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Posted by Droniac on September 21st, 2009 in Guides

If you’re a First Person Shooter player looking to improve your skills, then my FPS Self-Improvement Series of articles is exactly what you’re looking for.

I’ve played FPS games competitively for nearly a decade and have decided to share my knowledge of FPS gaming in six thematic articles. Each entry takes a look at a different aspect of FPS gaming and how to improve your performance in that specific field of expertise.

This is the final entry in the series and it provides 10 general tips for improving your play. Take a look at the previous articles in the series for more specific guides and feel free to leave a comment in case there’s anything you’d still like to know, or that you think I might have missed.

Good luck with becoming a better First Person Shooter player!



1. Private matches are better than public play. You’ll generally play alongside (and against) players of a more equal skill level, and with the same group of players. A more consistent environment produces better results.

2. Losing is better than winning. Do not indulge yourself in owning noobs, that’s time wasted learning nothing. Go up in some higher skill server and take on players better than you. There’s a lot to learn just from watching them take you down.

3. Stick to the settings you feel most comfortable with. Other players will try to convince you to change mouse sensitivity or field of view, but these things are not essential for you to become pro. Comfortable gameplay settings are.

4. Keep (or become) physically fit. It is no coincidence that most pro players are in very good shape.

5. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. A lot of skilled players will be more than happy to help with any questions you may have, or provide a few tips to improve your play.

6. Watch demos or live clan matches. It may not be of quite as much use as watching replays in strategy games, but you can still learn a lot from watching pro players at work.

7. Don’t be hasty. You will not become a gaming God overnight. You may notice some early improvements, but it can take quite a few months before you’re at a level worth talking about.

8. Joining a clan is key. It may be a hassle, and yield unwanted obligations, but it does provide incentive to play and become better. Plus you get to chat with fellow (hopefully similarly skilled) players.

9. Participate in competitions, even if you know that you’ll lose. The experience of match pressure with a meaningful victory at stake is something you’ll need if you’re going to go all the way. You may lose scores of competitions, but you’ll become an expert at tuning out the pressure to win… which will yield you a serious advantage if you ever do become that pro gamer.

10. Don’t become an ass. You know the guys who shared tips with you were more helpful than those who called you a stupid noob when you were starting out, so don’t be the hater. There are enough of those as it is…


GameDrone FPS Self-Improvement Series:

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