Total newbie here - need your help!

[startover]

Whew first post here. Anyway straight to the point. I used to be a RTS gamer only and was never into FPS, well till I got my hands on BF2. Wow the concepts and setups of this game totally attracted me. After a dozen rounds of single player mode I couldn't wait to get online and well, as you might have already guessed, was pwned left and right miserably!

So guys please help out a newbie on his way to becoming a real soldier. I searched and searched but could not find any good, detailed starter's guide for basic control and tricks. Most of them are either too general or too advanced. Is there a website, or an article somewhere that has the resources I needed the most?

Off my head I have a few quick questions:

1, How come I find it hard to spot an enemy, while I myself was almost always instantly spotted and killed from the time I spawned? Many times I don't even know who from where killed me with what. I heard the bullets, but how do I tell where they came from? I do have 5.1 speaker setup but I'm driving them with a generic integrated onboard sound card. Do you think upgrading to a dedicated gaming sound card such as the Creative X-Fi with EAX will help me judge the directions better?

2, Must a good player be capable of playing all kits? Or just a couple is fine? I personally preferred the Anti-Tank (love the portable missile!) and the Sniper kits. But I find sniping to be rather difficult. Is there a certain kit that I should start out with, or should I just stick with AT?

3, Many times I was very positive that I hit my target and unloaded a ton of bullets on him, but he was still quite alive and next thing bam I was dead. I understand that there is some lag in network mode and what I see does not necessarily represent what I've done. So exactly how should I aim and control the trigger to achieve maximum accuracy? I can imagine that this is a pretty complicated question and requires a lot of real practice/experience, but I'd appreciate it if someone can point me to the right directions by giving me some basic guidance.

4, Is a controller/joystick needed to play non-air roles? Or am I just fine with my keyboard+mouse?

5, Can someone explain to me how to efficiently utilize the minimap? How come sometimes I can see icons of enemy vehicles/aircrafts on the minimap when they are approaching me, but sometimes I cannot?

6, Is there a way to have the computer speak English when I'm on a non-US team? I can't understand a word of what they are saying.

7, How do you say those things like "enemy sniper spotted", "enemy vehicle identified", "grenade" etc? I hear them all the time but I don't see them on the "Q" menu?

8, I heard that a new version of the game, BF2142, is coming out soon. Will most current BF2 players switch to BF2142 once it's out? Will becoming good at BF2 help in BF2142? Or in other words, is it too late to learn BF2 at this point?

[GunHappyBob]

Re: Total newbie here - need your help!

If you

Whew first post here. Anyway straight to the point. I used to be a RTS gamer only and was never into FPS, well till I got my hands on BF2. Wow the concepts and setups of this game totally attracted me. After a dozen rounds of single player mode I couldn't wait to get online and well, as you might have already guessed, was pwned left and right miserably!

So guys please help out a newbie on his way to becoming a real soldier. I searched and searched but could not find any good, detailed starter's guide for basic control and tricks. Most of them are either too general or too advanced. Is there a website, or an article somewhere that has the resources I needed the most?

Off my head I have a few quick questions:

1, How come I find it hard to spot an enemy, while I myself was almost always instantly spotted and killed from the time I spawned?the other teams commander is probably better at spotting. when your commander spots someone or something it will show up on the map Many times I don't even know who from where killed me with whatCould be a sniper, don't linger out in the open. I heard the bullets, but how do I tell where they came from?if you have surround sound you should hear where the bullets are coming from and you also have an incator that shows where u were hit I do have 5.1 speaker setup but I'm driving them with a generic integrated onboard sound card. Do you think upgrading to a dedicated gaming sound card such as the Creative X-Fi with EAX will help me judge the directions better?get creative

2, Must a good player be capable of playing all kits?yea but You'll always have kits your better with or prefer more Or just a couple is fine? I personally preferred the Anti-Tank (love the portable missile!) and the Sniper kits. But I find sniping to be rather difficult. Is there a certain kit that I should start out with, or should I just stick with AT?stick with what makes you comfortable man, soon as you unlock some weapons life gets more interesting. chose your unlocks wisely

3, Many times I was very positive that I hit my target and unloaded a ton of bullets on him, but he was still quite alive and next thing bam I was dead. I understand that there is some lag in network mode and what I see does not necessarily represent what I've done. So exactly how should I aim and control the trigger to achieve maximum accuracy? I can imagine that this is a pretty complicated question and requires a lot of real practice/experience, but I'd appreciate it if someone can point me to the right directions by giving me some basic guidance.ping plays a part

4, Is a controller/joystick needed to play non-air roles? Or am I just fine with my keyboard+mouse?

