I've played both of these kids and it was like I just couldn't do anything against them, they were that good. Sugoi.
     I have to mention Saladin because he's been a great friend that I've made through Smash tournaments. He plays a mean Rosalina too! Then there's GaryB (Fox main), another friend. Also, there's FuzzballJones, a Roy main that is really good. I feel like he could one day go super far with Roy at a tournament if he puts in the time and effort.
     I feel like SoCal's Smash 4 players all have a hidden history and persona that nobody really knows about because our region just isn't as popular as like Tri-State and stuff, despite the fact that we probably have the strongest region in America. I hope I shared at least a little bit of cool information about them. Most of these people are just regular people who just happen to be really good at video games. It's been great getting to know some of them and watching them in action.

Fire and Dice Smash Tournament 1/28/16

      Yet another tournament at Fire and Dice. Didn't play well in my tournament matches but overall in friendlies and in my general Smash play I have made improvements in leaps and bounds. One of the most important things that I learned today about Smash is how to tech. I can't believe I didn't start doing it until recently, it makes a big difference. I still have a lot of things that I gotta work on in my play and I'm hoping to improve by just playing the game more. Today I brought my good friend to the tournament and although he got knocked out 0 and 2 like myself, he did play a really great game as Roy against this Captain Falcon. Let me tell you about how my matches went.
     My first match I went up against this Jiggly Puff main that goes by Hbox, obviously in honor of Melee Jiggly Puff Hungry Box.. I played him last tournament as well and he beat me pretty easily. This time I was able to space with him and play the neutral game a lot better but I still lost both matches pretty easily. I did feel like I've improved because last time he took me out even more easily. I could see this kid going far with Jiggs as he improves and plays more. He has the best Jiggly Puff I've ever played and I haven't played too many good Jiggs so I kind of don't know how to play against her. She's one of those characters not a lot of people play often. I feel like he has that advantage going for him. It also doesn't hurt that he's a great player. I think the best I did was take a stock off him in one game, but that's about it.
     My last match was against this Fox player that was pretty good. Game 1 he two stocked me pretty convincingly. Game 2 I spaced better and played the neutral game and took the first stock. Then he came back with a vengeance on his second stock and KO'd me with a bunch of up-air Fox tactics. I feel like I know all of Fox's tricks because I used to play him but this guy's up-air combos were insane. Every time I was in the air I was in a lot of trouble and he usually hit me at least once. I've got to learn how to play against that because there are a lot of Fox players at this weekly.
      My friends' match that I really enjoyed was when he was playing as Roy vs this Captain Falcon. My buddy pretty much owned this guy until he switched to Dark Pit Game 2. My friend switched to Link and got taken out. Game 3 my friend switched to Shulk and ultimately ended up getting combo'd super hard, losing the set. It was a sick set and it was good to see that my friend, using the tag Death, won a game in a set at his first tournament. I didn't see his other set but he told me that he was up against a really good Shulk and lost.
      I've got a lot of bad habits I gotta get rid of to get better at Smash 4. Continuing to go to Fire and Dice every week has made me a better player. The Fox player I played against told me that I roll too much and that Zss is such a fast character that I don't even need to roll that much. So the first thing I gotta work on is stop rolling so much. In addition, I gotta learn how to punish more effectively with Zss. He also said that Zss has the strongest punish game so I should be using that to my advantage. Also, I need to learn how to space and play the neutral game more effectively. And lastly, I should be more patient. Sometimes I just blindly attack and the enemy player is just waiting for me to whiff so they can punish. So yeah, I'll work on not rolling so much, punishing more effectively, spacing, and being more patient when I play. When I'm playing, I don't always consciously think of all this stuff. Instead, I just sort of just play and try to keep those things in mind. I think the best thing I can do to get better is to keep playing a lot (for me that would be For Glory, with friends online, and with friends in real life) and not succumbing to what I refer to as autopilot mode. Autopilot is when you just play without thinking about anything and just doing random stuff, hoping to win. This might work on For Glory sometimes but in a tournament setting you have to really think about all your options and choose the best one to use effectively. I'll keep playing and I'll keep going to the tournaments. I'm having a lot of fun! And the people in the Smash community are great. They have been really open and I've made a lot of new friends. At the same time, I've become a much better Smash player. Today I played really well against my friends and then at the tournament I played really well against my friend and another friend I've met through tournaments. Practice makes perfect. I feel like all the bad habits I have have to be beaten out of me eventually until I just play differently. Eventually I'll become a heavy hitter, I just know it. 

Nairo beats ZeRo at MLG Las Vegas 2015

     So this weekend was a big weekend for eSports, especially Smash 4 Wii U and Melee because they were doing MLG (Major League Gaming) tournaments for our favorite Super Smash Bros games. I didn't see any of games before hand but I got to see the finals and it was a pretty hyped finals between ZeRo and Nairo. ZeRo is known as the best Sm4sh player of all time, with a total of 55 major tournament wins in a row, which is just insane! He's the most successful gamer in eSports history, even more successful than Mew2King, Melee's golden boy. Our underdog is known as the Second Best in Sm4sh, always making it to the finals but always losing to ZeRo in the end. Well, this was his tournament finally. Here's the video of all the matches here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSh_jAIcKoQ. Basically Nairo went Zero Suit Samus, my favorite waifu and currently becoming my new main and favorite character kind of just because of Nairo, but also because I love Super Metroid and Samus in general. Anyways, Nairo basically won the first couple matches because he was getting all his grabs and air combos down. Usually ZeRo does a better job of dodging the grabs but here he was little off his game. But when ZeRo picked Diddy he started to come back and wreck Nairo. He was doing great but he lost a game and when it was on the last set he decided to switch back to Sheik, which in my opinion was a mistake. I feel like ZeRo is better with Diddy even though Diddy got a major nerf a couple patches ago. Even with the nerf Diddy is still a beast. Even I like to play him with my friends when were playing friendlies. He's just the chimp with all the combos really. Anyways, Nairo just gimped and bodied ZeRo's Sheik. Its not that ZeRo played badly because he was doing pretty well, its just that he got caught in spikes and air combos way too much, and that led to his losing the set, and the entire tournament. Congrats to the new Champion of Smash 4, Nairo! Honestly I feel like this was kind of a one off tournament win where we will see ZeRo winning against Nairo in the future. However, nobody can be the King of a game forever. I feel like all that pressure might have gotten to ZeRo and he might've been stressing out while playing. It happens to all pros in sports, even in eSports (gaming as a sport is called eSports for all you newbies). I feel like in future tournaments he will be back to winning. Honestly I think he should take a break and let other people become Champions of Smash 4, we need more Champs in this game. Its a young game and having ZeRo as the only super famous known player gets boring to me. Anyways, it was a great tournament, enjoy the games!