What does it take to be thought-about a poisonous participant in Overwatch? To many, it’s merely the act of trolling, throwing video games, or being abusive in chat. Others view deciding on “off meta” selections in a aggressive atmosphere as a reportable offense. Where opinions get muddled and divided, nevertheless, is when it comes to so-called “one-trick” players.
If you might be unfamiliar with that time period, one-tricking is when a participant solely makes use of a single hero whatever the circumstances. Typically, they don’t change when countered by the opposition, and successfully pressure their workforce to construct round their fashion of play. This behaviour just isn’t restricted to any particular character, sport mode, or archetype. These forms of gamers exist throughout all aggressive ranks and aren’t restricted to Overwatch.
Have you seen Overwatch’s next hero, Moira? She could make you a one-trick player yet.
The debate over one-tricking reignited this previous weekend when a person named XUL was banned for playing Torbjorn in a aggressive match. It was later revealed that he was trolling, however his actions introduced the dialogue about one-trick gamers and their place throughout the neighborhood to the fore. Blizzard responded to the controversy and made it clear that generally gamers might want to merely work round a “teammates’ specialisation.” Since one-tricking doesn’t formally violate Blizzard’s Code of Conduct, this isn’t technically thought-about abusive behaviour.
Despite being wrapped in negativity there are a selection of explanation why somebody would develop into a one-trick participant. Perhaps the obvious is that they really feel an attachment or fondness for a selected character. The fantastic thing about Overwatch is the range of designs and mechanics inside its roster – each hero has a wealthy backstory and there are a selection of various racial, sexual, and nationwide representations. As such, it’s straightforward to really feel a reference to a sure hero, and so desirous to all the time play as them in matches is comprehensible.
There are 25 – soon to be 26 – heroes in Overwatch. Every single one has a novel set of talents which have their very own interactions and synergies. Obtaining a real mastery with a selected character can take months of observe. Because of this, attaining a powerful, constant efficiency throughout a number of heroes can take /loads/ of time. Ideally, a participant ought to have a powerful grasp of DPS, Support, and Tank heroes, however that is probably not doable. It is tough sufficient to be taught a posh character like Sombra alone, and never everybody has the free time to select up further characters. Gating off content material due to real-world time constraints is discouraging and irritating.
There can be a way of favouritism in relation to the neighborhood’s notion of one-tricks and who they play. DPS characters like Genji, Tracer, and Pharah can simply carry a complete aggressive match on their very own. While assist one-tricks usually get a go as a result of workforce’s are often grateful to have somebody enjoying a healer. In distinction, heroes like Hanzo, Bastion, Torbjorn, and Widowmaker virtually all the time have damaging stigmas connected to them. Even if the Bastion participant is doing every part proper, there’s a good likelihood that this participant can be blamed for the workforce shedding. Blizzard is even conscious of this and have stated on Twitter that “Playing a certain hero is not against the rules.”
On the opposite hand, Overwatch is initially a workforce sport. Having a powerful group composition is without doubt one of the keys to successful matches. Pairing particular heroes collectively like Zarya and Tracer permits for distinctive and devastating performs. Since customers are by no means locked into a selected character, counter choosing has all the time been a staple of the sport. Every hero is designed to have characters they’re each robust and weak towards – Genji is likely to be lethal towards Zenyatta, for instance, however a talented Winston participant can simply dispatch the cyborg ninja.
This is the place being a one-trick participant will get tough, as there are some situations the place a selected hero doesn’t work. If a participant is a Top 500 Roadhog it won’t matter if they’re up towards one other person who’s on the identical rank enjoying Reaper. That is to not say it’s unimaginable to win below these circumstances, however one-trick gamers can be at a extreme drawback. Someone who is ready to adapt to an enemy workforce’s hero selections will virtually all the time have the benefit in a spherical. While specialising in just one hero could make that participant extremely harmful, it additionally amplifies the efficiency of an opposing workforce’s counters.
Being a one-trick participant may also negatively have an effect on the opposite 5 members of your workforce. If somebody can solely play Reinhardt then it’s on the remainder of workforce’s shoulders to adapt. Since this character solely works properly with sure workforce compositions, the remaining customers are required to play heroes they is probably not comfy with, all so as to create a powerful workforce make-up. This creates a damned in case you do, damned in case you don’t state of affairs. Either that workforce lets the one-trick play their character and adapt or they pressure that participant to alter to a hero they’re fully unfamiliar with. Regardless of the result, it’s placing that particular workforce at a extreme drawback earlier than the match even begins.
There are plenty of methods to get banned from enjoying Overwatch however, because it stands, enjoying as a single hero on a regular basis just isn’t certainly one of them. While this behaviour could be perceived as impolite or unsportsmanlike, it’s finally a aspect of the sport and its neighborhood. One tricking will proceed to divide the gamers till an official ruling has been made by Blizzard. Until then, gamers ought to all the time be able to adapt when they’re queueing up in Ranked mode, even when the reason being to shore up your workforce round a one-trick participant.
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