Updated at: 21-06-2023 - By: Craig Huey

To put it simply, Christopher loves video games with an unhealthy obsession. He is enrolled at the moment in the DeVry University Course in Video Game Design and Simulation.

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Ok, so you’ve mastered the controls, taken over a few bases and resource plants, made some friends, and maybe even used some of those resources to build some MAXs, vehicles, and other fun toys. What follows are some additional common sense but advanced pointers that will aid in your advancement.

1. Bullets Know No Friend or Foe

Forget about rounding a corner and charging headlong into a room full of enemies in the vain hope of securing a quick victory. (Gone, too, are the days of “Rambo” maneuvers in which you run in front of your teammates to give them an extra burst of firepower.)

To be sure, there is a lot of friendly fire in this game. It’s welcome and annoying and a little jarring if you’re used to playing more standard first-person shooters. It’s like having an in-law who makes your favorite dish just the way you like it, but then annoys you the whole time you’re trying to enjoy it. Since you can’t just turn corners with your guns on full auto or spray around your allies trying to get that guy behind them, friendly fire forces a degree of strategy in positioning, defense, attack, or whatever else you want to call it. When you’ve cleared a room of guards and your allies kill you with a grenade, it stinks. Or you could successfully sabotage a generator, only to be fatally shot by one of your trigger-happy friends. Great enjoyment. Finally, on the subject of friendly fire…

2. Stop Running Me Over, I’m Trying to Help You!

Okay, you. Tank! I’m fully aware of how massive you are and how vital a role you play in society, but… But STOP RULING OVER ME WHILE I’M TRYING TO HEAL YOU! Nothing is more annoying than having to heal a tank while it hides behind you. Especially right after the force fields have dropped and the army has begun marching in. The tank advances a short distance, halts, and reverses its direction before splatting. An engineer has been lost. This is especially noticeable in fast tanks like the Lightning or ones with increased speed, and in strafing tanks.

Is your health bar still increasing even though you’ve taken damage and have to retreat from the battle? Remember that someone is already putting his virtual life on the line to protect yours. Just don’t make him feel bad about giving in to temptation.

3. Back to the Basics: Classes.

Let’s delve into this topic a bit further.

Weak Attack: Take advantage of your jetpack technology! Because it is the most open-ended, this is my favorite course. Go up on rooftops, hide in dark corners, and wait for an opportunity to spring. As much as possible, avoid making direct attacks. The responsibility for finding and destroying unprotected generators almost entirely rests on your shoulders. The Heavy Attack: Generally speaking, this type of offensive language is fairly typical, widespread, and elementary. Thanks to their certifications, this class has access to a powerful arsenal of primary weapons suitable for any situation. In addition, he is the only member of his class to be equipped with a standard Anti-Vehicle weapon. For a limited time, you have a “Super Shield” that can block significant amounts of damage. However, the dazzling glow you’ll emit during this time is like holding a huge “I’M HERE!” sign. Warning: Fire at Will. Medic: Weak weapons, but you can always rely on your “laser-healing-gun-thing” to save the day. Aside from reviving yourself, you can also bring your allies back to life, and you can even get certifications to boost your healing abilities even further. Engineer: You, like the Medic, are a lifesaver for the vehicles and MAXs, and you’re one of their best hopes for getting better. While you can’t revive, your ability to drop ammo boxes makes you an invaluable asset to the unit. Infiltrator: You’re armed to the teeth with a sonar bullet, cloaking field, and sniper rifle. There’s a satisfying sensation of sniping in this game, so don’t be shy about doing it. Primary weapons can be unlocked and are a lot of fun once you do. It’s a common misconception among new infiltrators or players unfamiliar with the class that they can attack while invisible. To sum up: pick them off one by one from a distance, and if they get too close, turn invisible and knife them until they’re dead. MAX: You’re basically a human tank. From what I’ve seen, the most common load-out consists of one arm for anti-personnel and the other for anti-vehicle purposes. Please remember that you are not a god and that you are not immune to harm. If you’re riding the MAX, you’re already a prime target. Since your class lacks shields, it is highly recommended that you find an Engineer friend who can help heal you.

4. Picking the Right Class for the Job

What I like best about this game is how utterly unprepared and ineffective you will be if you choose the wrong class for the task at hand. Unless you have a sniper rifle, you’re wasting your time trying to engage an extremely distant group of soldiers. An infiltrator is a poor choice if you anticipate engaging enemy units at close range. Use the Heavy Assault class to destroy the enemy Sunderer blocking your way and the MAX class to mow down the incoming enemies to reduce their numbers and create space for the other classes in your squad.

The upshot is that there is always a suitable course for any given circumstance. Adapt and modify so that you can be of service.

5. Check Your Chat and Watch the Map!

If you’re not used to playing first-person shooters that emphasize teamwork, the importance of constant communication may not be immediately apparent. The two sides may engage in lighthearted banter now and then, but you’ll still need to keep an eye out for strike instructions from your teammates. Though this does not happen very often. Outside of squad/kit-to-squad/kit-to-kit communication, most battles I’ve seen have been silent. Where “Map Awareness” comes in is at this point. First, you should survey your entire deployment and determine where your units will be attacking and defending. Think about potential “Opportunity Areas” as well. A group of your team’s vehicles, an exposed generator, a Sunderer with lofty goals, etc. After capturing a base or resource node, the squad normally moves on as a unit via convoy. It’s time to jump on a Sunderer or a tank and move on.

