The goal of this article: To provide [13] members with advice to stay alive longer, score more, have more fun, and win every game. I hope to address the subjects of patience and awareness on the battlefield by combining the power of common sense with the ghost play style I've adopted in Bad Company 2.
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IntroductionI'll be blatantly honest: Bad Company 2 is the second first person shooter I've ever really put time into. In fact, I've only had a 360 for about 6 months. The style and idea of an FPS never seemed to truly intrigue me; rather, I grew up with the neoclassic N64.
That is to say, my memories of video games as a kid included playing Super Mario 64, Donkey Kong 64, and the likes of Ken Griffey's Slam Fest (or something). When I received an original XBox, my favorite games included NCAA Football 2004, Amped, most racing games, and Knights of the Old Republic (the best evar?). Sure, I'd play Halo at a friends or something, and I got into Splinter Cell quite a bit; however, it wasn't until my roommate last year introduced me to Call of Duty that I began to put time into shooters and became half decent.
With that said, I'm not a fan of the Call of Duty series anymore, having found the lush gameplay of Battlefield so addictive, but the core FPS nature of Call of Duty ingrained a ton into my head. I hope to share and expound upon these habits here, while applying it to our game of Bad Company.
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DisclaimerEveryone has their own distinct play style, whether it's the bum rush attitude of Ghostbeer, or the methodical armor warfare style of Cobra. With that said, these tips are meant to help everyone. You don't have to agree with the points here, but I urge you to consider them, and keep them in mind while playing.
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Patience: The Key to WinningLet's face it, no one is very patient. Well, maybe Axx, but mostly people are anxious to get into the action. However as we are all aware, Battlefield is a game of patience. In considering how to organize this article, I thought it best to organize my thoughts on patience by putting them into context. Therefore, what follows deals primarily with attacking on the rush game type.
SpawningHow frustrating is it when your squad's spawn point is obliterated behind enemy lines because your squad mate gets gung-ho on the objective? The spawn system of BC2 is conducive to patience, and we are usually able to capitalize on it. However, I have a few points that relate to the spawning system. These points go for players alive in game, as well as those waiting to spawn.
1. Always keep an eye on your squad mates statuses on your HUD (as well as their positions in relation to yourself and your team on non-hardcore game modes). That is, you may find yourself undetected in the back of an enemy's base, with your squad decimated. There are two courses or action to be taken here.
-----a. Your beautiful squad mates shouldn't have to call out for you to stay up. Use your own awareness to determine the fact that you should sit still until your WHOLE squad can spawn on you. Get behind something, go dive in a bush, I don't care. Just don't be seen.
-----b. If you are seen, and your position is compromised, you need to think fast. First of all, alert your squad that they need to wait to spawn on you. If someone is firing at you, determine where it is coming from (see points below in
awareness), and get somewhere safe. Do your best not to take on a pursuer by yourself, unless you know you can win the gun fight. When you're somewhere safe and your squad has waited to spawn, they should ideally all spawn at the same time to continue the mission.
2. The (b) point from above carries over to spawning in general, not just behind enemy lines. Before you go to spawn on a buddy, determine the effectiveness of a spawn for prolonging your life or helping your squad. Try not to spawn in on a squad mate if they are suppressed by an enemy, just because they have a forward spawn. What help are you going to be if you spawn into a building surrounded by enemies? If the opposing team is competent, your team will be down two tickets instead of one. Instead, if the opportunity is available, sacrifice that forward spawn and come in on someone that is not under fire. In the case that you are close enough to the suppressed teammate, use your alternate spawn point to flank the suppressed area and help your buddy out. This kind of patience will keep you alive, and could save your squad mates.
3. When your full squad has spawned in behind you, leave one person in cover in the back as a spawn point. We all know about this, but it never happens. Usually our spawn point moves around, and gets rooted out eventually. To combat this, run a three-man attack team; that is, keep a medic (preferably) in a safe position close to the objective. Do your best not to engage ANY targets, even if you have a clear shot. They will discover where you are and come find you. This job is rather boring and you won't get many points, but your team will love you when you win, and the opposition will be confused. In the case they find, simply move to a different spot.
