It's time we pay respect to the most valuable piece of equipment in a soldier's arsenal: his mind. We talk a lot about maps and gear with a little bit of thought process thrown in, but today we're going to reverse that. In Bad Company 2, Gear + Hands (mouse/keyboard) + Decision Making = Level of Success. A big part of how you play is decided by what decisions you make and a big part of that is decided by how cool you stay under pressure and how well you know the map. Of course it is just another FPS game like any other and everybody has his own style, but remembering a few simple rules will make a real modern warrior out of you and let you see that at its core BC2 is not as similar to other games as it looks.
In today's modern war, a lot depends on the single warrior. A chain is only as strong as its weakest link.
Four Basic Rules
Have a Plan in Advance
In any Battlefield game the maps are relatively large, with a ton of places to flank and lots going on. But the more opportunities you get, the more problems to cope with – there are a hundred paths, and a different way to die on each one. You can get sniped from a lot of different places, you can get pinned down and grenaded to oblivion, you can get backstabbed and all of this depends a lot on how you've planned out your role in the given round.
By a plan, I mean a simple general idea of what you will do after you spawn, based on the map, current state of the round and equipment. After you pick your kit, you should know in a broad sense:
- What objective or asset will you attack or defend.
- What path you will take or which area you will stick to.
A simple example is you spawn as an American engineer in Arica Harbor. You say to yourself "I will stick near to the tanks and repair them. I will not venture forward to hunt down enemy T-90s or try to kill far away enemies. I will only shoot at Russian tanks or footmen if they are close or in good view. I will follow this behavior up to Stage 3, when I will either take a Carl Gustav and hunt down enemy soldiers or change class".
Never Assume Anything
It is accurate to say that BC2 is a game of surprise and deception. In this regard, never assume that anything is true about the given state of the round until you discover the truth. For example, don't assume that since your team is attacking the enemy positions from the front, there won't be anybody defending the flanks. To give a more specific example don't assume that if your team holds the Lighthouse on Valparaiso there are no enemies hiding near it or on different floors. Or in a bigger sense, don't assume that since the enemy is trying to bombard the objectives on Atacama Desert with tanks they won't also try to sneak in and blow them up with C4.
This rule applies in both directions. It means that you should not assume that a given course of action is safe to do, but you should also not assume that it is unsafe to do. Just experiment and see what happens. There are good ways to probe enemy positions even if you don't spot them. If for example you try want shoot at a distance from a specific hill, you can sacrifice some accuracy and move left and right while aiming, during the first few moments when you get up there. That way, you will have a better chance to survive if someone tries to snipe you and you will know that the hill has enemy eyes on it. You should know where the good camping and flanking positions on a map are and try to stay alert at all time.
Be Confident During Play and Doubtful Afterwards
Assuming that you follow the above two rules you should also forget any doubts whether your play is good or bad. If you have a general plan follow it with confidence. Being alert does not mean being scared. It just means to be prepared.
Let's say you choose to be a charge placing Assault on Arica Harbor Rush, but you get sniped on your way to the objectives. Don't get panicked and immediately make the assumption that you should change to a sniping Recon. If fear drives your play style you will suck. Just be confident that you will reach the M-Coms and choose a different path. If you are having a lot of problems with the snipers you can just take Body Armor or change to a more of a long range Assault Rifle and try to shoot back. Every single class and weapon has its use on every map, so make sure you follow your general plan and make only path or small gear changes.
After you have finished the round, then you can go back and think about your tactics. It is always better to sit down and analyze your play on a cold beer than doing it under pressure during the round.
Watch Your State of Mind
Positioning and patience are good virtues to have; staying calm is essential for your performance. There are many reasons in this game for one to get out of focus. Getting sniped or Carl Gustaved every five seconds can really piss you off. The fact that your team hasn't made any progress on those objectives or that your squad is composed of noobs can even depress you. You should watch yourself and try to recognize when you get in this bad mindset. If you catch yourself getting frustrated, try to view the situation from a different perspective. It is not always as bad as it looks to you.
Don't say "it's just a game and I shouldn't get mad". Of course you will get mad! It can get freaking annoying on the battlefield. But if your play starts to degrade, just stop. Play a different game or go somewhere and be mad. You will return refreshed instead of staying and play angry. A fresh mind is a desirable asset in this game. Insults and bad manners won't get you far.
A true modern warrior is a friend. He respects everyone and at the same time is deadly as hell. That is why his enemies fear him.
Choosing A Role
Classes
Bad Company 2 is a fairly interesting offspring of the Battlefield franchise. Instead of getting 7-8 very specific classes you get 4 broad ones. The statement that each class is only good at one thing is a myth. Every single class in BC2 can be used in both attack and defense and all the tactics that come from those two like support and counter attack for example. Just view every class as a unique way of achieving your goal.
An Assault with an XM8 Prototype is a great all around soldier. Taking an AUG can instead make him a great close range spearhead, but if he chooses to equip a scoped AN-94 he can join the sharpshooters' squad and have the advantage of long range suppressive fire, over the bolt action snipers. If an Assault chooses an All Kit weapon he will have the benefit of never running out of ammo, unlike other classes that can choose these weapons.
The same goes for all classes. An Engineer with an RPG-7 is a great tank hunter, but he can also repair and if he takes an UMP .45 with a Carl Gustav he can also be an infantry hunter. A Recon can apply his sniper skills with an SV98, try to close in with a T88, or take up a shotgun and benefit from the close range awesomeness of the Motion Sensors. Medics can use All Kit weapons to give them an edge in close range fighting when resurrecting forward fallen mates, or if they simply don't like LMGs. In all cases, every class can be adapted to any play style.
Loadouts
When someone is sharing his kit choice he is sharing his own views of what has been effective for him. Don't just go on a forum and copy a kit unthinkingly. Don't assume that the M16 needs a 4x Scope because someone says it's a dedicated long range weapon. A good basic rule to follow when choosing your weapons and specializations is to stick to whatever you are comfortable with. Don't try to be the best sharpshooter if you are way more comfortable with close range fighting. Do like smart players do and use your head. If you are familiar with a certain class or weapon you will almost always achieve the best results with it. So instead of looking for kits to copy, adjust your kit to your own needs.
In Conclusion
Bare in mind that the object is to have fun after all. Don't take anything said about the game for granted. Stick to your own playstyle, but don't be afraid to experiment. It is always good to innovate because it can surprise your foes and that makes you feel smart. Be confident in your play and bring the game to them.
A note from Falls: Just never forget that you are part of a team. Sometimes we tend to get wrapped up in our own individual success, but as the great Rudyard Kipling once said: "For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack."
