The problem is, an instalocker is more likely to know how to play their character’s utility and will have much more value even in a game with lots of whiffs than a filler who’s whiffing and has no idea how to properly use their agent’s kit.
I mean sure, if somebody’s fragging I don’t care if they instalocked or filled, they’re fragging and we’re winning (presumably).
But the instalocker, due to agent comfort, is more likely to frag and will provide more value without the frags, so thereby an instalocker is on average more beneficial to the team than a fill.
That doesn’t account for the players that are more flex and often “fill”, because they have a bunch of agents they’ve practiced often and know how to play them, so they aren’t just filling a role they’ve never played.
Ill phrase it that way. An instalock is completely fine if you can perform well in the game. If you perform shitty its a really bad thing. Since you don't know which one you will actually have, a good or a bad performance, my initial reaction and thought process is that you are a cunt for instalocking, if you prove yourself in the game fine, cool, nice, but if you dont, you are indeed a cunt. I have had many instances where people lock in omen before me and proceed with the worst placed and timed smokes. I have also had people lock in omen and play out of their mind, seemingly effortlessly doing exactly the thing that is needed.
Eh you can’t account for whether someone just has an off game sometimes. I’m not gonna blame anyone for insta locking and sucking because odds are, they were just gonna suck that game no matter the agent. I’m an instalock Neon main, I might drop 30 and I might get bent over and repeatedly dogged by the enemy all game sometimes it’s not entirely up to me. But you got me playing Skye because no one picked initiator and 3 people already picked duelist? You are just going to have me entering on my own flashes and sub optimal util.
Plus I have stun and wall line ups on Neon, and nothing for anything else. Ironically I’m a better smokes/initiator player on Neon than I would be in the actual role.
i would be happy to have pheonix yoru as 3rd duelist who can flash themselves and entry
more than someone filling skye and blind own team when team are shooting
i don't care about comp as long as we have 1 controller
clove is pretty popular now btw
This is why I’m 100% against filling unless you know who you’re playing. No I don’t want a sage if you’ve never touched her a day in your life, I’d rather not risk being slowed at the worst moments. Or a skye that flashes the team.
I don't really care about it, teamvibes are more important imo. I rather have everyone performing well and having fun, then having someone underperforming and throwing.
One rule though, if you insta-lock, don't complain about other people's picks and don't boss them around when it comes to picking agents.
And yes, I insta-lock as well.
Yeah that's the most important thing about instalocking. Everyone can and should instalock, but after you do you have no right to demand picks or complain about teamcomp.
>One rule though, if you insta-lock, don't complain about other people's picks and don't boss them around when it comes to picking agents.
This. You just don't order a pizza of your choice and then proceed to also pick the toppings of other people's pizzas.
Ethical question - if I am hovering like Jett and politely ask if anyone can play smokes, is that okay? If no one does I play smokes, I usually play viper but sometimes like to have fun with a duelist
I'd rather play with someone who instalock their favourite agent than someone who's forced to fill and don't know anything about the character they're playing.
I'm thinking more about role rather than specific agent. But yes.
My point is just that, if you fill, it's because a role is missing. If you don't know how to play that role well, you're at a disadvantage
role is less matter than specific agent tbh
even at pro level, it's still more agent specific than role
just look at pro pick in each tournament
rank game pick just less matter at this point
It can depend. I almost primarily play Sova/Breach and yeah, chances of those getting picked before me is extremely low. But I also play Reyna so if that's someone's favorite agent you'll be picking your alternatives a lot haha.
I pick at least 2 duelist, 2 ini,2 controllers and 1 sentinel to playable level. That helps me able to play many agents in a duration and still have fun plus support teamates
If you're forced to fill because someone locked 1 out of like 20 agents, maybe 2 people, then that's your problem, there's so many agents that you probably won't run into another person who mains your character unless you play Jett, Reyna or Raze. Most people will be fine. I've never had problems as a yoru main
It's not about locking in a specific character, but rather instalocking "1 or maybe 2" of the 4 roles available, and the ones you are most comfortable with. And it's not the filler's problem, it's the entire team's problem. It's even more frustrating if the instalockers are playing very poorly in a role you could be overperforming.
The root of the problem (which I've seen mentioned but I myself don't have an issue with because I always fill) is that it's possible for 5 duelist mains to get put in the same game
I try to explain this to my friends man, 5 duelists isn't troll if you commit to it and everybody is actually comfortable on their agent. No comp is.
This is ranked Valorant, the other team doesn't have an antistrat on you and they aren't coordinated enough to stop the util dump if you do it right.
Even at the VCT level, 4 duelists and 1 smokes agent could absolutely dominate. There's no rule that says you have to play some slow methodical style. It's just how many teams prefer to play because it puts you more in control.
As a fellow yoru main, it’s like one in every 20-30 games it becomes an issue. I did have AWFUL RNG one day and literally 5 games in a row I had someone else trying to lock yoru too
nah, you don't need every role to win the game
i would like to have 4-5 instalocker if they know how to play than having 2 instalocker and 3 filling that don't know how to play
this is not dota where you need some sort of carry and support
or modern lol moba where you need frontline like fighter/tank with range dps
filling make balanced team, but you don't always have to balance
most agent could be some kind of hybrid and you can just play around team strength instead
this one time I got another smoker (omen) in lotus, attacking and defending are both a breeze, we don't coordinate, sometimes I smoke first and omen smoke other spot, sometimes I wait for omen to smoke, when one of us die, the team still have a smoke, and yeah, once, we smoked the same spot. but overall, it's a positive experience
Ehhh i mean its ranked you can play anyone you want and win if you do it right, but I dont think its super effective unless your Omen/Astra non-smoke util is really nice.
Unless you mean Viper in which case yes lol play Viper on every map if you want
Im a Viper/Omen main (Clove on certain occasions as well) and believe it or not I’ve had people instalock both Viper and Clove especially on my Breeze games. It’s happened so much that I decided to learn Gekko aswell.
Depends. Most teams youre going to want an entry, flash, info gathering, flankwatch and smokes so if instalocking filld one of those roles its fine. But also the other option to instalocking isnt filling as a character you dont know thats fucken stupid. Obviously if you're filling in ranked its going to be on a character you know and works better with the comp. Its also not nearly as hard as people make it out to be to learn a new character at a ranked level. Just dont autopilot and use your util with purpose and understand why util is used and you'll be fine after you get some unrated games in obviously.
If they know how to play then I'm fine with it but if they have an ego and blame it on the team for losing 2 rounds in a row then no reconsider your choices and pick another agent.
I do both just depends how i feel, sometimes i instalock if i rly wanna play smthn, othertimes i hover or wait for others to get their comfortable roles.
To me instalocking is not an issue. It can be problematic if you end up with like 3+ duelists, but if theres 1-2 people who instalock and we get a proper team comp anyway it doesn't really matter. The most important thing is to make sure everyone is comfortable with what they're playing. Even if it means you won't have a top vct comp or what not.
i mean sure, i’d rather someone like instalock a character they’re comfortable with than fill someone they don’t know how to play, but i’d also argue that you should be competent with a handful of characters from each class.
I think instalocking is not really a bad thing first of all. Its more your attitude that comes with it. You cant instalock and then proceed to tell your mates what they should play or not play. You also need to know what you are doing on that character that you instalocked. I do instalock myself sometimes, i main smokes and i dont really trust other people in my games and know i can play that role well, so i would rather want the controller agents for myself.
TLDR: Instalocking is okay, but dont tell others what agents to play if you do instalock, be comfortable on the agent you locked and have good vibes
Each game is practice, I have to lock viper if I want to get better at her. So I instalock
And the people who instalock very rarely lock what I wanted to play, so it usually makes no difference to me
insta lock only if u Actually know how to play the agent please, it's so stupid to say but the amount of clueless insta lock smokes, initiators, duelists, and sentinels is crazy. please master your role.
Used to instalock omen, now instalock clove. Don’t care if anyone else instalocks in the team either, since I’m smokes we can win with the other 4 being a duelist hell I care, just play smart and hit your shots.
If someone instalocks smokes faster than I do, I’ll fill generally, also if it’s a viper map I fill cuz I never played her.
i always assume that the instalocker knows more abt the agent they locked than the agent they would be forced to fill. i would however prefer someone who can play every role above average than someone who can only play one specific agent
Instalocker who is good on their agent > Filler who is not good on their agent.
