11 Tips to Improve Your Online Shooter Success

This article is for beginners who are getting into playing online shooters and keep getting killed.  Here are some tips that I use to stay alive and possibly get some kills.

1) Find Cover. The most important thing for survival in an online shooting game is cover.  A lot of newbies want to just run out in the open spraying and praying.  Especially if you're a newbie and your gun is not that good yet.  Chances are somebody else is gonna see you before you see them.  That means you're dead.  Good players find good spots to hide and take cover.

2) Don't shoot from far away if your gun is not accurate.  If the other player has their back to you and doesn't know you're coming, don't shoot right away if you're still a little far from him.  Get closer until you know you have a good shot.  If you shoot from far away and miss or hit, but don't kill, you give away your location.  If the other player is good, he'll be able to turn around quickly and kill you. 

3) Shoot from the hip first.  If you run into somebody all of a sudden and they're close to you, you need to shoot fast.  If you press the precision aim button (usually L1) before shooting, you'll be too slow.  I say start shooting first and then press L1 while you're shooting.

4) Remember your grenades.  When you're face to face with someone and you're both shooting at each other, throw a grenade (usually L2 or R2).  The grenade might not hit him but could throw him off a bit and give you a chance to get the kill.

5) Find an efficient weapon that suits you.  I love using sniper rifles and shooting people from far away, but it's a slow way to get a kill and you probably won't be of much help to your team.  I'm best with mid-range guns because I have decent aiming skills and the gun shoots faster.

6) Get used to the melee attack button.  I've been killed many times because the other players were really quick at knifing.  Because I play a variety of FPS games and the melee button is often a different button on different games, so I forget which button is the close quarters knife button.  When you start playing, make sure you get used to pressing that button like a reflex, because you'll need it.

7) Don't be predictable.  The reason playing against a computer opponent is so easy is because they're predictable and always have patterns.  Being a human being, you can be completely unpredictable and that is the reason playing online is so much more difficult than playing campaign modes even on extreme difficulty.   If you are in a shootout with someone and you run for cover before dying, that player will probably be waiting for you to pop out, right where he last saw you.  Find another area to pop out where he'll less likely be looking and attack.

8) Flank.  If you see your teammate shooting at someone, don't go to where your teammate is.  Try to go around and hit the opponent from the side while they're shooting at your teammate.  Also be aware of flanking enemies while in a shootout.

9) Keep moving.  If you've just killed someone.  They're probably gonna come right back to find you and get revenge.  Even though you might have found a great spot, there's no spot that is safe for long.

10) Find a friend.  Don't always go at it alone.  Follow a teammate and back him up.  If he's in front of you, chances are he'll get shot at first and that will give you more time to shoot at the enemy.

11) Shoot first, ask questions later.  Most online games turn off the friendly fire option, so if you shoot at a teammate, they will not be hurt.  If you run into someone suddenly, shoot!  I used to make the mistake of seeing someone and thinking it was my ally, but it was an enemy and I was killed.  As long as friendly fire is turned off, shoot at everyone you see until you know for sure.