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I saw somewhere on these boards that pillbox is great for learning how to dodge, so... for the past 3 days I've been playing that almost exclusively. I can _almost_ stay in positive kills now! So I feel that I'm ready to move to something else. What maps are good for learning what skillsets?


Thanks.

Search the list for "tank driving 101" if you want to learn how to jump. There are also a number of great maps that have been up recently where you have to cap your own team flag...those help jumping skills immensely.

Badgerking's FFA is a good map to start playing if you want to actually, you know, play, rather than jumping around a map with not shots.

Almost all maps are great for learning, try out all of them on the front page and see which ones suit you.

I would Say HiX or any GU server great for learning how to ricochet.

HIX requires excellent dodging, precise jumping, ricos and overall timing. I'm not so sure whether it's good as start...I would rather say viper is better for learning (less frustrating).

I personally recommend picking a map down at the bottom of the first page. There are fewer players there for you to worry about, less things to keep track of, etc. Then as you get more comfortable, you can play some of the busier maps (Mofo, Badgers, Bloodbath, etc..). And as all of the others said, jumping is a skill not something you do to avoid bullets all the time. Work on dodging and learning WHEN and WHERE to jump, as it does have it's place. Also, watch your radar, for most players that is the primary way to play, and the "out the window" view is secondary. And on a side note, learn how to die gracefully... you'll be doing it a lot at first . You will get better, I guarantee it.

ts wrote:HIX requires excellent dodging, precise jumping, ricos and overall timing. I'm not so sure whether it's good as start...I would rather say viper is better for learning (less frustrating).

Althought he said he has been dodging and can stay in positive kills. So the sooner you start the better you'll be later. I would recommend bzf.bzflag.org port: 5154 alot of the other newcomers play there.

Well well well. Thanks for the advice guys, it has helped. In fact, I played badgerking's FFA just now. Final score:

106-96.

YAY!



of course, spamming the guided missile helped a lot but... hey. A positive score is a positive score.

Lately, I've been at the servers hosted by oOo (you can search his name in the server list by pressing the / button) which require you to jump across platforms and capture your own flag. It has helped me cut down on my tendency to be careless and, plus, it's also really fun.

I would also recommend not just playing on a specific server for a long time, but also to try out a bunch of different ones with different gameplay styles. For example, I believe Tedius has a server that is almost completely ice, and other players might have them too. Some servers feature "Wings Wars" where you get a Wings flag and you fight in the air. There's a ton of different varieties servers can have.

Good luck with BZ!

Rabbit hunts are good as you only need to worry about one opponent (unless you are the rabbit of course- but that won't last long!)

Tengu wrote:Rabbit hunts are good as you only need to worry about one opponent (unless you are the rabbit of course- but that won't last long!)

It can last long if you know how to play it properly (ST flag helps!)

And remember there are several "categories" of skills you'll want to develop:

Game Technology - Working the game
-Zooming
-Binoculars
-HUD Mgmt. (radar, messages, reload bars)
-Team chat

Tank Command - Making your tank do what you want
-Tank marksmanship
-Jumping, dodging and turning
-Ammo management
-Target Identification

Battlefield Tactics
-Server variables (reload time, range, GM/SW radius, vertical shot velocity)
-Ricochet
-Flag-specific tactics and good/bad flag match-ups
-Obstacles, visibility, and positioning
-etc.

Other learning tips:
1. Play a variety of maps that are simple (pillbox, rklubi) and complex (badger, spiral, boxy). On complicated maps, mastering the map is every bit as challenging as mastering the enemy.

2. For me, some of the key skills I rely on, and have done some key re-assignment to help me with, are radar zooming and binoculars. Picking the right radar zoom for the situation is very important and I am zooming up and down constantly. When sniping, I am in and out of binos many times per minute, and I don't want to have to search for the B key.

3. Remember that some maps require a very patient, methodical approach (lasermania) and some require all-up-in-their-face boldness (bloodbath).

4. Even though many servers have teams, some require very little actual teamwork, where some require a lot of it. Play both.

Other good learning servers I like for specific skill development:

Fast-Bullet maps develop marksmanship and targeting speed:
tavern.rklubi.ee: single-shot, long reload map with vertical shot velocity. Similar map at noc, currently at 80.96.128.22:6164
Sniper's Haven by Inferno: Infinite bullet speed. No dodging, as the bullets arrive instantly

Long-range sniping maps develop targeting precision, bino skills:
Bloodbath
Lasermania
Two Tanks

There are a lot of "weapon-specific" maps that emphasize certain weapons, like Castle Warfare, where you have to learn some fancy GM skills here in a hurry