How do people get "good" at FPS games?

Furashu

Furashu

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i never understood how people got "good" after "practicing"
my friends always kick my ass on CS and they say just "practice"
but what the heck do i practice?
any tips from u gamers who are insanely good at FPS?
im gonna get UT3 and i want to be a good opponent to play against others.
 
Play the game more.
You get a feel for which weapons do the best in which situation, how to best use a weapon in a situation that it normally would be at a disadvantage. You learn to gauge the amount of health an enemy has so you know when you have an advantage there. Learn the level layouts, where are good spots that will give you terrain advantage? Where are the best weapons located? You will also learn the tendencies of other players and can get some more kills once you know what a lot of people will do in a certain situation.

You also have to learn what you are good at and what you like doing. Also, be sure you know any glitches/"special techniques" that can give you or your opponent an edge.
 
Are you playing splitscreen? If so, always look at your enemy's screen. I can't tell you how helpful that was in Red Faction with the rail gun.
 
Eh, not much more to be said than what's been said already. Reflexes, practice, knowing the maps, knowing the adv/disadv of each weapon, understanding how to harness every and any advantage (running with a weapon, etc), and whatnot.
 
I have found that masturbation helps limber up your fast twitch hand and arm muscles which prepares you for the ass whoopin you about to dish out. Don't wipe it'll give you that much needed extra grip as it starts to dry on your hands. Repeat as needed in between matches.


If you gonna play UT3 get a mouse that thing felt funny playing with a controller. I picked it up on PS3 but only played an hour before work...
 
Just play doesn't always work though. Theres some things you may never even think to do normally, that once you know to do it, gives you a major advantage.

A very recent example of this to me is the rocket jump in Team Fortress 2. You can extend the height and range of your jump by a good amount by tapping the crouch key just before you do the jump. I would have never figured that out unless someone had told me or I had looked it up.
 
[quote name='crystalklear64']Just play doesn't always work though. Theres some things you may never even think to do normally, that once you know to do it, gives you a major advantage.

A very recent example of this to me is the rocket jump in Team Fortress 2. You can extend the height and range of your jump by a good amount by tapping the crouch key just before you do the jump. I would have never figured that out unless someone had told me or I had looked it up.[/quote]
Sure it does you play and learn the maps, spawns, weapons etc. You play and watch what others do as far as strategy, spots, tricks etc. Pick up on anything they are doing that you haven't done and then you try to mimic it yourself. ETC ETC Play enough and you'll see it all. :)
 
[quote name='$hady']Sure it does you play and learn the maps, spawns, weapons etc. You play and watch what others do as far as strategy, spots, tricks etc. Pick up on anything they are doing that you haven't done and then you try to mimic it yourself. ETC ETC Play enough and you'll see it all. :)[/QUOTE]
"See it all", is the problem. In the specific case of TF2, the crouch key is merely tapped, so that the crouching animation doesn't even begin. Its not something you can see. You could eventually see that the person is jumping higher or farther than you, but that doesn't really tell you how to do it.
 
I know any skill I have at the Call of Duty series is just due to playing it rediculous amounts of time. Switch over to Halo and I'm garbage.

My best advice is to use psychology. Think to yourself where would you go if you were the other guy and use that to your advantage. If theres a particular spot on the map you like going to assume someone else is there too. If he backs into a corner toss a grenade in there to flush him out, ect.

And watching my friend play when he came over earlier gave me another pointer. Always know whats going on around you. I can't tell you how many times he'd just stare at a wall while he was moving, or just camp one spot with his back in the wide open. If you're constantly looking around no one can sneak up on you. Check around corners when you enter rooms don't just storm in thinking its empty. I typically sweep around the area I'm in a circular motion to make sure no one is around before I move on to the next area.
 
You can "just play" all you want, but some people are just naturally good as online FPS due to quick reflexes and tactical intelligence.

But "just playing" will help you get better at a game to a certain point, by just knowing how certain weapons/maps work.
 
For CS, you can spectate a game for awhile and look through the eyes of a really good player. You'll catch on quick as to their techniques and emulate their perfected moves. This will give you a nice head start as to what you're doing wrong or right. This also helps if you need to learn sniping positions, ambush positions and whatnot for a map. After you get a few tips/techniques from the good players, you'll need experience of your own to make your own unique style for the game you're playing.
 
[quote name='SneakyPenguin']/thread

Seriosuly, like anything, the more you do it, the better you get.[/quote]

Well, if you're not getting any better, there's IS something called "sucking." Some people just suck at some things.
 
maaaan... what do all muthafukkas who's hella good at FPS have in common???

they dont sleep!! they play that shyt ALL NITE LONG~!!!

when u're all tired and playing hella sleepy, u gonna be HELLA good playin when u awake...
 
