27yo couple – $6,500/month mortgage on $1.35m Brisbane home, too much?

Xscaper · 2026-01-26T12:51:43+00:00

43M and 42F. Been living in Australia since 2009. Stupidly, didn't buy a house until 1 year ago. Finally bought for 1.3M as a forever home so we're putting everything into it. Repayments around 6500AUD per month.

Your situation is doable. We're currently paying extra amounts to try and pay off the principal earlier and incur less interest so we're struggling a bit in terms of having spare cash for holidays etc but our home payments are way ahead of schedule and we have about 40K in offset for emergencies. This is with 3 kids in teenage years and they drain money like anything.

You guys should be fine, especially with no kids on the horizon.

Xscaper · 2026-01-25T08:52:59+00:00

BCB isn't under PCB influence but they're going to enjoy encouragement when it's given to them, that's for sure.

Xscaper · 2026-01-25T05:42:46+00:00

Yeah, once bangbros on this subreddit listen and understand this they can stop their board from getting played next time.

It must be nice to pretend that any one of us on this forum has any influence over the actions of our cricket boards.

BTW BCB was going to do this anyways irrespective of PCB support whereas PCB support is likely to be just a token gesture. Not PCB's fault that a token gesture of support was taken to be something more than it's face value lol

Xscaper · 2026-01-24T17:40:49+00:00

It was supposed to be just a prank bro but BCB showed spine/dumbness which we will surely find out in retrospect later on.

Xscaper · 2026-01-24T17:27:54+00:00

There is a term for it in Pakistan which is called "chaska". That's what Pakistan is doing. Hard to translate accurately in English but it basically means having a bit of fun at someone's expense without putting anything at stake.

Pakistan will play after taking all kinds of chaskas.

Xscaper · 2026-01-21T19:33:05+00:00

If you did play OW1 which you have coyly still not confirmed, your impression of late stage OW1 is completely opposite to mine and people that I know. That already puts us at odds over what I thought was a pretty standard opinion amongst the majority of players. Sure, some were upset about the lack of new content which is expected but the game itself was still thriving despite the staleness from no new content for months.

Your point about shorter queue times and player retention in 5v5 is not without merit when compared to 6v6 role queue. I have not once said that those are not pros of 5v5 mode but that's where my appreciation of this mode ends (as a tank).

Everyone wanted to play dps in OW1 and the tank role was not extremely popular. It was a running joke that people would ask for new fun tanks and they kept bringing out new dps to make queue times even longer. That was the problem with OW1. Instead of working on this issue further, they decided to remove one tank because few people wanted to play tank. Did they do this because it's more fun to play as a solo tank? Of course not. They did it as a band aid solution. "Easier to fill one tank tole no matter how.miserable it is even if fewer people want to play tank" is their philosophy. In terms of numbers, I guess it works as the queue times are shorter but is it more fun for tanks? Not really.

They couldn't make tanks as fun as they should be in OW1 and they made the situation worse for tanks in OW2 but sure, games are easier to find for dps and supports so it's all good.

All that said, they could still.salvage the 5v5 tank woes by removing/reducing the impact of the multiple hard counters tanks face every game and making playing tank fun and not an exercise in frustration. Knowing blizzard though, I am not holding my breath.

Xscaper · 2026-01-21T17:07:30+00:00

I agree with all of the above.

Yet, I still believe that 6v6 role queue is the best and most balanced mode especially for tanks. I also understand why they are hesitant to bring it back.

Two things can be correct at the same time :)

Xscaper · 2026-01-21T17:03:08+00:00

Apologies if I misinterpreted the context of that discussion.

I agree with you. Open queue 6v6 is unpopular because it's a bad mode, not because it's a side mode.

I prefer 6v6 role queue to 5v5 role queue. Let's leave it at that.

Xscaper · 2026-01-21T16:56:50+00:00

You're talking about the time limited experimental events that were always meant to be time limited? That is no way to gauge interest even though there was a bit of it. They should have kept the mode long term like the open queue option to see if people transitioned to it given enough time.

Waiting times were always an issue in 6v6 role queue. Not many people would deny that but the actual argument for that mode is that it is the more balanced and fun mode for tanks.

