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Noob offering noobs advice:
lath456
Member Posts: 92
Updated - 7/17/10: Section 10. External Links added.
Updated - 7/19/10: Set your controls.
0. Controls
The first thing you should do, is CUSTOMIZE your controls! Make sure you have easy access to the action key ('F' default), crouch, grenades and the lean keys.
Most of all, set your mouse sensitivity in Game Controls. This will be a HUGE help.
I also recommend setting your Aim to HOLD and not a toggle.
1. Starting in APB: Learn the Strength of Your Weapon
A big part of APB is learning how to properly utilize your weapon. As a new player you start with the STAR 556 Tactical Assault Rifle. Some people think this weapon is absolutely horrible, but it's not, this weapon is rarely properly utilized by new players. The STAR 556 is a good weapon for medium ranged fighting, it's inferior to automatic weapons at short distances and inferior to Sniper Riles at long ranges. In order to properly utilize this weapon, it's up to you to figure out how to get yourself into situations which give you the advantage over your opponent and how to avoid situations which put you at a disadvantage.
Know your enemy and what weapons they are using; hit TAB and click on the red names to see what weapons your opponents are using and keep in the back of your mind what you're up against.
2. Implementation
The single, most repeated, biggest mistake I see new players make is trying to rush their opponents while using the STAR. The STAR is good at medium range fighting, so what you're going to have to do is identify where your opponent is, what weapon they are using and devise a plan on how to attack that position. You don't want to approach someone defending a waypoint with a sniper rifle on foot, and you don't want to jump out of a car next to someone using an automatic weapon. The shortest route is not always the best route, attacking successfully from superior ground once is better than rushing in and getting killed.
If your opponent is using an automatic weaponm you want to avoid situations which put you in a short distance gun fight. This means you have to resist the urge to try running over your opponent (assuming they are on foot and facing you) and keep your distance from them.
3. Exploiting Weaknesses
There are a number of situations which can give you a distinct advantage over your opponent, there is a short period of time when performing certain actions which will make your oppoents vulnerable:
During/after climbing ladders
Getting out of vehicles
Kicking open doors
Climbing over fences
Reloading
Throwing grenades (the time delay ones)
Landing after a fall
Inversely, these situation can make you vulnerable. Try to avoid putting yourself into a situation where your opponent has the advantage in these instances.
Another instance where you can be at a disadvantage is when you're hanging out of a car shooting at opponents, you can get shot and die (quite easily) while hanging out of a window. If you are driving and someone is hanging out of a window, shooting at opponents who are firing back, try to keep the vehicle between the person hanging out of your vehicle and the people they are shooting at.
You can put your opponent at a disadvantage by driving your car. If your opponent likes to unload ammo at your vehicle, you can use this to your advantage - if they unload ~1/3 of their clip into your car, you can jump out and start a gunfight - which they will almost certainly be forced to reload during. This can give you an extra couple seconds of shooting and the upper hand in a gun fight.
If your opponent is already out of their vehicle, always try to exit your vehicle with your vehicle between you and your opponent, or behind cover.
4. Utilize Your Secondary Weapon
Being able to switch to and accurately fire your secondary weapon can make a world of difference against better geared players. I do suggest at least getting into the habit of switching to your secondary weapon in close gun fights. That starter pistol isn't the greatest weapon, but once you get a decent secondary, it will be helpful to already be in the habit.
5. Purchasing Your Next Weapon
View every mission you enter into as an opportunity to learn and discover. Take notice of what weapons kill you quickly and the situation you were in when you got killed, as well as how often you are in those situations. Go to a contact from each of the Factions (either Praetorians/Prentis Tigers or Bloodrose/G Kings) and look at what weapons they offer. Chose a faction based on the weapons which you can buy at higher Rep. levels.
Many people opt for the 6th level rep. assault rifles, simply because it's easier to do well with while being stupid about tactics. Regardless of what you choose to purchase, keep in mind that your tactics and the situations you get into have to work with the weapons you use.
