What are some key ways for someone new to FPS games to improve their game? [closed]
My question is aimed at death match games, such as Halo and Call of Duty. Assume a high degree of comfort with single-player FPSs, but no experience with multiplayer.
Solution 1:
Some tips:
Play with a buddy, clan or quad who is/are better than you and can show you the ropes. Halo 3, in particular, had some great clans who were interested in helping newbies out.
In team games, USE YOUR MICROPHONE. Communication is key in team games so you'll want to use the mic to coordinate your assaults and call out enemy positions, especially snipers.
Pay attention to the gametype you are playing. A lot of people play EVERY game mode like it's free-for-all or team deathmatch. If you are playing an objective game like capture the flag or territories, going for a good k/d ratio is not the best use of your time. Granted, killing the other team can give you advantages, but you should still be spending the lion's share of your time working towards the actual goals of the game.
On team modes, learn to be a good team member. For example, in a capture the flag game, you should either be a part of the group going for the enemy flag or a part of the group defending your flag. You shouldn't just be running all over the map by yourself. In a game like Battlefield Bad Company 2, you'll want to remember your support functions and help out by dropping ammo and medkits, throwing sensors and repairing vehicles for your team.
If you can play private matches, set up a private game and investigate the maps. Learn where the weapon drops, objectives, etc. are located and the paths between them. If you can play local private vs. games, hook up a second controller and check out the sniper spots and hidey holes to get an idea of how hidden people are and what it looks like when someone is camping there.
See if the game has a good wiki or MP FAQ on gamefaqs or the web. A lot of people will share great tips for succeeding in MP. You can also check out the paper guides (Prima, etc.), but those are usually not as good as their online counterparts and aren't updated to reflect new maps and game patches.
Take some time to become familiar with the weapons. You'll die a lot while doing this, but try to get a feel for their effective ranges, reload times, clip size, power and so on. Try to think about what sort of weapons will work better on which maps. Are there vehicles? Long sniper lines? Lots of close quarters?
If the game has classes, try all of them out and give each of them some play time. Even if you hate a class (for example, I'm not a fan of sniping), you'll learn the strengths and weaknesses of that class by playing it for a bit.
If the game has a an unlock system, pay attention to completing the unlock requirements once you have the basics of the game down. In some games, the higher-level unlocks can give you a significant advantage on the battlefield.
Learn to shoot for the head. In most games, a headshot does a lot more damage than a body shot. You'll want to reflexively put your reticule on their helmet before pulling the trigger.
Be prepared. Make sure your health and shields are topped off before running out for more mayhem. Find a safe place and reload after each battle. Make sure your ammo and supplies are topped off.
Don't be predictable. Unlike single player, humans are pretty good at figuring out your patterns. Try to mix it up a bit, both with weapon selection and where you roam on the map.
Pick one or two games and practice them as often as you can. More frequent shorter sessions are probably better than fewer longer sessions, though you'll want each session to be long enough to "get into the groove" of the game.
Don't get discouraged. In any game there will be a lot of people with way more skill than you, even with "skill-based" matchmaking. Try to learn from your deaths and view them as a learning experience. Understand that, when switching games, your skills may not transfer well - you'll have to learn new maps and the controls, game modes and weapons will be different.
Solution 2:
Keep moving. Learn to aim while circle strafing. Be unpredictable in your movements. AI can't recognise patterns well, players can.