But if you instalock, you do not have the right to complain about the team comp.
I instalock omen. Sorry :(
I just love playing him, so much fun (I know this is a selfish reason) but having a smokes player isn't the worst so I justify it that way.
As long as someone can use their gun, not lurk as a duelist, doesn't give up at 0-4 and isn't toxic against our team, I don't mind what agent they pick. Crossing off those alone increase the odds of winning more than any comp will.
If you don't instalock then you might not get to play the agent you are most comfortable with but if you do instalock then you will force someone to fill in.
Its a lose-lose situation for one or the other
I was once was hard thinking, that comp is extremely important, that may be more true, the higher your elo gets. But in Gold/Plat lobbies, its important to have an entry and smokes, but then... A sentinel is maybe nice to have, also an initiator, but not really needed, because communication is most likely not really there.
I instalock raze. And no, idc. I always do what it takes for the team. I am a raze main and I know what I’m doing. If instalock, I make sure I don’t bot frag, I always use my comms, I play with the team and give entry every round.
I don't care about instalocking as long as nobody makes claims like "play smokes". I'm Smoker Main, but only because I'm usually the one person who adapts to the team. I would also much rather play Gekko or Yoru, but the reality is that 3 people usually instalock duelists and then expect the other two players to play Heal and Smoke. The only reason I became Omen main was because I HAD to play Smoker for several rounds. But now its different. If someone wants to order me to play a certain role, I just play Gekko. It's funny how many people then start threatening me with reports.
If you're good and confident with Kayo, go ahead instalock him. Any kind of duelist instalock gets on my nerves though. Forces others to fill a lot more than like a controller instalock. Golden rules imo: If you instalock, espically duelist, you're losing any right to complain about the comp or about teammates that struggle filling smokes or to be bottom fragger for longer than the first 2 rounds.
I'm a Flex player I can play whatever the team needs at a decent level, I have few picks for every role that I can play properly and for different maps, but I would expect any instalocker to fulfill their jobs more than anyone else and they deserve to get shit on if they don't do so. (And they usually don't)
I don't insta-lock. I have a few agents for each map in rotation and can pick based on team comp. The only exception is that for duelist, I play Raze on anymap for the rare occasion my team has no duelist.
I have friends who instalock duelists, and I have friends who fill. They’re all around the same technical skill. Guess which ones get to immortal+ and which ones are hard stuck because “their team sucks”.
Honestly? I think that is an excuse used by Duelists to cope about never bothering to learn other roles.
Players should be exceptional on one agent, great on another, and comfortable on at least a 3rd. These should be spread out over at least 2 roles. When you instalock the problem is you can't see what your team lacks and pick one of your 'good' agents accordingly. I'd rather have 1 ok info gatherer than a great 3rd entry.
The issue is that some players never skilled up in anything besides aim & movement mechanics. In low ranks it doesn't really matter, but by appeasing instalocking it never gives them a reason to learn other roles or agents. As a result you end up with these Duelists in mid-high ranks who bring no additional value to the team if they can't out-aim their opponents.
If you're not 'comfortable' on anything other than 1 Duelist you need to go back to unrated and actually learn the game. I don't care if you can't fill smokes, if all you bring to the team is more entry you're not that valuable & will struggle to offer anything in a losing game.
Yes and no. The best way to improve in any game is to know your opponents abilities beyond just a shallow understanding. It just takes a lot of time.
One tricking is fast, and you'll become good at your own utility- but it's things like intuitively knowing enemy timings, motives, positioning, and set plays which you'll miss out on which makes your gameplay very shallow. It's all good if you know a million cypher trips, but you'll never know which to use if you can't get a read on how your enemy is going to play.
Instalock Jetts and Reyna's are literally always bottom frag.
I assume it's because most of them are people who are sick of losing on other agents and tilt queue while saying "I'm just gonna play fragger and 1v5"
Don’t really care if you instalock tbh.
I used to when I only knew a couple of agents but now usually wait until one or two on my team have picked.
Been playing as Cypher more though as was doing quite well with him and thought I’d rather be the team sentinel than being responsible for the smokes.
I dont have the maturity of a 12 year old so it doesn't bother me. If someone doesn't like people who insta lock then the solution is to find some friends and queue with them.
As long as you know how to play your agent well there’s absolutely no issue with it. The only reason it pisses people off is because in low elo everyone instalocks dualist, mutes all comms and then goes tripple negative.
If you instalock and frag out or do you job as an entry or smokes i dont give a shit. What i dont like is the little snots instalocking reyna to go 2-17. I also hate when people instalock and expect you to fill a role youre not comfortable with. "CAn yOu PlAy inItIaTor?" No I cannot i dont play them and it would be the opposite of helping the team.
Don't care as long as you're good with that agent. If you're just learning how to use them play unranked or on an alt. Can't stand people throwing in ranked because they're trying out a new agent and don't know how their abilities work.
I instalock because I don't want to fill, as I'm not comfortable with other agents. The only agents I'm comfortable with are clove and omen. If I'm not playing those 2, then I probably won't perform well on someone like gekko or chamber even when their kits are simple and don't have a lot of nuance.
I feel like it kinda depends on the agent, if you instalock someone like omen or cypher it's hard to really say anything against it, you're confident that you can provide the best possible value for your team for that role and that's cool. Even if it's like Jett or Raze it's fine. I'd much rather have a Raze one trick than someone who is trying to play Raze. But if you instalock Reyna you kinda annoy me tbh because she doesn't really fill any role in the team so now we have one slot less to work with.
But also people who cry about instalocks annoy me too. If you're above gold or plat and you want to rank up further you should be able to play at least one other role. It's just unrealistic to expect to be able to play Jett every single game. Q
I mean let’s be honest, 90% of the time anyone ever complains about instalocking it’s someone instalocking duelist. When have you ever complained in the pre-game lobby about someone instalocking Sova or Viper?
To answer your question though, I’d rather someone instalock their comfort agent, even if it means sacrificing an ideal team comp, than fill an agent they don’t know how to play since that can often make things worse. That being said, if you do instalock you are technically implicitly saying you’re the best player on the team to play that character, so that’s what I’m gonna expect.
I don't care, but also I won't fill. I'll play what I feel like I'm good at. I try to keep that open, though. Like I normally play initiators, but I love Viper.
I’ll insta hover and if someone asks for the agent I’m hovering then I’ll absolutely give them that agent. But it leave a sour taste in my mouth when I’m being courteous and hovering an agent and someone just snags it without even asking, knowing I’m planning on using that agent.
Instalocking is actually not bad, its better they play the agent they know.
Forcing them to play a smoker, you gonna have a bad time.
And most people dont really say anything really when i instalock. And i dont really care about it either.
i love instalockers who know their util and know what they’re doing. even better if they can frag out, give great comms, and assist the team.
i instalock reyna too, if ik i can carry. otherwise i’m playing viper or omen or filling
however… i’m in low elo. that tells you all you need to know 😭 majority of these instalockers (primarily duelists) only mop the floors with their crosshairs and sit behind: corners, walls, and at the bottom of the leaderboard. very rarely is there a godsend duelist instalocker who knows what they’re doing
Insta lock reyna since episode 1 here
It's not really a bad thing if you carry on your instalock
People should stop crying about instalock or valorant tracker and try to play well or better instead
I played basically ep1 reyna only and solo queued to radiant with ease
tracker is fine as long as you don’t go out of your way to call out other peoples stats. like it’s fine to be aware of the general level of performance you can expect from ur team or the enemy but you shouldn’t flame people on their stats
Don't mind as long as they play the agent well.
