So you think you know how to tank? Well in this post I'll show you different tricks and tips. What should be done and what shouldn't.
-When in a tank and going against an IFV that has reactive armor, always aim for the IFV's turret. Reactive armor doesn't protect the turret.
-Always try to charge IFV's if your in a tank and keep moving, the less the shells have a chance to hit the better you will survive. If you come to a dead stop against an IFV with the setup I run, you're dead.
-The weakest part of all MBTs and IFVs is the rear. Try to out-maneuver your opponent and shoot him in the rear.
-The direction that your turret is pointing in determines what side of the tank you will exit from. If you're getting out to repair and want to exit on the opposite side of enemy fire then point the turret in the direction desired.
-Reactive armor will only be repaired once your MBT/IFV is at 100% health. It takes approximately 4-5 seconds to fully repair one side of reactive armor.
-When using the AP shells in the IFVs and going against MBTs always lead off with the AP shells then quickly switch to the standard HE shells then switch back to AP shells. Bam!! Tank dead. In the time it takes you to shoot AP, HE, AP which is 18 shells, the enemy tank will only have time to get 2 maybe 3 shots off on you which isn't going to inflict much damage if you have reactive armor equipped and keep maneuvering.
-Infantry perks cannot be stacked but MBT/IFV attachments can be. Driver should have reactive armor and smoke, the second seat gunner should have proximity scan, and on MBTs the CITV station person should have maintenance equipped.
-Tank driver: Reactive armor, IR smoke, Canister/Guided shell
-Tank gunner: Proximity scan
-CITV station: Maintenance
This setup is greatly effective for engaging almost any enemy on any map. The reactive armor will protect you against tank shells, missiles, rockets. The IR smoke is help with any enemy lock-on weapons. The gunner having proximity scan will prevent any C4 ninjas from sneaking up on you. With guided shell and and the CITV station person having maintenance taking out enemy tanks and air vehicles will be a lot easier. This setup with guided shell works great for maps like Kharg, Op Firestorm, and Caspian Border. This setup with canister shell works well on maps like Seine, Damavand Peak.
-When shooting at an MBT/IFV with any antitank weapons try to aim for a complete right angle. Shallow or wide angles are just glancing shots that inflict much less damage.
-When being locked on by enemy guided weapons, always wait for the missile to be incoming to pop IR smoke. The purpose is to bleed the enemies ammo count and since that enemy has to reload it increases the time it takes for the enemy to reacquire a lock. This also gives you more time for your IR smoke to reload.
-When you have reactive armor equipped and the enemy shoots off one panel re-position your tank to have what panels you still have left to be facing the enemy. If you re-position right you can take 3 tank shells or 3 RPGs without taking any damage to your tank. Learning to turn your tank's main body while keeping the turret pointed in the same direction is the trick to this tip.
-The second seat gunner should be doing 360 degree rotations to watch for any infantry sneaking up. The CITV gunner seems kind of useless on certain maps like Damavand Peak and Seine Crossing but it's not. The CITV station can rotate faster than both the driver's turret and gunner's turret. The CITV station also comes with thermal optics by default. Having a CITV station person using the thermal optics comes in handy for spotting enemies in the tunnel on Damavand.
Well those are some of the most useful tips and tricks for MBT/IFVs in Battlefield 3. I hope this makes you a better player and better teammate...and a better tanker.
-Tr0y
Friday, August 31, 2012
MBT/IFV Loadouts Part 2
In Part 2 I'll talk about the different setups and what is effective and what is not effective. What I use is usually determine by what is the most common ways other vehicles and infantry are trying to take out my MBT/IFV. I tend not to change my loadout too much but if I see the enemy change tactics I will change my tactics or loadout to defeat them.
My most common MBT and IFV loadouts are as follows.
MBT
-Reactive armor
-IR smoke
-Canister shell
IFV
-Reactive armor
-IR smoke
-APFSDS-T shells
Those loadouts are my most commonly used. In my opinion very few attachments can be used in place what those I just listed. Reactive armor is pretty much irreplaceable and should never be changed. It protects you against other MBT/IFVs and against enemy engineer weapons. The only downsides are that it won't help you against enemy C4 or enemy repair torches.
