After playing the game of Fortnite for a year and a half now (all on a console, btw), I can safely say I know what it takes to win. Do I always have what it takes? No, but I've now won 22 (I keep updating as I win more games lol) solo games, including eight games this since the start of Chapter 2. Yes, adding bots to the game has certainly helped, but you still have to overcome human opponents. I know 15 wins is nothing to be impressed with, but that's because I don't usually play to win. I play to have fun and to try do new things in the game each time (and beat challenges). If I set my mind to it and played to win, I bet I could win a lot more. But if I were to do that, I would rage at the end of every loss and it would not be good for my blood pressure. But I do know what it takes to win. This is it.
- Get good loot somehow someway: It's very hard to win a game of Fortnite without good loot (Good loot meaning good weapons, shields, utility items). That means probably landing in a named location, or get lucky and land somewhere where no one else is. If you land near people, you have to do what you can to either continue looting there (and hope they don't see you or leave you alone) or you have to engage them and take their loot from them by defeating them. Often times the victors of big named locations make it far and have a good chance of winning. If you can ever manage to be the last player standing in a named location, you're off to a great start. If you get screwed on loot, look for air drops and try to get to them quickly before anyone else. Fishing is also an option if you're desperate for at least a rare weapon or shields.
- Be selective in your battles: I previously had this as "being aggressive more than defensive", but I don't think that's an effective strategy. An effective strategy is picking your battles. If you witness a fight and one of the players is eliminated, quickly swoop in and try to get an easy elim if you can, since the surviving player is likely low on health. If you're looting or moving through the map and a player attacks you first, you either need to find someway to get the advantage back by firing back quickly or gaining high ground. If you are outmatched, there is no shame in running away and using whatever utility/mobility items are in the game to get away. Just recently, I won a game having run away from multiple players because my health and loot were not ideal, yet I was able to slowly build it up throughout the game and get the victory royale.
- Learn how to build quickly: This is something I am still working on as it's harder to do as a console player. But those who know how to "Crank 90's", which is creating stacks of builds with four complete walls and floor/ramp, are the ones who have a distinct advantage. Being able to get a height advantage is huge, and the best (and usually only) way to do that is through out-building your opponent. Even if you aren't able to do that, at least be able to quickly build up a defense if you get shot at and be able to spam builds if you're constantly getting shot at. A lot of pro players suggest to practice builds in Creative mode, which I have a little, but probably should do more of. And to go with this, you'll need materials to be able to out-build someone else, so if you can't get them from someone else, you'll have to farm for them a bit.
- Learn the map: This comes with experience, but there's almost always something to be learned about the map every time you play. Maybe it's a chest location you weren't aware of, maybe it's a good sniping or hiding spot. And with experience, you can find out which drop locations are heavy in loot but light in players dropping there, which for many is ideal. The more players drop into a location, the less likely you'll come out of there victorious. Whenever there are significant map changes (as there was for the start of Chapter 2), study the map and perhaps even go into Creative mode to learn where things are. And don't drop into the same location every time, because the zone will rarely focus in on your drop zone, and you want to keep track of a number of different locations.
- Adjust your gameplay to the game's current set-up: Epic Games makes a lot of changes to Fortnite. For example, in Chapter 2 Season 1, there were basically no mobility items. Therefore, players had to adjust their game and loot for less time if they dropped in a location outside of the first zone. Or, they could fish, stock up on Floppers, and just recover from storm damage once they do eventually get in. Know what items and weapons are currently in the game and adjust your gameplay accordingly. Know which weapons are better than others, and know which items and weapons are trash and should never be picked up unless you're in the most dire of circumstances.
- Play both Team Rumble and Solos/Duos/Squads: One thing that has helped me is playing both Team Rumble as well as Solos/Duos/Squads. Team Rumble is a great opportunity to work on your shooting, aiming, and even building, since there are unlimited respawns. It's also a good opportunity to see how you fare with each gun in combat. Some people like the regular assault rifle, some prefer the heavy or the burst. Find out what works best for you. Team Rumble is also good for working on your sniping, which can come in handy in solo matches. On the flip side, you don't always want to play Team Rumble, as you won't learn (or you'll forget) how to be sneaky, and you can develop a bad habit of just rushing into battle.
