In the Room on Fire AMA: Ranking the Qualities of a Good Player or Team
During the Room on Fire AMA, I asked the casters to rank the qualities they believe are most important in making a good player or team.
Jason “moses” O’Toole responded:
As a former player, I prioritize the traits that made me effective. In my opinion, game sense is the most important, followed by team play. I believe that, apart from the god tier players (niko, cold, guardian, olof, etc), you can succeed without immense skill if you excel in other aspects of the game.
Determining the qualities of a good CS:GO player is complex as each quality contributes to another. The major qualities that define a good player are team play, game sense, positioning, aim, movement, tactics, composure, team identity, and diversity of roles. Every good player and team possesses these qualities to some extent. Based on my experience, I would rank them as follows:
1) Team Identity
2) Game Sense
3) Team play
4) Composure
5) Aim
6) Tactics
7) Positioning
8) Movement
9) Diversity of Roles
However, there are instances where a highly skilled player with composure and game sense can almost single-handedly defeat a team, even if the opposing team has a better team identity, better game sense, better team play, and better tactics. A notable example is Nikola “NiKo” Kovac against any top team. Conversely, a team with less firepower but a strong sense of team identity, team play, and tactics can upset a team that excels in every aspect. The old Luminosity lineup, which consistently defeated better teams in best-of-one matches, serves as a prime example.
Ranking a single quality for a player is also difficult, as high skill in one area naturally affects the other areas. Gabriel “FalleN” Toledo is the world’s best scout player, which elevates the tactical level of his team. Freddy “KRiMZ” Johansson’s exceptional positioning directly influences the strength of his aim, team identity, team play, and game sense.
Similar patterns can be seen in other games as well. Kim “Bisu” Taek Yong, Ma “sAviOr” Jae Yoon, and Jung “Mvp” Jong Hyun exemplify this. Although Brood War and SC2 are 1v1 games, the ranking of qualities remains similar:
In Brood War:
1) Game Sense
2) Mechanics
3) Composure
4) Strategy
5) Tactics
6) Positioning
7) Mind games
In SC2:
1) Strategic Paradigm Shift
2) Game Sense
3) Tactics
4) Composure
5) Mechanics
6) Positioning
7) Mind Games
The main difference between the two games is that Brood War focused more on mechanics, requiring precise execution of strategy and tactics due to control group limitations. On the other hand, SC2 emphasized strategic changes, fights execution, and defining the meta game. Despite being ranked lower, mechanics still played a significant role in SC2.
Savior, despite having weaker mechanics compared to his peers, revolutionized the game through strategic and tactical innovations. Bisu changed the landscape of the game through his exceptional mechanical skills, introducing new strategic and tactical innovations. While his builds and strategies were copied by others, no one could reach Bisu’s peak due to his superior mechanics.
Another example is Mvp, who faced several challenges during his GSL run in 2012. The metagame favored Protoss in the PvT matchup, which was Mvp’s weakest matchup. Mvp also suffered severe injuries that impacted his mechanical abilities. However, with his composure and mind games, he achieved one of the biggest upsets in SC2 history and claimed his fourth GSL title.
Ranking and quantifying the qualities of a player or team is an important exercise. It helps us understand why a player dominates and how they relate to others in the game. Each player’s unique traits and skills contribute to the wider arena, creating a compelling story and progression.
Photo Credits: HLTV, Alex Gao, OGN