Competitive ruining Overwatch for me

[Dirty Hipsters]

So since the inclusion of the competitive mode in Overwatch I've noticed that I'm having a lot less fun with the game.

Playing the competitive mode seems to be leaving a lot of people salty. Whether I win or lose someone ends up being an asshole, and considering that it's a heavily team oriented game it's really not an option to play without a mic (unless you want to lose).

On the occasions that you end up with a team of friendly people who have mics, and are looking for a fun game you still get separated at the end of the match with no option to stay together as a group.

All the decent players seem to have completely stopped playing quickplay as well, and only play competitive, so even when I want to just have a casual low stress game I end up getting a bunch of teammates that are not just terrible, but seem to actively ignore that an objective even exists.

Finally, the matchmaking for competitive somehow seems worse than in quickplay since I feel like roughly 60% of competitive matches seem to end up as one-sided stomps, which is boring for both teams involved.

So yeah, I feel like Overwatch was more fun before the competitive season started, and I also wish that there was some kind of reward for playing quick-play so that the pool of people playing that mode was bigger.

 

[Zhukov]

My experience has been the opposite.

The players in competitive are more cooperative and tend to realise that raging will just lead to a loss. They play the objective and pay attention to team composition.

I've only encountered maybe two salty people who I just mute immediately. Also had one guy who was really nice in the voice chat but salty as fuck in the text chat at the same time, which was weird.

Quick play is now where I go when I don't want to give a fuck. Usually when I want to play/practice a character I'm not much good with or experiment with non-conventional roles.

 

[Chimpzy_v1legacy]

Also had one guy who was really nice in the voice chat but salty as fuck in the text chat at the same time, which was weird.

I know who player, albeit in TF2, who is exactly like that too.

The nicest, most cooperative (and funny) player you can imagine when he's on your team. But the saltiest douchebag little shit to play against, who will produce trash talk at a terrifying rate.

He actually does it on purpose, trying to provoke players into wasting time replying to him or singling him out in fights. He's pretty damn good at it too, so it works more often than you'd expect on players who aren't already wise to his act.

 

[SolidState]

On the occasions that you end up with a team of friendly people who have mics, and are looking for a fun game you still get separated at the end of the match with no option to stay together as a group.

Wait, seriously? Is this true? I don't have the game, but if this is true then that's an incredibly bad design flaw.

How on earth do competitive groups (who play together as a group every time they play) manage to form a group in the first place if the game makes it impossible to do so?

 

[Zhukov]

Wait, seriously? Is this true? I don't have the game, but if this is true then that's an incredibly bad design flaw.

How on earth do competitive groups (who play together as a group every time they play) manage to form a group in the first place if the game makes it impossible to do so?

They presumably use the group function.

The game doesn't break you up if you're in a premade.

If you randomly find a group of cool people then you can add and invite each other to group back up again. I've done that a couple of times now. The game gives you a list of people you've recently played with. Honestly don't know what Hipsters in complaining about on that front.

 

[Dreiko_v1legacy]

This sounds like why someone told me Overwatch is only worth playing with your friends making the team and no randoms at all. Basically, I'd seek out a steady group to play with, I am sure skype groups for this purpose exist everywhere.

 

[Gamerpalooza]

That's just how the competitive scene is in low tiers of online.

Mainly it's a basic tactic because not only will it make you sick but because you focus too much on the negativity you aren't focused on your game. It's sad and even worse when some companies will legitimize it by allowing those toxic players who will use that ban button as a tool to ban players and get people banned.

The worst part of the NA competitive scene is the fixation on the meta mentality.

 

[Bobular]

I'm finding the more I play the less I am seeing people complaining and the more I am seeing people work together. I'm using chat more myself because people are friendly and we are giving warnings and agreeing on classes as a group rather than 4 people going Pharah as used to happen.

 

[Scarim Coral]

If you wanted a team/ somewhat competitive but low stress game, may I suggest Dead Star? That is if you can put up with its faulty matching making system.

OT- Yeah this is the sole reason why I haven't played Overwatch yet.

 

[Achelexus]

Then don't play competitive? I usually never play ranked in these sort of games, since I know it's just a stressful experience. Unless you're actually planning on becoming a skilled player to "go pro", I'd stay away from competitive modes.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

you can lower microphone volume in the settings. If someone gets rude in chat remind them it's just a game.

people are gonna *****. Fuck 'em. Just have fun doing your bit and don't put too much stock if you win or lose.

At least thats how I play.

 

[happyninja42]

So since the inclusion of the competitive mode in Overwatch I've noticed that I'm having a lot less fun with the game.

Playing the competitive mode seems to be leaving a lot of people salty. Whether I win or lose someone ends up being an asshole, and considering that it's a heavily team oriented game it's really not an option to play without a mic (unless you want to lose).

On the occasions that you end up with a team of friendly people who have mics, and are looking for a fun game you still get separated at the end of the match with no option to stay together as a group.

All the decent players seem to have completely stopped playing quickplay as well, and only play competitive, so even when I want to just have a casual low stress game I end up getting a bunch of teammates that are not just terrible, but seem to actively ignore that an objective even exists.