Setting Up for a Successful M-COM attackAs it turns out, 75 tickets is a helluva a lot. However, they can dwindle away very quickly if not utilized correctly. Unorganized attacks are the reason we lose, and patience will change that. Because there are so many strategies already discussed, I'll fast forward through the "getting to the M-COM" part. I'll address this point from my playing style. That is, assume we have a full squad in the back of a base. If we don't have to run a three-man attack with a stationary spawn point as stated above, the first goal is to spread out. A squad stuck together like PB&J will be sprayed down and/or found more quickly. Here are some concise points, since this article is already text heavy:
1.Establish an M-COM to attack first.
2. Fan out with your squad to cover the whole back of the enemy zone. A properly set-up squad will have one person on each side of the base, with two more centrally located, not just set up in a circle around the designated objective.
3. Be AWARE of the defense spawn system.
-----a. The game will try not to spawn enemies near you, but it may happen occasionally.
-----b. To combat this, do not just set up behind the objective. If possible, try to get some people on the forward side of the objectives.
4. Once lines of sight are established on BOTH objectives, have ONE person arm the designated objective when deemed safe. There are two choices this has happened.
-----a. If the objective is in a building with an upstairs/attic, go there. Take out enemies when they are disarming, so they are less likely to kill you during this action. If anything, you will cause a distraction to delay the defense.
-----b. If the objective is uncovered, get back to your previous position before you armed.
5. While this is occurring, do the same thing on the other M-COM. Your comprehensive coverage should allow for at least one person to cover each armed objective from cover. Having both objectives flashing at the same time will cause confusion for the enemy team, and spread out the responsive forces.
6. No matter the squad/kit setup, this tactic has proven time and again to work.
7. Again, do your best not to engage the enemy on attack unless it is absolutely necessary. We should never have to rely on our gun skillz to win a battle. Tactics will overcome good shooters any day.... ideally
8. Lastly: take your time if you need to: patience is key!
Moving with a Squad1. Although the overall goal is to reach our destination quickly, no one wants to get mowed down on the way there.
2. Coordinate with your squad mates to move from cover to cover (whether established through communication or understood from following a leader), do not stop in the open.
3. When running to the next cover, or anywhere for that matter, do not run in a tight pack. Rather, keep a 2-3 second distance between you and your buddies. This will prevent enemies getting multiple kills for no reason. This will also prohibit enemies from knowing exactly how many people are moving on them.
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Awareness: The Key to Staying Alive1. Always be aware of killcams. When you take down an enemy, they will find out exactly where you are, where you are headed, and how many people you're with. Increase yours and your squad's life expectancy by "juking the killcam". When you kill someone, you have 5-6 seconds until their view reverts to kit selection. Us this time appropriately to do the OPPOSITE of your intended purpose. For example, run right for five seconds, then turn and go left. Also, Victuals pointed out running into a corner and staring directly into it will mess up the kill cam. Use these tactics when you have the luxury.
2.As I have stated previously, do your best not to engage enemies on attack if your role is to arm the objective. Since I have mainly focused on the "ghost/ninja" play style, this holds true to that point. If you're making your way to the back of a base, and see an enemy running to the front lines, let them go. Obviously, this doesn't hold for defense.
3. When maneuvering through a map, be aware of the contours of the terrain. That is, try to stay hidden using trees, hills, buildings, etc. You should always be aware of the enemy's line of sight on you. If possible, stay out of the middle of maps, and keep your back to the edge. Run on lower elevations, keeping your head out of sight, if that makes sense.
