Thursday, March 16, 2006

Good Luck!

I had one of my young cousins email me about video games. She's entered some gaming contest and wants to have a good chance to win.

I spent my normal morning blogging time responding to her email, so I thought I would use my response to her email as my post today.

(Just be glad she didn't ask about oozing sores or some such)

A few practice strategies:

Since this is a single player game vs the computer, it makes beating it easier...

While you're practicing - you don't have to start out playing to win, but instead test the environment and the AI.

Stand still, and see what the AI does. Experiment to see what the detection range of the AI is - usually your weapons won't reach farther than this range, (splash damage is often an exception) but when they do you can exploit this, hanging back just out of range and killing the enemies.

Many AI depend on line-of-sight for detection, which means if there is a hedge, low wall or chain-link fence between you, the enemy will not detect you. Use this to your advantage, and lob granades over the wall, or strafe from behind such barriers to attack.

Run around and let the enemies chase you - do they get caught up on the environment? Do they forget you're there when you turn a corner? Use this to your advantage.

Practice swapping weapons, especially to your preferred ones. If there is a function which allows you to customize the order of weapon cycling, set this up to suit your personal style and needs. Customize all buttons to your own needs.

Find an area where you will be left alone and unbothered by the enemies, and practice all your maneuvers. If you have combos, jumping, dodging, strafing and blocking moves, practice them repeatedly while you're left alone, until you can perform them rapidly and reflexively.

3 comments:

  1. What type of game is it? RTS, FPS?

    I've got to echo your advice. If it's a competition and you're playing to win, and not for enjoyment, find every exploit you can.

    The original Command and Conquer was easy. The enemies couldn't handle a simple sandbag wall.

    For FPS's there's always the basics...like aim a rocket at the enemies feet and not at them. At them means they can dodge the slow moving rocket, at the ground in front of them means they get mucho splash damage.

    God I could write a book about this...how sad is that?

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  2. So why don't you, Paulius?

    And MC- You are so sweet to help out your cousin like that.

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  3. oh how cool you are - excellent cousin

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