Suck!

**Too Much Damage** · 10-22-07, 07:29 AM

Maybe I am missing something here, but I totally suck at TF2. No, not like 'I am not good,' but more like 'I rack up 3 kills a round.'
For those of you who play 2142 and bf2 with me know that I more than hold my own. Normally I am in the top 10. But for whatever reason I can not even get a 1/4 KDR in this game.

Maybe somebody can help me here. Is there any play style tips you can lend me to help?
To avoid 10 trash posts I have now stated the obvious: "I got the aim for the head thing down."

**CivilWars** · 10-22-07, 11:40 AM

Right there with you TMD. And the funny thing is I watch other players run out in the middle of a battle and not die, but when I do it I am one shot killed. HELP!!

**Manse** · 10-22-07, 11:47 AM

It all depends on what, and how, you play. There is much less of an issue with dying in TF2 than the BFs.

For example, my longest life as a pyro is 1:56. Granted, in that two minutes I racked up 5 kills and 2 assists, but then I died. and I had several rounds that map where I didn't get kills at all.

Suprisingly enough, this game is becoming about finesse. Especially on TTP property, where it is much harder just to go balls out and get killed. For example, if you're playing soldier, don't just fire off your rockets as fast as you can. If you hit somebody, and they go flying into the air, glance at their trajectory, and try to time your next shot so it hits just as they land. If they're in flight, they can't control where they're going, and the'll eat the second rocket and gib like a champ.

That's one more kill, and you stay alive. Another fun one I'm working on is using walls to rocket jump sideways out of a direct fight, or jumping back away from pyros and the like. It's a lot tougher, but could prove useful.

What classes are you guys playing that you can't get the kills?

**Mcstrange** · 10-22-07, 11:53 AM

Hmm, I usually have negative kill ratios when I think to look at it, not much to worry about imho unless your just going around looking to die. Holding your own has completely different meanings in TF2 than it does in the battlefield games. There arnt tickets to worry about, just capture points. Throwing yourself away to take out a couple people or a specific enemy asset to allow for a win is different from the BF games where your always looking to keep your ticket up and are more thoughtful of your 'life'

Dont worry so much about the ratio and I bet you'll find it gets a lot better when you ignore it...

One thing I did notice is that I have to play with my mouse sensitivity set far higher than I do in the BF games.

Play a medic. Then you can effectively have no kills at all and be a huge teamplayer and feel like a winner when you healed 3 or 4 people at just the right time!

**QuickLightning** · 10-22-07, 12:25 PM

Soldiers have an insane crit rate. I would definitely recommend trying one of them out if you're having trouble. Practice with the rockets, predict where someone is going to be then let loose.

Just make sure you do not run into a situation where you are outnumbered without a good reason. If you're trying to hold up the enemy assault while your team takes their base, go for it. If you are attacking their heavy defensive team by yourself... don't bother. Just settle down and wait for backup.

**Benandorf** · 10-22-07, 12:30 PM

I think one of your problems is that you aim for the head. That doesn't actually have any effect in TF2, except you aim for a smaller target.

Other than that... Practice. Keep changing classes to see which one fits you. Some people are awesome at one class and suck at another; for instance, I'm a good Demoman, but a shitty Soldier. And don't be surprised if what you're good at one day you can't play worth a damn the next day.

TF2: The FPS where your skills seem to change erratically.

**a weakling spaz** · 10-22-07, 12:57 PM

Don't bother aiming for the head unless you're a sniper. None of the other weapons are precise enough for that. The game is so broad that this question is hard to answer. Maybe ask for some help with specific classes that you play?

Seconding go medic as well. It seems like most of the time another medic would be great. Aim is not a variable at all with the medigun as you lock on and can freely look around while doing so.

**Redeye7** · 10-22-07, 01:32 PM

I agree with all of the above.

A lot of people, unfairly I think, call the soldier the 'noob' class. Playing one well to its fullest however is a lot trickier than just spamming rockets, and like someone else said above, spamming rockets won't cut it on TTPs server.

The soldier has great firepower, good mobility, can reach places other classes can't, and can take some damage.

The finesse comes from controlling your rockets and learning to lead them.

Don't ever shoot at someone directly (unless its a sniper looking the other way, that is fun).

Hit the ground/wall/ceiling whatever as close to them as you can. Splash damage is what you are going for. Like manse said, once you get the guy airborne, with a little practice he is totally fucked, as you will have missiles impacting right where his feet are going to land. Once you get even better you can launch a guy and then already be shooting the 2nd rocket to impact somewhere around him while he is in the air. Launch him up then shoot the 2nd on a wall or ceiling where he is currently flying around. Good stuff.

Medics are clutch too. Heavies have pretty clear cut roles also, just don't go in for long range firefights and your set.

Or find a niche like pyro and dedicate yourself to being that one guy everyone loves because you uncover every enemy spy.

Once you have one class inside and out its much easier to branch out from there.

And CivilWars, i've definatly seen you getting better man, keep it up.

**CivilWars** · 10-22-07, 01:39 PM

Thaks Redeye. I guess when I see people at 4:1 my 1:3 K

seems like dog crap. I have been playing alot of medic, and trying to stay out of the line of fire. I am also getting better with the demoman. I have no plans to give up yet, so see you in the dustbowl.

**IronStomach** · 10-22-07, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by a weakling spaz

Don't bother aiming for the head unless you're a sniper. None of the other weapons are precise enough for that. The game is so broad that this question is hard to answer. Maybe ask for some help with specific classes that you play?

Seconding go medic as well. It seems like most of the time another medic would be great. Aim is not a variable at all with the medigun as you lock on and can freely look around while doing so.

I believe that headshots don't even count for more damage except with the sniper rifle, so definitely don't bother with them. I third the medic recommendation - I can usually get upwards of 40 points in a round now playing medic the whole time, because no matter what the team is doing, they can always use someone to keep their health up. Playing offensively as a medic can be difficult, though, because sometimes people don't realize that having a medic doesn't mean that you can charge in to a group of four sentry guns and shovel them to death. Although, the ubercharge is a different story...

Anyways, in terms of attacking, the general tendency in this game, as in many other games of a similar style, is for new players to run madly out in to the middle of a firefight and attempt to headshot the entire enemy team, Rambo style. This will most likely result in one of those very humorous death screens with "A bit of you!" helpfully marked out at the bottom of the screen. If you're not in the actual act of standing on a CP to capture it, try and stay back at the limit of your weapon's effective range, and identify and deal with potential threats BEFORE they're shooting you in the back. There's no law saying that a pyro always has to madly rush the entire defensive line of turrets by himself - you can light a few people on fire, run behind a corner, and then make everyone in to barbecue when they follow you.