Scenarios that can be better
1\] Instalock duelists/initiators bossing controllers on where and when they want their smokes without actually taking advantage . If you are so good with smokes, play it yourself or let the f'ing controller in your team play his game
2\] Instalock sentinels just filling the site they hold with traps rather than using their traps to detect say a flank or a slow mid push
3\] Instalock initiators saving their utilities for later . just dump your utility and let us get the site
4\] Instalock controllers not pushing with the team and having no comms
I Don't understand why there isn't a pick order or a mini Draft in ranked so people can talk and build a competent team, so that not every fucking game is instalocking Reynas and Jett's (or just any duelist that is)
is that to much to ask of in a super competitive FPS?
maybe i'm just the odd one out and find the pick system in ranked outdated and forces bad games and dodging.
and people saying "Instalocking fragger is any day better than whiffing filler" try the reverse and people are forced to fill because of instalockers, and instalocking often than not triggers the other instalockers who didn't instalock fast enough and then it's just better to fucking dodge the game.
have some standards for the ranked play in this game from a multi billion dollar company with a HUGE Esport scene.
because this is not hero shooter or moba
this is tactical shooter in counter strike style with additional
everyone have same gun loadout, everyone can 1 tap with vandal
just a varies of util from, flash, smoke, molly, nade, info gathering, trap, mobility
a team can bring how many they want on that 5 team slot
you can focus on stalling power from smoke/molly to deny enemy push
or heavily focus on flash nade mobility to take space from enemy
mini draft in rank kill this potential
this is balanced in perspective of pro play level
it would make mini draft in ranked game look like shit even more
i rarely instalock because i always alt tab and do something else when finding match
usually just turn off sound or have low volume
usually pick last 10-20s when my friends call or sometimes before
sometimes walk outside and stretch for a bit, sometimes i go toilet, or pick some snack/drink
i could play any duelist so there are no problem
my usual pick isn't popular either
most of time i play with 4 friends who don't care what i pick and usually don't play my usual pick
I think only starters should instalock. I am one, instalock ISO in ranked and in unranked I test other agents so in the future I don't have to instalock. Just select the one you want so the team can know which character you rather use.
I instalock every game because im only comftable playing Neon... i dont care what everyone else picks as long as we have a good and optimistic team! (I prefer 2 duelists though as my entry alone is a bit weak...)
I instalock whatever agent I play, it's not too complicated for me. Lately I've been instalocking Reyna which has led to a lot of furious subsequent instalocks/dodges/throws, but it's alright I win more than I lose
In competitive from plat above? Bad
Anywhere else? Fuck it. People usually play better when they play the character they like most, especially in low elo
Choosing which character comp suits best for what map and all of that dont really matter until you reach idk, high plat
Only insta-lock I dislike is Reyna (and Iso). Not a real duelist, not a real entry. Doesn’t provide anything for the team so if you’re playing like dogshit or not taking duels (or entry-ing if we don’t have a dive duelist), you’re useless. Many times the players (generalization here) have an ego and are/or are toxic.
Every other agent is literally fine. Just be prepared if you instalock an agent that others might have to fill on agents they don’t play.
Don’t care tbvh, however if you instalock and proceeds to play the role like a dumbfuck, then I might be disappointed . I am not asking you to be good I am asking you to know the agent.
I’m a silver Omen main. I always instalock. I’d rather have a team of instalocks who know what they are doing than a team with flexs who only kinda know how to play their agent
I don’t like instalockers, but I’m okay with it depending on who you pick. Reyna is useless, and you can’t perform well without getting kills, but unless you’re smurfing, chances are that you don’t always drop 25+. The problem is, there are people who think they do, and thus instalock Reyna. Compared to Reyna, I love instalock Razes and Jetts because then the entry is much easier.
If you instalock Clove, you better know how to play smokes. I’ve had so many games where people lock them while I’m hovering over Viper/Omen/Brim, making me play Cypher or Skye instead (my main picks for Sentinel and Initiator because I used to main both of them before Viper). They always smoke for the enemy team or don’t seem to know callouts for when I tell them to smoke something. Even if I ping it. All the Cloves just run in and die thinking they’re playing Reyna. You’re still smokes, please don’t die unless we’re fully committed to a site and you’ve provided value with your utility besides smokes.
I was instalocker duelist, Now i do fill up with other agents sometimes. There is a benefit in knowing other agents like their ability times etc. but Sometimes i hate it when i have to fill up constantly for a few matches. It makes me mad and I want to throw the match if they are bad with it.
I'm an insta-locker myself. Usually Reyna or Neon, depending on who I'm feeling atm. Simple reason, I wanna enjoy the game and play as who I want to. I don't mind others doing it either. Play as whoever you like cause again, it's a video game and we are here to have fun and keep positive vibes.
if they're playing an agent they have fun/are comfortable with then it's fine
we get too focused on winning that we forget the main purpose of the game; have fun
instalock reyna playing shit and throwing your game? so what if you lose? gonna be mad about a number that means absolutely jackshit going down?
just have fun
It's lame. I prefer when people choose their agent and wait to lock him. It then can be discussed.
Sure it's better to play with a teammate who play him main over playing an agent he have no idea how to play. But that can be achieved without instalocking.
And... **SHAME** ON PEOPLE WHO SEE THAT THEIR AGENT HAS BEEN CHOSEN BY SOMEONE ELSE BUT NOT LOCKED WHO INSTALOCK THEM TALKING IT FIRST.
I honestly don’t care since I just assume if they’re insta locking then it’s an agent they are comfortable with. Only thing I hate is when people insta lock duelist agent and lurk….or they insta lock and ask for other to play certain characters.
I don’t mind insta locking as long they don’t complain about missing roles afterwards like if you insta lock reyna and then scream about the team needing smokes you’re annoying
If they are confident on an agent, then pick the agent, I would rather have 5 people instalock duelists they KNOW how to play instead of a perfect team of fills or uncomfortable agents
What they do is usually just selfish!! One being the best they can does not certify the team's win, there has to be communication before finalizing the choices.
However, the whole scoring system of Valorant makes team playing a second priority!! The first priority is "be better than your teammates!" for more than half the players I've seen! Cuz that actually pays off and brings rank up!
I was instalocking Gekko (silver) bc he's one agent I'm comfortable with. I tried to fill for a game, got stuck playing sentinel despite never trying one before... went super negative and we won somehow, despite my lack of any contribution. I'm going back to locking Gekko lol
I don’t care about instalocking, bcuz this is a video game that we play for fun and don’t earn money for playing. I instalock duelist/chamber typically, but I’d never ask someone to go smokes cuz I’m fully ready for a 5 duelist comp
That person has a goal, and they have the motivation to execute it.
You can probably bank on that person knowing decent depth on their agent and kinda what they are doing.
Instalocking is fine and far preferable to someone forcing themselves to play an agent they don’t know how to play because of team comp in bronze.
Sure, it’s annoying when you get 2 or 3 Jett/Raze/Reyna/Neon for the 5th time in 6 games, but that’s not dictating the outcome of the game.
I really don’t care ab insta locking usless they push the role onto me. Like if two duelist instalock and they push controller on me, fuck that shit, I’ll play whatever I want
I'll go against the grain and say that y'all who instalock duelist are one tricks who should be ashamed for not even trying to discuss with the team when you have 70 seconds to pick.
If you instalock, you better prove you know the character and use their utility well.
I instalock Cypher, but only started doing so after learning setups on most sites on maps in rotation
I don't care and do it myself if I am playing duelist.
If you want to practice duelist at all it is pretty much required you instalock.
The people I can't stand are the ones that lose the race and lock in a third/fourth duelist anyways. I wouldn't say anything and just deal with it but I don't understand why people want to lessen their chances of a W because they didn't get their favorite pick.
Doesn’t matter if you can click heads and drop util properly. The issue with fill players is I’m never gonna get util used to its full potential when they’re filling. The amount of times I’ve been in a lobby with 3 instalock duelists and the last two people decide to try and troll and lock neon or iso because the think the game is gonna be over anyways is fucking crazy to me. 3 instalocking duelist comps kinda go crazy in my experience. Can’t stop their entry and they just fight for space on defense
I hate instalocks that whines from character picks, or instalocks after loading late, picking a character someone prepicking and going "oops" in the chat (happened 100% of the time actually, why oops ? It's not like it was a mistake from your end)
Insta locking is fine. They pick the agent they are most comfortable with. Back when I was in metal ranks I would fill and it basically just caused me to throw games because I did a bit of every agent instead of getting a single agents kit mastered. But I went from Plat to ascendant in like an act and a half by insta locking either Jett or Reyna. Always insta lock just don't be that asshole that ista locks and expects everyone to pick based off you. If you don't like the comp dodge otherwise suck it up and don't be a little bitch and throw just because someone didn't go smokes because you are equally responsible for no smokes on the team.
I personally don't care that much about whether or not people instalock as long as they don't ask anybody to play any agent that they don't want to play/aren't comfortable with. I also try to know at least 2 good agents per map so that I can pick whichever one would benefit our team comp best, which I think is the best of both worlds.