- Don't get caught between two players: In solos, the worst thing that can happen is getting caught between two players. Obviously, it's every player for themselves, but if you're the closest opponent to two different players, that puts you at a distinct disadvantage (a 1 vs. 2, essentially). This is especially problematic if they are the only two opponents left in a final zone. In the final zone, position yourself so that the zone is behind you and any opponents are in front of you. Never position yourself in the middle of the zone if you can help it.
- Pray for an easy final opponent: I'll be honest, a lot of my recent wins have had an easy opponent in the final two with me. One opponent fell into a trap I set, another dropped down to my level and basically let me kill him, and another tried pickaxing a wall I was behind even though there was an open doorway and I was able to rush him and take him out. Each time I was at a distinct disadvantage. The first game I was low on health, the second game I never found or used shields all game, and the third I was also a bit low on health. Yet I won each time because my opponent made a careless mistake. Sometimes, you just need to get lucky. I can't even begin to count the amount of times I made it to the final two before my first solo victory, and thus I was the other person's easy final opponent. Each time, it seemed like my opponent was significantly better than me. Even if you're not terribly good at the game like me, you're bound to get lucky and get an easy opponent at some point.
- Watch others: One thing that really helps is watching professionals or experienced players play the game. Either you can watch on YouTube or Twitch, or without even having to go to a different app/device, you can spectate players in the same game as your own. If you die, you get the option to spectate whoever killed you. Often times I've sort of died "on purpose" so that I could spectate. Watch what others do, their habits, what they do in certain situations, and try to emulate them. Or, you can try a Squads game and watch your teammates. But don't die on purpose then.
Fortnite's a great game, and despite the lack of updates and changes in Chapter 2, I am still playing it. Some day when I can keep my cool, I may try to play aggressively and see if I can possibly win two matches in one day for the first time. I will say if you never win, it can get pretty disheartening and not be quite as fun. I didn't win my first solo match until about 300 games in. It takes time and practice and determination. If you follow my advice and put in the time, you'll be winning matches in no time.
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Friday, February 7, 2020
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
YouTubers Who I Used to Watch (and miss)
One of my favorite forms of entertainment is YouTube. You can watch almost anything on there. I've been a viewer and subscriber of some of their content creators for close to 12 years, and I have seen many different YouTube channels rise and fall. Here I am going to list some YouTubers that I may still be subscribed to, but they no longer upload like they used to. Basically, these are the YouTube channels I miss getting new content on. I'll also throw in my favorite YouTube video of theirs.
The Microwave Show/Jogwheel/Jonathan Paula/Movie Night
The one I think I miss most is the combination of channels put together by Jonathan Paula. At one point, he was doing the Microwave Show, "Is it a Good Idea to Microwave This?", he did his own content, reviewing tech and shared his thoughts on current events in "The World According to Jon", AND he did his show "Movie Night" in which he reviewed films. The Microwave Show was awesome. He and his buddies Jory and Riley would microwave various objects to see the results. My personal favorite was the Airbag episode. They stopped doing the show about a decade(!) ago, and then Jon kept doing solo projects. However, in recent years, Jon has basically stopped releasing new content and focused more on his family. He got an actual job working Mondays through Fridays, and he has two daughters now. I am still friends with him on Facebook and follow him on Instagram. Perhaps someday he'll get back to releasing tech reviews and more consistent "Movie Night" episodes, but I doubt it. He still releases his annual Oscar Movie reviews in February, at the very least.
Favorite video: "Is it a Good Idea to Microwave an Airbag?"
Barats and Bereta
Barats and Bereta were a comedy duo formed by Luke Barats and Joe Bereta. They met at college, Gonzaga University, and started making videos while in school there. They kept uploading content after graduating and their content exploded. They did some great sketch comedy videos, such as "Mother's Day", "God's Facebook", and "Cubicle War". Basically, they were Smosh before Smosh. They were Rhett and Link before Rhett and Link. They unfortunately went their separate ways years ago. Joe joined SourceFed on YouTube, although I've never been a big fan of that channel. Luke hasn't done any solo projects or joined anyone. I just wish they'd get back together and release new content. At least their channel is still up with all of their old content, which I watch every few years or so.