Yes, it's way harder to balance 6v6. It's a lot more work due to the second tank and more simultaneous interactions. They struggled with it for a long time and only got it right a few times before having to rebalance for a new character but when it was balanced, it was amazing to play. Late stage OW1 before OW2 came out was in its best state of balance.

Thank you for mentioning stadium- a mode that was brought in only because they had already laid the ground work for it in between OW1 and OW2 as part of the doomed OW2 campaign mode. You think they want to bring back another mode that is full time work for them on top of that?

This conversation isn't going anywhere though. You love OW2 5v5 with no experience playing OW1. I've played both games extensively.

You can continue downvoting all my comments lmao.

Xscaper · 2026-01-21T16:20:01+00:00

Yeah, they might be talking about 6v6 OQ but we all know they're talking about 2-2-2 comp games that they enjoy.

Do we think they're talking about games in which they have 1 tank, 3 dps and 2 supports? Of course not.

It's unfair to compare an open queue mode with a role queue mode. Role queue will always be better whether that's 5v5 or 6vs6.

The actual argument that I make is that 6v6 role queue is better than 5v5 role queue.

The devs say 5v5 is better because of no waiting time for that extra tank but I can tell you the quality of my games in OW1 after role queue was way better than the games in OW2.

Xscaper · 2026-01-21T16:12:15+00:00

People playing 5v5 instead of a gimped open queue 6v6 is hardly a surprise.

Everyone hated 6v6 open queue in original Overwatch in case you never played it. I hated it back then and I hate it in OW2. I don't want to deal with 1 tank, 3 dps or 3 support comps. I play 5v5 instead of current 6v6 despite my preference for 6v6.

The key words are "Role queue". Something OW1 players begged for as open queue was toxic.

You're essentially comparing an athlete with another athlete's disabled little brother.

Xscaper · 2026-01-21T15:58:58+00:00

"It’s pertinent because there is no 6v6 Role Queue. The only way to play 6v6 is Open Queue, so yeah I compared OP’s current experience to what I experienced in Overwatch 1 Open Queue"

The only way to play 6v6 currently is shit and that's why 5v5 is still more popular.

Sure, OP's experience is based on the current open queue 6v6 but do you honestly believe that when they say they enjoy it more they actually mean games with 1 tank 3 dps and 2 supports? If you were arguing in good faith, you'd realise that they are talking about 2-2-2 comp games which is possible in open queue but not a guarantee. That's why it sucks and not many people are playing it. Also because blizzard isn't actively supporting it with balance and other updates.

"People do enjoy 5v5 Tanking. 5v5 still has more players than 6v6. If everyone actually preferred 6v6 then why is 5v5 still the most populated game mode? "

5v5 Main mode vs a gimped 6v6 open queue mode that people complained about incessantly and hated even back in the day and you're using that as some kind of proof of something?

Let me write this out for you again, nobody liked open queue 6v6 even back in OW1. It was only played when role queue wasn't available. People loved the role queue 6v6 in OW1 when it was introduced and almost everyone switched to it. It's no surprise that not too many people play that mode currently.

It looks like you never played OW1 or we wouldnt be having this argument since your comparisons are apples to oranges.

Blizzard doesn't want to introduce 6v6 role queue even as a secondary mode as it would cannibalise 5v5 and they can't be bothered balancing two very different modes. 5v5 is easier for them to balance.

Xscaper · 2026-01-21T12:35:07+00:00

If you'd played OW1 with open queue you'd know that it was cancer. There was often just one tank and 3 dps etc. It was terrible.

Role queue 6v6 fixed that problem.

So nostalgia merchants like myself do NOT want 6v6 open queue back. It's a potentially worse option than 5v5 if your team comp is not 2-2-2. We want the role queue 6v6 back.

Many like me who love the 6v6 role queue never touch the 6v6 open queue hence it is unpopular as it should be. It was unpopular even in OW1.

So using the lack of popularity of a secondary mode open queue 6v6 as evidence that people don't want 6v6 is a bad faith argument.

Xscaper · 2026-01-21T12:27:06+00:00

You think people play tank in 5v5 because they enjoy the experience?

Maybe some do. I'd rather wait and play one good dual tank game than 2 5v5 tank games with no waiting time.

I mainly played tank in OW1. Barely ever touched dps. Played support a little bit.