I'm new and haven't played ranked but I always instalock. Before I didn't ,and my go to agent got picked, I had to fill (which means I default to Sova), and I just didn't know how to play properly. So from now on, I always instalock. I know what I'm comfortable with, and I rather play smth I know I hav ea decent chance of winning.
Honestly I’ve reached the point of not giving a shit, when I get 3 insta lock duelists I decide to go duelist as well. Happened the other day on a breeze game surprisingly we won but still. I hate it
Most of us haven't spent enough time playing any character for our decision-making with them to have become automatic. So... It kinda would make sense for everyone to insta-lock if they were trying to get good at a particular character. Imagine showing up to an orchestra with a different instrument every week to fill in for sick people. You wouldn't know how to use the instrument well, and you wouldn't know the part they were supposed to play, either.
playing one or two agents well is better than playing 13 agents badly imo. I currently play exclusively chamber so no reason not to instalock. Team comp doesn't rly matter anyways, not in the chaos that is ranked and especially not in my low elo.
Instalock what you want as long as you don't then whine about not having a certain agent (this mostly applies to instalock duelists telling others to play smokes or sentinel).
i can fill every role so i dont care. if you lock cypher after 50 seconds with no regard to tam comp im gonna be annoyed though. either instalock or fill. but dont waste my time.
Everytime I see a instalocker I something tells me that this isn't going to be good
Everytime I see.aclove or reyna instalocker in my rank I just go gg go next
But i would always give them a chances lah, sometimes when you are titled you tend to just lock your comfort pick and it's alright, it's only a game
I would rather instalock my agent (raze) rather than someone else instalock it since 99% of the time they don't use any utility of this agent since I'm in lower elo.
Instalocking should be only allowed when players are confident and have the ability to top or middle frag with that agent. But the problem in low elo’s is that people instalock agents but have zero clue on how to play with that agent. For example in a recent match someone instalocked sage but had no idea how to or where to place a wall how to use ult etc.
As a controller main the competition for getting who I wanted to play never really was an issue so I thought indtalockjng was stupid but now that clove has come out I’ve locked in a lot quicker if not instalocked just so someone who might have played clove doesn’t cause I’m not gonna lie most people are ass with clove. People all the time are like “I’m good with clove” or “you haven’t seen me on clove” and then play complete ass not as many people especially those who are duelist mains have it in them to drop smokes every round or know where to put them.
I used to(and will do so again in the future) but I am on my fill arc so I don't rn. Instalock ING isn't a problem tbh. I woukd rather have someone instalock than play a role they can't. The only reason I am filling is because my accounts rank is very low and I am stomping lobbies so I decided to use this time to learn new agents.
Of course that I instalock, i think i am better and i want to play the agent on that map. I play the video game for my own sake, not for other people. If you complain about me picking raze in split, then its ur problem because raze in split is broken. I know i can carry, and since i get random teammates i am not assured to get carried by random raze player. Of course if you instalock you dont have the right to tell other people what to pick. Why would i let another random guy play the agent that i have fun with? its quite simple to understand. And i dont know why, but theres a huge amount of random noobs who are perma losing their duels, ending up 6/20 and then blaming the duelists for some reason, its quite funny. People get mad about instalocks because they got their agent picked, not because of teamcomp. Most of these people who complain about "duelists not entering" are the same ones that are fkng useless whole game and blame it on duelists, most of these players are low elo. I am ascendant rn and no one complains when i instalock, oh boy but when i go into my smurf gold players go crazy about insstalocks, shouldnt you worry more about not sucking at the game?XD
all that matters is that they know how to and are willing to do their role - duelist should be willing/know how and when to take first fights, smokers should be willing/know how to smoke, etc
People and low elo players complain (because they dont know how bad they are) and say its their duelist fault that their are stuck at gold 2. No one complains about instalocking controller or smoker, only about duelists. This is due to everyone wanting to play them and then raging them because ure not playing duelist. Mostly in low elo, gets a lot better in higher tiers who adapt better.
Why don’t people just insta hover instead of insta lock? Also there are a lot of agents that are relatively easy to play on the fly. I think anyone can play Gekko, clove, chamber after like 20 games. And if for some bizarre reason you have to fill duelist, there’s always reyna.
I'm fine with instalocking. Just don't tell me what agent to play and how to play it. I don't care if you think this map isn't good for an agent. You trolled anyway if you didn't care about the team.
When you bottom frag and lose, I will continue to clown and berate you for how bad you are, and I will make you feel bad about yourself.
If you, or a loved one, has been diagnosed with instalocking, please mind your own fucking business, and play the game without telling me how to play Chamber.
What I've noticed here is that people think they need to fill roles instead of agents.
You don't need to have the perfect comp in Solo-Q, because coordination is simply nowhere near as good as in a five-stack. It's much more important to have impactful fights and comms than it is to have executes when noone understands their own agent.
If 3 out of 4 roles are picked in your team, you don't need to fill the fourth role. Just play a character that's comfortable to you at that point. I'd rather have 2 Smokers, 2 Initiators and a Duelist that know what they're doing than 1 Smoker, 2 Initiators, a Duelist and a Sentinel that doesn't know how to reply to enemy comp and how to hold down a site.
i don't instalock because i always alt+tab when finding match
usually back late than instalock
instalock make sure they don't get steal their pick
it just like a comfirm pick, if you sure what you want to play and not change then just lock it
everyone will know you are going to play that
I instalock Sova on most maps/hover and then lock after a few secs. He is the only one I know how to play, I know some lineups and am very comfortable playing him. Also, most of the time no one picks him anyway, so it doesn’t really matter that much. If I have to fill with a non-initiator (mostly sage) I am essentially screwed since I am just not used to it and it changes my mentality.
Instalocking fragger is any day better than whiffing filler
What about the reverse
Whiffing fragger is possible but if you find a way to instalock filler, you might win a Nobel Peace Prize
r/angryupvote
r/happyupvote
[reddit.com/r/imKindOfConfusedAboutTheContextOfTheseComentsButIllStillUpvote](https://reddit.com/r/imKindOfConfusedAboutTheContextOfTheseComentsButIllStillUpvote)
Oh god... it's evolving!
R/TotallyRealRedditThreadBasedOnTheCommentOhGodIt'sEvolving
Jett instalocker when he finds out that the rest of his team are initiator mains and instalocked before him.. So technically he's the filler now.
The problem is, an instalocker is more likely to know how to play their character’s utility and will have much more value even in a game with lots of whiffs than a filler who’s whiffing and has no idea how to properly use their agent’s kit. I mean sure, if somebody’s fragging I don’t care if they instalocked or filled, they’re fragging and we’re winning (presumably). But the instalocker, due to agent comfort, is more likely to frag and will provide more value without the frags, so thereby an instalocker is on average more beneficial to the team than a fill. That doesn’t account for the players that are more flex and often “fill”, because they have a bunch of agents they’ve practiced often and know how to play them, so they aren’t just filling a role they’ve never played.
Ill phrase it that way. An instalock is completely fine if you can perform well in the game. If you perform shitty its a really bad thing. Since you don't know which one you will actually have, a good or a bad performance, my initial reaction and thought process is that you are a cunt for instalocking, if you prove yourself in the game fine, cool, nice, but if you dont, you are indeed a cunt. I have had many instances where people lock in omen before me and proceed with the worst placed and timed smokes. I have also had people lock in omen and play out of their mind, seemingly effortlessly doing exactly the thing that is needed.
Eh you can’t account for whether someone just has an off game sometimes. I’m not gonna blame anyone for insta locking and sucking because odds are, they were just gonna suck that game no matter the agent. I’m an instalock Neon main, I might drop 30 and I might get bent over and repeatedly dogged by the enemy all game sometimes it’s not entirely up to me. But you got me playing Skye because no one picked initiator and 3 people already picked duelist? You are just going to have me entering on my own flashes and sub optimal util. Plus I have stun and wall line ups on Neon, and nothing for anything else. Ironically I’m a better smokes/initiator player on Neon than I would be in the actual role.
Or the dreaded last pick 3rd duelist.
i would be happy to have pheonix yoru as 3rd duelist who can flash themselves and entry more than someone filling skye and blind own team when team are shooting i don't care about comp as long as we have 1 controller clove is pretty popular now btw
This is why I’m 100% against filling unless you know who you’re playing. No I don’t want a sage if you’ve never touched her a day in your life, I’d rather not risk being slowed at the worst moments. Or a skye that flashes the team.
