After some positive reviews I’ve decided to give this another go. Many of these tips can be applied to any first person shooter for those of you who view Halo as a dinosaur. For me, this is a classic game that always gives me a sense of nostalgia. Without further ado, here are the top 5.
Halo3.com
5) You Fail to Communicate
Do you speak the same language as your teammates? Are you goading them by making fun of their handles? (I probably am too…)
Look, if you are already wearing your headset and geek’in out like the rest of us, you might as well use it as a tool to help you succeed. Be a good teammate and you will be rewarded with victories. Also, good players will want to continue to play with you! If you aren’t that skilled, this can really make a difference.
At least you're not this clown.
Solution: In lower level games, this doesn’t matter. Players with high enough skill can torch less advanced players with relative ease (and it’s a helluva lot of fun too!). However, once you reach players of your skill level, using communication becomes essential. The easiest way to help your team is just to tell the rest of your team where the enemies are so they can help you kill them (CALL ‘EM OUT).
Hit the jump for the final four…
4) Evolution/ Adaptation:
Same Master Chief, same Elites, same head thumping melee’s from behind, but alas, Halo 1, 2 and 3 are all completely different games. It is very possible you can be a beast at Halo 1 and get rocked by your nephews in Halo 3. Many people I know were disappointed with the Halo series conformity to a more familiar type of first person internet based shooter. This does not change the fact that you may still suck at newer sequels to this classic game and story.
Back in the college days we played Halo 1 every single day for at least 2 hours. Our freshman year there were school wide rankings posted on a message board. We had every power up timed, three shot pistol kills, we even stood on teleporter’s and handed out melee deaths for those unfortunate enough to come through.
How does any of this apply to Halo 2 or 3? Learning game physics aside, there is very little transferable to the more conformed 1st person shooters of the subsequent sequels. Learning to adapt to these games is more than re-learning the maps… there are new weapon balances, new techniques for sufficient kills, and yes… new tricks/exploits.
Solution: If you haven’t learned how to adapt to Halo 3 by now, you are way behind the curve dude. Learn the maps, understand the weapon balances and the changes in effectiveness between guns.
3) Hunter vs. Hunted
“I don’t want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me.” –Frank Costello of The Departed
Are you a sheep or a wolf? Look at yourself long and hard in the mirror! You are a beast at Halo, now impose your will on your enemies! Do not be tentative and attack with purpose. This all sounds well and good but how will you stalk your enemies?
Solution: You must use the radar to your advantage. If you are more capable of using and manipulating the radar, you will outfox your enemy, potentially putting yourself at a leveraged position. There are many ways to do this.
Flanking is always the a viable option, if you can do it while tricking your opponents (who also use radar) this is an especially valuable tactic. Remember crouch walking makes you invisible on the radar.
2) Using your Environment:
This is probably the hugest difference between being leet and n00bsauce. At the very least, using this simple knowledge to your advantage will save your ass a countless number of times. Think of your Halo match as a war. Would you stand out in the middle of an open field and spray fire indiscriminately at whatever blue guy may appear for a moment or two? If so, you probably deserve to be sniped.
Lets just say you have acquired the human sniper rifle and you are surgical with that bitch. You just sniped some noob from your highly indefensible perch. Guess what he’s doing after his respawn? He is out on the playing field, gathering the right weapons to kill you at your last known location. You may be wondering: how do I avoid this precarious situation?
Solution:
Don’t camp in the same place for too long!!! However, this is not the only situation in which using your terrain is applicable.
Using the terrain to hide and regain your shields is an unbelievably important tool for your survival. If you turn a corner and duck behind a rock as you are being hunted, then proceed to jump out with full shields and pop a couple headshots off, you will severely agitate your enemies. Putting your enemies on tilt and picking up an extra kill you don’t deserve is what I live for (you will learn to as well).
Use cover to limit Master Chief’s exposure to bullets and lasers, move tactically.
1) Kill/ Death Ratio:
This is the most overlooked stat in the history of first person shooters and it is the most obvious. (The only exception is Lone Wolves. If you only play Lone Wolves, you probably aren’t a very good gamer because you can’t play well with others.) How many times you die on your team actually matters!!! ZOMG… O RLY??? Yes really… when playing a TEAM game how many times you die affects your teams ability to win the match. The team that has the most kills wins the match, this much is indisputable. HOWEVER, another way to think of this is that the team that dies the fewest times wins the match.
Mind BLOWN
I can’t even begin to tell you the number of times I’ve played team deathmatch and the team is seemingly function as a unit. Everything seems to be going well, the team is working together to hold a certain position yet the game is frighteningly close. Do you ever wonder why this might be happening? One reason is because your greedy selfish teammate’s are pursuing kills to their certain and inevitable deaths. Despite your excellent position, one of your n00b teammates is following the enemy recklessly into their well fortified position and he is being repeatedly slain. This is the single most frustrating quality in 90% of halo players (maybe all first person shooters).
Solution: SURVIVE.
Seriously, don’t run after a kill to your certain death. If you are already about to die, the suicide for kill method is completely legitimate. If you die without killing him, then you have failed!
Until next time…
gunner4991
jpark24
commonname
patr
hahaha a hilarious entry sir! I am guilty of all of these horrible sins…
This post is my favorite so far. I like the Departed quote. I have to say though, that its not always Wolf vs Sheep. Sometimes you can play the Venus Fly Trap strategy.
You should write something explaining why Halo 1 is better than its sequels. Eternal Empire FTW!
@Mike, it’s ok bud I know plenty of people who commit these self-destructive errors. I still can’t touch you in WoW! Also, I’m catching up slowly but surely through your web comic (EROS INC on the side bar!!) I’m working my way through chapter 2 now.
@Ian, that’s actually a great point. Lulling people in then surprising them with a barrage of grenades or headshot’s is always a viable option. I find it especially useful in areas where you can attack them from multiple sides…silly nubs.
@Peisander, MISS YOU MAN! I also miss Halo1… Ryan had the suggestion that I write a tribute to the game we all loved so much and I think I will be writing that in the near future.
Thanks for the comments bro’s, keep ‘em coming on stuff you like.
”Despite your excellent position, one of your n00b teammates is following the enemy recklessly into their well fortified position and he is being repeatedly slain. This is the single most frustrating quality in 90% of halo players (maybe all first person shooters).”
Are you talking about me
Hilarious post!