Always adjust your look sensitivity to suit your hardware/play style. I can't believe how many of my friends leave it at 3 for Halo and never even looked at it for CoD4. In CS:S I have my sensitivity cranked all the way to 17 just because my mouse is so junky.
 
The #1 thing I see separating people in most FPS's (that you can actually do anything about) is headshots. The problem is that there is no direct feedback on whether or not you are getting headshots. Games should have a tutorial with wireframed/color coded bodies that tell you what weapons can get headshots. Unfortunately they usually don't have a tutorial on it, so most people will see a decrease in performance at first when trying to get headshots because it turns into a long term trial and error process to perfect it. You need to stick with it until you figure it out.
 
Learn the maps:

Know where the enemies are and where they are likely to pop out. Half of my kills in CoD4 are because Im already aiming my gun somewhere and an enemy just appears in my aiming reticule. Eachmap has certain hotspots, and bottlenecks where your more likely to encounter the badguys. If your game has a rader/map feature, learn how to use it, and USE it!

In CS, as soon as a round starts, you need to charge ahead and know exactly where the two teams will meet. If you run too far, you will get smoked. Run to just before that point and aim at the corner, or doorway, or wherever you know they are about to pop out of.

Follow your teamates instead of striking out on your own. Theres strength in numbers. Dont run directly behind them, but stay in the same area. You can get alot of kills by shooting people already in firefights with other team members. Or enemies already wounded from just finished firefights. Remember, there is no 'Kill Stealing' in team based games.

In Unreal Tournament, and Halo type games, its all about map control. That means getting to the good powerups first, and then being there when they respawn again. Figure out the time between respawns of good weapons and powerups and plan to be there each time they spawn. Many good Halo and UT players simply run the same route on a map over and over, getting all the good stuff. That way they are well armed whenever they encounter resistance. If you have a certain powerup it means your opponents dont.

Whenever possible, try to keep the high ground. Its much easier to kill people running around below you than it is for them to kill you.

If you get killed by someone in a certain area, approach that same area with caution next time. People are creatures of habit and will tend to stay in the same place, or move thru the same area, the same way, over and over. Take advantage of that. Flank the guy who killed you the next time around, or thow a grenade where he was, chances are he will be there again. Its okay to get killed, but dont get killed the same way over and over. If you get sniped, dont run thru that area again. Go another way and try to flank that sniper. I cant even count the number of times Ive run ahead at the start of a round of CS, or S&D in COD4, and killed some guy coming out of a doorway, and then proceeded to kill that same guy, in that same spot, every single round.



Learn your weapons:

If you see an enemy from across the map and all you have is a smg, dont shoot at him, all you will do is alert him to your presence and if he has a rifle you'll be dead.

If you run out of bullets and you know there are more enemies just around the corner, dont reload, switch to your pistol.

Learn where to throw grenades. Knowing the angles I can get grenade kills by throwing them where I know enemies are likely to be hiding out. I kill em, but never even see them.

In point blank encounters, raising up your weapons to look thru the sights will get you killed. Learn to shoot from the hip in CQC (close quarters combat). Melee attacks are also very effective in most games, often one hit kills.

If the enemy can see you, dont stand still while shooting at them. Your just making yourself a taget. The smg 'left-right' strafe dance is one of the most effective tactics in CoD4. Learn to strafe. And for UT and Halo, learn to circle strafe. Also mix it up a bit, dont be predictable and continue to strafe in the same direction, the enemy will lead you and you'll be dead.

Learn to love Flash and Stun type grenades. If you run into a room and get killed still holding onto these grenades, you doing it wrong. Unless your suddenly sniped, you should almost never die with grenades on you. Throw grenades into windows and doorways of buildings you are about to enter, or around corners, or onto higher ledges. If your game allows you to 'cook' your grenades, always do so. I dont even want my grenades to land and blow up, I like em to blow up in midair right over the target.


Know your controls:

Know how to control your game and what is possible in it. Learn how and where to run/sprint, and how to quickly jump over things and climb up onto/over stuff. Mess with your sensitivity until it feels right for you. If your crosshairs are flying all over the screen you may need to turn your sensitivity down.

UT has some of the best controls ever in a shooter imo. Theres a double jump, and a wall jump. By combining these two you can flip around the maps like a monkey ninja. Its much harder to shoot that then a guy simply running down a hallway. Learn to rocketjump and grenade jump as well.



Practice:

Even if you follow all the tips I just gave you, at the end of the day, you still need to place your crosshairs over an enemy and pull the trigger quicker than he does. This only comes with practice. Most online shooter players play ALOT, and whatever game your playing probably isnt the first shooter they've ever played. It may take hours, days, or even weeks of sucking before you start to get better. You have to keep at it. No one goes to the gym once and works out and expects to get muscles.

