PUBG has gone free to play this week, and that means a lot of people are going to be dropping in for the first time. That’s great for long-time players of the game, with loads of new players to get a shot at. But new players can help themselves a little by doing a bit of reading.
I’ve clocked in a couple of hundred hours and a few chicken dinners here and there. Writing about it for a good few years, and keeping abreast of all things PUBG. So hopefully my experience will come in handy for someone that reads this and you’ll start off on a better foot than I ever did!
1. Do the training stuff
One thing that PUBG does really quite well now actually trains and educate newcomers.
With a fully fleshed-out “Basic Training” that literally puts you through the tiny, most basic stuff. This is the stuff you absolutely need to learn, and being guided through it really helps. From weapons and grenades to armour and backpacks. PUBG has plenty of stuff to show you in the fundamentals of the game and they actually nail it here for you.
Beyond the basic training, you have AI matches and a training map to load in and try out everything you learned. A shooting range. Practice dropping onto landing pads. This stuff never used to exist, so revel in our misery and learn the ropes with ease.
It helps, too, that you can earn some new gear for actually doing these training missions! Get yourself a new outfit and get skilled-up. Perfect.
2. Learn the maps
This one seems a little redundant as a tip. But as with every online game ever, learn the maps. PUBG has some of the biggest multiplayer maps in the market, and whilst it’s unlikely you’ll learn every nook and cranny in your first few drops. Picking key locations and landmarks is so useful, it’s unreal.
PUBG also has more maps in general than your usual Battle Royale games so the variety of terrains and buildings means that a little bit of study on them will go a long way!
Open masses of land with high hills? Miramar! Take cover.
Jungle, small overall size, so more active combat more frequently…..that’ll be Sanhok!
You can learn so much by just taking it all in. Look at the maps, pick places to drop, and take it all in. I promise you it’ll be worth it.
3. Learn the gear
A battle royale wouldn’t be a battle royale without a smattering of random weapons and items littering the island that you land on. PUBG arguably created the modern standard for how this works, so let’s pay attention to the original.
Armour comes in three tiers, body armour, helmets and backpacks go from 1 – 3. 3 being the best. The body armour can actually help increase your carry capacity a touch, which really helps when you can’t find a backpack!
Weapons come from pistols to machetes. Sniper rifles to crossbows. Each one with varying recoil and modes. PUBG plays a little more realistic than others, too. So bullet drop and spread are more prominent. You need t spend some time in the shooting range getting used to that.
Reload rates, firing rates and scopes all need to be considered too. Finding the weapons and kit that work nicely for you is a great feeling, and PUBG rewards you for putting that time in.
4. Die, Die again
It seems counter-intuitive to say go in and die, but the best way to learn is from experience. It’s you vs 99 other players, the odds are against you, so don’t expect to win straight away.
PUBG gets easier when you practice. Much like literally everything else in life. So whilst you’re learning maps, maybe take a car and drive around. Loud and proud. Who cares? You’ll get shot at, but you might survive. Learn a safe place to heal, and go again.
You’ll get it and it’s only going to get easier once your nerves are calmed.
I don’t know why, but PUBG is the only battle royale that really gets my heart racing still. I need to take a few rounds before I can focus. Ger used to the flow of the game, the sights and sounds.
Winning is the objective, but I would suggest you learn much more from the countless deaths the precede your first Chicken Dinner.
5. Drop spicy
I think this one is the most counter-intuitive of the lot. Identify those spots that are going to be busiest at the start of a match, and go there.
This ties in with tip number 4 but also helps you learn everything else. The chaos of dropping right next to people is next-level. Suddenly any gear will do. Every shot counts or that fist-fight on a rooftop will be the difference between you going out right at the beginning of a match, or staying in until later on.
Get spicy, push hard and let that intensity help you learn things.
Of course, there’s always benefit in a quiet drop, picking up loads of stuff on the way. But the experience of combat will be much more important to you than the experience of picking up a few bandages.
Pochinki for life!
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