LogFAQs > #941571507

really thinking about picking the game up any tips or advice

• Test all of the various guns in the shooting range. Get a handle on not only their damage output or how fast they fire, but also keep in mind how effective they can be up close or further away... for example, the Havoc Rifle (which is one of my personal favorites) will absolutely shred people in front of you, but unless you pick up the select fire attachment (which turns it into a pseudo sniper rifle), it has absolutely no range. In short, I recommend having a gun that works well for up close and having another gun that can cover at least mid-range or longer range so you can be prepared for different situations. You won't always have access to them while actually playing, but if you can get a general feel for the various weapons and pick a few that you like best, you'll perform better. Note: having a P2020 or Mozambique is better than not having a gun at all, but if you find ANYTHING else, get rid of them as fast as you can. Having those two weapons are almost certainly a death sentence against someone with a better gun.
• Get the best weapon attachments and general equipment that you find. White is level one, blue is level two, purple is level three, and gold is level four... the attachments can give a serious boost to weapon capabilities (like the previously mentioned Select Fire giving the Havoc Rifle a ranged option), and having a better set of body shields can help you survive a little longer. Having a better backpack lets you carry more items, having a better helmet protects more against headshots, and having a better knockdown shield can improve your odds of not being killed (and thus giving you a better chance to be revived) when you're downed.
• On that note: even though you should prioritize getting your most needed items first and foremost, you should try to help take care of your teammates, too. If your teammates only have a level one shield and you luck up and ind a level three one, you should make sure to ping any other level three (or even level twos) you come across to help give them a better chance of survival, too. If you have a lot of spare ammo and your teammate is asking for some, drop any you can afford to lose and let them have it... the same goes for shield batteries or syringes. If you don't have any to spare, be on the lookout for any extras you may come across and ping it for them. After all, you'd probably want them to help you out if you needed it, so you should do the same for them.
• Unless to have one of the bigger backpacks, you're going to have to manage what you're carrying in your inventory. Shield cells/batteries, syringes/med kits, ammo, grenades, etc. take up their own slots, and because your slots are pretty limited most of the time, you have to decide what you think is most important to be carrying around. I recommend striking a balance slots for ammo and slots for shield cells and syringes, and if you think you're carrying enough of those, you can carry a few grenades around for extra methods of attack.
• Frag grenades are more or less the standard grenade you'll see in a lot of FPS games, so there's no need to explain anything about that one. Arc Stars can be lethal with a direct hit, but they're pretty inconsequential if you flub while actually trying to use one. Thermite grenades don't deal a lot of damage outright, but they leave a lingering wall of fire and deal damage a bit more slowly over time; the biggest benefit comes from the fact that doing damage in this game actually shows you the numbers as you do it, so the continuous damage can actually help you temporarily keep track of where your enemy is at if you can't directly see them.
• Find at least three characters you like using. It can be pretty frustrating, but because your team can only have one of any given character, you're not always going to be lucky enough to get your favorite... and sometimes, you may not even get your second favorite. For example, Wattson is the character that I mainly use, but Loba is my second choice if someone selects her before I can, and if both Wattson and Loba have been picked, my third choice is Revenant. Also, this is vital: if you're going to use a certain character, PLEASE actually use their unique skills. It can be pretty frustrating to your team members if you're using Lifeline but never use the health drone or if you're using Loba and never use her black market skill, to give an example... They might (and probably are) be counting on you to actually use them.
• Finally, and most importantly: This is a TEAM game. If you go run off very far on your own or land far away from your teammates, you're greatly reducing the survival chances of both yourself and your other two members. If your teammates die or get knocked down, go respawn them or revive them... if they're pinging an enemy, they're wanting you to know they're there and are probably wanting your help, too. You're going to run into a lot of poor team players and will probably get frustrated (I know that I do, at least), but you're going to spread more negativity around if you play selfishly and won't really make anything better. Because this is a team game, you should also remember that the other players are on a team, too; if you down an enemy or kill them, their own team member might also be around or at least be on the way. If you need to heal or help a teammate, never forget that fact and stay vigilant.