If you need to, load up a private game with just yourself and run around the maps figuring stuff out. I did this with CoD maps to figure out stuff like how to get onto seemingly inacessable rooftops, and other strange places. For UT, play by yourself and work out routes to get powerups. Figure out how to quickly jump to higher or lower elevation levels, this will help you lose pursuers when you play.

Getter better at FPS's does mean playing alot, and putting in the time, but you have to do it intelligently.
 
[quote name='Furashu']i never understood how people got "good" after "practicing"
my friends always kick my ass on CS and they say just "practice"
but what the heck do i practice?
any tips from u gamers who are insanely good at FPS?
im gonna get UT3 and i want to be a good opponent to play against others.[/quote]
Well, you need to start somewhere. UT3 is great if you want to be rushed through the training process, since it throws all the elements of a great FPS at you... in the matter of milliseconds. Really all it is getting your coordination of your thumbs on pace. The tactics used in one FPS won't work in others. For example, I can run around like a mad man in COD 4 and do well, but that won't translate into Halo 3 skill, since running around like that will get me killed, fast.

Also, CS is the worst way to learn to play a modern FPS. Modern FPS don't care if you crouch or not (and if they do, no one does anyway since you lose valuable time). Also, CS is the most inconsistent FPS ever. Additionally, the time spent in CS doesn't really help you develop your coordination since you just are probably running to the enemy, dieing, and then watching others play, since it has no respawns.
 
[quote name='jkanownik']The #1 thing I see separating people in most FPS's (that you can actually do anything about) is headshots. The problem is that there is no direct feedback on whether or not you are getting headshots. Games should have a tutorial with wireframed/color coded bodies that tell you what weapons can get headshots. Unfortunately they usually don't have a tutorial on it, so most people will see a decrease in performance at first when trying to get headshots because it turns into a long term trial and error process to perfect it. You need to stick with it until you figure it out.[/QUOTE]

Everything relevant has already been said, but this is a good point, as is Zewone's comment about "tactical intelligence." You need to think about small things that might seem obvious, but make a big difference when you play -- two people shooting are going to kill their target faster than one; don't bunch up so much you get wiped by rockets or grenades, etc. Similarly, SPACIAL intelligence is vital. Many people have huge blind spots when they play, or just don't look around thoroughly.
 
It's been mentioned already: Play. Though adding to that, you need to analyze while you play aswell. Get to know the mechanics and number-crunching behind the game (ie: how many times do I need to fire this weapon through the wall to kill whoever may be camping on the other side).

Playing actual sports might help aswell. Oh, and there's Flash Focus ;P
 
[quote name='zewone']COD4 lets you know when you get headshots.[/quote]

And Halo 3 has a red reticule when you are aiming at the head. The problem is that in the heat of battle these feedback mechanisms are inadequate for learning.
 
Just keep playing.

Well, of course, it also takes a tiny bit of intelligence. For instance, you can continue playing like a moron for years, if you don't mind dying and losing. If you have any intelligence, you will notice that what you're doing is stupid, and change your style and learn.

So yeah, it's just keep playing, but it's also not being a complete idiot.
 
Also, if you see two people shooting each other, always go for the guy with the advantage. By taking the first shot at him you can kill him and the other guy becuase he'll be almost dead.
 
If it's down to you against an enemie(s), walking is pretty important. Footsteps can and will give away positioning, so use that to your advantage.
 
-Practice makes perfect. A lot of the reason some people are so good is because they play the game so much that things you might unintentionally hesitate at are automatic reflex for them and even a half second extra reaction time can be the difference. It's also the only way to learn maps/weapon locations,etc.

-Work as a team. Stick close to other players. Talk.

-Pay attention. Other team continues to run in the same area? Flank them the next time they try it.
 
[quote name='crystalklear64']"See it all", is the problem. In the specific case of TF2, the crouch key is merely tapped, so that the crouching animation doesn't even begin. Its not something you can see. You could eventually see that the person is jumping higher or farther than you, but that doesn't really tell you how to do it.[/QUOTE]
If you've been playing FPS's for more than a month and you don't know that lifting your legs while jumping can get you up higher, then just put down the controller now.
 
I don't think this has been mentioned (didn't read all of that massive post above), but it relates to the whole "learning the map" thing. This relates heavily to what your style of play is. Myself, I'm rather... Parthian. I favour the fighting retreat over a head-on engagement. As such, I find merely knowing the locations of weapon spawns and the like insufficient. Knowing where environmental hazards (open flames, bottomless pits, etc.) are while running backwards is absolutely essential for me. Same goes for knowing where doorways are. When you've got an SMG and you're fighting someone with a rocket launcher, backing into a wall can be death. However, backing into a doorway will temporarily halt the battle, allowing you to get your bearings and potentially taking a superior position.

Of course, this suggestion is totally irrelevant if you do not have the same style as me, or if this style is impractical in whatever game you're playing. A fighting retreat doesn't always work too well when you're playing King of the Hill.