IR smoke is currently a somewhat controversial attachment because of the minimal reload time it has. I think in most situations though IR smoke is very important. In the March balancing patch tank armor was nerfed and the effectiveness of Javelins were buffed. Unlike reactive armor though there are times you can get away without using IR smoke. Large maps that have a lot of open spaces, helicopters and other tanks IR smoke is definitely needed. Smaller maps that aren't as wide open and don't have many air vehicles smoke isn't as crucial. Smaller maps are more difficult to achieve a line of sight that is required for lock-on weapons. A tank driver can easily use building and structures as cover to break the lock-on weapons. Using IR smoke on a much smaller map provides the enemy an easy opportunity to use C4 against you.
Canister shell is an extremely useful attachment for use against infantry and air vehicles. One of it's main benefits is that it doesn't suffer from the bullet drop as much as the main tank shells do. It's very good at both long and short range. Have a C4 ninja rushing you? Canister shell. See a hill humping sniper being useless? Canister shell. I would always recommend equipping canister shell if you find yourself driving a tank alone. It can make up for not having a second seat gunner.
Oh how I love APFSDS-T shells. It amazes me how many people driving IFV's don't have these equipped. It really does. Hands down the best weapon attachment for all IFV's. AP shells have very few downsides and a lot of upsides to using them. AP shells can bypass reactive armor. So even if a tank is equipped with reactive armor the AP shells will penetrate it and damage the tank. The other upside is that it partially blinds the enemy's vision when taking fire. The other upside is that they're extremely useful in destroying buildings and structures that can be used as cover. The only downside is that they're not too effective against infantry like the normal high explosive IFV rounds are. Some will say the lower rate of fire for AP shells are a downside but I don't think that. In order to win against tanks while in an IFV you must make every shot count. Having a slightly lower rate of fire for AP shells makes it easier to keep all rounds on target.
Those are my attachments that I use most commonly on MBT/IFV's and why I use them. In Part 3 I will talk about strategy, tips, tricks and other setups. I hope this makes you a better player and better teammate.
-Tr0y
My most common MBT and IFV loadouts are as follows.
MBT
-Reactive armor
-IR smoke
-Canister shell
IFV
-Reactive armor
-IR smoke
-APFSDS-T shells
Those loadouts are my most commonly used. In my opinion very few attachments can be used in place what those I just listed. Reactive armor is pretty much irreplaceable and should never be changed. It protects you against other MBT/IFVs and against enemy engineer weapons. The only downsides are that it won't help you against enemy C4 or enemy repair torches.
IR smoke is currently a somewhat controversial attachment because of the minimal reload time it has. I think in most situations though IR smoke is very important. In the March balancing patch tank armor was nerfed and the effectiveness of Javelins were buffed. Unlike reactive armor though there are times you can get away without using IR smoke. Large maps that have a lot of open spaces, helicopters and other tanks IR smoke is definitely needed. Smaller maps that aren't as wide open and don't have many air vehicles smoke isn't as crucial. Smaller maps are more difficult to achieve a line of sight that is required for lock-on weapons. A tank driver can easily use building and structures as cover to break the lock-on weapons. Using IR smoke on a much smaller map provides the enemy an easy opportunity to use C4 against you.
Canister shell is an extremely useful attachment for use against infantry and air vehicles. One of it's main benefits is that it doesn't suffer from the bullet drop as much as the main tank shells do. It's very good at both long and short range. Have a C4 ninja rushing you? Canister shell. See a hill humping sniper being useless? Canister shell. I would always recommend equipping canister shell if you find yourself driving a tank alone. It can make up for not having a second seat gunner.
Oh how I love APFSDS-T shells. It amazes me how many people driving IFV's don't have these equipped. It really does. Hands down the best weapon attachment for all IFV's. AP shells have very few downsides and a lot of upsides to using them. AP shells can bypass reactive armor. So even if a tank is equipped with reactive armor the AP shells will penetrate it and damage the tank. The other upside is that it partially blinds the enemy's vision when taking fire. The other upside is that they're extremely useful in destroying buildings and structures that can be used as cover. The only downside is that they're not too effective against infantry like the normal high explosive IFV rounds are. Some will say the lower rate of fire for AP shells are a downside but I don't think that. In order to win against tanks while in an IFV you must make every shot count. Having a slightly lower rate of fire for AP shells makes it easier to keep all rounds on target.
