Let me just say first-off, I am not a FPS multiplayer veteran. Sure, I have tried the odd title here and there over the years, but the steep learning curve – you know what I mean, the inevitable early stage where you are getting your head constantly popped like a ripe melon by some Red Bull-guzzling punk kid – always scared me away in the past. But when Battlefield: Hardline came out recently, and after reading Lucas Raycevick’s excellent review on this site, I was determined to stick it out this time. Come hell or high water, I was going to stop being the sacrificial lamb and figure out how to not suck.
And so, after many hours of playing Hardline, and many, many deaths at the hands of said little punk (and a few comeback kills of my own, hehe), I can now say with pride that I do not completely suck anymore. I now get around as many kills as deaths in a given multiplayer session. Now, if you are a FPS veteran, this article is not for you – I am sure the tips I offer will be so obvious that you will roll your eyes in boredom. But, if you are like I was, and are a beginner about to play Battlefield: Hardline, here are a few things I have learned while playing that may help you.
Don’t Be Kill-Happy At First
Ok, news flash: you actually do suck at first. If you try to run around and go toe-to-toe with higher-level dudes (which is, in the beginning, basically everyone else), you are going to get owned. And “camping” (sitting in one hiding spot waiting to pick off a passer-by) is just not that effective … and kinda douchey. If you are like me, you might get frustrated at first, wondering, “how the hell am I supposed to kill people when I can’t even seem to hit them?!” But you know what? Don’t even waste your time trying to get kills in the beginning – instead, you should go for Objectives. Objectives are tasks that you can (and should) do to help your team. In Hotwire, it is taking and keeping cars. In Conquest, it is taking and keeping locations. Each class has its own Objectives too – Operators, for example, get points for reviving teammates. Points earned level you up, which unlocks Battlepacks. Battlepacks give you lots of cool goodies – especially Boosts – which can really help you. Once I started to drop my obsession with getting kills right from the start, I began to find the path to getting better at Hardline.
It’s All About the Money
Leveling up is great, but the real way to move up in Battlefield: Hardline is by getting and spending cold, hard cash. You use money you collect to buy improved weapons and gadgets (such as grenades). So, what is the best way to get cash? For me, it has been by playing the Hotwire mode. Hotwire is a mode in which you have to take possession of a number of cars (hence the title) and keep possession of them by driving around the map. The longer you keep driving the cars without getting killed, the more money you rack up. The beautiful thing about it is, you get money just by being in the car; you don’t have to be the driver. You can also spawn into moving cars directly, so you can easily cha-ching your way to easy street as a passenger without even doing anything. I have pulled in thousands of dollars in a session by just doing this alone. Then, as a passenger, if you also happen to get a few kills by shooting out the window, then hey – all the better!
Be a Booster
Now here is a trick that can even further help your progress in Hotwire: use your Boosts. You get boosts in Battlepacks quite readily, so you will likely have lots of them early-on. I use the Objective Boosts, which come in different levels, from 25% to 200%. These boosts really … well, boost your rewards considerably in each round. By using them, within just a few rounds, you can easily afford all the cool guns and gadgets and start to get a lot stronger.
Choose the Right Class
There are four classes in Hardline, and it might seem to the beginner that they all have their pro’s and con’s. And I am sure they do, but for me the best class has been the Mechanic. Why? The Mechanic gets points by repairing vehicles, among other things. I have tallied a lot of points by riding in cars in – you guessed it – Hotwire mode. While I am earning points, and money, flying along in a captured car, I am also getting other points on top of that by repairing the car with my repair tool every time it gets hit – which is constantly (thank you again punk kid…). Whatever Class you choose, look at the Objectives that get you points, and make sure to be doing those things as often as you can. It might sound simplistic, but often we beginners don’t get these things at first because we are so hung-up on getting kills. When you break free of this assumption, the game will start to get a lot better.
Stick With Your Squad
As you have been playing, you have probably noticed that there are colored words above some people. I’m sure you know that the blue people are your team, but did you know what the green people are? They are your Squad Mates. If you stick with them, and help them, you get more points than for just helping random people. So, for example, if you are an Operator, you get bigger rewards for reviving your Squad Mates. Try whenever possible to follow your Squad and help them achieve success – you will find yourself a lot more successful, too!
Survival Tips
Now, once you do get rich, and have pimped yourself out with some better gear, you will definitely want to stop dyin’ so damn much. I get that. Plus, you do need to get some kills to unlock accessories, such as improved gun-sights and grips. So I will leave you with some observations I have made after a lot of (ahem) “trial and error” (read: getting my ass blown off repeatedly). First of all, avoid being in the middle of the map at all costs. When you are in the middle of any environment in Hardline, trust me, you are in some dude’s sights, guaranteed. It is just a matter of when you get smoked, not if. When on the ground, stay on the outside of the map as much as you can – ideally looking into the center.
And while you are travelling the map, stay mobile. As mentioned, at any given time, someone is likely scoping you out. What they are waiting for is for you to slow down or stop, so they can get that kill shot. If you are constantly moving, you make it a lot harder for them to do that – stop, especially for a few seconds, and you become another number in their stats. Oh, and don’t think that, because you are in a window, you are “hidden” – stopping anywhere, even in a building, is generally a bad idea, period.
When you do find yourself in the position to shoot it out with someone, make sure to use your reticle. This is tough for the beginner, as you feel like it takes forever to aim down your sights, and by the time you do, you are dead. But train yourself to use the reticle, even if you die a lot at first – remember, dying in the early stages is not a problem anyway. Eventually, you will get used to aiming more quickly, and the improved accuracy will greatly improve the outcome of your one-on-one encounters.
Lastly, don’t give up because you die a lot at first. People are saying this a lot lately about another game, Bloodborne. But I think it applies just as much to First-Person Shooters. As a beginner, you die constantly, and this causes many people (such as myself for a long time) to quit and avoid this genre altogether. What I have learned, after toughing it out in Hardline for a few weeks, is that you need to accept dying a lot for a while, until you learn the game. Focus on your Objectives, rack up your money and experience points, and save the Kill-Streaks for later, when you are leveled-up enough to fight it out with the big gunners. Just like in Bloodborne, once you learn your enemies’ tactics and get stronger, you will feel much more confident, and more importantly, you will have a lot more fun!
