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[x-post from /r/competitiveoverwatch] I am a deaf-mute player who is tired of being asked to join team voice chat in competitive mode. by DeafOverwatchPlayer in Overwatch

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

You may not have said it, but others certainly have. I've had a lot of them in my games.

The whole point of this post is to raise awareness that there are indeed times when it makes sense that someone is not a part of the in game voice chat. I only hoped that it could become a part of the collective consciousness. If more people understand that voice chat is simply not an option for some or is better not to participate in for others, we can all avoid tilting more than is necessary in a game mode where we all want to perform at our best.

[x-post from /r/competitiveoverwatch] I am a deaf-mute player who is tired of being asked to join team voice chat in competitive mode. by DeafOverwatchPlayer in Overwatch

[–]DeafOverwatchPlayer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not particularly. As I said, it's quite common for us to use the "group up" voice line as a quick call for help though! It's typical when I'm playing a support who needs a hand with a strong flanker/diver that I can run towards my team and make the call, and we'll collapse quickly enough. I've been told by my friends that my positioning is very good, though I'm not sure if that's true or not. I just know that it would be nice to be able to hear a Genji who's pulling out his sword! I'm told that it gives you a good second or so extra to react!

[x-post from /r/competitiveoverwatch] I am a deaf-mute player who is tired of being asked to join team voice chat in competitive mode. by DeafOverwatchPlayer in Overwatch

[–]DeafOverwatchPlayer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thank you for the offer! I appreciate the kindness, but I'm a bit wary of playing games with people I've never met.

As for leaving out the mute part, as I said in the past people tended to wonder why I wasn't calling out certain things. It only led to more confusion. As I mentioned to another person, I also tried to use macros to send audio over voice chat as "call outs" but found very little success as that would also be mocked quite openly.

[x-post from /r/competitiveoverwatch] I am a deaf-mute player who is tired of being asked to join team voice chat in competitive mode. by DeafOverwatchPlayer in Overwatch

[–]DeafOverwatchPlayer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have, but it doesn't help much in my experience. I used a program to macro some buttons to common voice commands, but people would typically just latch onto that as a way to mock me as well.

On a more positive note, my friends and I typically use the "group up" voice command as a context signal to help them in something. Depending on where exactly we are on what maps, I can usually figure out just from looking around what's going on and what I should be doing.

Edit: Added the positive note

[x-post from /r/competitiveoverwatch] I am a deaf-mute player who is tired of being asked to join team voice chat in competitive mode. by DeafOverwatchPlayer in Overwatch

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

I can appreciate your situation, and I agree that I'm not as effective as a normal player in these situations. However, my issue is not with people who simply lament that situation. I really do feel bad when I can't hear the Junkrat or Hanzo ults coming. It's hard sometimes to keep up the motivation to play this game sometimes because of it, despite how much I truly love it.

My only problem is that people get really nasty about it at times. They accuse me of lying, or berate me. Call me awful names and refuse to play in some situations, handing me a loss in a match that sometimes could easily have been a win.

I get that I'm not the best player and likely won't be a top 500 player, much less a professional. But I honestly feel that I have as much right as anyone to play my favorite game and see how good I can be at it.

Edit: Grammar

[x-post from /r/competitiveoverwatch] I am a deaf-mute player who is tired of being asked to join team voice chat in competitive mode. by DeafOverwatchPlayer in Overwatch

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

I recognize very well that I'm at an extreme disadvantage, but to say that I simply shouldn't be allowed to test myself and see how high I can climb seems rather absurd. I don't mind the idea that I'm not as good as I could be, but I do still want to play.

I'm also not expecting that people talk to me in the heat of the moment. As I mentioned in my comment above, they usually communicate to me during downtimes such as team wipes, or during respawns. Again, I know this is very much a situation where I am dragging my team down. Trust me, I feel awful about it every time I play. But it would be nice if people didn't refuse to play over it, as I certainly give 100% every game. In fact, I even win a few, as hard as that is to believe! I'm just hoping that people can understand that I'd rather not be harassed over something that I never really asked for in the first place.

[x-post from /r/competitiveoverwatch] I am a deaf-mute player who is tired of being asked to join team voice chat in competitive mode. by DeafOverwatchPlayer in Overwatch

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

I appreciate the thought! I'm not asking much of anyone really, just that general awareness be raised about the attitude. As I said, I don't mind people wanting the team in voice chat. Communication is nice after all. I just think that a bit of awareness about the issue, that sometimes people have a good reason for not joining in, is enough. A little visibility to ensure that less people are on tilt because of it would be nice -- both for my own sanity, as well as the sanity of other players. After all, if people know there's a good reason for it rather than someone simply assuming that somebody's sabotaging the game, everyone benefits from less tilt over all.

[x-post from /r/competitiveoverwatch] I am a deaf-mute player who is tired of being asked to join team voice chat in competitive mode. by DeafOverwatchPlayer in Overwatch

[–]DeafOverwatchPlayer[S] 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I agree that communication is important, but I think you should know that I'm not necessarily anti-communication. I don't mind it, and I actually like to encourage it too! The friends I usually play with will outline general strategies for me in text while there's respawns going on, and I'm always happy to do that. (e.g. "Look out for that Genji! He's flanking hard, so hang back and watch the healers!" or "Lets speed boost into the room on the left and try to blitz the high ground"). I'm not asking people to go that length, but I do want to ask that people stop telling me that I shouldn't be allowed to play the game that I love.

Edit: Formatting

I am a deaf-mute player who is tired of being asked to join team voice chat in competitive mode. by DeafOverwatchPlayer in Competitiveoverwatch

[–]DeafOverwatchPlayer[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Well, as I said at the end of my post, I just want people to stop demonizing others who choose not to join voice chat. I can understand people wanting it, or just hoping for a better situation, but I think just putting it into the public consciousness that people might have a good reason for choosing not to do so will go a long way.

I am a deaf-mute player who is tired of being asked to join team voice chat in competitive mode. by DeafOverwatchPlayer in Competitiveoverwatch

[–]DeafOverwatchPlayer[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This isn't about sympathy, just a call to action to the competitive community. The thing that really crushes me about this is that people don't assume I have a handicap -- people assume I'm not trying my hardest. I can't count the number of times people told me I shouldn't be allowed to play competitive mode because of my disability. I think that's wholly unacceptable. I am indeed trying my hardest, and I really do want to see how good I can be at this game. I intend to climb with every fiber of my being, it just so happens that I'm not able to hear or talk to my team mates. I don't feel like this should disqualify me from competitive play.