In the real world, the screen does not flash red when you take a hit. If you shoot someone in the arm with a .50 Cal sniper rifle, more than likely they will not continue running for cover. Real world tactics have a place in the gaming environment, but tactics are fluid, subject to change and adaptation.
Tactical Gaming is the application of the knowledge, training and experience you already possess and adapting it for use with a particular game, whether it be a First Person Shooter, Air Combat Simulator, or a turned based Strategy Game. Some factors never change, but some change greatly when placed in the virtual environment.
The upside to using tactical gaming principles is that you will more than likely have an advantage over some of your opponents. The downside, many will accuse you of being a “cheater”, “hacker”, “noob” or other something similar. However, do you really care? If you were easily offended, you wouldn’t have joined the military in the first place.
Having said that, there are definitely some things, which while tactically sound in nature and perfectly legitimate in the real world, will make you definitely unpopular. Let us start with those.
The Spawn Camp: Spawn Camping is keeping your sights on an area of the gaming map you know players will appear when they respawn after elimination. Spawn Camping is only a short term tactical advantage, as staying in any place too long tends to give away your position, limit your options, and draw the players you take out to you like a roach on a pop tart. Generally the more points you score, the more quickly someone will come looking for you. However, if the opposing player refuses to move out of the spawn area, takes shots from it, ducks down or initiates any action, all bets are off.
The Chat Kill: Chat Killing is fragging the opposing player when he or she is engaged in chat, typing or otherwise doing something else besides actively engaged in the game. Most games signify a player is in chat by placing an icon such as a light bulb, or speech balloon over their player model. Some servers, clans and players could care less; others automatically boot you from the game and may ban you from returning. However, there are some things to consider… Often in games, the chat icon appears when a player is engaged in action such as calling in air support. What if the opposing player is in an area you must secure? On one particular Capture the Flag game, I encountered an opposing player who managed to steal the flag, then immediately stop and begin boasting by way of typing. I took this as a sign of good luck and immediately blasted him, returning the flag in the process. When he complained about chat fragging, no one really cared. Chat all you want, just do it in a secure place, and don’t complain if a round takes you out. Either type faster, or quit relying on someone to wait for you to shoot them first.
Wall Spamming: Wall Spamming is simply shooting through a wall, usually in a large volume, in an effort to frag any opposing players on the other side. Generally unpopular, you will here many complaints. We all know a wall; especially interior walls offer concealment and not cover. Bullets tend to travel in a relatively straight line for a short distance until they meet an object that slows stops or deflects them. The amount of armor piercing ammunition, and what it is available for is staggering. While trying to shoot through a wall with an Uzi may seem ridiculous, doing so with an M60 is a time-honored tactic. Reconnaissance by fire. But, if all you have is an Uzi…
Camping: Another common complaint is players “camping.” Camping is simply placing yourself in a tactically advantageous position from which you can fire with confidence. No one will come behind you, or from the sides. In order to effectively camp, you must first clear an area, and then remain somewhat concealed. Fortifying that area with claymores or other player triggered traps is a must, and having other teammates to provide security is always helpful. Camping with a sniper rifle is definitely acceptable, as running around a battlefield with a single shot rifle makes about as much sense as placing a screen door on a submarine. One thing to bear in mind however, all positions are temporary, and you must be willing to abandon it as soon as it becomes a disadvantage.
Going Prone: This should be self-explanatory, when someone shoots at you, especially from a distance; dropping to the ground behind cover is a wise thing to do. However, some players will complain that you did not properly stand up so they could shoot you more easily. If you decide to do so, ask them to hold still next time you aim at them.
Noob Tubes: One thing I hear about on a particular game is the use of Grenade Launchers. Called Noob Tubes, because they are one of the first weapon unlocked in advancement, the perception is a grenade launcher is a weapon needing little skill. Let’s put this one in perspective. Placing the cross hairs of a scope on a target is a relatively simple task. Even if the opponent is behind concealment with only a portion of their body showing, all you have to do is move the mouse until the cross hairs line up. Doing a hip shot across the map to place a grenade in a window takes a little more effort. You have to know something about angles of fire and trajectory. My only beef is you don’t get more than two grenades, and can’t pick more up the way you do ammunition. Fragged is fragged, whether from a bullet, rocket launcher or grenade.