Those are my attachments that I use most commonly on MBT/IFV's and why I use them. In Part 3 I will talk about strategy, tips, tricks and other setups. I hope this makes you a better player and better teammate.
-Tr0y
MBT/IFV Loadouts Part 1
Battlefield's legacy has always been large scale vehicle based combat. In a lot of competitive scrims and matches in BF3, infantry seems to be the focus. Vehicles still have their place in almost any match whether it be pubs or scrims. In this post I'll focus on different MBT/IFV loadouts. What works in what situations and so on.
MBT Unlocks and Attachments
IR SMOKE--Infrared smoke that breaks locks from lock on weapons and will deflect incoming guided missiles.
COAXIAL LMG--A mounted light machine gun that acts as a secondary weapon for tank drivers.
AUTOLOADER--An attachment that speeds up the reload time of main tank shells.
ZOOM OPTICS--A 3x magnification scope for the tank driver.
MAINTENANCE--This attachment speeds up vehicle health regeneration.
COAXIAL HMG--Similar to the coaxial lmg but instead a .50 cal HMG is used as the secondary weapon for the tank driver.
PROXIMITY SCAN--External motion sensors that spot any enemy movement close to the tank on your minimap.
GUIDED SHELL--A secondary weapon for the tank driver that can lock on to air and ground vehicles. Air vehicles require the use of either the CITV or SOFLAM.
THERMAL OPTICS--A weapon sight for the tank driver that displays in infrared making it easier to see enemy vehicles and infantry.
THERMAL CAMO--A passive tank attachment that extends the amount of time enemy lock-on weapons take to acquire a lock. Basically the same as the STEALTH attachment that's available for air vehicles.
CANISTER SHELL--A secondary weapon for the tank driver that's basically a giant shotgun. Very effective against infantry and air vehicles. Has no effects on enemy tanks and IFVs.
REACTIVE ARMOR--Armor panels that cover the sides and the rear of tanks protecting it from enemy antitank weapons. When shot at they become destroyed but can be repaired.
CITV STATION--A permanent tank upgrade that provides a third seat. CITV is used to lock onto enemy ground and air vehicles to be used with Javelins and guided shells. CITV station also comes with thermal optics for the CITV operator.
The IFV's share a lot of the same upgrades as the MBT's so I won't list all the upgrades shared but only the ones that are exclusive to the IFV's. The belt speed attachment is the same as autoloader.
ATGM LAUNCHER--A secondary weapon for the IFV driver that launches a wire-guided missile. Since it's wire-guided the missiles path can be guided by the IFV driver by turning the turret after the missile is fired. This feature is effective for shooting around corners.
APFSDS-T SHELL--Armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot with tracer. This attachment is an armor piercing round that can penetrate reactive armor and blind the tank driver's field of view. The downside of the AP shells is that there isn't any explosive splash damage so it's not very effective against infantry like the high explosive rounds that are standard on the IFVs.
GUIDED MISSILE--Laser guided antitank missiles that can lock on and fire upon tanks. Used with a SOFLAM a line of sight isn't required to lock on and fire at enemy tanks. Can be nullified by IR Smoke.
So those are the MBT and IFV loadout attachments. In my next blog post I'll talk about different set ups for different maps and situations. I hope this makes you a better player and better teammate.
-Tr0y
MBT Unlocks and Attachments
IR SMOKE--Infrared smoke that breaks locks from lock on weapons and will deflect incoming guided missiles.
COAXIAL LMG--A mounted light machine gun that acts as a secondary weapon for tank drivers.
AUTOLOADER--An attachment that speeds up the reload time of main tank shells.
ZOOM OPTICS--A 3x magnification scope for the tank driver.
MAINTENANCE--This attachment speeds up vehicle health regeneration.
COAXIAL HMG--Similar to the coaxial lmg but instead a .50 cal HMG is used as the secondary weapon for the tank driver.
PROXIMITY SCAN--External motion sensors that spot any enemy movement close to the tank on your minimap.
GUIDED SHELL--A secondary weapon for the tank driver that can lock on to air and ground vehicles. Air vehicles require the use of either the CITV or SOFLAM.
