--Planet AvP | Articles | Fighting the Good Fight

Fighting the Good Fight You’ve mastered the single player missions, and are ready to take on real-life opponents. No matter how good the A.I. is, it can’t compare to a skilled human opponent. So you’re going to need something more than just a mastery of the basic skills to win the game. The first thing you’re going to need is time. Unfortunately, mastering a game (or any skill for that matter), takes time. You’ll be playing against some people who’ve been kicking butt on a daily basis for close to a year now. Don’t expect to walk in and teach them how to play the game. Fortunately, not everyone devotes that kind of time, nor does one have to in order to enjoy the multi-player (and even get a few kills). Stick with the game and enjoy the rewards of being a veteran! That leads to the second point. Setting goals. You’ve got to decide what you want to get out of your multi-player game. Do you want to be king/queen of your friends, king/queen of your clan or king/queen of the entire AvP world? Or are you happy just escaping into an hour or two of mayhem once in a while. This will let you know how much time you’re going to need, and will set you up for the next point. Third- Attitude. While this follows only after the first two points, it is perhaps the most important point. In order to actually enjoy pursuing your goals, you’ve got have the right frame of mind. If you want to be at the top, devote your time to that goal (including practicing). However, no matter what your goal is, you’re going to experience periods of serious frustration. Unlike any other multi-player shooter game out there, AvP has a massive list of possible player types to confront. Fighting a Queen is incredibly different from fighting a drone, which is very different from a light predator that differs from etc. Sooner or later, even the best tactic is likely to be foiled simply by the traits of one of the many classes, let alone the huge variety of other players’ tactics. Stick with it. Learn from your mistakes. It’s OK to get whipped for a little while to learn (and get motivated!), but it quickly becomes an incredibly frustrating experience. The opposite occurs if you continue to slaughter n00bs. You get bored, you learn sloppy tactics. So pick your games to challenge yourself. And remember, this is just a game. No need to yell cheat, curse fellow players, or spout your brand of political commentary to the other players. If a game is filled with dorks, leave! Don’t waste your time trying to preach to people who won’t listen. Split the scene and hang somewhere that’s more fun. Having fun also lets you keep your cool, which is a major asset when in virtual combat. Some of the most memorable moments occur when you loose your cool and just run with your emotions, but that’s no way to win the game, especially when up against opponents with cooler heads. Being a sore loser also robs you the opportunity of making friends with better players who can prove to be great allies in future fights. And if you’re hosting a game, don’t play God. Feel free to enforce your own rules, but make sure they’re known and apply them fairly. Finally, there’s the tactics involved. There are many, many tactics out there, and there are many, many more to be discovered for the each of the many, many classes. Here’s a dozen bits of basic advice to maximize success: 1. Specialize with only one or two classes and learn them inside out Advertisement 2. Specialize on only a few maps; each map has tactics unique to it that can make the difference between a n00b beating a master 3. Learn to circle strafe, one of the most valuable first-person shooter skills (plenty of Web sites talk about how to do this) 4. Learn to hit something on the move 5. Learn patience- the patience to wait before shooting, to aim instead of spraying random firepower, to work with your team, to learn from better players, to let two opponents weaken each other before picking both off 6. If you like team games, stick with only a few teams so you master certain tactics and learn how your fellow players like to get things done I7. f you like team games, learn the lingo- how to send quick, brief messages rather than taking the time to type long, involved sentences to other players (voice software naturally a big bonus here) 8. Read the tactics on all of the web pages; some authors may only present a few given tactics that work for aggressive-only players (or vice-versa) 9. Do not be predictable. Even if something works, change it up just to try something new, keep the opponent off-balance, and keep the game interesting Always do your best to maximize your PC’s performance (turn off any competing software, maintain your OS, and if you can afford it, buy good equipment!) 10. More than being unpredictable from moment to moment, don’t be afraid to try something new (goes well with #9). There are an infinite number of possible tactics, and experimenting may well pay off in a big way. Along the same lines, talking to other players in the game (assuming you’re both dead and have the time to talk) is a great way to learn new tips and tactics, not to mention develop friendships for later teamwork! 11. Read Planet AvP, ‘cause we’ll do our best to keep you on top of the AvP heap! 12. OK, it’s a baker’s dozen. Do not cheat. Not only is cheating for the slimiest of slime, but after even playing a half dozen rounds with cheats, you quickly lose your edge in playing without them (like any real Master/Mistress should) Hopefully that’ll be a starting guide to aspiring AvP Multi-Player Masters/Mistresses! And remember to quote the immortal bards AC/DC - “If you want blood, you’ve got it!” Hope to see you on the hunting grounds. By Tony Volk Comments? Flames? Praise? Mail feedback!