Part 5: Versatility, Gaps, and Goals

Tim

What makes the Subliners unique?

Boble

Are you talking about the roster or are you talking about overall?

Tim

Let's start overall.

Boble

Some of the people helping us behind the scenes were at the forefront of MLG. They were the ones that started all of this and without them, a lot of us probably wouldn't be here today. Having that wealth of experience and knowledge is something that definitely sets us apart from other teams.

Plus, we have a lot of integrity here at Subliners. We have high hopes and know we're definitely trying to do our best to make the first year of franchising successful, but it's a long term plan for us.

I think it's something that definitely helps us because we can translate that on to everybody that's a part of the team and then translate that to our huge local community as well.

Tim

Getting back to the other question, what sets the roster apart from other teams?

Boble

We have a bit of a New York attitude to our roster. For those who have been paying attention to competitive Call of Duty, you should be familiar with our players. We have a lot of guys on the team who have shown in the past that they can run multiple roles, use multiple weapons out on the map, and just tailor-make their playstyle suited to the teams that they were on.

As the game moves forward, and as changes start to come in, teams are going to have to adapt to the game that they're playing. If their favorite weapon gets nerfed or if a new weapon comes into the meta, they have to be able to adapt to all these different changes that are coming at them. I think our team is very well suited to adapt to those changes.

Tim

Would you say versatility is your team's greatest strength?

Boble

Yes, I would.

Tim

How do you capitalize on that?

Boble

If one person gets uncomfortable at one role, they can just swap between another to fill the gap. That's where I see us having a lot of value. We might not see it right now, because everybody's still trying to determine their roles that they want to play on the map.

But more so down the line when the League gets going and we might not have a lot of time to practice and think things out because of the travel schedule. We can make those quick changes on the fly because they've proven in the past that they'll be comfortable in the new roles.

Tim

Discomfort and gaps, where does the team need the most improvement?

Boble

Right now, we definitely need the most improvement in our Domination game. I think Hardpoint will be there. I think Search and Destroy will be there. These guys have been top players for a long time, so we have a lot of experience to draw on.

It's been a while since these guys have played Domination in such a highly competitive environment that they're going to need a little bit of time to get acclimated to the game mode once again.

Tim

How do you aim to specifically fix that?

Boble

It's just putting more effort and work into Domination, watching our film, having healthy discussions about the game between one another, and coming up with a game plan. Because Call of Duty moves at a faster pace than some of the other esports you'll have out there, it's imperative that teams and players are on the same page.

It's almost like you pre-plan how you want to react to certain scenarios and pre-plan certain strategies you have on the map. It's harder when you're actually in the moment to change things on the fly.

Tim

You touched on team plans and approaches, but how do you balance team goals and individual player goals?

Boble

A lot of times, those are actually aligned. Part of New York culture and our sports culture is that we have a lot of teams that can win championships, and that doesn't change with our approach to esports. From a player perspective, the only thing that matters is winning.

Your main goal, no matter what you're doing, is to win and to be the best. A lot of them are living their prime years in their esports career right now. So they want to make the most of it and right now we share the same goal. That goal is to win at all costs.

Tim

How do you decide milestones versus goals?

Boble

Milestones, I would say are more longevity focused and goals for us right now are more short term. A goal for us is to win our first tournament or the first league match.

Milestones, we make it to year three of franchising. Throughout those years if we get our first championship, that would be a big milestone.

Tim

Is there another team from sports, esports, or even a fictional group that you'd say the Subliners are most similar to?

Boble

I watch a lot of Counter-Strike and I've looked up to Astralis for a very long time. I see some of the things that they're doing. I try to implement it in some of the stuff that we're building right now for Subliners.

If down the line we can accomplish what Astralis has accomplished, then we'd be in a very good position.