THERMAL OPTICS--A weapon sight for the tank driver that displays in infrared making it easier to see enemy vehicles and infantry.
THERMAL CAMO--A passive tank attachment that extends the amount of time enemy lock-on weapons take to acquire a lock. Basically the same as the STEALTH attachment that's available for air vehicles.
CANISTER SHELL--A secondary weapon for the tank driver that's basically a giant shotgun. Very effective against infantry and air vehicles. Has no effects on enemy tanks and IFVs.
REACTIVE ARMOR--Armor panels that cover the sides and the rear of tanks protecting it from enemy antitank weapons. When shot at they become destroyed but can be repaired.
CITV STATION--A permanent tank upgrade that provides a third seat. CITV is used to lock onto enemy ground and air vehicles to be used with Javelins and guided shells. CITV station also comes with thermal optics for the CITV operator.
The IFV's share a lot of the same upgrades as the MBT's so I won't list all the upgrades shared but only the ones that are exclusive to the IFV's. The belt speed attachment is the same as autoloader.
ATGM LAUNCHER--A secondary weapon for the IFV driver that launches a wire-guided missile. Since it's wire-guided the missiles path can be guided by the IFV driver by turning the turret after the missile is fired. This feature is effective for shooting around corners.
APFSDS-T SHELL--Armor-piercing fin-stabilized discarding sabot with tracer. This attachment is an armor piercing round that can penetrate reactive armor and blind the tank driver's field of view. The downside of the AP shells is that there isn't any explosive splash damage so it's not very effective against infantry like the high explosive rounds that are standard on the IFVs.
GUIDED MISSILE--Laser guided antitank missiles that can lock on and fire upon tanks. Used with a SOFLAM a line of sight isn't required to lock on and fire at enemy tanks. Can be nullified by IR Smoke.
So those are the MBT and IFV loadout attachments. In my next blog post I'll talk about different set ups for different maps and situations. I hope this makes you a better player and better teammate.
-Tr0y
Friday, August 24, 2012
What Separates Great Players From The Good
I've always said that competitive play is where the real skillful players are at. Now what makes those competitive players great? Is it talent? Stats? No I don't think it's either of those. What I think truly makes a player great is nothing more than situational awareness and decision making.
Players become great when they can give the mini-map a quick glance at the spawn screen and immediately know what needs to be done. They select the right kit/weapon based on the average engagement distance on whatever map is being played. They pick a perk that isn't being used by other squad mates. They know exactly what flags need to be taken back if they're occupied by the enemy. They know exactly where the friendly and enemy armor will spawn. These are the players that don't need constant direction from other teammates because they're already doing what needs to be done.
In order for teams to win they need to be composed of players who have those attributes and more. Teamwork, communication, chemistry, versatility, camaraderie, and a desire to win more than the enemy are all vastly more important than any one skill set or stat. Going all the way back to my days in Rainbow Six: 3 Raven Shield days even with 4v4 competitive games those assets were needed and shown among all team members. I don't care about any player's one stat when it comes to judging how well they're doing. If all my team members have all the attributes listed above then those team members have fostered a trust that I develop for them and vice versa.
The last few weeks my team has been recruiting quite a bit of new people. With that comes more pubbing than I usually do. Mainly to see which players mesh well with others, which don't, which know what they're doing when it comes to more objective based gameplay and so on. Lately I've seen a lot of players who for the lack of better words, just don't have what it takes to win. Simple as that. Harsh maybe but I have high standards. People know this but people also shouldn't interpret my standards as being impossible. I'm in it for the win nothing else. That is my goal, that is my fun. Everyone makes mistakes myself included but I will call people on it. Even fellow teammates. This is competitive gameplay. You can take the top ten people on the Battlefield 3 world leader boards and put them up against an average TWL Battlefield team and the TWL team would smoke the leader board players quite easily.
I will close this post with a piece of advice from probably the best competitive FPS player I've ever played against, rivaLCartel "If you're not fighting on a flag then you are not doing your job and you're hurting your team." Please people PLAY THE OBJECTIVE. I hope this makes you a better player and better teammate.
