(Original Link)

(This is when I began using MSPaint for my photos and that aspect became a part of my identity and one of the ways I ended up standing out from other posts.)

It’s the familiar triangular system and it’s been around so long that players already know which role they are going to fill, either a Damage per second(DPS), Healer, or Tank, and some players don’t know how to play outside of the role they’ve chosen to fill, and if they are forced to play a different role then they’re going to play it two ways: 1: Play it as if they got the role they’re used to or 2:Play it how they think the different role would play (EG: Healers hiding in the back, DPS shooting wildly, Tanks rushing in with no thought). And while the Player isn’t wrong to think that, them not knowing the nuances or positioning of the other two roles could harm the teams chance of winning.

This is why I think that even though you have a role that you are proficient and comfortable in, you should still attempt to learn the different aspects of the other roles. You might even get better gameplay because you will have an understanding of what the player has to do to achieve its role definition, Tanks have to make sure the team is protected, what’s the best method of accomplishing that? Healers have to ensure the team doesn’t get K.O.’d, who is their priority healing target? DPS have to make sure they’re hitting targets from getting to the other two, which one to focus down first?

On paper it looks simple but when you’re in the battle there’s so many variables and incoming targets, timers, objectives and other things happening in the background and quickly the foreground that it’s easy to lose focus and this would be where your new found knowledge could save the day…or game in this case. Now while you do your role you’ll have a better idea of what the other two points in the trinity are doing.

Whenever I’m playing a new game competitively and I find myself lost in what is happening beyond my role I’ll take a little bit of time to research and figure out what the other roles require of me, if it requires me to do something that is a bit unorthodox for me but useful for the other (friendly) roles then I will do my best to achieve that and better our chances of getting the victory.

What are some things you do to further yourself as a team player? Do you pick off targets sneaking along the edge that are hoping to snag your healer? Or maybe you decide to take incoming projectiles for your team? Perhaps you place a shield or over heal a team mate you think would be a focus target? All good options.

Thank you for reading! (all images created painstakingly in MS paint)