[quote name='PyroGamer']If you've been playing FPS's for more than a month and you don't know that lifting your legs while jumping can get you up higher, then just put down the controller now.[/quote] 1: This applies to many FPS', yes, but not all.
2: He was referring to rocket jumping, which is something else entirely.
 
[quote name='Nohbdy']HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH

By jove, you're funny.[/QUOTE]
And you're very ignorant.

While I love games like UT3, the fact is Halo is a much much more tactical shooter that takes way more skill and intelligence than UT3, which pretty much takes none besides twitch-fast reflexes (and I am a damn good player at Unreal, so I know... I still play Q3:TA to this day). Obviously in UT3 the good players completely master all aspects of the game, but Halo is far deeper.

UT does make for mindless fun, but the way to practice it is getting better at twitch-fast things.
 
You need to start a the gamers diet by eating nothing but Hot Pockets. Breakfest, lunch, dinner, second dinner, and every snack in between!
 
[quote name='Furashu']i never understood how people got "good" after "practicing"
my friends always kick my ass on CS and they say just "practice"
but what the heck do i practice?
any tips from u gamers. who are insanely good at FPS?
im gonna get UT3 and i want to be a good opponent to play against others.[/quote]

As a massive UT fan and someone who was ranked damn good for the little I got to play (waiting for all the bugs to be hammered out) this is my advice.

Practice! And if you're not practicing ... practice.

In UT learn the dodge's well and the weapons well. The game is fast paced for a reason ... camping will get you no where but a flak in the face. Fast Weapon switching is important!
 
Someone mentioned switching weapons instead of reloading when in a firefight which is an excellent tip.

I'd also like to add that you shouldn't be afraid to melee. For example, when playing Half Life 2 Deathmatch if I empty my SMG clip on someone and I know they are at low health (40 or less for me since I use the Stunstick), I'll rush them and whack them with my Stunstick.

It's typically unexpected and it saves you some ammo.
 
Create your own local CS server and then using a few console commands setup a game with like 15 bots vs only you and let them only use a knife. Then take your pistol and kill them all.

That should help you learn how to do head shots and know at what level do you need to keep your cross hairs at to kill someone fast.
 
Practice.
Years and years of prior gaming experience growing up.

It's because of these two things that some people fly through a new game's learning curve so quickly, or lack thereof when they don't.

Learn how to have fun with a new game first, then learn to get better at it while you do. That's how any new player should learn.

For Halo 3, I usually enjoy a good round of being an asshole and spending the entire game being the Dukes of Hazzard in a Warthog.

~HotShotX
 
The fastest way is to just play with, and against people that are a lot better than yourself. You can play for years on public servers in cs and learn more from a month of doing team scrims than you did while pubbing.

When you play with people that are much better all the little things just come naturally from observing them play and learning from your own mistakes.
 
[quote name='HotShotX']
For Halo 3, I usually enjoy a good round of being an asshole and spending the entire game being the Dukes of Hazzard in a Warthog.[/quote]"And what were you doing when the warthog ended up in the ditch?"
"I can tell you what we weren't doing, and that was recreating the coolest Dukes of Hazzard scene ever!"

Later...

"No, you were driving! I was holding the arrows and the dynamite!"
 
[quote name='The Crotch']"And what were you doing when the warthog ended up in the ditch?"
"I can tell you what we weren't doing, and that was recreating the coolest Dukes of Hazzard scene ever!"

Later...

"No, you were driving! I was holding the arrows and the dynamite!"[/QUOTE]

Strange things happen when you park a warthog in the shade.
 
In CS, more than any other game I've played, practice makes perfect. Aside from learning the maps, of which there are many, you need to learn how each gun shoots. The AK has some crazy kick, so after the first shot it'll seem like you're gonna be all over the place. However, if you look closer you'll notice that your shots will fire in almost a straight vertical line for a few shots. learn to start around their belly and fire off 3-4. The kick will make the 3rd or 4th shot a headshot if they're not already dead.

Good. Now learn how each of the guns works and aim accordingly.
 
Think of everything logically. I tend to think of every aspect of a Halo game in If Then statements:

If I use the assault rifle, then I will have a better chance against a charging opponent than if I use my Carbine.
-but-
If the opponent has a sniper rifle, then I'm pretty much fucked with an assault rifle.
*Hear Sniper fire, use the Carbine, kill the sniper, everyone cheers*
However, in that same situation, if you heard a mauler, you would know the opponent waiting for you was just in a fight, and the assault rifle would be sufficient.

In Halo at least, there is a right way and a wrong way to enter every situation. This is what decides who wins a fight four times out of five. It's not always pure twitch.



(CS is a little different, it actually involves a lot of twitch, but weapon/map familiarity also plays a huge part of that (which other people have discussed))
 
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