How-to Be a Decent Teammate
One of the most frustrating things that can happen when playing Overwatch is to get matched up with people that just don't know how to be good, or even slightly functional teammates. It's a wonder why people like that even play competitive when they don't have the necessary skills required to be successful. These skills are all pretty basic; teamwork, co-ordination, and communication. It shouldn't be difficult...considering these skills are important to have when participating in most anything; especially E-sports.
Most of these are pretty self-explanatory and common sense based, but I'll break it down for you.
Group Up. Push. And Play the Objective.
Especially early game, your best bet is to stay with your team regardless of whether you're on the offensive or defensive team. A team's strength is in it's numbers. If you break off from your team to try and pick off squishies and run into the entire enemy team alone, you're screwed. Plays are much more successful in a group and more of an impact can be made toward whatever objective you've been assigned that game. Now, you can still be grouped up while temporarily spreading out to avoid and AOE (area of effect) attack or ultimate move, so don't use this as an excuse to wander off. I can avoid getting caught in a Mei ultimate and still be close enough to my team to be of some benefit.
PUSH. When you're trying to claim a checkpoint or move a payload, always push. The longer that objective remains untouched or that payload remains immobile, the closer you are to defeat.
Finally, PLAY THE OBJECTIVE. This cannot be stressed enough. It has become a trend that players neglect the objective entirely while placing importance on other things. I think of this as kind of a “bystander effect.” Those teammates that ignore the objective always think another teammate is going to take care of it, and then, of course, it never gets taken care of. If the team is unified, you'll have nothing to worry about...except for the objective. Worry about that. Take it. Win.
Kills Aren't All That
This is the #1 reason why the objective is often ignored. Players are so focused on getting kills against the enemy team that it practically secures a loss. Kills don't equate to victory, they may only secure your spot for “Play of the Game” or the Leader-board after you see that red “DEFEAT” logo streak across your screen because the enemy team was taking the objective while you were obsessed with how many times you could kill their Tracer.
Follow the Meta
As lame as it sounds, the Meta is important especially when it comes to playing competitive E-sports like Overwatch. There are just some characters that are better played in a competitive setting than others as opposed to a casual setting where you can play anyone you want, even if you do poorly. Though Season 3 of competitive Overwatch just ended, Season 4 will be starting up soon and predictions are already being made about the characters that will be the best/most effective to play in competitive matches.
You do NOT main anyone. As a team player you need to be flexible and willing to play a role that your team needs and a role that will benefit your team the most.
Be Willing to Play a Support Role
I don't understand why this is such a problem among competitive players, but for some strange reason players shy away from playing a support role of any kind during competitive matches despite the benefits of having one and the genuine need for a support.
Maybe players can handle the responsibility of keeping their team alive?
Or maybe they just don't want to be attacked verbally like most supports are?
The need for at least one support character on a competitive team far outweighs whatever benefits any other type of offensive or defensive character might offer.
They can heal from the brink of death after you've been frozen by a Mei and she's taking aim at you with her icicle for a guaranteed headshot, sacrifice their own body to block a Tracer grenade from blowing up their entire team, or come in with the clutch with a 5-man revive to secure a last minute victory. Supports have value. Grow a pair, be of use to your team, and play Mercy.
Practice and Only Play Characters You're Skilled With (no first time plays!)
Like any other sport, practice makes perfect. Before even touching the competitive game-type tab on the “Play” screen you should have at least TRIED every character on the roster. Find which ones are your favorites, at least one in every character type, and PRACTICE!
The more you know about how to play a character the better you'll be as a teammate and the fewer mistakes you'll make. Also, you can figure out little quirks and tricks that work best for you. Perhaps you'd rather play “Battle Mercy” instead of just strictly a healer role, or maybe you'd like to be a Passive Genji or Soldier:76 instead of the overly offensive characters that they're stereotyped to be.
As I mentioned, underlined and in parenthesis up there, when playing competitive...do yourself and your team a favor and NEVER play a character for the first time in a competitive match. That is the worst possible thing you could do and very rarely does this “tactic” end in success. Play who you like, how you like and practice, but don't forget to be flexible and capable of being a versatile teammate.
Play and Have Fun
These are all pretty basic, easy to follow guidelines that will benefit you and your competitive team in the long run.
Say it with me.
TEAMWORK. CO-ORDINATION. COMMUNICATION.
And don't you forget it.
Now, enjoy some Jazzy Reaper Death Blossom.