Favorite Video: "Douche Off"
Pranksist Productions
I discovered these guys after Jack Vale held a prank contest on his channel, and I don't remember if these guys won, but they definitely were finalists. I don't even remember the two guys' names, but they were the absolute best pranksters. My favorite videos were when they randomly screamed in elevators at their school, and had to come up with some elaborate lie as to why they were screaming. I remember they're from Indiana; one with long, dark, curly hair and the other with blonde hair. Their screaming pranks may have induced some of my hardest laughs ever. The dark haired guy had a high-pitched scream which was hilarious.
Favorite Video: "Elevator Screaming"
Magic of Rahat
I don't know why Rahat stopped making videos, because at the time he stopped his channel was doing well (and seemed to be on the rise). But his most famous videos were going through drive-thru's of various fast food restaurants and pranking them by being a robot, Elmo, or other character. He was also good at changing his voice to match his character. But most notably, his best work was his design of the characters and ways he would prank people. He'd have to design a way for the costume to work and look realistic while still being able to drive in it. On one of his videos he designed the seat of his car to go around him, so it looked like no one was driving. Some of the reactions of the fast food employees were just priceless, and if anyone's looking for a laugh, I highly recommend watching one of his drive-thru videos (or better yet, all of them).
Favorite Video: "Drive Thru Robot Driver Prank"
Jaboody Dubs
Now they still upload content, but I miss when they would dub over infomercials. They have a "Sticky Buddy" infomercial dubbing that has over 27 million views. I think they must have run out of infomercials to dub over, because that content was gold. My favorite was the "Orange Glo" dub, I think. I can still watch these over and still laugh at them, even though I know all of the jokes they make. They did curse a lot, but that's what made them so funny, because you wouldn't expect the infomercial hosts themselves to curse. They were the best at impersonating Billy Mays, RIP. Now they do video games and talk about various things. Not as entertaining, IMO.
Favorite video: "Orange Glo Dub"
Kipkay
He still uploads content as well, but not as much as he used to. He used to show a lot of hacks and how-to's, then he went on to reviewing tech gadgets. Still enjoyable, but that's not how he gained his subscribers. My favorite part was when doing these hacks and how-to's, his cats would make an appearance and sometimes play with whatever he was working on at the time. He's very tech savvy, and there are a ton of things he's crafted that I'd love to own.
Favorite Video: "World's Loudest Alarm Clock"
The Microwave Show/Jogwheel/Jonathan Paula/Movie Night
The one I think I miss most is the combination of channels put together by Jonathan Paula. At one point, he was doing the Microwave Show, "Is it a Good Idea to Microwave This?", he did his own content, reviewing tech and shared his thoughts on current events in "The World According to Jon", AND he did his show "Movie Night" in which he reviewed films. The Microwave Show was awesome. He and his buddies Jory and Riley would microwave various objects to see the results. My personal favorite was the Airbag episode. They stopped doing the show about a decade(!) ago, and then Jon kept doing solo projects. However, in recent years, Jon has basically stopped releasing new content and focused more on his family. He got an actual job working Mondays through Fridays, and he has two daughters now. I am still friends with him on Facebook and follow him on Instagram. Perhaps someday he'll get back to releasing tech reviews and more consistent "Movie Night" episodes, but I doubt it. He still releases his annual Oscar Movie reviews in February, at the very least.
Favorite video: "Is it a Good Idea to Microwave an Airbag?"
Barats and Bereta
Barats and Bereta were a comedy duo formed by Luke Barats and Joe Bereta. They met at college, Gonzaga University, and started making videos while in school there. They kept uploading content after graduating and their content exploded. They did some great sketch comedy videos, such as "Mother's Day", "God's Facebook", and "Cubicle War". Basically, they were Smosh before Smosh. They were Rhett and Link before Rhett and Link. They unfortunately went their separate ways years ago. Joe joined SourceFed on YouTube, although I've never been a big fan of that channel. Luke hasn't done any solo projects or joined anyone. I just wish they'd get back together and release new content. At least their channel is still up with all of their old content, which I watch every few years or so.