Team Kill: On servers with Team Kill, or Friendly Fire set to “on” one must be careful not to shoot your buddy. Makes sense in the real world too. Being the only person indiscriminately firing at anything with legs makes you unpopular. So, avoid this, choose your shots and identify your target. However, only a fool would run across a barrage of machine gun fire. A friendly heads up to the less intelligent members of your team may help them realize that wall of lead you are laying down will hurt them.
Grenade Spam: One of my favorite tactics of all time, besides, how can you dislike Spam? On certain games allowing for the use of hand grenades, using multiple grenades spread out over an area is an effective way to eliminate multiple opponents in a short time. Just be careful not to group the grenades in one small area, no one is going to remain in an area where a grenade has just dropped, so spreading it out gives you a greater chance of eliminating the opposing team. You can also do this with a grenade launcher, allowing for a spread at a greater distance. Another way is to have several of your teammates throw grenades in succession to another, but that would require a level of coordination not usually found among individual gamers, especially those not known to another. One warning though, once you throw those grenades, they are gone, unless the game offers some way of picking up more as you move, it might be best to reserve at least one for that irritating machine gun placement.
But what about those tactics which are totally unrealistic? Anything is open in tactical gaming, realistic or not, they are tools for use or discard as you see fit. Let’s look at a few of those…
Bunny Hopping: One of the most widely unpopular of tactics, Bunny hopping is hitting the jump key repeatedly, or in an effort to avoid fire. Sometimes it works, but against an experienced player with adequate reflexes, will do little good. Bunny hopping in some games is a tactic used to increase speed and allow greater distance covered in jumps. In this case, it is excellent, because otherwise you will be the only fool running around moving slow. In the real world, an operator or infantryman is not going to jump up in the air in an effort to avoid getting hit. More than likely, they are going to move quickly to cover or prone out to reduce their target profile. But this is not real world is it? A running jump will generally place a little more distance between you and the opponent shooting at you, or the grenade just thrown towards you. This reminds me of another game, where a player complained of bunny hopping because “it’s training all the troops in Afghanistan and Iraq to hop around like rabbits under fire.” Being shot at in a game, and feeling a bullet whizzing by you in real life are two distinct feelings, and encourage drastically different reactions.
Glitching: Glitching is using the game map’s individual quirks to place yourself in an area of the map you are not meant to be. No one in combat is going to bother to climb the ladder to the roof, jump on to the rail, and jump off to land on the light pole so that they bounce so high they end up in the palm tree. Glitching however, can place you in a tactically advantageous position, not readily recognizable by the other players. If they don’t like it, offer to show them how to get there.
Rocket Jumps: Used in a lot of older FPS games, Rocket Jumps are done by firing a rocket launcher into the ground while at the same time hitting the jump key or landing on a jump pad. Very effective for placing yourself at higher elevations on the map, but also costing you some health in the process. Most new games, especially realistic combat FPS’s don’t allow for this as firing a rocket into the ground will indeed launch you into the air, but will also kill you in the process. It is entertaining however, to watch someone else try this one, so it is definitely worth encouraging.
Using some, or all of these tactical gaming principles will place you in direct conflict with other members of the gaming community, some servers and clans outright ban them in favor of what they consider fair. Using something to your best advantage does not make you a “noob,” outright refusing to use something to your advantage simply allows it to be used against you. You are free to make your own choice which tactic, weapon or perk you use, just as you are free to choose servers where the players don’t whine when you do.
The final thought in all this, however is one of mutual respect. You can’t very well complain about someone using a tactic against you, which you have already used yourself. Nor can you expect someone else to pick and choose those tactics you feel acceptable.
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