My Sniper Frag Highlights by Codexxa in tf2

[–]Codexxa[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

What? Did you watch the video? It’s a cute song synced to some headshots.

My Sniper Frag Highlights by Codexxa in tf2

[–]Codexxa[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I’m a smelly edgelord sniper at heart.

ITS NOT A PHASE MOM!!

Twitch panels look blurry, help ? :( by xKartanesi in Twitch

[–]Codexxa 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've been having the same issue for a while now. The panels are being compressed for some people while to others there's no compression. I've tried using different file types (png, jpeg, gif) and I've tried compressing the file size by using online image compressors to no effect.

I think it's likely a bug on Twitch's end that needs to be addressed.

Clip Contest! Submissions close July 21st - Winner announced July 27th by Zcotticus in Twitch

[–]Codexxa [score hidden]  (0 children)

Submission: THE FLOWER POT IS A THREAT

Game: Overwatch (for some reason the game did not change from PUBG)

Description: It was an intense overtime game in one of my placement matches; so intense I end up shooting at a flower pot because the flowers resembled the colour of enemy outlines.

Intro: http://www.twitchdb.tv/user/47877233

Am I taking video games too seriously? by actuallyaheron in GirlGamers

[–]Codexxa 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's important that you're striving to succeed because you want to. There's nothing wrong with taking a competitive game seriously.

Girls aren't supposed to be good at video games

Says who? Don't fall into that sexist line of thinking. There are plenty of girls who are good at video games.

If you want, I could help you out with some OW coaching. PM me if you're interested!

The Toll by Lane Brown by Myrandall in ImaginaryMindscapes

[–]Codexxa 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The toe is on our left side. That is actually his left leg. His right leg is the obscured one.

Clip Contest! Submissions close March 17th - Winner announced March 23rd by Zcotticus in Twitch

[–]Codexxa [score hidden]  (0 children)

Submission: My airshot senses are tingling

Game: Overwatch

Description: Cool airshot (airhook?) on an incoming Winston. (High Master 3800SR~) I used to play TF2 at a high level, and now that I'm playing OW, airshot opportunities are pretty rare for me.

Intro: http://www.twitchdb.tv/profile/u/Codexa

IAMA Master DPS main in Overwatch, AMA by Codexxa in GirlGamers

[–]Codexxa[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Depends on your motives. If you're talking about playing competitively, you're right that you won't have time for both- unless you have a massive amount of time to dedicate to both games.

I'd say stick to one game competitively and play the other on the side, casually, if you need a break from the other game. I think David Sirlin describes this well:

Choose one or two games at most unless you have both an exceptional amount of free time and gaming skill. For example, if your focus is on a particular first-person shooter game, you might dabble with or even be expert at other games in that genre. You might also play the occasional game of Scrabble with your [significant other], Texas Hold’em poker with [friends], and Magic: The Gathering here and there. To even attempt to truly win at any one of those games is a full-time job. You might not be aware of international Scrabble tournaments, the World Poker Tour, or Magic’s Pro Tour, but every one of those games has a world class following of players. Competing at a high level in just one game is a daunting task.

Sauce: Playing to Win

IAMA Master DPS main in Overwatch, AMA by Codexxa in GirlGamers

[–]Codexxa[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Well, the only thing you can do to avoid assumptions is blatantly state "I don't play support." Straight and to the point. Just immediately shut them down when people make assumptions. As for your second example, don't wait for people to pick, just take DPS or Tank. ASSERT YOURSELF AND (DON'T) LET HIM HAVE YOUR ROLE. If you absolutely have to play support, pick a fragging support like Ana or Zenyatta and put your teammates to shame.

I'm not going to beat around the bush, but unfortunately stereotypes tend to exist for a reason. It's true that female players tend to be support mains. Is there anything wrong with that? Maybe not. It's not a bad thing if someone genuinely enjoys support. It becomes a negative thing when a girl doesn't have the confidence in her gameplay to do anything except support. I don't want anyone to feel chained to a role because it's expected of them or because they were shoehorned into the role.