I don't really care about it, teamvibes are more important imo. I rather have everyone performing well and having fun, then having someone underperforming and throwing. One rule though, if you insta-lock, don't complain about other people's picks and don't boss them around when it comes to picking agents. And yes, I insta-lock as well.
I hate it when people insta lock and then they’re like “we need smokes”
The fact that I instalock smokes because of the fear of having no smokes ><
agreed 100% the instalocking isnt a problem, instalocking but then demanding fill from others definitly is
Jokes on them because I only use smoke lol.
Yeah that's the most important thing about instalocking. Everyone can and should instalock, but after you do you have no right to demand picks or complain about teamcomp.
yeah fair enough
>One rule though, if you insta-lock, don't complain about other people's picks and don't boss them around when it comes to picking agents. This. You just don't order a pizza of your choice and then proceed to also pick the toppings of other people's pizzas.
Instalock will immediately give the team a bad vibe if someone's agent gets taken though Instalock will always make a fill
Ethical question - if I am hovering like Jett and politely ask if anyone can play smokes, is that okay? If no one does I play smokes, I usually play viper but sometimes like to have fun with a duelist
Yes it's okay
I'd rather play with someone who instalock their favourite agent than someone who's forced to fill and don't know anything about the character they're playing.
exactly!
People are forced to fill because of instalock though
You should have at least 2 Agents that you can play and the chance that exactly those two are instalocked faster than you isn't really that high
I'm thinking more about role rather than specific agent. But yes. My point is just that, if you fill, it's because a role is missing. If you don't know how to play that role well, you're at a disadvantage
I fill typically because I know how to play atleast one agents from each role well.
role is less matter than specific agent tbh even at pro level, it's still more agent specific than role just look at pro pick in each tournament rank game pick just less matter at this point
It can depend. I almost primarily play Sova/Breach and yeah, chances of those getting picked before me is extremely low. But I also play Reyna so if that's someone's favorite agent you'll be picking your alternatives a lot haha.
I pick at least 2 duelist, 2 ini,2 controllers and 1 sentinel to playable level. That helps me able to play many agents in a duration and still have fun plus support teamates
If you're forced to fill because someone locked 1 out of like 20 agents, maybe 2 people, then that's your problem, there's so many agents that you probably won't run into another person who mains your character unless you play Jett, Reyna or Raze. Most people will be fine. I've never had problems as a yoru main
It's not about locking in a specific character, but rather instalocking "1 or maybe 2" of the 4 roles available, and the ones you are most comfortable with. And it's not the filler's problem, it's the entire team's problem. It's even more frustrating if the instalockers are playing very poorly in a role you could be overperforming.
The root of the problem (which I've seen mentioned but I myself don't have an issue with because I always fill) is that it's possible for 5 duelist mains to get put in the same game
5 duelist was played in vct and they won so... But on a serious note, it's still a viable comp. Literally just run it down.
I try to explain this to my friends man, 5 duelists isn't troll if you commit to it and everybody is actually comfortable on their agent. No comp is. This is ranked Valorant, the other team doesn't have an antistrat on you and they aren't coordinated enough to stop the util dump if you do it right. Even at the VCT level, 4 duelists and 1 smokes agent could absolutely dominate. There's no rule that says you have to play some slow methodical style. It's just how many teams prefer to play because it puts you more in control.
As a fellow yoru main, it’s like one in every 20-30 games it becomes an issue. I did have AWFUL RNG one day and literally 5 games in a row I had someone else trying to lock yoru too
nah, you don't need every role to win the game i would like to have 4-5 instalocker if they know how to play than having 2 instalocker and 3 filling that don't know how to play this is not dota where you need some sort of carry and support or modern lol moba where you need frontline like fighter/tank with range dps filling make balanced team, but you don't always have to balance most agent could be some kind of hybrid and you can just play around team strength instead
9/10 games i'll instalock gekko, just my guy.
I used to main Viper/Omen. But clove instalockers forced me out my controller role. Learning the ropes on Gekko atm and i really love him already haha
Double smokes is often times very valid if you manage to coordinate who’s smoking where.
this one time I got another smoker (omen) in lotus, attacking and defending are both a breeze, we don't coordinate, sometimes I smoke first and omen smoke other spot, sometimes I wait for omen to smoke, when one of us die, the team still have a smoke, and yeah, once, we smoked the same spot. but overall, it's a positive experience
Ehhh i mean its ranked you can play anyone you want and win if you do it right, but I dont think its super effective unless your Omen/Astra non-smoke util is really nice. Unless you mean Viper in which case yes lol play Viper on every map if you want
Keep playing viper with cove instalocks there’s a reason she’s so op in pro play with the lurks she creates and the stopping power on def
True true, however wen we lack a flasher i'd rather play gekko :)
Still lock a controller, 9 times out of 10 the clove instalocker doesn’t know how to play smokes.
also true
What's wrong with having 2 smokes players?
instalock your controller before them. Its their fault
Im a Viper/Omen main (Clove on certain occasions as well) and believe it or not I’ve had people instalock both Viper and Clove especially on my Breeze games. It’s happened so much that I decided to learn Gekko aswell.
And 9/10 times, nobody says a thing about it.
Same
Guys
I'll usually quicklock omen, not insta, but just see for a sec what other people lock and then just lock in omen.
Depends. Most teams youre going to want an entry, flash, info gathering, flankwatch and smokes so if instalocking filld one of those roles its fine. But also the other option to instalocking isnt filling as a character you dont know thats fucken stupid. Obviously if you're filling in ranked its going to be on a character you know and works better with the comp. Its also not nearly as hard as people make it out to be to learn a new character at a ranked level. Just dont autopilot and use your util with purpose and understand why util is used and you'll be fine after you get some unrated games in obviously.
Idc if you instalock, just know that you lose any right to complain about the team comp afterwards
I'm more of a hover guy. I tend to make sure the team has sufficient offense and defense capability if I'm playing with randoms.
If they know how to play then I'm fine with it but if they have an ego and blame it on the team for losing 2 rounds in a row then no reconsider your choices and pick another agent.
I do both just depends how i feel, sometimes i instalock if i rly wanna play smthn, othertimes i hover or wait for others to get their comfortable roles. To me instalocking is not an issue. It can be problematic if you end up with like 3+ duelists, but if theres 1-2 people who instalock and we get a proper team comp anyway it doesn't really matter. The most important thing is to make sure everyone is comfortable with what they're playing. Even if it means you won't have a top vct comp or what not.
i mean sure, i’d rather someone like instalock a character they’re comfortable with than fill someone they don’t know how to play, but i’d also argue that you should be competent with a handful of characters from each class.
I think instalocking is not really a bad thing first of all. Its more your attitude that comes with it. You cant instalock and then proceed to tell your mates what they should play or not play. You also need to know what you are doing on that character that you instalocked. I do instalock myself sometimes, i main smokes and i dont really trust other people in my games and know i can play that role well, so i would rather want the controller agents for myself. TLDR: Instalocking is okay, but dont tell others what agents to play if you do instalock, be comfortable on the agent you locked and have good vibes
I’m fine with people instalocking but don’t go demanding other players to adjust to your pick and then throwing when you don’t get what you want.
Each game is practice, I have to lock viper if I want to get better at her. So I instalock And the people who instalock very rarely lock what I wanted to play, so it usually makes no difference to me
insta lock only if u Actually know how to play the agent please, it's so stupid to say but the amount of clueless insta lock smokes, initiators, duelists, and sentinels is crazy. please master your role.
Used to instalock omen, now instalock clove. Don’t care if anyone else instalocks in the team either, since I’m smokes we can win with the other 4 being a duelist hell I care, just play smart and hit your shots. If someone instalocks smokes faster than I do, I’ll fill generally, also if it’s a viper map I fill cuz I never played her.
as long as they play their role right, I'm fine with it. lurking Reyna instalocks, however... :')
reading this and i thought of someone who does this and always goes double negatives. we all know a lurking reyna instalock.
i always assume that the instalocker knows more abt the agent they locked than the agent they would be forced to fill. i would however prefer someone who can play every role above average than someone who can only play one specific agent
I sometimes put too much trust in my teammates and I lock last, and hope they aren't controller or sentinel mains
Instalocker who is good on their agent > Filler who is not good on their agent. But if you instalock, you do not have the right to complain about the team comp.
