DaHanG: "Things have been steadily improving"
April 18 2017
Liquid'Overwatch has spent the better part of the new year adjusting to some heavy changes. A new player in shadder2k and a new Head Coach in Aurace set the team back in-terms of performance at the start, but the fruits of their labor are starting to show and improvement has begun. It's time to check back in on the team and see what's up, and if you're dying for more content around the team, just you wait: it's coming!
Here's a brief check-in interview with Liquid'DaHanG (with a slight cameo from Liquid'ID_!) :
It’s been awhile since we last heard from the team. Between the time Rapha joined and Minstrel leaving, how have things been? Any crazy adjustments/epiphanies that the team went through in that time? (yes, we know, it's been awhile).
Liquid'DaHanG: Things have been steadily improving. We now have better communication within the team and a great Genji player who can flex into many other heroes as well. Rapha moving to support (Lucio usually) was a big adjustment. As for me, there's nothing unexpected from my perspective during the transition.
Tell us about Shadder2k. How has he been adjusting to team life and what’s it like playing with a talented, high ping youngin from an odd timezone?
Liquid'DaHanG: I am really happy with Shadder2k. Taking into account his high ping, I think he is doing very well. He is really committed to the team which is a great sign for us, and I think the sky is the limit for him. I wanted a young player to join the team, especially someone who is highly motivated and can pull crazy plays out for us from time to time, and he has been delivering. I just want him in NA asap for lower ping!
Liquid'ID_: Shadder2k has been a great addition to our roster. As one of the top Genji players, he has allowed our team to experiment more with dive heavy team compositions which has definitely improved our overall game. He is motivated and his personality meshes really well with the rest of the team.
Liquid'ID_: Shadder2k has been a great addition to our roster. As one of the top Genji players, he has allowed our team to experiment more with dive heavy team compositions which has definitely improved our overall game. He is motivated and his personality meshes really well with the rest of the team.
The team has improved significantly with the introduction of Aurace. How has having a coached helped out the team chemistry?
Liquid'DaHanG: Aurace holds us accountable and isn’t afraid to speak his mind, which is what we need. Without going into specifics, I think there is a more intense level of focus and a clearer agenda with him providing his insights and feedback.
Fans complain about 2 [capture point], and so must you guys. What are your thoughts on 2cp and how should the mode be changed?
Liquid'DaHanG: I think [2cp] is currently horrible for competitive play because on second point, the defenders have such a massive advantage to reinforce and the resulting gameplay can be very random as an end-result. Ways to improve this are:
A) Make the second capture point of the map a smaller perimeter (note how the payload is much smaller in perimeter than entire platforms found in 2cp).
B) Delay all second point spawns for defenders by an extra second or so (would need to be tested/refined).
C) Remove 2cp from competitive play.
Although, my preference is option C, which is to just outright remove it. I don’t see a reason for it at all since broadly speaking, the competitive community has embraced Payload/Hybrid/KOTH maps and there are many maps in the competitive pool (in my opinion map pools should be 7 maps roughly for tournaments, but that is also a separate discussion).
Liquid'ID_: 2cp is just not a fun gametype in my opinion. The spawn system would definitely need a rework. I think overwatch esports would be better suited to focus strictly on Payload/Hybrid maps.
A) Make the second capture point of the map a smaller perimeter (note how the payload is much smaller in perimeter than entire platforms found in 2cp).
B) Delay all second point spawns for defenders by an extra second or so (would need to be tested/refined).
C) Remove 2cp from competitive play.
Although, my preference is option C, which is to just outright remove it. I don’t see a reason for it at all since broadly speaking, the competitive community has embraced Payload/Hybrid/KOTH maps and there are many maps in the competitive pool (in my opinion map pools should be 7 maps roughly for tournaments, but that is also a separate discussion).
Liquid'ID_: 2cp is just not a fun gametype in my opinion. The spawn system would definitely need a rework. I think overwatch esports would be better suited to focus strictly on Payload/Hybrid maps.
The team has been improving very fast. How do you guys feel you stack up to the others in your current state, and whose the team to beat right now?
Liquid'DaHanG: Rogue feels like the team to beat right now, but there are a lot of very tough teams. Right now, I think we are not at the level of Rogue for example, but I do not see them as out of our reach – especially if the meta changes again.
Bonus Question: Will Orisa see more competitive play?
Liquid'DaHanG: I do not think so. Frankly, Orisa seems pretty low-skill and boring like a tank version of a Torbjorn. The only way to play it involves many teammates grouping up and supporting the Orisa. So, unless Orisa is overpowered it should be pretty easy to counter a giant group of slow-moving opponents in a group.
Keep checking TeamLiquid.com for the latest in TL news, events, and features! And don't forget to follow us on social media to keep track of our teams.