How to master First Person Shooter games!

Competitive multiplayer shootout or just playing by yourself, there are some common guidelines that will ensure you are First on the podium when the last player gets fragged.

First Person Shooters (FPS) are easily the fastest, most intensive gaming experience ever developed. Pioneered by John Carmack and his company id Software, shooters provide a unique high-speed in your face perspective on the gaming experience due to its 'first person' nature.

To play such a fast-twitch genre and come out on top, you have to follow a few basic guidelines and rules.

1. Unlike most other games, FPSs require a more powerful computer with a graphics card that can push high framerates even during the most graphics-intensive firefights. If the framerate is below 30fps all other advice given herein will be utterly useless. Ideally framerates should be 60fps for the smoothest gameplay. And if you intend to frag online, you will need high speed internet, with a low ping between you and the host server.


2. Gaming surface- This in my opinion is the key to winning. Any mouse pad will not do, you will need a gaming-specific design, with a fairly large area, made of material that will enhance the tracking of your mouse. In my case I use the Mionix Propus 380- and it is simply PERFECT for my old Logitech G5 laser mouse.


3. Any mouse made in the last 5-10 years will be more than adequate for playing games, as I said before, a high-quality mouse-PAD is the key. As long as it fits you hand perfectly, and comfortably your good to go. No need to pay extra for DPI settings that reach orbit, or 50 buttons or fancy lights that make it look like E.T.'s spaceship.


4. Set the in-game mouse sensitivity to a fairly high level- high enough that will allow you to spin around, look around with a simple twitch of the mouse, while still being able to have control of the movement without too much hassle. This will need lots of practice, and at first you may feel like a high sensitivity is too much, but keep at it and after a few sessions of extended gameplay and getting acclimatized you will realize how easy and smooth complex moves become. THIS IS A MUST-DO RULE IF YOU WISH TO MASTER FAST TWITCH GAMES such as Quake and the Unreal Tournament franchises.

That's all the advice you will need to become master of the FPS genre. Follow these rules and keep practicing.

Have a look at some of my exploits in maximum difficulty against the bots in Quake III, using all the advice given above.