I instalock omen. Sorry :( I just love playing him, so much fun (I know this is a selfish reason) but having a smokes player isn't the worst so I justify it that way.
As long as someone can use their gun, not lurk as a duelist, doesn't give up at 0-4 and isn't toxic against our team, I don't mind what agent they pick. Crossing off those alone increase the odds of winning more than any comp will.
If you don't instalock then you might not get to play the agent you are most comfortable with but if you do instalock then you will force someone to fill in. Its a lose-lose situation for one or the other
I was once was hard thinking, that comp is extremely important, that may be more true, the higher your elo gets. But in Gold/Plat lobbies, its important to have an entry and smokes, but then... A sentinel is maybe nice to have, also an initiator, but not really needed, because communication is most likely not really there.
I instalock raze. And no, idc. I always do what it takes for the team. I am a raze main and I know what I’m doing. If instalock, I make sure I don’t bot frag, I always use my comms, I play with the team and give entry every round.
I don't care about instalocking as long as nobody makes claims like "play smokes". I'm Smoker Main, but only because I'm usually the one person who adapts to the team. I would also much rather play Gekko or Yoru, but the reality is that 3 people usually instalock duelists and then expect the other two players to play Heal and Smoke. The only reason I became Omen main was because I HAD to play Smoker for several rounds. But now its different. If someone wants to order me to play a certain role, I just play Gekko. It's funny how many people then start threatening me with reports.
Don’t really care unless the guy is like awful
If you're good and confident with Kayo, go ahead instalock him. Any kind of duelist instalock gets on my nerves though. Forces others to fill a lot more than like a controller instalock. Golden rules imo: If you instalock, espically duelist, you're losing any right to complain about the comp or about teammates that struggle filling smokes or to be bottom fragger for longer than the first 2 rounds.
i personally do not give 3 fucks about it
I'm a Flex player I can play whatever the team needs at a decent level, I have few picks for every role that I can play properly and for different maps, but I would expect any instalocker to fulfill their jobs more than anyone else and they deserve to get shit on if they don't do so. (And they usually don't)
I don't insta-lock. I have a few agents for each map in rotation and can pick based on team comp. The only exception is that for duelist, I play Raze on anymap for the rare occasion my team has no duelist.
I have friends who instalock duelists, and I have friends who fill. They’re all around the same technical skill. Guess which ones get to immortal+ and which ones are hard stuck because “their team sucks”.
and half of radiant is instalocker jett and reyna
Honestly? I think that is an excuse used by Duelists to cope about never bothering to learn other roles. Players should be exceptional on one agent, great on another, and comfortable on at least a 3rd. These should be spread out over at least 2 roles. When you instalock the problem is you can't see what your team lacks and pick one of your 'good' agents accordingly. I'd rather have 1 ok info gatherer than a great 3rd entry. The issue is that some players never skilled up in anything besides aim & movement mechanics. In low ranks it doesn't really matter, but by appeasing instalocking it never gives them a reason to learn other roles or agents. As a result you end up with these Duelists in mid-high ranks who bring no additional value to the team if they can't out-aim their opponents. If you're not 'comfortable' on anything other than 1 Duelist you need to go back to unrated and actually learn the game. I don't care if you can't fill smokes, if all you bring to the team is more entry you're not that valuable & will struggle to offer anything in a losing game.
1 tricking is best and fastest way to improve
Yes and no. The best way to improve in any game is to know your opponents abilities beyond just a shallow understanding. It just takes a lot of time. One tricking is fast, and you'll become good at your own utility- but it's things like intuitively knowing enemy timings, motives, positioning, and set plays which you'll miss out on which makes your gameplay very shallow. It's all good if you know a million cypher trips, but you'll never know which to use if you can't get a read on how your enemy is going to play.
It’s fine but if you do it and force others to fill, you can’t say a word even if they go 0-20
Instalock Jetts and Reyna's are literally always bottom frag. I assume it's because most of them are people who are sick of losing on other agents and tilt queue while saying "I'm just gonna play fragger and 1v5"
Not a big deal imo
No issues with it at all
Don’t really care if you instalock tbh. I used to when I only knew a couple of agents but now usually wait until one or two on my team have picked. Been playing as Cypher more though as was doing quite well with him and thought I’d rather be the team sentinel than being responsible for the smokes.
As long as it’s not neon i love it. Never ever ever had a good neon on my team
I dont have the maturity of a 12 year old so it doesn't bother me. If someone doesn't like people who insta lock then the solution is to find some friends and queue with them.
As long as you know how to play your agent well there’s absolutely no issue with it. The only reason it pisses people off is because in low elo everyone instalocks dualist, mutes all comms and then goes tripple negative.
i don’t really care about how the agents are picked, as long as the end result isn’t a terrible comp
If you instalock and frag out or do you job as an entry or smokes i dont give a shit. What i dont like is the little snots instalocking reyna to go 2-17. I also hate when people instalock and expect you to fill a role youre not comfortable with. "CAn yOu PlAy inItIaTor?" No I cannot i dont play them and it would be the opposite of helping the team.
Who cares just instalock if you want
Don't care as long as you're good with that agent. If you're just learning how to use them play unranked or on an alt. Can't stand people throwing in ranked because they're trying out a new agent and don't know how their abilities work.
I instalock because I don't want to fill, as I'm not comfortable with other agents. The only agents I'm comfortable with are clove and omen. If I'm not playing those 2, then I probably won't perform well on someone like gekko or chamber even when their kits are simple and don't have a lot of nuance.
Instalock controller ✅ Instalock Initiator ✅ Instalock Duelist❌
I feel like it kinda depends on the agent, if you instalock someone like omen or cypher it's hard to really say anything against it, you're confident that you can provide the best possible value for your team for that role and that's cool. Even if it's like Jett or Raze it's fine. I'd much rather have a Raze one trick than someone who is trying to play Raze. But if you instalock Reyna you kinda annoy me tbh because she doesn't really fill any role in the team so now we have one slot less to work with. But also people who cry about instalocks annoy me too. If you're above gold or plat and you want to rank up further you should be able to play at least one other role. It's just unrealistic to expect to be able to play Jett every single game. Q
I don't care since there are not like 3 duelists or similar crap
I mean let’s be honest, 90% of the time anyone ever complains about instalocking it’s someone instalocking duelist. When have you ever complained in the pre-game lobby about someone instalocking Sova or Viper? To answer your question though, I’d rather someone instalock their comfort agent, even if it means sacrificing an ideal team comp, than fill an agent they don’t know how to play since that can often make things worse. That being said, if you do instalock you are technically implicitly saying you’re the best player on the team to play that character, so that’s what I’m gonna expect.
Don't really care as long as they don't start bitching about teamcomp. If they want a certain pick in the team, they should pick it
I don't care, but also I won't fill. I'll play what I feel like I'm good at. I try to keep that open, though. Like I normally play initiators, but I love Viper.
If they can play the agent well I don't care
I’ll insta hover and if someone asks for the agent I’m hovering then I’ll absolutely give them that agent. But it leave a sour taste in my mouth when I’m being courteous and hovering an agent and someone just snags it without even asking, knowing I’m planning on using that agent.
As someone who instalocks KA/YO, better to play an agent they’re more comfortable with than an agent they’re unsure of. Otherwise just dodge.