6. Spend Your Resources Wisely

I’ve never run out of resources because I always make sure to maintain my tanks, but it’s important to keep in mind that doing so would require giving up something else. It has to be slowly regenerated, and you can forget about getting it back. In addition, there is a delay until you can summon another one of the same kind (with the exception of grenades). If you’re careful and frugal, the cooldowns won’t be a big deal even if you hit a tree (seriously) or have some other stroke of bad luck. (AMBUSH OF TANKS!)

7. Get Certified In Something Other Than Basket Weaving!

It is important to be prudent with both resources and certifications. You should prioritize investing certification points in the parts of your character that you plan to use frequently. A good example is the fact that not all Infiltrators employ the Sonic Bullet/Tracer thing. Others use it in a horrible way. Spending money on certifications is a good idea if using it is something you enjoy doing. If not, put the money toward something else, like sniper or cloak regeneration. Some certifications are well worth the cost of the certification tokens, like those that increase a useful attribute (Speed of Healing/Repair/SpecialRegen), while others are barely worthwhile (at the time of posting, there is a 30 Max Ammo for 100 certification tokens).

As a side note, unless I had my heart set on something specific, I would invest my first tokens in certifications that cost between 1 and 10 certification tokens.

8. Dr. Accuracy and How I Learned to Stop Full-Autoing and Love the Burst

Recoil, in a word. In a phrase: “Zero impact.” In a nutshell: we’re shooting blanks.

The game’s recoil leaves a lot to be desired, but I can see how it would significantly alter the game’s balance. At point blank or when they are clustered in a small hallway, full auto is the only option. If you find yourself in neither of these unusual circumstances, quick bursting is your best bet. A quick burst or two from most guns is guaranteed to take an opponent down (unless they are Heavy Assault or MAX), and their relatively low health/hit points mean that four to six bullets are sufficient to bring down anything less than a Heavy Assault.

9. Strategy Shmatergy

As a result, the enemy is advancing on your resource plant or you are preparing to advance on their fortified resource plant. In other words, what do you do? Okay, first things first: sprint inside and make it as far as possible before collapsing to the floor. Be aware of the types of forces there and how far your army has penetrated their defenses during this run. (If your army is already inside their base, then building a tank is pretty much pointless.) Your death will trigger the continuation of this story. Examine the menu map in light of your observations. Weakened by a lack of tanks? You can either teleport back and pick up a tank or switch to the Heavy Assault class and try to form an “Anti-Tank” squad to blast those things to smithereens with rockets. Do they have snipers picking off your soldiers? A vehicle or airplane should be used to enter the area. Is it true that they are using rockets to reduce your vehicles to rubble? Try your hand at infiltration as an Assassin or engineering as a Hero! In many cases of takeover or defense, a single person can make all the difference. (There have been times when I single-handedly eliminate the lone back-of-the-base Generator while the rest of the squad concentrates on the front.)

To counter this tactic, you need a cohesive group or squad to work together. For an “Anti-Vehicle” Squad (a group of four or five working together can OH-KO almost all moving vehicles without additional armored tanks), this is a particularly lethal tactic.

10. Don’t Be Afraid… Period

One of the most striking features ofIn PlanetSide 2is members of the team sitting around doing nothing while they wait. I’m not referring to those players who never leave their spawn rooms, or “AFKers,” even after the server has kicked them. I’m thinking of situations where engineers just stand around and don’t heal the tanks or MAXs that surround them, or where Light Assaults are just sitting at the front gates. (Most notably, those who, as the generators are being shut down, sit in the base and fire from cover.) If you really want to make a difference in the world, it doesn’t matter if you die trying; you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by taking the plunge.

The second key concept is to not worry excessively about money. In a word, yes, but they replenish rapidly. In the event that your army appears to be grossly outmatched by the attacking or defending army, you should immediately go acquire a tank or suitable airship and prepare for battle. In that case, they should go for the MAX suit if they have already breached the stronghold. Don’t waste your resources without giving some thought to how you’ll maximize their effectiveness.

Driving skills should be practiced whenever free time presents itself. Skillsets like moving, jumping, pointing, clicking, and spraying confetti in all directions are fairly standard in first-person shooters. However, vehicle skills are typically quite distinct from standard first-person shooter abilities. The ability to lead a target and perhaps some advanced forethoughts are the only real transferable skills from dog fighting to first-person shooters. When it comes to strategy, tactics, power, thought, and the requisite level of skill, they are utterly dissimilar beasts.

At this point, we hope you’ve learned enough from our beginner’s guide to get started inIn PlanetSide 2. The best way to learn is to go out and get killed a lot. Tend not to be timid; keep that in mind as tip #10. Nothing you need to keep going will ever be completely out of stock. It’s time to break free and enjoy life.

Please share your thoughts and advice in the section below.