Before Tarkov, I was really into the pro-scene of Starcraft 2. Pffft that's an RTS, Tarkov is a FPS! Totally different bro!
Day9 ran a near-daily stream showing the professional perspective used to scrutinize games and self-evaluate your own skills. The dailies were so good, he could edit and package them as a DIY coaching seminar. A lot of the ideas he discussed are transferable to – any – discussion about gaming tactics/strategy.
For example:
What are the start locations? In a competitive RTS, there can be between 2 and 8 (or more), depending on the map. But pro games are 1v1, which means depending on the map, you know exactly where your opponent starts, or where they will likely be (especially after changes where opponents couldn't spawn adjacent to you).
- Ok, so let's take Shoreline. This map can have between 9 and 12 opponents, with 15 PMC spawn locations.
- Everyone moves at roughly the same speed, no one can "rush" anymore than you can. It comes down to where do you start, where do you want to go, and how do you choose to get there. Pathing matters.
- It takes about 6 minutes to cross the map on foot at top speed (Tunnel to CCP Temp). By the 45 minute mark, with 5 minutes elapsed, you ought to consider that every player, from every spawn location, could functionally be anywhere on the map.
- After 10 minutes, it is possible to have nearly crossed the map, and then nearly crossed it again
- After 15 minutes, etc etc
- But we can be smart; we know some locations are higher value than others (loot) and some locations are quest objectives. Large portions of the map are bereft of anything and reliably empty.
What do players start with? What are their capabilities to kill you – and what are their capabilities to resist being killed by you?
- do you treat all opponents the same – regardless of their kit?
- What percentage of your encounters are so sudden you don't have time – or it doesn't matter – what your opponent's kit is?
- Are you ever surprised by an encounter – weren't expecting it and did not receive any information about how to have prevented it, or what to do differently?
Throw into the mix PMCs with wildly chaotic playstyles and differences:
- Pistolings who're only pursuing the loot areas without regard to personal safety
- CHADs looking to PVP, armed and geared to the teeth
- RATs looking to loot but are slower and more deliberate
- Bored players who want to camp a spot and snipe
So in a map with so many variables, who 'could' have the same tools you have, who 'probably' move at your same speed, who 'could' be anywhere, who 'probably' have the same map knowledge as you, etc etc
My point of all of the above is to demonstrate that not only is the start of an EFT raid a very complex thing, but due to the varied movements, goals, and strategies of the various players, and how mobile they are, to talk about something like "game sense" – oh yea it's the X minute mark, I should move before another PMC gets here. Then I need to do Y in this limited timing window, before Z happens. – is completely preposterous.
Because it is not possible to know what every player is doing,
Because there are so many players who could be doing so much,
Because so much is out of any player's hands or control,
Then yes, skepticism that any player could perform at the levels demonstrated is valid.
NOOOO! I watched this YT video that showed optimal loot pathing and I follow it perfectly and I never make mistakes!
But that's just it; even if you're following an ideal, optimized formula, there is no guarantee everyone else is. Suppose a PMC decided to loot 3rd floor first, and then come down to 2nd floor? That extra delay means you thought the hallway was clear, but as you're unlocking the door they round the corner and pop you. And you'd never have known it wasn't safe.
The absence of these random "getting Tarkov'd" encounters is suspicious.
The absence of, four minutes in, dying from an unseen shooter – game is over – moments is suspicious.
The gunning down of teams of other players – being in a great position just at the right time for an event no one knew was going to happen – is suspicious.
So if you told me the following, I would agree it was very plausible and even likely:
- Worrun and every other top streamer have ESP cheats to know where everyone else is. They have it so they can "make encounters happen", to make their stream more exciting. They have them so they can avoid encounters if they want to have a slower moment – pacing their stream like a narrative. They have them to see if a loot spot has been hit already – to save themselves time.
- They have push-to-activate aim assist, so they don't look like amateurs. I'm not saying they are – Lvndmark's playtime is nuts. But fatigue isn't a thing? They don't view these cheats as "aids" so their stream shows them always playing at their best? Just because they're tired doesn't mean they shouldn't be allowed to make themselves look their best.
- BSG is in on it. They want their game to be seen as being played at the topmost skill level, and they sanction the use of these cheats to allow their game to be seen consistently at those levels. These things can't be left to chance.
So no, big crackdowns on cheater providers won't affect streamers, because the dev's provided them the admin tools.
But Pestily raises money for charity! Great! That doesn't mean he can't also be a cheater.