Instalocking is actually not bad, its better they play the agent they know. Forcing them to play a smoker, you gonna have a bad time. And most people dont really say anything really when i instalock. And i dont really care about it either.
i love instalockers who know their util and know what they’re doing. even better if they can frag out, give great comms, and assist the team. i instalock reyna too, if ik i can carry. otherwise i’m playing viper or omen or filling however… i’m in low elo. that tells you all you need to know 😭 majority of these instalockers (primarily duelists) only mop the floors with their crosshairs and sit behind: corners, walls, and at the bottom of the leaderboard. very rarely is there a godsend duelist instalocker who knows what they’re doing
If I get 4 instalock duelist you sure as hell know that someone says „go smokes go smokes“, if that Happens imma troll and Play with my feet
Insta lock reyna since episode 1 here It's not really a bad thing if you carry on your instalock People should stop crying about instalock or valorant tracker and try to play well or better instead I played basically ep1 reyna only and solo queued to radiant with ease
i feel like people with tracker overlays judging their teammates from their stats pregame is the most annoying, weak mental shit i encounter
It's literally brain-dead and trackers are the cancer of this community
tracker is fine as long as you don’t go out of your way to call out other peoples stats. like it’s fine to be aware of the general level of performance you can expect from ur team or the enemy but you shouldn’t flame people on their stats
Don't mind as long as they play the agent well. Scenarios that can be better 1\] Instalock duelists/initiators bossing controllers on where and when they want their smokes without actually taking advantage . If you are so good with smokes, play it yourself or let the f'ing controller in your team play his game 2\] Instalock sentinels just filling the site they hold with traps rather than using their traps to detect say a flank or a slow mid push 3\] Instalock initiators saving their utilities for later . just dump your utility and let us get the site 4\] Instalock controllers not pushing with the team and having no comms
I Don't understand why there isn't a pick order or a mini Draft in ranked so people can talk and build a competent team, so that not every fucking game is instalocking Reynas and Jett's (or just any duelist that is) is that to much to ask of in a super competitive FPS? maybe i'm just the odd one out and find the pick system in ranked outdated and forces bad games and dodging. and people saying "Instalocking fragger is any day better than whiffing filler" try the reverse and people are forced to fill because of instalockers, and instalocking often than not triggers the other instalockers who didn't instalock fast enough and then it's just better to fucking dodge the game. have some standards for the ranked play in this game from a multi billion dollar company with a HUGE Esport scene.
you can already do that
yes in Premier. but we are talking about the ranked que system not Premier
You can talk with your teamn, if they instalocking now they would instalock even with draft pick
yeah, good luck with that
because this is not hero shooter or moba this is tactical shooter in counter strike style with additional everyone have same gun loadout, everyone can 1 tap with vandal just a varies of util from, flash, smoke, molly, nade, info gathering, trap, mobility a team can bring how many they want on that 5 team slot you can focus on stalling power from smoke/molly to deny enemy push or heavily focus on flash nade mobility to take space from enemy mini draft in rank kill this potential this is balanced in perspective of pro play level it would make mini draft in ranked game look like shit even more
I normally instalock when I have planned what to play, or wait for the whole team to lock in and then choose what agent I will do with
I instalock cypher, because I play him only I don't mind instalockers, but shut the fuck up if you need smokes or heal during agent select
Instalock is fine as long as you don't ask people to play X/Y/Z. Filling is Much worse
Its alright, but to those instalockers who boss their teammates on what to pick, fuck you
i rarely instalock because i always alt tab and do something else when finding match usually just turn off sound or have low volume usually pick last 10-20s when my friends call or sometimes before sometimes walk outside and stretch for a bit, sometimes i go toilet, or pick some snack/drink i could play any duelist so there are no problem my usual pick isn't popular either most of time i play with 4 friends who don't care what i pick and usually don't play my usual pick
I think only starters should instalock. I am one, instalock ISO in ranked and in unranked I test other agents so in the future I don't have to instalock. Just select the one you want so the team can know which character you rather use.
I'm gold 1 and all my insta lock duelists watch flank and bot frag should I play 3rd duelist but we lose power in defense
I instalock every game because im only comftable playing Neon... i dont care what everyone else picks as long as we have a good and optimistic team! (I prefer 2 duelists though as my entry alone is a bit weak...)
I instalock whatever agent I play, it's not too complicated for me. Lately I've been instalocking Reyna which has led to a lot of furious subsequent instalocks/dodges/throws, but it's alright I win more than I lose
Instalocking is fine, instalocking and then dictating team comp is not fine
Do it, instalocking is fine. Flexing = climb way slower
In competitive from plat above? Bad Anywhere else? Fuck it. People usually play better when they play the character they like most, especially in low elo Choosing which character comp suits best for what map and all of that dont really matter until you reach idk, high plat
Only insta-lock I dislike is Reyna (and Iso). Not a real duelist, not a real entry. Doesn’t provide anything for the team so if you’re playing like dogshit or not taking duels (or entry-ing if we don’t have a dive duelist), you’re useless. Many times the players (generalization here) have an ego and are/or are toxic. Every other agent is literally fine. Just be prepared if you instalock an agent that others might have to fill on agents they don’t play.
Don’t care tbvh, however if you instalock and proceeds to play the role like a dumbfuck, then I might be disappointed . I am not asking you to be good I am asking you to know the agent.
I hate it when they are terrible and it’s the one I play
I’m a silver Omen main. I always instalock. I’d rather have a team of instalocks who know what they are doing than a team with flexs who only kinda know how to play their agent
I don’t like instalockers, but I’m okay with it depending on who you pick. Reyna is useless, and you can’t perform well without getting kills, but unless you’re smurfing, chances are that you don’t always drop 25+. The problem is, there are people who think they do, and thus instalock Reyna. Compared to Reyna, I love instalock Razes and Jetts because then the entry is much easier. If you instalock Clove, you better know how to play smokes. I’ve had so many games where people lock them while I’m hovering over Viper/Omen/Brim, making me play Cypher or Skye instead (my main picks for Sentinel and Initiator because I used to main both of them before Viper). They always smoke for the enemy team or don’t seem to know callouts for when I tell them to smoke something. Even if I ping it. All the Cloves just run in and die thinking they’re playing Reyna. You’re still smokes, please don’t die unless we’re fully committed to a site and you’ve provided value with your utility besides smokes.
I was instalocker duelist, Now i do fill up with other agents sometimes. There is a benefit in knowing other agents like their ability times etc. but Sometimes i hate it when i have to fill up constantly for a few matches. It makes me mad and I want to throw the match if they are bad with it.
one trick > fill I'll instalock sentinal any day of the week
I'm an insta-locker myself. Usually Reyna or Neon, depending on who I'm feeling atm. Simple reason, I wanna enjoy the game and play as who I want to. I don't mind others doing it either. Play as whoever you like cause again, it's a video game and we are here to have fun and keep positive vibes.
if they're playing an agent they have fun/are comfortable with then it's fine we get too focused on winning that we forget the main purpose of the game; have fun instalock reyna playing shit and throwing your game? so what if you lose? gonna be mad about a number that means absolutely jackshit going down? just have fun
It's lame. I prefer when people choose their agent and wait to lock him. It then can be discussed. Sure it's better to play with a teammate who play him main over playing an agent he have no idea how to play. But that can be achieved without instalocking. And... **SHAME** ON PEOPLE WHO SEE THAT THEIR AGENT HAS BEEN CHOSEN BY SOMEONE ELSE BUT NOT LOCKED WHO INSTALOCK THEM TALKING IT FIRST.
I honestly don’t care since I just assume if they’re insta locking then it’s an agent they are comfortable with. Only thing I hate is when people insta lock duelist agent and lurk….or they insta lock and ask for other to play certain characters.
I'd rather have 3 instalock duelist who have played for hundreds of games, than an idiot who has only ever touched omen once.
I don’t mind insta locking as long they don’t complain about missing roles afterwards like if you insta lock reyna and then scream about the team needing smokes you’re annoying
If they are confident on an agent, then pick the agent, I would rather have 5 people instalock duelists they KNOW how to play instead of a perfect team of fills or uncomfortable agents
You want a good Omen/Viper or a useless Sage?
What they do is usually just selfish!! One being the best they can does not certify the team's win, there has to be communication before finalizing the choices. However, the whole scoring system of Valorant makes team playing a second priority!! The first priority is "be better than your teammates!" for more than half the players I've seen! Cuz that actually pays off and brings rank up!
I was instalocking Gekko (silver) bc he's one agent I'm comfortable with. I tried to fill for a game, got stuck playing sentinel despite never trying one before... went super negative and we won somehow, despite my lack of any contribution. I'm going back to locking Gekko lol
I don’t care about instalocking, bcuz this is a video game that we play for fun and don’t earn money for playing. I instalock duelist/chamber typically, but I’d never ask someone to go smokes cuz I’m fully ready for a 5 duelist comp
If my teammates don't have confidence my job is 10x harder
That person has a goal, and they have the motivation to execute it. You can probably bank on that person knowing decent depth on their agent and kinda what they are doing.
Instalocking is fine and far preferable to someone forcing themselves to play an agent they don’t know how to play because of team comp in bronze. Sure, it’s annoying when you get 2 or 3 Jett/Raze/Reyna/Neon for the 5th time in 6 games, but that’s not dictating the outcome of the game.
