Although Tribes 2 is a largely team-oriented game, it's important to grasp the fundamentals of first-person shooter combat.

First-Person Shooter Fundamentals

Every game includes many critical moments where you must put these fundamental skills to use--you won't be able to sneak below the radar for long without some enemy tracking you down. If you can't win these deathmatch fights, it will be tough to assume other Tribes 2 roles and help your team achieve victory. Note that most of these tips apply to the more maneuverable armor classes, the scout and assault classes. The juggernaut armor class is much slower; battle and role tactics for that class are found later in this chapter.

A Comfy Control Scheme

No first-person shooter expert is complete without his or her personal customized control scheme. If Tribes 2's default movement and attack configuration isn't comfortable, don't hesitate to change it to match your personal tastes. Configure important keys near your movement keys so they can be reached easily. For instance, "grenade," "mine," and "use health pack" are all important in the heat of a battle and need to be easily accessible. Configure these keys so you won't have to grope for them during the game.

Height Advantage

It's amazing what a height advantage can do for your deathmatch skills and success. Seeking out and maintaining a height advantage makes you less vulnerable to splash-damage weaponry (namely the spinfusor) and, in the case of jump-jet height, creates a much more difficult target for your opponent. It's easier to predict the movement of an enemy on the ground (the enemy can only move in four directions--forward, backward, left, or right) than the movement of an enemy using the jump jet to fly around (the enemy is now moving in six directions, including up and down).

When the enemy is on the ground, it allows you to rely on splash damage rather than direct hits, making it less necessary for you to have sharpshooter-like accuracy with every shot. Instead of aiming at the enemy, aim at the ground around the enemy. With splash-damage weaponry, this ensures that you will inflict at least some damage with each shot. Shots aimed directly at the enemy are easier to dodge, and with the limited health and ammunition in Tribes 2 (at least in quick deathmatch battles), each missed shot could turn the tide of the battle.

Practice gaining a height advantage over enemy players with the jump jet (or on the top of hills at first) and using the spinfusor to bombard the ground around the enemies, instead of firing directly at them. You can even use the tactic with all Tribes 2 weapons--you'll discover battles are much easier from the air than on the ground. Expect to spot most Tribes 2 veterans laying waste to their enemies from the safety of the air rather than attempting to score kills on the ground.

If you do plan on doing most of your combat from the air, consider trading standard grenades for flare grenades. You're a target for missile launchers while in the air (the missile launcher gains a lock on the heat from your jump jet).

Circle-Strafing

This is the name for an old-school deathmatch tactic with roots that stretch as far back as Doom. Circle-strafing is a technique that helps steady your aim while presenting a difficult target to your opponent. Place the crosshairs on the enemy and use the sidestep keys--in Tribes 2 this movement defaults to the S and F keys, though you may alter the configuration in the options menu--to circle around your opponent. This allows you to keep moving (making you a more difficult target) while maintaining accuracy (your crosshairs remain on the enemy).

Combine circle-strafing with other techniques, including the height advantage strategy described earlier in this chapter. As you circle-strafe with a weapon that inflicts splash damage (namely the spinfusor), aim for the area around the enemy, not necessary the enemy's head or body. As described previously, this ensures inflicting some damage with every strike. Consistent damaging blows can score kills quickly--much faster than attempting to kill enemies without circle-strafing and going for the head or torso with each shot!