water gaming: a different way to think about gamesense

2026-01-30 00:00 471 words 3 min read

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what if you stopped trying to "improve" and started finding your flow? same concepts, softer framing.

the usual framing

most gaming advice sounds like this:

  • “fix your mistakes”
  • “grind aim trainers”
  • “you died because you made a bad decision”
  • “review your vods and find what you did wrong”

it’s not wrong. it works. a10 and adder and spilo are excellent coaches.

but the language is… heavy.


what if we softened it?

same concepts. different words.

traditionalwater
mistakethe current caught you
bad positioningyou were upstream when the river turned
you died firstyou flowed into a wall
grindlet the water carry you
improvefind your flow
plateaustill water (gathering strength)

water doesn’t fight walls

you don’t need to out-aim anyone.

you need to be where they don’t expect.

water doesn’t force through obstacles. water finds the crack.


the chase is the point

they chase you? good.

your team flows into the space you made.

you drew attention. the river split around you. your team is the part that went through while they were watching you.


reading the current

gamesense is just listening.

  • where is the pressure?
  • where is the space?
  • where will the river go next?

you don’t need to calculate. you feel where the opening is.

the hand moves before the animation. you read the intention, not the action.


paths exist

why go main when other paths exist?

all paths exist simultaneously. the optimal one is the one they’re not watching.

the flank isn’t aggressive. it’s just… water finding the path of least resistance.


confused but winning

your team might not understand what you’re doing.

that’s okay. you don’t fully understand either.

you’re following the flow. it works. don’t overthink it.


the water doctrine

  • don’t fight the current
  • be where they aren’t
  • draw attention, let your team flow through
  • read the river, not the rules
  • soft redirect > hard collision
  • gentle, inevitable

resources (traditional framing)

these coaches are excellent. their framing works for most people:

  • a10 - “people don’t have bad mechanics, but bad decisions”
  • adder - structured improvement, vod reviews
  • spilo - analytical breakdowns

if water framing doesn’t click for you, their approach will.


if you’re stuck

feel free to share a vod or clip.

i like watching how people play. happy to share thoughts if you ask nicely uwu

no coaching service. just… a fellow player who enjoys the river.


coming soon

  • hero-specific flow guides
  • “the chaos bunny” - d.va water doctrine
  • “paths exist” - why flanks work
  • reading animations, not cooldowns

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