Tips for someone playing overwatch for the first time?

[Daveeede]

I'm about to play it for the first time. I've seen gameplay online, but never actually played it. Anything I should know while I wait for the download to finish?

[themctipers]

mercy main 

[ivan134]

Not really. Just play. The advanced stuff comes later.

[Technous285]

Protect. Your. Healers. Especially Mercy - keep Mercy alive and she can revive your whole team in a pinch with her Ultimate (default keybind: Q) ability.

Ana (sniper healer) can power boost you or a teammate with her Ulti.

Lucio's Ulti generates a AOE-based group shield overcharge (if you're within the range of it, you get shields that trickle away over time and damage).

Zenyatta's Ulti generates an aura of healing and protection when he pops Transcendence (during which he's pretty much invulnerable).

Symmettra isn't a healer but a choke point controller (with her Sentries) who has a choice of Ultimates between a Teleporter from spawn for her team to get back to the fight quickly or a Shield Generator to keep them in the fight a bit longer.

[Daveeede]

I like that there is a tutorial arena so that I can try the different characters and get used to all their controls. Community seems decent enough though! So far mercy is a lot of fun to play as. I'm planning to get decent with at least one character from each class so that I'm not completely useless out of the gate haha

 

[leelaa14]

I'm no pro. But here's some advice.
I mainly wait for my team to pick there heroes, and then pick a hero that will fit in with the team.
Never trickle in, meaning never go in one or two at a time. If your team is dying at different times, try to regroup and attack together.
Don't go in trying to get a shit ton of kills, go in to take the objective.
Try to judge when it's worth hunting that player down with low hp, you don't want to be running in to an ambush.

Not the best advice, but I feel it's good advice for the core gameplay.

[IrshaadH]

Just have fun with it.  Don't worry too much about performance right at the beginning.  Be a team player, play to win, get to know the ins and outs of your preferred characters and you'll get the hang of it soon enough.