FPS Chronicles: Part 2

First Person Shooters

Welcome back! This is part 2. If you haven’t yet, go read part 1. This will make a lot more sense.

Today we’ve got more general concepts regarding FPS games and how to adopt them into your own gameplay!

Environment

Where we fight should dictate how we fight. How does this phrase translate into in-game decisions? Be aware of your environment. Having a good understanding of the map layout is an automatic advantage over players who don’t. Know the flow – how to get from point A to point B to point C. Where does heavy ammo spawn? Where are the common traffic areas? Does your map have multiple planes of contact – i.e. upper or lower levels that are accessible to players – or does most interaction take place on the ground floor. If you can consistently use your game environment to your advantage, you’ll be in a better position to engage the enemy when the actual gunfights happen.

Teamplay

Playing solo is drastically different than playing on a team. Duh, common sense. But how often do you ACTUALLY modify your own habits to accommodate your teammates’ tactics? I would argue that moving as a unit and team shooting is vastly more effective than running as a lone target. In games that have slightly longer TTK – Halo and Destiny for example – team shooting will dictate outcomes far more often than individual playmakers. Take the time to observe how your teammates fight. Make suggestions on where to go. Moving as a group can sometimes be tough logistically but it can set you up for easy-to-win engagements.

Critical Hits

The critical hit concept is a fairly simple one. In almost every FPS game, there’s a small area on players that accepts more damage per shot than the rest of the player. Most of the time this is the head…for obviously reasons. And headshots usually don’t come naturally. Unless you’re a seasoned veteran, getting consistent critical hits takes focus. Next time you start a game, make a conscious effort to aim for the head instead of settling for center mass shots. Your KD will love you for it.

Weapon Types

Much like the environment, weapons can dictate tactics and gameplay. Many decisions involving weapon choice are best left to personal preference. People are different and just because YOU may be able to use a certain gun well doesn’t mean your teammate can use it well. Find what works for you and also understand what your chosen weapon is designed for as well as the range in which it’s meant to be effective. If you main an auto rifle, don’t expect easy kills at long range. If you like to snipe, be aware that getting rushed in CQC could be difficult to handle.

Speaking from personal experience, there are few things as annoying as a teammate who refuses to change their arsenal simply because they’re only comfortable with a single loadout. Most FPS games have MANY gun options. Become proficient with a variety and you’ll be able to match a good loadout with whatever map you come across. (No. You can’t use the Supercell for everything.)

To be continued…

-A? A?-A? A?-

Stay tuned for Part 3 of ourA?FPS Chronicles. We’ll be talking about more specific FPS techniques and how to implement them.

Stay sweaty y’all.

Article by KSI December 77