5, Can someone explain to me how to efficiently utilize the minimap? (blue=good, red=bad and if you see the arty symbol means your commander is dropping arty and stay out of the area. most of the symbols are self explanatory How come sometimes I can see icons of enemy vehicles/aircrafts on the minimap when they are approaching me, but sometimes I cannot? because 1) someone is spotting them for you or 2) the commander is using a uav (unmanned aerial vehicle with radar in the area that shows where they all are. right click on someone and click spotted and it will spot them and your team can see them for a brief time

6, Is there a way to have the computer speak English when I'm on a non-US team? I can't understand a word of what they are saying.yup, its in your options

7, How do you say those things like "enemy sniper spotted", "enemy vehicle identified", "grenade" etc? I hear them all the time but I don't see them on the "Q" menu?

[RocketChild]

Re: Total newbie here - need your help!

God Bless, that is a lot to take in.

OK, one thing that seperates RTS people from FPS is twitch reflex. You need to be able to stay calm at all times. FPS games are very exciting, but they can get you so worked up, you can't focus on your surroundings.

Listen, and look. Move quickly when you are crossing in the open, but move slowly (don't sprint) as much when you are in closed areas. It will help you spot the enemy clearer.

One thing that I must ask. Do you have a very strong gaming box. I have played BF2 on a system way below minimum specs and now on a system well above spec. It is a night and day difference.

If you have a stronger machine, you should really look to bump up your graphics in your options. Some maps, it will help you define and make out your enemy quicker. If you have a weaker machine, it can effect how well you can see your enemy, and how laggy the firefights are when things blow up near by.

When you are dead, hit the "C" key and scroll through some of the active players still alive and watch their game play. Sometimes, you pick up some characterists they show.

Run through all the options and see everything. You might get an idea of what you can do on your own to improve your layout/performance.

Note that mini-map, don't always watch it, but keep a mind on what is happening up in the corner of your screen. Because if a UAV is close by, spotting the enemy, you will know their proximity.

Conserve your ammo, and reload after a firefight if you have time. You might not get a second chance to reload if you run out of ammo in a melee.

Again, stay calm, it will change your game around totally.

Have fun, be patient, and practice.

Again, that is a lot to chew on...so hopefully everyone here can chip away at it for ya.

[redrider]

Re: Total newbie here - need your help!

I would suggest 2 very easy to remember and effective tactics. First find a medic and follow them around, the reason being that they can revive you while you learn. Second, at the end of the round see who are the members of the top squad on your team and the next round join thier squad. Being in a squad where at least 2 or 3 people work together is a good place to learn how to play BF2. If the squad you are in is no help dont be afraid to leave and join another squad. There usually is at least one squad that does fairly well, join, follow, and learn.
I guess this is really 3 things. Most people here use the same name in game that they use here. If you spot one of them stick close because they will help you become better faster. Oh and dont forget to keep comeing here for more help. Its what we all do. . . . . . .Red

[-=[R]=-SilentNite]

Re: Total newbie here - need your help!

1, How come I find it hard to spot an enemy, while I myself was almost always instantly spotted and killed from the time I spawned? Many times I don't even know who from where killed me with what. I heard the bullets, but how do I tell where they came from? I do have 5.1 speaker setup but I'm driving them with a generic integrated onboard sound card. Do you think upgrading to a dedicated gaming sound card such as the Creative X-Fi with EAX will help me judge the directions better?

When you are hit, but enemy bullets there should be a Red half moon indicator that shows up in the center of your screen around your crosshairs. When ever it shows up, that is the general direction to which your getting hit from.

With my surround sound, I can hear the direction of shots coming my way so possibly upgrading your sound card will help. I however still could hear general directions even with my on board sound if memory serves me correctly.

2, Must a good player be capable of playing all kits? Or just a couple is fine? I personally preferred the Anti-Tank (love the portable missile!) and the Sniper kits. But I find sniping to be rather difficult. Is there a certain kit that I should start out with, or should I just stick with AT?

You will find that the "TOP" players within the game have pretty much stuck to one kit usually medic. A kit like medic plays into the award whores mentality due to the ease at which one can achieve points. This isn't entirely the truth as many also master other diciplines too.

My suggestion is to stick to one kit for now while you learn the game. Once your pretty comfortable with it then you may want to venture into some of the other kits to discover the dynamics of these kits and how you need to play them to be successful. It all comes down to your own personal preferences.

Medic, if you want to heal/revive teammates
Anti-Tank, if your getting whipped out by armour and need to take them out at distance
Sniper, obvious
Engineer, if you want to repair your vehicle after battle damage and repair teammates vehicls while advancing. Also a good kit to defend with due to the Anti-tank mins
Spec Ops, if you want to blow enemy commander assets, destroy enemy tanks by ambushing them with your C4, and good accurate weapons
Assault, if you want to run and gun with some add body armour
Support, if you want to rearm your teammates after exhausing many clips of ammo, and good infantry suppression unit with the Squad Assault Weapons

Time in game will self teach you this and you will quickly learn what kit is required for each situation in game. The above descriptions are very small in an effort to quickly describe some of their aspects.