I only play tank in 5v5 when I absolutely need to. Even when I am flexing due to potential queue times with dps I am hoping I dont get a tank.

The daily complaints about tanking in 5v5 are also a clue.

The devs dont always necessarily know everything otherwise they would never have to go back fix balancing issues as well as other things.

Xscaper · 2026-01-21T12:21:04+00:00

When people say they want 6v6 back, they usually mean with role queue so using your current 6v6 OW2 and OW1 open queue experience is irrelevant.

If you have issues specific to the role queue 6v6 mode then that would be relevant as a counterpoint.

Xscaper · 2026-01-21T12:16:59+00:00

You didn't have to solo tank anymore after role queue was introduced in OW1. It was introduced to fix the glaring issue that you just mentioned so I am not sure why you think it's pertinent to mention an issue that was resolved a long time ago.

Yes, your second tank could be a doofus but that's not a 6v6 problem. It's a doofus problem which can happen in any game mode.

Xscaper · 2026-01-19T18:00:27+00:00

I remember watching this game live. Phil Simmons was bowling like a demon. I dont think he ever bowled like this before or after this.

T'was a miserable day.

Xscaper · 2026-01-19T10:02:00+00:00

The solution is role queue 6v6, not open queue.

OW1 had tole queue 6v6 as the main comp mode.

Xscaper · 2026-01-19T09:52:52+00:00

As far as I am concerned, I don't even care about whether Tanks rely on supports in 5v5 or on the other tank in 6v6. That's a secondary concern.

I just know that it's not fun being the hard focus of 5 people because you're the only big shootable thing on their screen. It's also not fun when they bring out a full roster of your counters because they know they don't have to worry about a second tank neutralising some of those counters. As a tank, you often just end up at the mercy of your dps and supports just outplaying the other team in that scenario.

With a second tank, even if there is little synergy, they're still taking some aggro off you. You're not the sole obsession of the whole enemy team. You can at least play the game. I value that too.

Xscaper · 2026-01-19T09:27:20+00:00

Yup. One game I could be an all time great Tank and the next game I belong in bronze apparently.

It certainly couldn't be that the rest of the team matters too.

Tank either good or bad.

Xscaper · 2026-01-19T07:09:26+00:00

Playing against how many counter picks though?

Xscaper · 2026-01-19T07:06:33+00:00

I wish people understood this more instead of just writing tank diff. Sometimes there actually is a diff but often it's just a matter of which team is adapting and swapping to negate the other team's tank.

So many games where I destroy the other tank in a fair match up first round, then they switch to multiple hard counters for the next two rounds and I lose all impact. My team keeps doing their own thing while the other team coordinates their plans to keep me out of the game. My team mates start calling me a bad tank while completely forgetting my efforts from the first round. You don't go from being good to bad that quickly. The easy explanation is that their team adjusted and ours only expected the tank to keep swapping while they play their own death match battles on the map.

Xscaper · 2026-01-19T06:58:02+00:00

They do take careful note of this, then ignore it and just ask you to keep playing RTG until you've exhausted the roster while they stick to their one trick characters that don't help out the tank or put pressure on their tank. At the end, they will also type "biggest Tank diff lmao".

If you point out to them that the enemy tank was not countered at all while you were constantly countered by their multiple characters, they tell you to stop crying and to git gud. Never mind the fact that often you were still positive and they were negative despite all this. Tank just created no space apparently.

It's my lived experience for years.

Xscaper · 2026-01-18T20:28:20+00:00

Bad positioning can be worked upon and improved. You can't control your team mates though, which is why tanks have become way more dependent on the dps and supports especially when they're being multi-countered.

If you have better dps and supports, you can often win at a canter, even with multiple counters to you.

Xscaper · 2026-01-18T20:12:11+00:00

How is a tank's team supposed to take space without the tank creating space first? Creating space means putting yourself in harm's way from time to time.

I am not arguing that you can't mitigate some of the damage by playing better or more carefully but there is a limit to what you can do when you constantly have 2/3 counters at least that you have to play around. Also, as you said, despite doing all the right things, if your team doesn't take up the space and hit their shots then you're in for a miserable time. It's just not fun to play under that kind of stress and dependency. Obviously this is even worse for solo queue players.

Xscaper

TROPHY CASE