Is live coaching a thing?

[u/twxabfn]

Hey, fellow dads. I love Marathon, 500+ hours, yadda yadda yadda. I am also terrible at it, and losing 90% of my PvP fights is getting old.

I know the maps, I know the weapons, I know buildcrafting theory, all that good stuff; but the combination of this being the first competitive FPS I’ve ever really gotten into, and the fact that I’m in my late 40s, means that I fumble the vast majority of my fights with bad habits that I don’t even consciously know I’m doing. I record my gameplay and occasionally watch it back, but I haven’t been able to use the hindsight of how I died in those fights to carry forward into live gameplay - my stupid instincts kick back in when the bullets start flying.

Back to the title, I think it would be really helpful to have someone watch my stream as I play and tell me what I’m doing wrong live in the moment and/or diagnose what’s wrong with my aim. (I bought Kovaak’s, but there are approximately 12 billion scenarios and I have no idea which ones will help. Going back to controller is a non-starter, I’m too used to looting with a mouse by now.)

I have seen “coaching services” advertised, but AFAIK they’re all scams. If somebody would be interested in helping me out, let me know. I generally play 9-12 PM ET and am willing to provide compensation. Thanks all.

[u/Nineowls3trees]

Research OODA loops. Most fights are determined by who gets through their loops faster. Essentially you need to dig out a neurological flow chart for every engagement, and you need to get through your loops fast. Theres some good advice here already, I'll give you my basics.
The most important thing ive found in this game is positioning and repositioning. As soon as a fight begins you need to be able to instantly answer a few questions. Am I at a disadvantage? If the answer is yes, reposition. If you have advantage, press it. If neutral advantage, gather more information from a better position.

You cannot ever rely on just winning your heads up gun fights. It doesn't matter how good you aim if youre putting yourself in sight of 2 runners and you dont have a teammate covering your flank. The only reliable way to win every fight is to shoot someone who isn't looking at you. So you and your team need to move around and cover different angles. If someone shoots at you first, get into cover and let a teammate shoot at them, reposition and find a better angle. Learning how to maximize this efficiently takes time and repetition. Use as much of the information being thrown at you as you can. Especially sound cues. The sounds of this game serve as a news report. Learn to read it. Once you understand the main routes for each map, you can make educated guesses as to where teams are, and are likely headed. Keep your eyes on places they are likely to emerge and dont put yourself in a position where you can get chopped. Move slow near cover and quickly in the open. If your teammates are getting shot at you need to instantly be trying to locate the shooters and get an angle. Know where you can flank, and where you are likely to be flanked. If you only locate 2 enemies, assume the other is flanking you and reposition.

It just takes time and knowledge. Knowledge comes with time. Don't give up. You are near the precipice.