Becoming A Better Teammate

I have always enjoyed multiplayer matchmaking video games. Lately, I have been playing a lot of Halo 5: Guardians with my brother and our friends. We are competitive, and we always try to win the match that we get placed in. Sometimes, I place our team in bad situations, simply because I have not done a great job of supporting my team. Team-based games are all about supporting one another to win, much like sports (basketball, football, soccer). Knowing your role, communicating, and listening are important for a team to succeed.
 

 
KNOWING YOUR ROLE
 
Supporting your team is important for victory, as well as acknowledging your strengths and weaknesses. Compared to your teammates, you will notice that you excel at some aspects of the game, but you fall short at others. Continuing to use Halo as our example, I know that I am the weakest sniper on my team. If we ever battle for the sniper rifle, then I know my role is to support my team in capturing the sniper. If I keep the sniper, then I can improve my overall score, but this is a selfish use of a power weapon. However, I know that passing it off to another member will improve our team score, which will result in our team winning.
 
Roles vary between teams. Some teams have a dedicated objective runner, an extremely good slayer, or a great power weapon runner. Rotating roles can be effective if each player is similar in skill. If you are able to do this, or even practice to become better, then definitely do your best to do that. When you are trying to win a match, try and place each member in a role where they will succeed.
 

 
COMMUNICATION
 
Communication can help win in a multiplayer game. “Calling Out” the enemy’s location is important for your team. “Calling Out” is simply stating where the enemy is located so that your team will be aware of possible vantage points or areas to bypass. Usually, teams use landmarks on the map, or weapon spawn locations to signal where an enemy is located. So, using these types of identifiers in “Calling Out” can give your team the advantage they may need to win the match.
 
Being able to direct your team is another aspect of communicating. In objective matches, knowing when to “Push” your opponent is important. “Pushing” is simply continuing to apply pressure to the enemy from your location, such as “Pushing” to grab the flag because they are down two members. “Calling Out” that you have taken down a member will give your team a slight advantage for a few seconds, meaning that your team could “Push” the opponent to apply more pressure. However, when a team is not effectively “Calling Out”, it can limit the team’s ability to “Push” because teammates are walking into multiple enemies alone or facing enemies who currently have a game advantage such as a power weapon. These types of situations can immediately flip the score if the system of “Calling Out” is not adjusted quickly. “Calling Out” can provide your team a constant advantage over your opponent and potentially place your team in the best position to win.
 

 
LISTEN TO YOUR TEAM
 
If you do not listen to your teammates, then the prior information about communication is pointless. Learning to listen can be difficult and confusing at first. Hearing so much information being stated quickly can throw you off of your game. Be calm, and focus on the locations. If you are in a position to help, then take time to put damage into the enemy from your location to support your teammate. If you aren’t in a position to help, then take the information to be aware of where an enemy can potentially be later. Filtering the information will take time to learn, but once you are able to do this, then you will find yourself in great positions because of your teammates.
 
After you have mastered filtering and listening to your teammates, you will find yourself trusting your teammates. Trusting their information will also take time to build up. It is hard to make a play against the enemy team with only the information you have heard from your team, instead of seeing it with your own eyes. Let’s take a Capture the Flag match as an example. A teammate “Calls Out” the enemy, and tells you to “Push” the flag and grab it because they are down a couple of players. Listening is easy, because you have heard your name and know that your teammate wants you to make the play. However, you cannot see around the corner, and are unsure if the base is actually empty. You will have to trust your teammate’s information. If you are successful, then trusting will be easier the next time. If the information is wrong, then you will become unsuccessful and find yourself not listening to that teammate later. Giving out good information is the most important aspect of being a good teammate.
 

 
In the end, doing things that put your team in a position to be successful is what you will want to do. Take the time to find out your strengths and weaknesses. Ask your team for help, and be sure to stay positive when working on their issues, as well as your own. Remember to be concise and to the point with your “Call-Outs,” and to trust your teammates. Trusting your team to do their job will make you a more confident player, which will make you a stronger force to deal with on the virtual battlefield.