Finally, the matchmaking for competitive somehow seems worse than in quickplay since I feel like roughly 60% of competitive matches seem to end up as one-sided stomps, which is boring for both teams involved.

So yeah, I feel like Overwatch was more fun before the competitive season started, and I also wish that there was some kind of reward for playing quick-play so that the pool of people playing that mode was bigger.

....so then stop playing in competitive mode? I mean, there seems to be a very simple and direct solution to your problem:

If competitive mode is too frustrating, don't play competitive mode.

 

[2HF]

I'm currently level 23 or so, when I hit level 25 you know what I'm gonna do? Not play competitive. Probably. I don't know. Maybe I'll give it a quick look but competition without monetary risk has never really appealed to me. I do enjoy playing the game but I don't need the additional stress of competitive.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

....so then stop playing in competitive mode? I mean, there seems to be a very simple and direct solution to your problem:

If competitive mode is too frustrating, don't play competitive mode.

Unfortunately, the arrival of competitive completely skullfucked Quick Play in terms of quality. Splitting the player base in two created too much variance in the matchmaking. OW has always favored fast games over balanced games, and with a smaller pool to pull from you get huge divergence in player ability inside a single match. Leads to an over-abundance of one-sided stomps, usually fueled by one or two players playing miles out of their skill bracket. Makes for lousy, one-sided, frustrating matches...win or lose.

 

[RaikuFA]

Meh. I just started, haven't hit any assholes yet (unless you count putting your headset next to your speakers and play as Mr. "I shout my ultimate which goes off every 2 seconds" Hanzo being an asshole).

 

[Dirty Hipsters]

Starting to wonder if that's how Blizzard got its name. Making a bunch of games that are as addicting as the other, other white stuff.

 

[Redryhno]

....so then stop playing in competitive mode? I mean, there seems to be a very simple and direct solution to your problem:

If competitive mode is too frustrating, don't play competitive mode.

I really have never understood that attitude. Just because a mode is in a game doesn't mean you have to play it. It's fucking ranked, it's there for people that want to grow their internet pen- point collection like me. Do I think it's sorta silly considering how imbalanced the basic shooting mechanics are and it really not having much depth since there' basically no maps or actual gametypes? Sure, but that doesn't mean people can't enjoy themselves.

....so then stop playing in competitive mode? I mean, there seems to be a very simple and direct solution to your problem:

If competitive mode is too frustrating, don't play competitive mode.

Unfortunately, the arrival of competitive completely skullfucked Quick Play in terms of quality. Splitting the player base in two created too much variance in the matchmaking. OW has always favored fast games over balanced games, and with a smaller pool to pull from you get huge divergence in player ability inside a single match. Leads to an over-abundance of one-sided stomps, usually fueled by one or two players playing miles out of their skill bracket. Makes for lousy, one-sided, frustrating matches...win or lose.

Sorta what happens whenever people ask for a way to prove themselves better though. The majority of multiplayer games live and die on their competitive playerbase, and Overwatch is no exception despite being a Blizzard game.

Same shit was going to happen as the game went forward anyways honestly, this just makes it happen faster while giving those curbstompers a place to play with their own skill level.

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Same shit was going to happen as the game went forward anyways honestly, this just makes it happen faster while giving those curbstompers a place to play with their own skill level.

Yes and no. The game really needs to tighten up its match requirements. I'd rather wait 2 minutes for a game I like playing and will happily keep queuing for more rounds in, then wait 10 seconds for an unbalanced clusterfuck. The former is a recipe for a night of entertainment, the latter is a recipe for a night of irritation and frustration.

If DOTA2 and Starcraft could manage proper ELO ranking and tight quality control on their matchmaking, Overwatch can. The game has a huge player base. Punting people into a new match with a 5 second wait and having that match be a shitshow of wildly divergent skill levels is just sloppy.

 

[happyninja42]

....so then stop playing in competitive mode? I mean, there seems to be a very simple and direct solution to your problem:

If competitive mode is too frustrating, don't play competitive mode.

Unfortunately, the arrival of competitive completely skullfucked Quick Play in terms of quality. Splitting the player base in two created too much variance in the matchmaking. OW has always favored fast games over balanced games, and with a smaller pool to pull from you get huge divergence in player ability inside a single match. Leads to an over-abundance of one-sided stomps, usually fueled by one or two players playing miles out of their skill bracket. Makes for lousy, one-sided, frustrating matches...win or lose.

I seem to recall people mentioning issues of game quality and skill matching before ranked went live. And you say a smaller pool, but how many people are in this smaller pool though? Isn't there millions of people playing the game? Even splitting a pool in half, you've got millions of people to be matched with. And if ranked is as crap as people are saying (and that seems to be the consistent response I've heard from other sources), then they will likely stop playing ranked. Because like the OP, it's annoying them. So do you think this is possibly just a hiccup that will be resolved eventually once the novelty of ranked wears off, or people get fed up with how crap it is?

I mean games like LOL and DOTA have the unranked and ranked, and you can get decent matches just fine in those games. I know because I don't play ranked, and I have a decent track record of competent players. Sure you get some noobs, but in the time I did spend playing Ranked, you saw plenty of dumb players there too.

So I don't really see how it's killed the game, having Ranked, simply given the population size.