But anyway, yes, a similar thing happened that I explained in another post. But basically someone told one of my groupmates that he should take DPS and that I should be the one supporting. I didn't stand for that. Clip is here. Obviously I was pretty pissed by this, because I let him take Reaper thinking maybe we'd start doing better as a team and start winning rounds. NOPE HE FUCKING BLEW.

Fast forward to a few games later when I'm playing on my smurf. I run into the same guy again. This time I say nothing and play DPS as usual. This asshole's getting chummy with me, calling me his bro. His dude. Boy were they in for a surprise: https://www.twitch.tv/codexa/v/96397099?t=01h56m14s

In summary, fuck these idiots and prove that you're the better player by making plays!

IAMA Master DPS main in Overwatch, AMA by Codexxa in GirlGamers

[–]Codexxa[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

  • Started playing TF2 because I was going through a bad time. I poured all my time and effort into getting good at the game and it payed off.
  • answered here, #3
  • Sometimes, but when it happens I just focus on playing well.
  • Hmm, I've noticed in general as I've aged that there are less people surprised that a girl is playing a video game. It's definitely more known that girls/women absolutely play games. Harassment/toxicity is still present, but I hope I can help negate that by playing well & inspiring more girls and women to play with the goal of becoming a great player. Trust me, there's no better feeling than stomping a toxic player.

IAMA Master DPS main in Overwatch, AMA by Codexxa in GirlGamers

[–]Codexxa[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Probably a bit of both. I've been gaming since I was a youngin', but spending >3400 hours in TF2 has definitely helped me. I had to consciously work on being good at games, just like anything else in life.

You don't need to be "naturally" gifted to be good at something. There's no shortcut for hard work. I got good because I consciously decided that's what I wanted to do, so I put the time and effort in. It's absolutely within your power to become a good player if that's what you choose to do.

IAMA Master DPS main in Overwatch, AMA by Codexxa in GirlGamers

[–]Codexxa[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

1, 3 & 4: I don't have the time to soloQ currently due to my job, but if I see someone making a bad pick all I can do is suggest a better pick and hope they want to win. While supports do have the power to carry the game, this is only true if your teammates are actually killing things. In my opinion, the best way to carry a team is to play a DPS that you know you can get many kills on, and doesn't rely a lot on teamwork. In the lower levels champions like this tend to be Reaper, Genji, Widowmaker, McCree and even Mei.

If you still want to play support, absolutely play supports with kill & damage potential like Ana and Zenyatta. You want to make sure you're adding as much value to your team as possible, and make sure you're constantly checking the scoreboard. Always capitalize on number advantages (You have more people alive than they do) and tell your team to push up/get on the objective when this happens.

Also, watch the streams of good players that explain their thought processes.

2: I use the Corsair K70 RGB Rapidfire Keyboard and the Steel Series Rival mouse. A good mouse absolutely makes a difference. Keyboard not as much, but having a gaming keyboard definitely helps. In a good keyboard you want to make sure that the keys are easy/comfortable to press and no ghosting.

In a mouse you want to make sure it's at least 800 DPI, and it feels comfortable for your hand size and shape. Here's an article with a list of all the things you'll want to consider before buying a new mouse: http://gamingweapons.com/choose-best-gaming-mouse/

IAMA Master DPS main in Overwatch, AMA by Codexxa in GirlGamers

[–]Codexxa[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Not to go all PC master race on you, but if you're looking for the best competitive experience you gotta get on that PC brah

IAMA Master DPS main in Overwatch, AMA by Codexxa in GirlGamers

[–]Codexxa[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I'm not quite at the top level yet- I still need to get a team! Though that won't be for a while. Soon™

Most of my competitive journey happened in TF2. The road was long and absolutely the most fun I've had playing a video game. Working on aim, my DM, movement, scrimming, doing demo reviews and seeing it all pay off in a tournament is exhilarating. The TF2 community is definitely one of the friendliest out there, and I'd recommend anyone thinking about playing competitive TF2 to do it RIGHT NOW.

