So, you have decided to join the fray of the 100 person battle royale PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds. Maybe you've played a couple of rounds, died quickly and want to learn how to stay alive long enough to earn that chicken dinner. Well we've scoured the web and gathered some tips to help you along the path to island domination.
When the game begins, you are immediately faced with the choice of where to land on the island. If you stick to the edges of the map, you'll likely face lower competition for loot, but a statistically higher chance that you'll be far from the battlegrounds when the map area starts to shrink. This may necessitate acquiring a vehicle to close the gap and avoid the blue wall of pain. If you decide to drop into the centre however, you will have a shorter distance to travel to the battlegrounds, but are likely to have a larger number of competitors fighting over that sweet loot.
To help you decide where to land in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, player ShatterNL has created and posted a map in the Steam forum with possible spawn locations of loot, vehicles, and boats. Use this as a reference to learn the plane's flight path and to work out which areas will be available to you.
Once you jump out of the plane, you can push forward to pick up speed and drop straight down. Use this tactic if you are over the area you are aiming for and want to try to beat the others to the ground.
On the other hand, you can float for up to 2km from where you jump. Most players tend stick close to the plane's flight path, so use this to get some distance between them and you.
On the way down, use Alt freelook to spot other players who have jumped and to get the lay of the land. Try to spot a vehicle on your way down, and use this to put even more distance between you and your future victims. Don't worry about your 'chute while you are doing this, as the game will open it automatically at the correct height.
Similarly to the choice of landing spots, vehicles come with pros and cons. The pro is obviously being able to cover large amounts of ground quicker. You can also use vehicles as mobile death machines by mowing down other players. But, vehicles are LOUD and may alert other players to your presence, so be aware of your surroundings as you travel and try to get away from it as quickly as you can once you're parked.
General wisdom is that cars always spawn facing east. You can use this to get a sense of whether a car has spawned or been parked in that spot. True or not, you can also use this to your advantage by always trying to park your vehicle facing east and closing the door behind you to cover your tracks. Similarly, brake lights turned on mean a vehicle has been parked, since most players tend to leave them on. On flat terrain, tap forward once after you park to turn the lights off. Vehicles can also be used as a trap by lying in wait for others to try to commandeer it.
The bright blue Dacia is a four-seater and currently the fastest vehicle in the game, but sticks out in the landscape because of the colour. The Buggy is a quick two-seater but is very loud. The UAZ is a jeep that seats four and comes in covered and uncovered versions, having a medium speed and good off-roading ability. The Boat seats four and is useful to cross water while avoiding the bridges. The recently added Bike is a motorcycle and sidecar that seats two.
So, as a strategy, use a vehicle early to gain some space and time to search for your loot as well as to cover large distances. As the map space shrinks, it's better to stay on foot to avoid detection as long as you are on the safe side of the blue wall.
In the early game, pick up any weapons you can find. Even the Frying Pan is good for dispatching foes in a couple of whacks. Be aware that guns are empty when you first find them, meaning you'll need to make sure to pick up ammunition and load the gun.
While your character can pick up items individually, you'll have to wait for the character animation to finish before you can pick up the next item. When near loot, use the Tab key to see your inventory, as well as the items on the ground. Clicking on the items in the left column is quicker since you don't need to wait for the animation. Similarly, right clicking on an attachment for your gun is quicker than dragging and dropping.
Some loot in PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds, like backpacks, helmets, and vests come in three levels. The higher an item's level is, the better protection it provides and the more inventory space it uses up.
When scavenging through buildings, always close the door behind you. If another player comes up, they might assume that nobody has been there yet and you can ambush them unprepared. When leaving the building, also make sure to close the door behind you. Other players might assume that the building is untouched and waste time searching for loot that is no longer there.
The default camera view for third person is over the characters right shoulder, but this can be awkward at times. While holding right click, Q and E will change between left and right shoulder mounted cameras. When peeking around a corner, try holding right click and using the keys to whichever side works the best.
Consumables, such as Energy Drinks, Painkillers, and First Aid Kits are a critical part of staying alive. Energy Drinks and Painkillers increase the player's boost, enabling them to continue while injured and gradually healing them over time. Med Kits, First Aid Kits, and Bandages heal the player by varying amounts.
Drop crates and vehicles are highly sought after items. When you come across one, you can use it as bait and hide nearby in order to attack other players who come across them. On the other hand, keep in mind that somebody may be doing the same thing already.
One of PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds unique features is the circle. The circle dictates the play area and works to concentrate the players into a increasingly tighter area of play. You have a grace period in which to loot and move about the map before the circle begins to close. The player takes constant damage when on the wrong side of the blue field, with the damage increasing after each pause. The damage from the early circles can be managed with boosters, but the final circles can kill you in seconds. Never assume that you are safe with the blue field behind you. Look for other players there who may be still running to safety. A couple of shots may be enough to finish them off while they are taking damage over time.
The blue circle is where the blue field of pain is currently. The white circle is where it will end up when it shrinks.
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is an intense and fun battle royale with an interesting and unique mechanic to concentrate players and heighten tension. With practice, and our tips for survival, you might just be eating chicken dinner tonight!
PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds is currently available for PC on Steam Early Access.
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As simplistic as this sounds, accuracy in firing your weapon is the best way to stay alive. I like to work on training drills such as the ones provided by Clutchkills, which actually concentrate on you rather the tweaking the game mechanics.
So for example, teaching yourself not to get caught up in the game and simply shoot as fast as possible whenever you see your opponent, but to rather slow it down a little and concentrate on seeing your ammunition hitting your opponent slightly before it does. There’s always a slight delay from the time you see him to the time you actually aim and shoot him, so the vizualation process helps a lot and almost acts like a tracer bullet in your mind....then there is the working of muscle memory and practicing rhythm.
I think one of the biggest mistakes people make is jump into the game and expect to learn that way... if you want to be a swimmer you do not just swim, you need to hit the gym, stretch, do breathing exercise etc.
I can't disagree with that at all. This was intended more as a few tips for gameplay while the player works on the shooting/aiming aspect, but I know what you mean. Years ago I played on a competitive Team Fortress Classic (TFC) team. We had fun, but we sucked. I would download and play maps to practice making concussion grenade jumps to get my timing down (this was the era of dial-up). It was fun to beat the maps, but it also helped to hone my jumping skills. We still sucked, though. 🙂
Thank you for your comment!
As simplistic as this sounds, accuracy in firing your weapon is the best way to stay alive. I like to work on training drills such as the ones provided by Clutchkills, which actually concentrate on you rather the tweaking the game mechanics.
So for example, teaching yourself not to get caught up in the game and simply shoot as fast as possible whenever you see your opponent, but to rather slow it down a little and concentrate on seeing your ammunition hitting your opponent slightly before it does. There’s always a slight delay from the time you see him to the time you actually aim and shoot him, so the vizualation process helps a lot and almost acts like a tracer bullet in your mind....then there is the working of muscle memory and practicing rhythm.
I think one of the biggest mistakes people make is jump into the game and expect to learn that way... if you want to be a swimmer you do not just swim, you need to hit the gym, stretch, do breathing exercise etc.
I can't disagree with that at all. This was intended more as a few tips for gameplay while the player works on the shooting/aiming aspect, but I know what you mean. Years ago I played on a competitive Team Fortress Classic (TFC) team. We had fun, but we sucked. I would download and play maps to practice making concussion grenade jumps to get my timing down (this was the era of dial-up). It was fun to beat the maps, but it also helped to hone my jumping skills. We still sucked, though. 🙂
Thank you for your comment!