Favorite Video: "Douche Off"
Pranksist Productions
I discovered these guys after Jack Vale held a prank contest on his channel, and I don't remember if these guys won, but they definitely were finalists. I don't even remember the two guys' names, but they were the absolute best pranksters. My favorite videos were when they randomly screamed in elevators at their school, and had to come up with some elaborate lie as to why they were screaming. I remember they're from Indiana; one with long, dark, curly hair and the other with blonde hair. Their screaming pranks may have induced some of my hardest laughs ever. The dark haired guy had a high-pitched scream which was hilarious.
Favorite Video: "Elevator Screaming"
Magic of Rahat
I don't know why Rahat stopped making videos, because at the time he stopped his channel was doing well (and seemed to be on the rise). But his most famous videos were going through drive-thru's of various fast food restaurants and pranking them by being a robot, Elmo, or other character. He was also good at changing his voice to match his character. But most notably, his best work was his design of the characters and ways he would prank people. He'd have to design a way for the costume to work and look realistic while still being able to drive in it. On one of his videos he designed the seat of his car to go around him, so it looked like no one was driving. Some of the reactions of the fast food employees were just priceless, and if anyone's looking for a laugh, I highly recommend watching one of his drive-thru videos (or better yet, all of them).
Favorite Video: "Drive Thru Robot Driver Prank"
Jaboody Dubs
Now they still upload content, but I miss when they would dub over infomercials. They have a "Sticky Buddy" infomercial dubbing that has over 27 million views. I think they must have run out of infomercials to dub over, because that content was gold. My favorite was the "Orange Glo" dub, I think. I can still watch these over and still laugh at them, even though I know all of the jokes they make. They did curse a lot, but that's what made them so funny, because you wouldn't expect the infomercial hosts themselves to curse. They were the best at impersonating Billy Mays, RIP. Now they do video games and talk about various things. Not as entertaining, IMO.
Favorite video: "Orange Glo Dub"
Kipkay
He still uploads content as well, but not as much as he used to. He used to show a lot of hacks and how-to's, then he went on to reviewing tech gadgets. Still enjoyable, but that's not how he gained his subscribers. My favorite part was when doing these hacks and how-to's, his cats would make an appearance and sometimes play with whatever he was working on at the time. He's very tech savvy, and there are a ton of things he's crafted that I'd love to own.
Favorite Video: "World's Loudest Alarm Clock"
Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Hard to NOT be a Believer with These Mariners
The 2018 Seattle Mariners sit at 54-31, their best record at this point in the season in 15 years. I made a post before the season started saying this team didn't inspire much optimism, but halfway into the season, they have proven me quite wrong. They inspire TONS of optimism. These guys never quit and never believe they have lost until the game is final. The Mariners fans who have stuck through all the losing seasons, all the just barely missing the playoffs, keep expecting this team to go on a major slide and fall from playoff contention. But this team is proving in every game they won't let a single game go without giving it their all, which leads me to believe they'll treat their entire season the same way.
These Mariners are also fun to watch. Marco Gonzalez and Wade LeBlanc were never the splashiest of acquisitions, and they won't light up radar guns. But they're incredibly entertaining in social media and are clearly competitive, seeing their reactions to inning-ending strikeouts. Mitch Haniger is becoming one of the most likable guys in the bigs, and Ben Gamel is that type of gamer every team needs, diving for catches in the outfield and diving home to score a go-ahead run. Edwin Diaz has become the best closer in baseball. Jean Segura may end up missing the All-Star game, despite being near the top of the league in hitting and playing great D. Dee Gordon is an absolute spark plug and is filling in extremely well at 2nd base. Kyle Seager isn't having his best year offensively, but defensively is SHINING, and if he can avoid errors the rest of the way should win the gold glove.
The funny thing about this run this team is going on is how the usual leaders of the team aren't really the reason for the success. Robinson Cano is in the middle of serving an 80 game suspension for taking a banned substance. Kyle Seager, as mentioned earlier, is having a slightly down year offensively. Felix Hernandez is having a wildly inconsistent season. Despite all this, these Mariners manage to persevere. They find ways to win.