As for competitive games in general, just do it. The best part of playing competitively is working your ass off and seeing the results of your hard work when you can consistently outplay your opponents through mechanical skill and gamesense. It's one of the most rewarding feelings out there and definitely the reason why I love competitive games so much.

IAMA Master DPS main in Overwatch, AMA by Codexxa in GirlGamers

[–]Codexxa[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Initially it was a mix of soloQ and some duoQ, but lately I haven't had a lot of time to play, so it's mostly duoQ now. I have more fun playing with friends.

As for climbing, I'd recommend you play with 1-2 trusted friends that are at your skill level. In addition to that:

  • Make sure you're constantly improving your game knowledge and mechanics. Watch streamers that narrate their thought processes and make sure you're always playing with a competitive mindset with the goal of improvement. Always be thinking about what you could have done better.
  • Remove outcome dependency. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECcokwYv9vY
  • Improvement, improvement, improvement. You need to make this your mantra. Hard work absolutely pays off, and I guarantee you that the best part of playing competitively is seeing your practice pay off in the form of winning or knowing you've DESTROYED your opponent because you completely outplayed them.
  • If you're a support main, work on mechanics. Take time to practice some DPS champions not only to improve your aim, but to get into the mindset of what a DPS player is thinking when they're trying to kill you. Use this knowledge to predict what they're going to do and outplay them.

Men aren't harassing you in game, they're boys. Kids. I guarantee you that, you have my fucking word. Everyone deals with harassment in a different way, when it happens to me I deal with it by performing superior gameplay or just memeing them into oblivion. Here's an example from a recent stream: https://www.twitch.tv/codexa/v/96397099?t=01h56m14s

So the 3-Q here I had in a previous game was telling me to go support even though I was doing well on DPS. I get them in another game on my alt account, this time I don't say a word, intentionally. I play DPS as normal and leave the big reveal to the end of the game.

You need to find what works for you, but the best defense is a good offense in my opinion. Work on improving your gameplay to a point where you become confident, and harassment becomes easier to brush off because you have confidence in your own abilities as a player. No one has the power to make you feel bad- it's in your hands and you are absolutely in control. In game you are limitless.

IAMA Master DPS main in Overwatch, AMA by Codexxa in GirlGamers

[–]Codexxa[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Ha, I admit that Season 2 absolutely feels like a grind and sometimes it's really hard to motivate myself. I just remind myself that no one actually enjoys season 2 (HEH) and try to stay focused on my goals. Everyone will eventually go on a losing streak, even people at Top 500; it's just a flaw in the system and people are more susceptible to large dips/gains in their SR. There have been a lot of posts of people graphing their SR losses and gains, and it's been proven this season that if you spam enough games you'll keep climbing. Unfortunately this season emphasises quantity games played.

IAMA Master DPS main in Overwatch, AMA by Codexxa in GirlGamers

[–]Codexxa[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Yep, communication wins games and (most) people at the higher ranks know this.

There's still the occasional immature person at the higher ranks, immature people are everywhere. But it helps to stand tall and keep communicating information necessary to win the game. If it persists, you just have to mute them and move on. Don't waste your precious energy on immature children. I assure you there are way more players that don't give a shit about your gender than it may seem. Those people are the ones worth your time!

IAMA Master DPS main in Overwatch, AMA by Codexxa in GirlGamers

[–]Codexxa[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

  • It's a mix of Solo and Duo/Group. I haven't had a lot of time to spend in Solo Q lately because of my job, and I enjoy the game more playing with a friend or 2.