-Tr0y
Players become great when they can give the mini-map a quick glance at the spawn screen and immediately know what needs to be done. They select the right kit/weapon based on the average engagement distance on whatever map is being played. They pick a perk that isn't being used by other squad mates. They know exactly what flags need to be taken back if they're occupied by the enemy. They know exactly where the friendly and enemy armor will spawn. These are the players that don't need constant direction from other teammates because they're already doing what needs to be done.
In order for teams to win they need to be composed of players who have those attributes and more. Teamwork, communication, chemistry, versatility, camaraderie, and a desire to win more than the enemy are all vastly more important than any one skill set or stat. Going all the way back to my days in Rainbow Six: 3 Raven Shield days even with 4v4 competitive games those assets were needed and shown among all team members. I don't care about any player's one stat when it comes to judging how well they're doing. If all my team members have all the attributes listed above then those team members have fostered a trust that I develop for them and vice versa.
The last few weeks my team has been recruiting quite a bit of new people. With that comes more pubbing than I usually do. Mainly to see which players mesh well with others, which don't, which know what they're doing when it comes to more objective based gameplay and so on. Lately I've seen a lot of players who for the lack of better words, just don't have what it takes to win. Simple as that. Harsh maybe but I have high standards. People know this but people also shouldn't interpret my standards as being impossible. I'm in it for the win nothing else. That is my goal, that is my fun. Everyone makes mistakes myself included but I will call people on it. Even fellow teammates. This is competitive gameplay. You can take the top ten people on the Battlefield 3 world leader boards and put them up against an average TWL Battlefield team and the TWL team would smoke the leader board players quite easily.
I will close this post with a piece of advice from probably the best competitive FPS player I've ever played against, rivaLCartel "If you're not fighting on a flag then you are not doing your job and you're hurting your team." Please people PLAY THE OBJECTIVE. I hope this makes you a better player and better teammate.
-Tr0y
Monday, August 20, 2012
Communication Part 2
In Communication Part 1 I talked about abbreviated phrases and words to help your team communicate in a quick and timely manner. Time is a huge aspect of competitive play so effectively communicating can make a huge difference between a win or a loss.
In this post I'll introduce even more shortened phrases that can help your team communicate more efficiently to achieve that win.
Peeking---Peeking basically means someone is using a certain corner for cover and peeking out and getting picks on your team. It's the infantry version of pillaring a cover spot.
Backrage---Backrage is a flanking term to jump the enemy from behind. It's most used effectively on smaller infantry focused maps like Seine or Bazaar.
Heavy---I use the term heavy in conjunction with a map location callout to describe how much enemies are at a particular spot. High traffic areas like kitchen on Bazaar are naturally gonna be heavy for the most part because of flag location.
Light---Basically the opposite of heavy. Little to no enemy presence at any given map location.
Push---Another term I use in relation with map location callouts. Basically means to move up to a certain location, MCOM, Flag etc. Used most frequently when playing as attackers on Rush.
Bomb (A,B)---Bomb is what I call an MCOM. It's just easier to have a shorter way of saying MCOM. Use it with "A,B" for specific callouts.
Rushed---Rushed is what I say if I'm down and the enemy is rushing or charging in on my body. Let's the medic know he needs to come in guns blazing to get the rez.
Picked---Exact opposite of Rushed. I'm down and I was taken out from a distance. Let's the medics know it's pretty safe to run in and get the rez.
Engie Bomb---When three or more engineers gang up on an armored vehicle and disable and destroy it.
So that's gonna do it for Part 2. These communication techniques will help your team get a better awareness of the situation at hand and effectively communicate better. I hope this makes you a better player and better teammate.
-Tr0y
In this post I'll introduce even more shortened phrases that can help your team communicate more efficiently to achieve that win.
Peeking---Peeking basically means someone is using a certain corner for cover and peeking out and getting picks on your team. It's the infantry version of pillaring a cover spot.
Backrage---Backrage is a flanking term to jump the enemy from behind. It's most used effectively on smaller infantry focused maps like Seine or Bazaar.
Heavy---I use the term heavy in conjunction with a map location callout to describe how much enemies are at a particular spot. High traffic areas like kitchen on Bazaar are naturally gonna be heavy for the most part because of flag location.
Light---Basically the opposite of heavy. Little to no enemy presence at any given map location.
