Today I was playing Golmud Railway. I love that map. I love the fact that it is the ONLY map of the first series that doesn't have a lick of water, nada. Dry as a witch's ... I also love the fact that tanks are a main feature, OBLITERATION especially, (RUSH kinda pisses me off because they give the attacking team THREE tanks AND A HELICOPTER and leave the defending squads with only one tank and their good looks).
I dropped into it on the offensive and we had already secured the first two bases but were now getting hammered as we approached the sniper friendly buildings and 30 foot sheer faced walls of rock. For whatever reason, my team had allowed all the buildings to stand including those that were 100 meters behind our target objectives.
This gave the unfriendly snipers and SMAW junkies a turkey shoot as our tanks and men approached the main street and ground zero. 30 seconds later, I was driving through smoke and rubble in my tank, thinking, "I am glad I came". It took me two tanks but I finally brought all the buildings down. After that it didn't take long before we took the last objectives.
Did I really make that much of a difference? You bet I did. Once the buildings and protective walls surrounding the targets were demolished, the enemy had nowhere to hide. They were totally exposed, defeat was imminent. And yet, I often see teams get there asses handed to them because they allow a half dozen or more snipers to sit on rooftops and pick off players one by one, an unfortunate and totally unnecessary situation.
After the game, I decided I would give my faithful readers some tactical and strategic tips that I have found make it easier to win. With that in mind, below I am compiling a list of things that I am certain will aid you in your success as a player and the murderer of those that deserve it: animated humans in video games.
TIP NUMER UNO: BLOW UP THE GODDAMN BUILDINGS! Sorry, that probably sounded a little harsh. It's the father in me. Still, please WOULD YOU KINDLY blow up the damn buildings and walls? In fact, BLOW IT ALL TO HELL!
One of the things I LOVE ABOUT the game is the fact that the designers intentionally created an environment which, if you can hit it with an explosive, chances are it is COMING DOWN. Operation Firestorm is a classic example.
Operation Firestorm is from the BF3 maps and is a huge sandbox filled with things that turn into twisted metal and dust when they are hit with a SABOT or a SMAW or an RPG, etc, etc, you get the point. Even better, the grass burns and the big gas tanks explode fire. BLOW IT ALL TO HELL!
BUT WHAT ABOUT MY MEN THAT ARE HIDING IN THERE? Keep the structures up until the enemy overruns you and then BLOW THEM TO HELL! Some buildings, you should blow up whether your personnel are in there or not, for instance, CASPIAN BORDER. If you are playing RUSH in CB, and you are defending, I say, blow up ALL the buildings. I have yet to play a game where having the buildings up in CB, or any map for that matter, was worth it.
So to reiterate. If you are in GOLMUD or FIRESTORM, or ANY OTHER MAP and you have some serious explosives, blow stuff up.
TIP NUMERO DOS: The TEST RANGE.
Yeah I know. I have already sang its praises in a previous post BUT SO WHAT!? I am saying it again, "USE THE TEST RANGE." Even if it is just to try out your shiny new mod before stepping out into the field and costing you and your team tickets.
If you really want to have fun doing something you need to practice at it. Golf, basketball, bowling, darts, and BATTLEFIELD FOUR, all require a lot of practice to be able to play enjoyably. It sucks when you hit a golf ball into another green, just like it does to miss 20 free throws in a row. Only practice will fix what ails ya.
There are boats, helicopter, quads, tanks, LAVs, a complete firing range a'la BLACK OPS, AND a change station so you don't have to redeploy every time you want to change your kit. What more could a player ask for I say? Nothing, so take a few minutes before you jump in and check it out, BLOW STUFF UP (there are even flying targets).
I guarantee that the more time you spend in the TEST RANGE trying out the weapons and vehicles, the better you will play in the battlefield, and ULTIMATELY the more fun you will have.
Just like in METRO in Battlefield 3, there are certain maps and certain missions where you can use the off-limit areas to decimate your enemy. The screen capture above shows one of my favorite tactics that you can use on almost any map in RUSH mode. This one is tricky but if done right, you will put your enemy on their heels and have the objectives blown to bits before they've even come back from that Hot Pocket break.
The key is to time how long it takes from the moment you see the "AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS" notice to the unveiling of the new target objectives. Then, time how long it takes you to reach the objectives. This is where you might have to take a KIA. Since the distances are more or less the same for each new stage in the mission, you should only have to do this once.
Now, take the two data points and subtract the first number from the second, that's your delta. That's how long you should wait before you zoom into the RED ZONE during the next transition. Earlier today, I played Operation Locker and discovered that each transition took about 16 seconds before the RED ZONES receded and the new targets were revealed.
Running to the next objective took me about 13 seconds. That meant that I would have to wait at least 3 seconds before venturing into the RED ZONE and taking my enemies unawares. Which I did to great success.
To review. Figure out how long it takes you to get to the target area, the area around the hidden objectives. Then figure out how long the period is between the AWAIT FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS and when the RED ZONES are reset. Then subtract the two numbers and the next time you see the notice, count down the difference (for me the difference was three seconds), and then jump on in.
It may take a few times to get the hang of it, but once you do, look out. Your enemies and your team will be shocked to see how fast the alarm is sounded.
Another way to exploit the RED ZONE areas, as mentioned previously, comes from the BF3 days. Most RED ZONES protecting your enemy's spawn areas are accessible via multiple points on every map, meaning that there are a lot of ways to get in and out quickly enough that you don't commit suicide. For example, in OPERATION LOCKER-RUSH, the attackers have three routes to their objectives, one is via the stairs, another is through the main warehouse, and the last is from outside.
The two routes inside the building provide excellent opportunities to sneak up on the enemy and blow them away while they linger in the red. I like to start from the top floor. First make sure the enemy isn't waiting for you as you descend the stairs into their spawn area. Once you are all the way down the stairs and DEEP in enemy territory, keep heading towards the warehouse and shoot whatever moves. You won't be able to see very good because of the filter the game puts on your view but trust your instincts and shoot at will.
Again, it may take awhile to get the hang of it and YOU WILL DIE numerous times till you do, but you will also take a lot of your enemy with you while you learn. Sooner or later, you are going to figure it out and then, LET THE GAMES BEGIN! Your enemy won't know what hit them and your team will be praising your courage.
One final tip regarding the RED ZONES could save your game if your back is against the wall. Once again, I will refer to Operation Locker, but this time playing OBLITERATION.
As with all men, there are times when the enemy has reached deep into our territory with the BOMB. If ever you find yourself in a similar situation and you are deep in your own backyard and the enemy is coming hard at you, if you can get the bomb before they set it off, DON'T HEAD FOR THE ENEMY TARGET, RUN TO THE RED ZONE OUTSIDE!
BUT WON'T I DIE AND LOSE POSSESSION OF THE BOMB? Yep, but you will also put the bomb in a place where the enemy can't get to it easily and even if they try they will be perfect targets for you and your friends watching them. Eventually the mission will time out and a new bomb will appear in the map far away from you and your precious target.
It may not help you to win but it should buy your team time to re-organize and get to the new bomb before your enemy. In any case, it could stop them from taking all of your objectives and there is a certain amount of pride to be had with that. Good luck. Till next time, happy hunting.
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