Disclaimer: I'm just a reflective dude who likes playing video games and is really competitive

What autopilot looks like:

To get on the same page, let's make sure we're clear on autopilot is. It's the process of running to the same spots, using the same hold on a site, and using your utility the same way because that's what you've always done. You do things because you know you're supposed to and because it's worked in the past, not because you're convinced that decision makes the MOST sense.

Essentially, you are taking what you've already learned and you continue to apply those same responses and patterns to the map you're playing. You are relying on developed habits and your limited game sense.

It's inherently a reactive process. You are not intentionally playing the game. You have no mini-objectives for yourself. You're not truly observing what they're doing. You're not asking yourself where the enemy could likely hold from, where they could be by now, nor are you peeking with the intention of winning (although I'm sure you want to win the gunfight) or what utility they use to take space. You see the game the same way, and you learn nothing from autopilot.

Needless to say, autopilot fucking sucks and stifles your learning. You deserve to stay hardstuck [insert your level] if you only ever play on autopilot.

What active gaming looks like:

The big question: How can I gain an advantage for myself right now?

Active gaming is active thinking. You are asking yourself the big question, you're asking yourself "what utility am I using and why?" You're constantly asking yourself where the enemy could be, what is their biggest threat, and how can I mitigate their threat. You are observing the credit economy, ultimate economy, and pairing observations with reads. You're constantly asking yourself where the enemy could move to, how much ammo they have left, how close they are to ultimate, patterns as a team and as individuals on prior rounds.

Example: On haven the enemy killjoy loves ulting a sewers. She has done this once already, and she is currently 1 orbie away from another ultimate. If she manages to get her ultimate this round, where are they likely to go?

If you said A, nice. It wasn't a hard question because I distilled the facts for you in a sea of other data that could have been present. It's an example in isolation because it illustrates a point. Your job is to parse through all the data, determine what's relevant, and make as accurate decisions as you can to give your team and yourself an advantage.

This is active thinking because I'm pairing observations with an expectation of where the enemy could go. I'm asking myself what has happened before, I noticed they got A for free, and I'm asking what we can do about it.

Active gaming is asking yourself what positions I want to play, because I have utility that can help me get a kill and get out (think cypher cages or reyna one and done angles). It's asking yourself if I have a teammate who can flash on my contact. It's about being proactive rather than reactive. It's about knowing the why behind your decisions, and having a good reason based on observations and/or a plan you have.

Taking an active role in your decision-making, reflection process, and method of adjustment is the difference between being hard stuck [insert rank], and shooting up to immortal/radiant.

This is pretty hard to articulate without a vod to go over, but I hope this covers general concepts as well as I'd like to for one post. If there's interest, I might post some vod reviews.

TLDR; take an active role in your decision-making. Identify with your choices more. When you're competing, you're applying yourself. So try! You'll learn and get better with time and reflection. So apply yourself and avoid autopilot. Be intentional.

Currently D3 but I started this game in Gold 1.