Push---Another term I use in relation with map location callouts. Basically means to move up to a certain location, MCOM, Flag etc. Used most frequently when playing as attackers on Rush.
Bomb (A,B)---Bomb is what I call an MCOM. It's just easier to have a shorter way of saying MCOM. Use it with "A,B" for specific callouts.
Rushed---Rushed is what I say if I'm down and the enemy is rushing or charging in on my body. Let's the medic know he needs to come in guns blazing to get the rez.
Picked---Exact opposite of Rushed. I'm down and I was taken out from a distance. Let's the medics know it's pretty safe to run in and get the rez.
Engie Bomb---When three or more engineers gang up on an armored vehicle and disable and destroy it.
So that's gonna do it for Part 2. These communication techniques will help your team get a better awareness of the situation at hand and effectively communicate better. I hope this makes you a better player and better teammate.
-Tr0y
Saturday, August 18, 2012
Seine Crossing Map Breakdown and Callouts
Seine Crossing Conquest small is a great map for close infantry fighting. There are a lot of flanking routes and hiding spots for each flag. Lots of rubble drop areas as well.
In this first map of Seine I provide the burn radius and spawn points for each flag. The burn radius is outlined in black and the spawn points in yellow.
In this next map of Seine I provide the various callouts for locations and hotspots in the map.
And finally in this map I provide the various flanking routes and pathways and each callouts for them. In my opinion this map of Seine shows why it's the ideal map for close infantry fighting in a competitive BF3 match.
So those are the breakdowns of Seine Crossing. This map has a lot of camping areas, particularly in buildings but on the plus side those areas don't affect the burn of each flag. I was told one time, "If you're not fighting on a flag you're not doing your job and you're hurting your team." This map is a perfect example of that. It may be tempting to camp certain buildings, especially J building, but it won't really gain you any flag real estate. If the enemy decides to camp, don't charge head on into the doorways. Equip your RPG or M320 and destroy the building facade providing cover. I use the term "rubble drop" for maps like this and Bazaar. Basically it means using RPG's on building exteriors will drop rubble on enemies below and kill them while also destroying cover used by campers.
So that's it for my breakdown of Seine Crossing. I hope this gives you a better look at how this map can be played and used to your advantage. I appreciate any questions or feedback. I hope this helps you become a better player and better teammate.
-Tr0y
In this first map of Seine I provide the burn radius and spawn points for each flag. The burn radius is outlined in black and the spawn points in yellow.
In this next map of Seine I provide the various callouts for locations and hotspots in the map.
And finally in this map I provide the various flanking routes and pathways and each callouts for them. In my opinion this map of Seine shows why it's the ideal map for close infantry fighting in a competitive BF3 match.
So those are the breakdowns of Seine Crossing. This map has a lot of camping areas, particularly in buildings but on the plus side those areas don't affect the burn of each flag. I was told one time, "If you're not fighting on a flag you're not doing your job and you're hurting your team." This map is a perfect example of that. It may be tempting to camp certain buildings, especially J building, but it won't really gain you any flag real estate. If the enemy decides to camp, don't charge head on into the doorways. Equip your RPG or M320 and destroy the building facade providing cover. I use the term "rubble drop" for maps like this and Bazaar. Basically it means using RPG's on building exteriors will drop rubble on enemies below and kill them while also destroying cover used by campers.
So that's it for my breakdown of Seine Crossing. I hope this gives you a better look at how this map can be played and used to your advantage. I appreciate any questions or feedback. I hope this helps you become a better player and better teammate.
-Tr0y
Friday, August 17, 2012
Grand Bazaar Map Breakdown and Callouts
Grand Bazaar Conquest small has always been one of my favorite BF3 maps. It's perfect for 8v8 conquest matches and scrims. Here I provide a breakdown of spawns, burn radius and callouts for buildings and pathways.
In this first map of Bazaar I provide the spawn points of each flag and it's burn area. The burn area is outlined in black while each spawn point for each flag is in yellow.
In this map I have highlighted in black certain areas and buildings that can be crucial to play and win.
And finally in this map I have the most important flanking routes and pathways marked in neon green. These pathways are paramount to flanking and getting the drop on the enemy.
So I hope this has provided you with a better look at how Bazaar is broken down and can be played. If you have any questions or comments feel free to ask. I hope this makes you a better player and better teammate.
