So are there any things to know before jumping in that will help me get better?
External link →So are there any things to know before jumping in that will help me get better?
External link →Hey OP, welcome to the Battlegrounds!
I can see that you are already in good hands - there are a lot of veteran players around willing to help out newbies! Let me share some of my experience as well!
Graphics - Having optimal settings for your setup is key to maximising performance. Every pc setup is unique in its own way and will perform differently than others, so it is recommended to play with the settings until you find what works best for you. Lowering all settings down to very low can have a negative effect on performance as all the workload gets shifted onto the cpu. You want to have an even workload between your PC components. Here are some notes:
Controls - There are A LOT of keybinds and controls which can be overwhelming at first. Although subjective - not everyone likes the default controls and there are certainly some unique and "crazy" setups out there (I don't think you'll want to know about mine :D). Here are some of the tips that some players change to make their experience smoother from default controls.
Gameplay - There are a few settings here that can make your life easier while playing - depending on your preferences of course.
With the boring part out of the way, now you can start learning the game mechanics, weapon recoil, how each weapon behaves with different attachments, how each vehicle behaves on and off road, map knowledge etc.
Although there are no shortcuts for most of those, the training map & the Team Deathmatch modes have made it a lot easier to practise weapon recoil and behavior with various attachments. You can teleport to highlighted areas on the map, while on training map, and practise in various environments. TDM is great to practise your aim and recoil control, but some players prefer to shoot at a wall in the training map, which is convenient in seeing how the recoil works and what you need to do to improve.
Map knowledge is one of the most important things in the game. Being able to outmaneuver / outposition your enemy can give you a huge advantage. God aim is not going to help you win all of the time. Your enemy might have cover advantage which can allow them to dip in and out of cover as they please while you sit there out in the open, praying that they will stand still for a second to take your shot. This will come with time. The more you play the more of each map you will learn. Watching streamers with a lot of game xp will undoubtedly make you learn faster about postitioning, among other things.
Having a vehicle is almost a must on the large maps, so do make sure you secure one before you go on a reckless looting spree. Blue zone can catch you off guard and mean the end for you. I like to secure a vehicle first, then loot later. If there is no vehicle around me then I prioritize getting essential gear and moving on to find a vehicle before I continue to loot more or engage in fights as both of these things can cause you to lose sense of time and get stuck in the blue.
Inventory management is a skill, and an important one. Overstocking on something will cause you to miss out on other important stuff. You'll find that most people usually carry 3-5 first aids, or less if they have a medkit, a total of 4-6 boosters, a few smokes and frags as well as stun nades and molotvs (utility is very useful and can turn a disadvantaged fight in your favor). Most people carry 20-40 sniper bullets, 100-150 dmr bullets and 100-150 ar bullets. SMG ammo weighs less so you can carry more. And you will need more as those bullets just disappear from your inventory fast! So keep those things in mind as well!
There are many ways to play the game. You can land hot, in the middle of everyone and put your life the hands of the rng gods, or you can somewhere close to a hotdrop and infiltrate once you've secured some gear. Of course, there is always the most peaceful option, and that is to land as far away as possible from the flight path and just enjoy your time looting!
Finding a duo or squad teammate, if you are not a solo player like me, is going to be very important! There are many communities out there on Discord that have LFG channels for you to do just that! You can find our official discord server as well as this subreddit's one on the sidebar of this subreddit!
Hope to see your first chicken dinner post here soon. Have fun!