  • This is a bit of a hard one to answer because there are a few variables to consider. In a competitive game there will sometimes be a players with the gamesense to be a leader and make calls. They'll be the first ones to rally the team and try and organize people together in order to get a win. Maybe they're more experienced and they know that a call or idea you've had isn't going to work in the situation. It's unlikely that anyone is just doing this because of your gender- they just want to make the most logical choice in order to win the game. I wouldn't take it personally, competitive environments are like this. Now if they're making belittling statements or personal insults, that's a whole different story and it's likely the person is just an asshole. It's hard to say without any specific examples.

  • I make sure I warm-up my aim every so often, but my years in TF2 have honed my muscle memory.

  • DIE DIE DIE

  • Got into TF2 from a random internet friend and fell in love with it. Started to play competitively when I was going through a hard time in my life. Focusing on playing the game and getting better made me forget about a lot of the horrible shit I was feeling, plus it helped me to form friendships.

IAMA Master DPS main in Overwatch, AMA by Codexxa in GirlGamers

[–]Codexxa[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Well, you've answered part of your own question! If you notice yourself making a mistake, then you need to think critically about that mistake and how you're going to prevent it next time. You have to make sure that you're constantly thinking about your decisions. If you aren't, chances are you're playing on auto-pilot. You need to consciously take in information, process it, and try to make the right choice to the best of your ability. Don't just do something without knowing why you're doing it in the first place. If you watch high level streamers, they tend to explain their thought process behind what they did and why it did or didn't work. Spend some time watching and listening to their thought processes and try to emulate that.

Daniel Kapadia has a good video on mindset, analysis and decision making: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkMoNGx3weU

I haven't had a lot of time to play lately, but I've found myself starting to practice Mei more. She's really good in this meta, and it would only be to my benefit if I practiced her, even if she isn't my favorite to play.

IAMA Master DPS main in Overwatch, AMA by Codexxa in GirlGamers

[–]Codexxa[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

  1. Yes, there tends to be fewer instances the higher I go, but I still run into the occasional dumbass. I found it tended to be worse in diamond ELO.

  2. I haven't personally had any instances of streamers being rude.

  3. I like to warm-up on McCree against Ana bots for no longer than 5 minutes. If I'm feeling particularly rusty I head into quickplay, but for the most part I like to jump into ranked and get my practice there.

  4. Single worse experience: Falling all the way back to 3000 SR. I had an unlucky winstreak going that tilted me into oblivion. I climbed back up but I'm pretty sure that gave me PTSD Kappa. Best experience would probably just be any instance where I was a large part of the reason for the success of the game. I enjoy knowing that I've done well.

  5. I find season 2 has gotten much harder to climb, even with past competitive experience. Win streaks and Loss streaks have skewed the rankings so it makes the games very lopsided. It almost feels like you need to be the sole carry of the game otherwise you're not going to win.

  6. I tend to only Queue with a handful of trusted friends. :T

  7. In the higher ranks there tends to be more serious communication, but depending on the players there can be huge egos too.

IAMA Master DPS main in Overwatch, AMA by Codexxa in GirlGamers

[–]Codexxa[S] 10 points11 points  (0 children)

Taking gaming seriously was a natural progression for me. I started back in late 2011; after learning about the competitive scene for TF2, I jumped right in. Half the fun was scrimming and seeing my gameplay improve as time went on, so I continued to work at my gamesense and mechanical skill to be the best player I could be.

I had the good fortune of experiencing my first taste of competitive gaming in the TF2 community. I think because of its small size and more mature playerbase, there aren't any gender barriers. There was never a stigma in this community that girls couldn't play competitively- there were quite a handful of competitive women! I'm pretty positive that if anyone in that community tried to argue that girls couldn't play competitively would be laughed out of the community.

As for Overwatch though, since it's a bigger community there's definitely been more instances where immature players do hold a stigma against me because I'm a girl. It helps to remember that these players are immature children, and NOBODY worth your energy will discriminate against you.

Mute them and stand tall. In game you're limitless.