Beginners Tips

This game has a fairly steep and brutal learning curve. This page is a compilation of advice that's often passed along to new players when they first experience the game.

Basic Tips

• Patience - one shot can kill you, no massive health bar or healers in this game. Play it like you would a real war game and you'll live longer. Use cover, run, dodge etc. don't just rush in like Rambo. Stopping in a safe (that means concealed) spot and looking around (binoculars from a distance is what the pro's use) is vitally important, as there are so many wily veterans playing this game that simply rushing in is a quick way to certain death.
• Watch what the older players do they know (mostly) how to play well and you will learn from them and how they play.
• You have to invest time and effort to learn in this game but the payback is a real blast. This game is brutally sudden in terms of where death comes from.
• Binoculars. Players use them a lot and you can be seen from further away by older players. Don't think as you can't see them they can't see you.
• Play with the best visual settings for you, lower graphics (smoother gameplay) is better than being killed because your lag is bad simply by pushing your video card too hard. It’s not all about graphics its about staying alive.
• Think about joining a squad, you'll benefit hugely plus you have people to protect you and you’ll make friends. With voice comms able to be tuned to squad only (your choice) the level of your effectiveness in game and the awesomeness of victory it brings is invaluable.
• Don’t be afraid to use the .ignore command. Like all game we have our fair share of whiners, whiners and moaners, don’t get distracted by their idle chat.

Training

• Practice offline & on the Training Server with weapons, planes, tanks etc. rather than in live game, that way you progress faster and will be frustrated less. Once you know how to effectively use your weapon of choice, you're much more likely to become a feared killer.
• Get your head round the keymapper, the edge it can give you playing is a great asset. There's nothing as frustrating as not knowing what key does what just because you don't use it often. Personal preferences make your gameplay easier to be on top of quickly and the keymapper is quite extensive in it's options.
• Ask for help from Trainers, these players are noticeable ingame with Ts above their heads.

Help

• Don't worry about asking for help (on Help Channel) or on the forums, we were all new once.
• As well as the help channel make use of the .TR command and private messages (for those afraid of asking for help publicly)
• Trainers will NOT take the mickey or put new guys down, if they do, they wont be Trainers for long.
• The .Help command is also useful, many people don't use that.
• The help channel has many helpful and knowledgeable people tuned to it. Use it.

Combat

• Never fire your last bullet if you have a moments pause in a firefight, reload before you're empty and it may save your life. Follow-up shots when you miss can't be made with an empty magazine.
• Stay out of the church tower (one of the first place people look). Everyone wants to be a sniper, but a real sniper would never put themselves somewhere so obvious.
• Think before typing in spatial (open chat e.g. no channel) chat during battles it gives away your position. If you are near enemy players they will see "garbled" chat messages in their chat bar and that's a dead giveaway that an enemy is nearby. Alternatively, use this knowledge when you are in enemy territory and concealed, to know when an enemy is close by that you can't see yet.
• If you want to spawn armor or an ATG then spawn infantry first and see if its safe. There are a lot of campers waiting to take out a high value target.
• Touching any enemy moving vehicle or gun will kill you instantly. If you have to touch it, do it with a satchel charge and not your body. Much more satisfying.
• ATGs take more then one bullet sometimes. 3 shots to each crew does the trick till later when you’re surer of your aim. Never rely on the "one shot he's dead" expectation, you probably aren't that good yet. Firing until they despawn is a safe tactic a lot of the time, but don't run yourself out of ammo unless resupply is close at hand.
• In Multicrew enabled vehicles (Tanks, Boats etc) multicrew with an experienced player, he can then tell you some tips and tricks.

Map

• Mark contacts on map so all players can see them. When a marked unit is eliminated, remove (delete) it's mark from the map. Your mission mates will appreciate it, there's nothing more confusing than enemy units marked on the map that are not there. If you know the marked unit moved, same same. Try to keep the map marking up to date.
• Learn the range ring on the map for range estimation. From center of circle to the outside is *about 100 meters or 1km depending on map zoom. This is vital to setting the range on your rifle for example, as otherwise if your range setting on your gunsight doesn't math the range to your target, you're going to miss the target AN AWFUL LOT. Basic general guide would be 200 or 300 meters on approach to a CP (objective) and then 100m when you are about to "go inside" the firefight at the perimeter or "in town".
• Use your map in cover and don't stand around in the open checking it. Infantry in the open are dead infantry in WWIIOL, they often last about 15 seconds.

Mobile Spawns

• Gert to grips with the use of Mobile Spawns.
• When defending towns look for friendly MSPs/FMS outside of town. That will usually get you out of the attack area long enough to get your first kills. Spawning inside a town you are defending when it is crawling with the enemy is often too late to be effective, especially if you are new to the game. Spawning outside the town you are defending and working in behind the attackers is much more effective. This will make more sense when you start to get a feel for the game.
• Always ask the mission leader if you can put an mobile spawn up before you do it (sometimes a mission is made for a specific task and a mobile spawn on that mission will "ruin" the purpose of it)
• Never put up a MSP/FMS on the "main defense mission" in a town. It’s extremely frustrating when you for example are defending the AB/bunker area and someone set up a "defensive MS" on that mission and you end up in the middle of nowhere instead of where you needed to be while you are being over-run, and time is critical. Frustration never helps win battles.

Game

• Bug report (.bug in the chat-bar) any stuff that is bugged/broken in game.
• If you want a good reputation then don’t complain about the game, it will get easier as you learn. We know it's hard, but that's what is unique about in-your-face combined arms combat on this scale ... it can be brutal. Once you get good at it, you'll be in heaven.

See Also

• Glossary
• Player Guide