-Tr0y
In this first map of Bazaar I provide the spawn points of each flag and it's burn area. The burn area is outlined in black while each spawn point for each flag is in yellow.
In this map I have highlighted in black certain areas and buildings that can be crucial to play and win.
And finally in this map I have the most important flanking routes and pathways marked in neon green. These pathways are paramount to flanking and getting the drop on the enemy.
So I hope this has provided you with a better look at how Bazaar is broken down and can be played. If you have any questions or comments feel free to ask. I hope this makes you a better player and better teammate.
-Tr0y
Monday, August 13, 2012
Competition and Sportsmanship
For me the goal of competitive gameplay is to win. Likewise for most other competitive players. The route you take to achieving that win is what I'd like to talk about. When I look at what loadouts or tactics I'm going to use, I look at the effectiveness of them to attain the win.
Talking with other people I hear the word "cheap" and "tryhard" thrown around a lot. And I don't really understand why. My mentality is to win. You can't win every game but I certainly try to. The problem I have is if you're not trying hard or not even trying at all, what are you doing? The other word that makes me cringe is "cheap". Some players have some kind of set of inner rules of "that's cheap, I won't stoop to that level". The rule I have is to use any and all means necessary to win, as long as it's not cheating. Are you more effective a player at using the more overused weapons? Then go ahead and use 'em. Putting C4 on objectives to prevent capture? By all means do it. Players too many times have a rigid structure of play and fail to adapt to new elements or tactics used against them. In result they go cry foul about how that was cheap or not honorable.
Now here's where sportsmanship comes into play. I don't think tactics or gameplay considered "cheap" can also be called unsportsmanlike. I don't believe in things like honor or unwritten rules of games. Glitching and cheating are rules written in stone that should always be followed but competitive games only know winning and losing. Honor or unwritten rules are not the same thing as something that can be considered unsportsmanlike. Things like hatemail and teabagging to me are unsportsmanlike. I really think they're uncalled for. If some person keeps killing you over and over, sending hatemail isn't really going to help you overcome that player. Adapting and improvising will though. There have been times where I get frustrated, everyone does but I don't think hatemail or raging at someone is going to do anything to make the situation better. If you keep putting yourself in the same situation that gets you killed over and over you have to start rethinking some things.
Becoming a top player starts with using any and all means necessary to enhance your chances of winning. If you find a loadout or tactic that gives you the advantage over other players, as long as you're not cheating, then you'd be stupid not to use it. Other noncompetitive players might not find that fun, for me winning is fun. So shrug off those unwritten honor rules and go win. I hope this helps you become a better player and teammate.
-Tr0y
Talking with other people I hear the word "cheap" and "tryhard" thrown around a lot. And I don't really understand why. My mentality is to win. You can't win every game but I certainly try to. The problem I have is if you're not trying hard or not even trying at all, what are you doing? The other word that makes me cringe is "cheap". Some players have some kind of set of inner rules of "that's cheap, I won't stoop to that level". The rule I have is to use any and all means necessary to win, as long as it's not cheating. Are you more effective a player at using the more overused weapons? Then go ahead and use 'em. Putting C4 on objectives to prevent capture? By all means do it. Players too many times have a rigid structure of play and fail to adapt to new elements or tactics used against them. In result they go cry foul about how that was cheap or not honorable.
Now here's where sportsmanship comes into play. I don't think tactics or gameplay considered "cheap" can also be called unsportsmanlike. I don't believe in things like honor or unwritten rules of games. Glitching and cheating are rules written in stone that should always be followed but competitive games only know winning and losing. Honor or unwritten rules are not the same thing as something that can be considered unsportsmanlike. Things like hatemail and teabagging to me are unsportsmanlike. I really think they're uncalled for. If some person keeps killing you over and over, sending hatemail isn't really going to help you overcome that player. Adapting and improvising will though. There have been times where I get frustrated, everyone does but I don't think hatemail or raging at someone is going to do anything to make the situation better. If you keep putting yourself in the same situation that gets you killed over and over you have to start rethinking some things.