I find myself comparing this team to the 1995 team that made the playoffs. I do this a lot whenever the Mariners have some modicum of success, but this team I firmly believe it. First off, they could bring back the 1995 rallying cry of "Refuse to Lose" because of how this team has come back in games. But look at these similarities:
A tall lefty that has dominated, notching numerous 10+ strikeout games: Check. (Johnson--Paxton)
Losing the sweet-swinging lefty hitting team leader for multiple months but persevering in his absence: Check. (Griffey--Cano)
One of the fastest players in the league, recently acquired: Check. (Coleman--Gordon)
OR... you could say a 2nd baseman acquired in the offseason who provides a spark at the top of the lineup (Cora--Gordon)
Having gone through a long playoff drought into the late teens: Check. (19 years--17 years)
A veteran right handed starter who has thrown a no-hitter in his career.: Check. (Bosio--Hernandez)
A power hitting right fielder who has become a cult icon in Seattle: Check. (Buhner--Haniger)
I could go on, but I'd probably be stretching it, and besides, do you need any more proof? This team won't win multiple games in a row by 5+ runs, but they know how to win close and win period. They know how to play as a team and every guy knows his job/role.
Of course, this team could "Mariner" it and fall out of the 2nd Wild Card spot, despite having an 8 game lead over the next team at the moment. But this team has brought even the biggest of doubters around, myself included. I think they've shown me that they won't let themselves get plagued by injuries or inconsistency. They won't let themselves have a losing streak that sets them back a ways. They simply refuse to lose.
These Mariners are also fun to watch. Marco Gonzalez and Wade LeBlanc were never the splashiest of acquisitions, and they won't light up radar guns. But they're incredibly entertaining in social media and are clearly competitive, seeing their reactions to inning-ending strikeouts. Mitch Haniger is becoming one of the most likable guys in the bigs, and Ben Gamel is that type of gamer every team needs, diving for catches in the outfield and diving home to score a go-ahead run. Edwin Diaz has become the best closer in baseball. Jean Segura may end up missing the All-Star game, despite being near the top of the league in hitting and playing great D. Dee Gordon is an absolute spark plug and is filling in extremely well at 2nd base. Kyle Seager isn't having his best year offensively, but defensively is SHINING, and if he can avoid errors the rest of the way should win the gold glove.
The funny thing about this run this team is going on is how the usual leaders of the team aren't really the reason for the success. Robinson Cano is in the middle of serving an 80 game suspension for taking a banned substance. Kyle Seager, as mentioned earlier, is having a slightly down year offensively. Felix Hernandez is having a wildly inconsistent season. Despite all this, these Mariners manage to persevere. They find ways to win.
I find myself comparing this team to the 1995 team that made the playoffs. I do this a lot whenever the Mariners have some modicum of success, but this team I firmly believe it. First off, they could bring back the 1995 rallying cry of "Refuse to Lose" because of how this team has come back in games. But look at these similarities:
A tall lefty that has dominated, notching numerous 10+ strikeout games: Check. (Johnson--Paxton)
Losing the sweet-swinging lefty hitting team leader for multiple months but persevering in his absence: Check. (Griffey--Cano)
One of the fastest players in the league, recently acquired: Check. (Coleman--Gordon)
OR... you could say a 2nd baseman acquired in the offseason who provides a spark at the top of the lineup (Cora--Gordon)
Having gone through a long playoff drought into the late teens: Check. (19 years--17 years)
A veteran right handed starter who has thrown a no-hitter in his career.: Check. (Bosio--Hernandez)
A power hitting right fielder who has become a cult icon in Seattle: Check. (Buhner--Haniger)
I could go on, but I'd probably be stretching it, and besides, do you need any more proof? This team won't win multiple games in a row by 5+ runs, but they know how to win close and win period. They know how to play as a team and every guy knows his job/role.
Of course, this team could "Mariner" it and fall out of the 2nd Wild Card spot, despite having an 8 game lead over the next team at the moment. But this team has brought even the biggest of doubters around, myself included. I think they've shown me that they won't let themselves get plagued by injuries or inconsistency. They won't let themselves have a losing streak that sets them back a ways. They simply refuse to lose.
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