I’m finally getting back in the rhythm of things after my long hiatus due to travel and event-based work. I honestly thought I’d be putting Fortnite away for a while, as I’ve been meaning to dive a bit deeper into Divinity: Original Sin, which I bought almost a year ago, and in anticipation of this month’s Read Dead Redemption 2. But, as always with great games, I got that itch and jumped back in.
I managed to slam several hours in over the weekend with good results. Another solo win and my first duo win with @twotoedsloth. My building and reaction speeds are noticeably higher, and I feel overall more confident taking on engagements, particularly when the other player is evidently more skilled. I still don’t think I’ll be putting in nearly as much time this season as I did last while training through the basics, but I like the idea of committing to incremental growth over the long period of time and maintaining a new skillset.
My priorities will thus be focused on less tangible results that will hopefully have a statistically consequential impact. I believe that my play is starting to get to the point where my mental game is having more of a significant impact than my technical skill. I can feel getting nervous when I spot a ‘better’ player or making rash, panic-based decisions when I’m in a touch spot. A part of it is simple experience, and the other is making precise attempts to self-coach for a similar future scenario. Getting into the right mental mode to pursue the following is a big personal goal for the coming weeks -
Aggro, Full-Send, No Fear
Hesitating is probably the biggest factor that leads to defeat in Fortnite. Waiting to act is very overrated and I should get in the mode of constantly being proactive. This doesn’t mean always pushing, but also includes constantly scoping, repositioning, pressuring, and all-around being in a more confident spot compared to the enemy.
The seeming opposite is also true here - disengaging. If you think you can’t grab the upper hand in a particular spot or against a particular opponent, it’s best to detach and reengage under better conditions. Fortnite is all about incremental upper-hands and any disadvantage can snowball into a bad spot and ultimate loss.
Instincts
Instant 1-by-1 turtles, speedy 90s, and fast weapon swaps are all muscle-memory tactics that should be 2nd-nature to a solid player. I need to get better at relying on these basics without even thinking and as an immediate reaction to any new element to the game. I’ll be sure to do more drills in solos and playgrounds to get into this mindset and never let anyone catch me off-guard.
That's all from me this week. Steem on!