3, Many times I was very positive that I hit my target and unloaded a ton of bullets on him, but he was still quite alive and next thing bam I was dead. I understand that there is some lag in network mode and what I see does not necessarily represent what I've done. So exactly how should I aim and control the trigger to achieve maximum accuracy? I can imagine that this is a pretty complicated question and requires a lot of real practice/experience, but I'd appreciate it if someone can point me to the right directions by giving me some basic guidance.

The gun physics are pretty funky within BF2 and it takes alot of hits to take someone out. This is unless of course you hit them in the head. One thing to know is that automatic fire with the BF2 Engine is pretty random with its bullet hits. The best firing practise as with most FPS' is to short burst your shots. You have alot more control of its hit loccation when short burst firing.

4, Is a controller/joystick needed to play non-air roles? Or am I just fine with my keyboard+mouse?

No, a joystick is not required and the mouse and keyboard is fine. I know that some of the most skilled pilots do use joysticks though. It simply comes with your preference.

I myself started out using the mouse and KB for flying. Because of this I haven't been able to use my joystick very well with BF2. Simply got too used to using my first method.

5, Can someone explain to me how to efficiently utilize the minimap? How come sometimes I can see icons of enemy vehicles/aircrafts on the minimap when they are approaching me, but sometimes I cannot?

If your seeing the enemy in your mini map its because either someone on your team has "spotted" them or they are under your commanders UAV umbrella. Either way, always use this to your advantage and be sure to spot the enemies when you can to assist you in keeping a watchful eye of a potential threat if they happen to get away from your first volley of gun fire.

Spotting an enemy and the UAV don't last for ever, so this is why sometimes you can see them and other times you cannot.

6, Is there a way to have the computer speak English when I'm on a non-US team? I can't understand a word of what they are saying.

Yes, under your options tab before logging into a server, there is an option somewhere, I can't recall where exactly, probably under sound, you can check a check box that will put all foreign language into english.

I personally don't use this feature. I prefer to hear the other languages. This especially comes into good use when you are close to the enemy as USMC and all of a sudden you hear a foreign language instead of english. If I hear english, I would think they were with me instead of being the enemy.

I just quickly read the text that shows up on the left side to see what was said when I am playing as MEC or Chinese.

7, How do you say those things like "enemy sniper spotted", "enemy vehicle identified", "grenade" etc? I hear them all the time but I don't see them on the "Q" menu?

Using the 'Q' menu and with your curse on the enemy and then selecting spotted within the menu will automatically say things like "Enemy sniper spotted," or "Enemy Armour." You don't need to worry about manually selecting what type of unit it is but you do have that option too.

The gernade comment is automatic everytime you or someone throws one.

8, I heard that a new version of the game, BF2142, is coming out soon. Will most current BF2 players switch to BF2142 once it's out? Will becoming good at BF2 help in BF2142? Or in other words, is it too late to learn BF2 at this point?

I don't plan on heading to BF2142. My personal interpretation is that it is simply a MOD on the same engine. I personally prefer modern combat over walking Mechs. I have told my clan that the only way I get it is I am the last one still playing BF2 within the clan :p

So no, being that BF2142 is going to be on the same engine, I don't think its too late to learn BF2 especially if your planning on venturing into BF2142

[imported_The_Revrend]

Re: Total newbie here - need your help!

Learn to love the Keyboard + Mouse.

trying to play with a game pad or joystick in infantry combat will get you pwned even faster than you are now.

Rev

[startover]

Re: Total newbie here - need your help!

You guys rock. Thanks.

I do have an okay rig I think. I play at 1680x1050 on my 20.1 widescreen LCD with 4xAA, 4xAF, all settings high except texture, dynamic lighting and dynamic shadows which are medium. I average about 80FPS. I'm not quite happy with my MX1000 mouse though. It feels kind of bulky at aiming, and if I do move it hard it becomes over-sensitive.

Most of my questions have been answered. I will just keep on practicing and hopefully one day I can kick some @ss!

I would suggest 2 very easy to remember and effective tactics. First find a medic and follow them around, the reason being that they can revive you while you learn. Second, at the end of the round see who are the members of the top squad on your team and the next round join thier squad. Being in a squad where at least 2 or 3 people work together is a good place to learn how to play BF2. If the squad you are in is no help dont be afraid to leave and join another squad. There usually is at least one squad that does fairly well, join, follow, and learn.
I guess this is really 3 things. Most people here use the same name in game that they use here. If you spot one of them stick close because they will help you become better faster. Oh and dont forget to keep comeing here for more help. Its what we all do. . . . . . .Red

Haha I kind of figured the stalking tactic but sometimes I embarrassed myself out cuz I sucked so bad. I felt so bad when a medic who kept saving me got shot while I just kept dying. Oh I got kicked out a couple times by squad leader too. :) But so far no one ever called me a noob in game which is a good relief. It seems people rarely chat in BF2, unlike most online RTS games where a noob would never stop getting insulted.