6. Grouping - Don't Be Stupid
In most cases, traveling as a group in a single or two vehicles is the best option. 4 players, each driving their own vehicle will never stop another player in a Capture and Hold scenario, you are better off being far behind an opponent but with an ally hanging out your window. As a matter of personal preference, I like to let the owner of a vehicle drive their own car (as a new player, you probably wouldn't do very well driving certain purchased vehicles).
If you're using the STAR or another semi-automatic rifle, you can provide excellent support / cover / distraction for people with automatic weapons, do not be afraid to wait for your teammates to respawn, or to hang back and provide cover for them. You are NOT Rambo, do not try to assault a well guarded waypoint solo, you will die.
As Albert Einstein once said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results". If rushing in one way gets you slaughtered without much of a fight, try to explore other routes. In cases of limited access, split up and look for ways to flank opponents.
Some mission have a 15 minute timer. Utilize the time you are given, regrouping and reorganizing is far more effective than running around like a bunch of unoranized ninnies.
7. Less Than Lethal (LTL)
Less than lethal weapons are what seperate Criminals from Enforcers. If you play solo as a Criminal, these things will bother the @#$^ out of you, as a solo enforcer, they can make your life a bit easier.
They are typically less effective in groups and are pretty much useless if you're hanging out of a vehicle trying to shoot at another vehicle. On the other hand 2 or 3 hits from a LTL will render a criminal unable to move (so they can be arrested), so they can still be quite effective.
8. Use Your Map
The in game map will show you ammo machines, gas stations and vehicle respawn machines. USE IT. If you're in a mission and can't get close to an objective before you're killed, reassess your weapon choices and take the time to find a machine and change.
9. The Art of War
It's worth taking the time to read: http://classics.mit.edu/Tzu/artwar.html
Once you learn and properly utilize the many aspects of this game, you can be a nightmare to (or at least a thorn in the side of) your adversaries.
"The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
Thus the good fighter is able to secure himself against defeat, but cannot make certain of defeating the enemy.
Hence the saying: One may know how to conquer without being able to do it." - Sun Tzu
10. External Links
Weapon Unlocks:
Misc. Info.:
Hundreds of Useful Tips:
Comments
still amkes no difference if I pump a full clip into someones cars and it still goes but the otehr paly puts a quick burst into my new car and blows it up
Or if I pump a full clip into a bad guys only to be 1 shotted from full health
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ab/Norsefire-logo.png
Some vehicles are more durable than others, and some weapons shred through vehicles much better than others.
Are you getting hit by a sniper rifle or a shotgun by any chance?
"If all you can say is... "It's awful, it's not innovative, it's ugly, it's blah.." Then you're an unimaginative and unpolished excuse for human life" -eburn
No Idea, Matchmaker was matchuing ym group of new players against people who could kick our butt, took me 4 hours to even get my Detective 1 rank by (finally) Completing a mission.
For example, during the tutorial I did not get taught how to use my LTL gear, or what the markers above Criminals heads were about.
Indeed, when your doing a mission with STAR gear and come against someone hurling grenades at you, you tend to go 'Screw this'
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ab/Norsefire-logo.png
There are no one shots in the game other than rockets or granades to the face.
The rest depends on how damaged your car ALL READY WAS.
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"Anyone posting on this forum is not an average user, and there for any opinions about the game are going to be overly critical compared to an average users opinions." - Me
"No, your wrong.." - Random user #123
"Hello person posting on a site specifically for MMO's in a thread on a sub forum specifically for a particular game talking about meta features and making comparisons to other titles in the genre, and their meta features.
How are you?" -Me
Thats a great guide for noobs and could help them a lot of they took the time to read it all.
Somthing that also could have been talked about is using lean when firing around a corner or doorway. Using lean makes you a much harder to hit target so you wil have the advantage over someone in the open.
Thanks for the information.
Excellent thread! Great info. If only more people realized that there's more to this game than running in guns blazing...
I've played for a while and I know I'm old and slow and I pity the poor b-stards that get grouped with me. I have a tendency to stay in the cars too long and explode with them... plus my aiming is crappy as I'm used to MMO's like WoW where you don't have to aim.