Gaming

Gaming is a skill that many gamers take for granted till they try introducing gaming to n0085 or competing with 313375.

Gamer Tech

Good hardware won't make you good by itself but it can make you suck less and improve faster.

• Gaming Mouse: Buy the best feet-per-inches and dots-per-inch mouse you can. Naturally, that would be a DeathAdder for right handers who like or the ultimate in ambidextrous design, Lachesis, which works better on Macs. Logitech has some decent stuff too, but Razer is the preferred professional choice.
  • Protect your mouse with a hard case like a small box filled with foam or it will eventually break when you throw it into your computer bag. [Not that this writer would ever do something that stupid but luckily within the 30 day return period.]
• Gaming Surface: Buy a good mousing surface like a Razer eXactMat with wrist pad or Mantis Speed for the ultimate in size and less wearing down of teflon mouse feet.
• Surround Headset: Get a 5.1 or 7.1 surround headset or he to be able to track the position of sounds and speak to your teammates. Speakers are nice for Internet gaming at home but they're cumbersome and they give you away in a local network like a LAN party or competition.
• Gaming Computer: You probably already have one but you should evaluate and upgrade what you have and consider gaming requirements when buying another. Most hardcore gamers still use non-Macs but many including the Penny Arcade guys have adopted the new Intel Macs which can run Windows games without a hitch. Macs are now excellent gaming machines too, and a MacBook Pro or iMac makes a great portable gaming system.

Gamer Skills

There are a number of gamer skills that all competitive players master.

• Egonomics of your playing space are important.
• Tuning your hardware and software is essential to get maximum FPS. See detailed instructions below.
• Snap your mouse at set distances rather than homing in gradually.
• Consistency in settings is a must for improvement. Pick a sensitivity level and adjust settings to stick to it in all games.
• Memorize maps to know what terrain to seize, where opponents will be and alternative routes to take.
• Time spawning events of items and players to dominate the resources.
• Outthink your opponents by observing and countering their strategy.
• Predict where opponents are likely to clash with you and ambush them or even throw grenades to where you expect they might be.
• Shortcuts should be bound to mouse buttons and keys for maximum convenience.
• Teaming is a great way to develop your skills with other players.
• Competing with new players and teams is the only way to test your skills and learn competitive strategies.
• Demos of recorded games of top competitors can teach you their strategies and demos of your own games lets you see mistakes and opponent movements you missed playing it. Check out sites like GamerReplays.org.
• Practicing makes perfect.
• Practice some more.
• Forums are a great source of new strategies but they can be addictive. Exercise your timing skill. Give yourself a 15 minute time limit and do not waste time chatting there.
• Slumps in your performance happen so expect them and concentrate your mind or take a break to clear up your headspace rather than getting discouraged.
• Etiquette in games is important like sportsmanship because after all it is just a game. Don't talk trash or accuse players of cheating because both make you look like a jerk.
• Calming your nerves is essential in competitions where winning is about more than fun.

Tuning Guide

• Disable Driver Mouse Accelleration because it limits your learning potential by making the movement per inch inconsistent based on speed. (See CS Mouse Guide)
• Disable Driver Mouse Sensitivity (notch 6 in Windows Mouse Control Panel) because it only distorts input by skipping or doubling pixels:
• Low, Medium or High Sensitivity works as follows:
  • Low sensitivity (8+ inches to turn 180) can get away with any dpi higher than 200 without affecting the game. Maximum tracking speed is more important for these players.
  • Medium sensitivity (4-8” to turn 180) will probably want at least a 400dpi mouse but 800dpi could benefit some who play at higher than 1024x768.
  • High sensitivity (under 4”) will want at least 1000dpi and even beyond with faster settings. These players see the most benefit from more dpi.
  • "People debate about high and low sensitivity often. The benefit people most often claim about lower mouse sensitivities is that it separates looking and turning from precise movements like aiming or controlling recoil. With a low enough sensitivity you will be able to look and turn by moving your whole arm, and then precisely target and shoot moving just the hand. For some players this is very beneficial. I have also heard things like, because the arm is closer to your brain stem it takes less time for the nerve synapses to reach the muscles so you can react faster than by just moving your hand or wrist.
  • "On the other hand higher sensitivities have advantages too. Being able to turn very quickly to defend yourself can save your life. Some players find it uncomfortable or fatiguing to have to move their arm long distances to turn. Some mice just plain can't handle the speed needed for low. Lastly if you have a small mouse surface to play on this can be an only option. I am not a high sensitivity user so there are other benefits I may be neglecting to list."
• Disable Game Mouse Smoothing because this just waters down and lags what you are doing to compensate for jittery mice.
• Overclock Razer mice to 500hz or 2ms delay instead of 125hz and 8ms delay. 1000hz adds CPU lag to get just 1 more ms.
• Use resolution switching on the thumb buttons to switch between a set fast setting and a much lower setting for sniping.
• Maximize Monitor Refresh Rate if you can to the highest possible setting. Most LCDs are locked at 60 or 75hz but some CRTs can do 120hz and it makes things more fluid.
• Eliminate background processes that slow your CPU.
• Test your ideal sensitivity. Set your sensitivity and write it down. Choose a reapatable starting position, end position and target in a game map. Equip a weapon like an assault rifle. Aim at the target in the manner that you customarily do and fire a 3 shot burst. Move along the path and fire at the target as you move. Write down the number of shots on target. Adjust sensitivity settings up and down in small increments and repeat this until you consistently get the most shots on target.

Recommended Reading

Boot Camp For The Noob

Razer's Boot Camp For The Noob is an excellent guide to tuning your hardware, software and gray matter to redefine what playing at your best means. It covers most of the aforementioned core gamer skills in depth. Sign up for their mailing list or download it directly.

See CS Mouse Guide.

Tips From Kornelia

"When you are playing in a match, try to control your nerves. I know it is easier said than done. To this day whenever I play in a serious match I get a minor anxiety attack. The difference is that I expect it and I try to control it to my best ability. Your hands are shaking; you can hear your heart pound and your palms are sweaty. Remember that your opponent is going through the exact same thing. Think of that next time you are in a one on one match.

Aside from the psychology of the game, strategy is crucial. You need to be as aware of your opponent as you can be. Try and control the map, if you do not have control try to stay away, bide your time and make your move to regain control. Don’t lose your head when you are fragged and don’t get overconfident when you frag your opponent.

Bottom line is you are as good as your reflexes, strategy and nerves. Practice against strong opponents and you will improve your game."