Becoming a top player starts with using any and all means necessary to enhance your chances of winning. If you find a loadout or tactic that gives you the advantage over other players, as long as you're not cheating, then you'd be stupid not to use it. Other noncompetitive players might not find that fun, for me winning is fun. So shrug off those unwritten honor rules and go win. I hope this helps you become a better player and teammate.
-Tr0y
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Communication Part 1
In my introduction I mentioned the three key aspects of winning. Team work, communication and time management. Communication is paramount to success in competitive play. It also goes hand in hand with time management. BF3 objective modes are based on tickets so time management is essential to winning. This is where communication comes into play.
If you've played with me in the past you know I use certain terms when calling for different actions or locations in matches. If I say "I'm down, get the rez, guy's in J2" you should know what I mean. I just gave three key pieces of information in one simple sentence. Too many times I hear people rattle off huge paragraphs of dialogue just to say what I just said. You simply don't have the time to do this in a competitive match.
So I digress, "rez" means to revive. I abbreviate a lot of words to get the info out in a quick and timely manner. When I call out objectives I always use "Alpha, Bravo" instead of "A,B" so there isn't any miscommunication. This is so important in both time management and effective communication. I'll be providing a sort of glossary of terms I tend to use in competitive play. I will elaborate on map location terms in part 2. I hope this helps you to become a better player and teammate.
Rez------------------Reviving
Dez------------------Locking on targets with CITV or SOFLAM
Hitcoin---------------Damage hit markers on enemies and vehicles
Rep(s)---------------Repairs, repairing vehicles
Burn-----------------Flag cap radius in Conquest mode
Nade----------------Grenades
Transpo-------------Transport chopper, jeep, vodnik
Gimme--------------Closest flag to your base deployment
Magdump-----------To empty your entire magazine
Pillar(ing)------------Moving back and forth between cover in tanks, LAV's
Perk-----------------Squad specialization
Down----------------Friendly or enemy killed
Up-------------------Friendly or enemy vehicle coming out of base
-Tr0y
If you've played with me in the past you know I use certain terms when calling for different actions or locations in matches. If I say "I'm down, get the rez, guy's in J2" you should know what I mean. I just gave three key pieces of information in one simple sentence. Too many times I hear people rattle off huge paragraphs of dialogue just to say what I just said. You simply don't have the time to do this in a competitive match.
So I digress, "rez" means to revive. I abbreviate a lot of words to get the info out in a quick and timely manner. When I call out objectives I always use "Alpha, Bravo" instead of "A,B" so there isn't any miscommunication. This is so important in both time management and effective communication. I'll be providing a sort of glossary of terms I tend to use in competitive play. I will elaborate on map location terms in part 2. I hope this helps you to become a better player and teammate.
Rez------------------Reviving
Dez------------------Locking on targets with CITV or SOFLAM
Hitcoin---------------Damage hit markers on enemies and vehicles
Rep(s)---------------Repairs, repairing vehicles
Burn-----------------Flag cap radius in Conquest mode
Nade----------------Grenades
Transpo-------------Transport chopper, jeep, vodnik
Gimme--------------Closest flag to your base deployment
Magdump-----------To empty your entire magazine
Pillar(ing)------------Moving back and forth between cover in tanks, LAV's
Perk-----------------Squad specialization
Down----------------Friendly or enemy killed
Up-------------------Friendly or enemy vehicle coming out of base
-Tr0y
Introduction
Hey what's up guys. When I had this blog in mind, my goal was to create ways to help my fellow teammates and clan members become better players. But then I realized this could help everyone and anyone become better players and teammates in any situation.
The focus of becoming better is knowledge, team work, communication and time management. These are all areas I fill be focusing on further to help people become better and play better. And most importantly...to win. Battlefield 3 is a pretty deep game as far as FPSs go. The amount of weapons, vehicles, maps, gadgets make it more than complex. Finding good info isn't always easy. Here we'll try to focus on everything possible BF3 has to offer.
A competitive play type mindset is what I like to see from teammates in order to win. That combined with knowledge and communication is essential to winning in a competitive atmosphere. Even though DICE somewhat dropped the ball on making BF3 a more competitive focused game (Battlerecorder, spectator mode) there is still a deep level of gameplay and features to make it competitive.
So I hope everyone reads up and tries to better themselves. If you take away anything from this blog I hope it's that you learned just a little something to make you improve your game and to succeed more.
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