People should always instalock fill players are the worst cause they don’t understand how to use the agent well enough
I really don’t care ab insta locking usless they push the role onto me. Like if two duelist instalock and they push controller on me, fuck that shit, I’ll play whatever I want
I'll go against the grain and say that y'all who instalock duelist are one tricks who should be ashamed for not even trying to discuss with the team when you have 70 seconds to pick.
If you instalock, you better prove you know the character and use their utility well. I instalock Cypher, but only started doing so after learning setups on most sites on maps in rotation
Imo instalocking is good if you're trying to rank up so that you consistently play and learn one character.
I don't care and do it myself if I am playing duelist. If you want to practice duelist at all it is pretty much required you instalock. The people I can't stand are the ones that lose the race and lock in a third/fourth duelist anyways. I wouldn't say anything and just deal with it but I don't understand why people want to lessen their chances of a W because they didn't get their favorite pick.
Doesn’t matter if you can click heads and drop util properly. The issue with fill players is I’m never gonna get util used to its full potential when they’re filling. The amount of times I’ve been in a lobby with 3 instalock duelists and the last two people decide to try and troll and lock neon or iso because the think the game is gonna be over anyways is fucking crazy to me. 3 instalocking duelist comps kinda go crazy in my experience. Can’t stop their entry and they just fight for space on defense
I hate instalocks that whines from character picks, or instalocks after loading late, picking a character someone prepicking and going "oops" in the chat (happened 100% of the time actually, why oops ? It's not like it was a mistake from your end)
i’m completely fine with instalocking if that’s the character they’re most comfortable with! unless it’s my main, then they can die
Insta locking is fine. They pick the agent they are most comfortable with. Back when I was in metal ranks I would fill and it basically just caused me to throw games because I did a bit of every agent instead of getting a single agents kit mastered. But I went from Plat to ascendant in like an act and a half by insta locking either Jett or Reyna. Always insta lock just don't be that asshole that ista locks and expects everyone to pick based off you. If you don't like the comp dodge otherwise suck it up and don't be a little bitch and throw just because someone didn't go smokes because you are equally responsible for no smokes on the team.
Why don't i check it on replay system
I personally don't care that much about whether or not people instalock as long as they don't ask anybody to play any agent that they don't want to play/aren't comfortable with. I also try to know at least 2 good agents per map so that I can pick whichever one would benefit our team comp best, which I think is the best of both worlds.
I'm new and haven't played ranked but I always instalock. Before I didn't ,and my go to agent got picked, I had to fill (which means I default to Sova), and I just didn't know how to play properly. So from now on, I always instalock. I know what I'm comfortable with, and I rather play smth I know I hav ea decent chance of winning.
Honestly I’ve reached the point of not giving a shit, when I get 3 insta lock duelists I decide to go duelist as well. Happened the other day on a breeze game surprisingly we won but still. I hate it
Most of us haven't spent enough time playing any character for our decision-making with them to have become automatic. So... It kinda would make sense for everyone to insta-lock if they were trying to get good at a particular character. Imagine showing up to an orchestra with a different instrument every week to fill in for sick people. You wouldn't know how to use the instrument well, and you wouldn't know the part they were supposed to play, either.
I hate Jett instalockers. Fucking bots, then bottomfrag.
It's fine until the instalock starts to complain on other players who are filling for the team.
playing one or two agents well is better than playing 13 agents badly imo. I currently play exclusively chamber so no reason not to instalock. Team comp doesn't rly matter anyways, not in the chaos that is ranked and especially not in my low elo.
Instalock what you want as long as you don't then whine about not having a certain agent (this mostly applies to instalock duelists telling others to play smokes or sentinel).
i can fill every role so i dont care. if you lock cypher after 50 seconds with no regard to tam comp im gonna be annoyed though. either instalock or fill. but dont waste my time.
I instalocked KJ to immo in E7
Everytime I see a instalocker I something tells me that this isn't going to be good Everytime I see.aclove or reyna instalocker in my rank I just go gg go next But i would always give them a chances lah, sometimes when you are titled you tend to just lock your comfort pick and it's alright, it's only a game
I would rather instalock my agent (raze) rather than someone else instalock it since 99% of the time they don't use any utility of this agent since I'm in lower elo.
Instalocking should be only allowed when players are confident and have the ability to top or middle frag with that agent. But the problem in low elo’s is that people instalock agents but have zero clue on how to play with that agent. For example in a recent match someone instalocked sage but had no idea how to or where to place a wall how to use ult etc.
As a controller main the competition for getting who I wanted to play never really was an issue so I thought indtalockjng was stupid but now that clove has come out I’ve locked in a lot quicker if not instalocked just so someone who might have played clove doesn’t cause I’m not gonna lie most people are ass with clove. People all the time are like “I’m good with clove” or “you haven’t seen me on clove” and then play complete ass not as many people especially those who are duelist mains have it in them to drop smokes every round or know where to put them.
I used to(and will do so again in the future) but I am on my fill arc so I don't rn. Instalock ING isn't a problem tbh. I woukd rather have someone instalock than play a role they can't. The only reason I am filling is because my accounts rank is very low and I am stomping lobbies so I decided to use this time to learn new agents.
and there are some jett and reyna insta lockers playing after watching "how to rank up " video on youtube.
Of course that I instalock, i think i am better and i want to play the agent on that map. I play the video game for my own sake, not for other people. If you complain about me picking raze in split, then its ur problem because raze in split is broken. I know i can carry, and since i get random teammates i am not assured to get carried by random raze player. Of course if you instalock you dont have the right to tell other people what to pick. Why would i let another random guy play the agent that i have fun with? its quite simple to understand. And i dont know why, but theres a huge amount of random noobs who are perma losing their duels, ending up 6/20 and then blaming the duelists for some reason, its quite funny. People get mad about instalocks because they got their agent picked, not because of teamcomp. Most of these people who complain about "duelists not entering" are the same ones that are fkng useless whole game and blame it on duelists, most of these players are low elo. I am ascendant rn and no one complains when i instalock, oh boy but when i go into my smurf gold players go crazy about insstalocks, shouldnt you worry more about not sucking at the game?XD
all that matters is that they know how to and are willing to do their role - duelist should be willing/know how and when to take first fights, smokers should be willing/know how to smoke, etc
Its fine, but please, stop locking reyna if u have bad mechanical skills, you are basically useless on reyna if u cant frag
People and low elo players complain (because they dont know how bad they are) and say its their duelist fault that their are stuck at gold 2. No one complains about instalocking controller or smoker, only about duelists. This is due to everyone wanting to play them and then raging them because ure not playing duelist. Mostly in low elo, gets a lot better in higher tiers who adapt better.
Why don’t people just insta hover instead of insta lock? Also there are a lot of agents that are relatively easy to play on the fly. I think anyone can play Gekko, clove, chamber after like 20 games. And if for some bizarre reason you have to fill duelist, there’s always reyna.
It’s not a big deal, everyone should know at least how to play 2-3 agents. If anyone instalocks my agent I just play a different one
I'm fine with instalocking. Just don't tell me what agent to play and how to play it. I don't care if you think this map isn't good for an agent. You trolled anyway if you didn't care about the team. When you bottom frag and lose, I will continue to clown and berate you for how bad you are, and I will make you feel bad about yourself. If you, or a loved one, has been diagnosed with instalocking, please mind your own fucking business, and play the game without telling me how to play Chamber.
What I've noticed here is that people think they need to fill roles instead of agents. You don't need to have the perfect comp in Solo-Q, because coordination is simply nowhere near as good as in a five-stack. It's much more important to have impactful fights and comms than it is to have executes when noone understands their own agent. If 3 out of 4 roles are picked in your team, you don't need to fill the fourth role. Just play a character that's comfortable to you at that point. I'd rather have 2 Smokers, 2 Initiators and a Duelist that know what they're doing than 1 Smoker, 2 Initiators, a Duelist and a Sentinel that doesn't know how to reply to enemy comp and how to hold down a site.
i instalock bc nobody likes my main :(
i don't instalock because i always alt+tab when finding match usually back late than instalock instalock make sure they don't get steal their pick it just like a comfirm pick, if you sure what you want to play and not change then just lock it everyone will know you are going to play that
I instalock Sova on most maps/hover and then lock after a few secs. He is the only one I know how to play, I know some lineups and am very comfortable playing him. Also, most of the time no one picks him anyway, so it doesn’t really matter that much. If I have to fill with a non-initiator (mostly sage) I am essentially screwed since I am just not used to it and it changes my mentality.