4. This point has to do with your personal positioning in a battle. If whenever possible, fire from behind, and utilize any cover. This point is an obvious once, but I see people running in the open only to get mowed down. This goes for when you spot an enemy running by. Your first instinct should not be to leave your cover and run them down. What if he has a buddy running a few seconds behind him? Try to ANTICIPATE where he is going, and be patient. Check to see if he has any followers, then try to cut him off. Also I know people tend to move towards targets when they fire. If you get some rounds into an enemy as they run the corner, don't go looking for them, because you will get dead. When you're focusing on taking an enemy out, try to be conscious of your surroundings and if anyone has a line of sight on you. You may be firing at someone from behind a barrel, but your sides could completely open. This idea is more conceptual, and I urge you to think about it in-game.
5. Let's talk about gun fight engagements. Imagine this: you're running through an enemy base, about five or six steps from rounding a corner, when suddenly you are clipped in the back. What's your plan of action? I know a lot of times when I'm the one clipping the enemy, I see a lot of stupid reactions. Whatever you do, unless you're the Governor of California, do not stop running if you have a chance to round that corner, or get inside that building. If you try to stop and turn to figure out where the shots are coming from, you won't be happy with yourself most of the time. Instead, keep running to cover, and don't stop once you're safe. You should have ascertained a general direction of the fire when you were hit, so keep running either around to flank the enemy that was shooting, or move to where he won't expect you. If you're lucky, your attacker won't have moved. Whatever you do, don't peak your head around corners you just disappeared behind, unless you're positive it's safe. I know I do this all the time, but I often overestimate my quick scoping skills.
This tip works for engagements of all kinds, on both sides of the gun.Always try to be thinking two steps ahead of your enemy. Don't stay in the same place if you have already engaged someone without killing them (if you have the luxury of moving). Rather, move to a different window in your house, peek from the right side of the crate instead of the left. If you can give yourself an advantage in a gun fight using cover and moving, you will always outpace your opponents.
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Things that annoy me/Miscellaneous Points1. Don't revive me on defense, please. Everyone is guilty of it, even me (free points woohoo!), but it's usually more detrimental than helpful. Often people put their controllers down when they die, or stop paying attention; random revives will simply make me more frustrated. Also, it prevents people from changing kits, refilling ammo, etc. Only revive on defense if more manpower is needed IMMEDIATELY on the objective, or if I ASK you to. Please.
2. Keep comm channels clear, please. Also, don't repeat something that's just been said. I already heard it once, now you're just wasting comm time.
3. You've got a gun in your hands right? Right- so unless you're 100% you can obtain some tags, or get that revered repair tool kill, just shoot them. In the case that you would even think about the knife, etc., you'll have a shot anyway. It's annoying to go to spawn on someone only to have them disregard the easy shot and get killed in a knife dance. Of course, there are exceptions.
4. Motion mines. First of all, use them wisely. That is, use them only if you need to (on attack). You don't always have an ammo box strapped to your hip, so sometimes one has to make do with only three balls (hehe). Also, there's no need to waste one where a teammate has already put one down. Two motion mines don't make enemies glow or anything. Lastly, only throw motion mines down directly on your position if the enemy already know you are there. I know if I hear a motion ball in my base, I'll go investigate the source. If you must, throw them where you think the enemies are coming from, that way.
Keeping everything in mind....Perhaps the most important point I can make, which I urge no one to take lightly is this: never stop moving. You should always be on the move, unless of course you're waiting to stage a helicopter attack or something of the matter. My point is that you will find yourself staying alive longer if you are always moving. I mean literally, you should never be standing still as it increases the odds of your being shot in the dome. Perhaps I get this from CoD, but even when you find yourself standing still, try using the left thumbstick to strafe in small circles. If you don't do it already, it may take some use getting use to. If you are always moving in this sense too, it will be ingrained in your hands when you approach a gun fight. This sense of constant moving will make it harder for the enemy to hit you, and you'll get good at firing on the move. Be wary of sprinting too much, especially around corners, as you won't be prepared for an impromptu engagement, and too much movement will make shooting accurately more difficult. All in all though, if I could boil this whole article down to its core,
my best advice is to stay on the move and keep a low profile.I know this is a lengthy read, but I hope you are able to gain something from it and allow it to serve as a useful training tool.
Written by SpaminSambi. 
