Here are some gaming tips for Gears of War 3 online (multiplayer). Keep in mind this is a post for GOW3 online newbies by a GOW 3 online n00b (only 4 days online so far).

  • DON’T TAKE IT PERSONAL.
    People with headsets may insult you, etc. They either do it to throw you off of your (already bad) game or they have no manners. In any case, don’t be distracted – forgive and forget and play and blow thewm away. Seriously, if you’re a n00b reading this you know your game’s already bad, right? So someone giving voice to it (even via extreme insult) is no news – just move on.
  • BE A MEDIC.
    Especially in team matches where more deaths on your team mean you are closer to losing the round. Get up close to a team mate that has been downed (marked on your HUD) and press X when you are prompted after you are close enough.
  • SPOT THE ENEMY.
    Aim at an enemy and click left thumbstick, you’ll highlight the enemy and your character will call it out so your teammates know. Plus, it makes that enemy visible everywhere because you’ll see the mark through walls!
  • BE A GROUPIE.
    Stay with someone, or a group of someones. Moving alone increases your risk of getting blasted the longer you do it.
  • MOVE. MOVE. MOVE.
    Don’t sit still too long, or someone WILL walk up behind you and introduce you to their shotgun or chain saw. You’ll have to get used to how long is too long. After dying a lot from “camping” as its called, you’ll get a feel for how long too long is for you and it will vary by map, opponents and your team.
  • MANTLE KICK.
    New for GOW 3 is the mantle kick (graphic video showing mantle kick) is a powerful and sometimes forgotten or under used attack. Put it in your “tools” and don;t forget it. Especially great when out of ammo or outgunned by an opponent.
  • PRACTICE OFFLINE.
    Practice offline VS bots at Hardcore or Insane difficulty level. Those bots are tough to beat, but the people you face online will be craftier, and more dangerous. Get your moves down, figure the maps out. If you need to start at lower difficulty levels and move on up to Hardcore and Insance as you progress.
  • BENEFIT FROM YOUR DEATH.
    Let’s face it, you’re gonna die – over and over; so you may as well make the best of it. When you get killed you usually are introduced to your killer and the weapon he/she took you out with, and then you’ll be on the “death cam” until respan or next match/round. You’ll see the top scoring person on your team. True, you can take time for a drink and bathroom breaks, but most often its a good chance to see what the other guys do, how they play, and what their tactics and weapon choices are.
  • GET TO KNOW THE MAPS.
    Find your favorite spots, least favorite spots, tactics that fit the map, weapons spawns, etc. This might take a while, so you might get used to certain parts of certain maps. For exmaple, on Gridlock you’ll find the action centers around the little room between the spawn areas. Roadie run @ the beginning of the round to get there – and be prepared for a fight. But also notice the high ground to the left and right. High ground presents opportunity and a good view of the action – and the enemy.
  • THE HIGH GROUND IS SAFER.
    Okay, I just kind of said this, but generally speaking, you are safer when higher. You can see what’s going on around you better, but watch for approaching opponents. If you see too many people coming at you, then it might be time to bug out and “become a groupie” again.
  • USE YOUR “POWERED UP AMMO”.
    When you spawn its common to hear your teammates firing around when there’s no one but your team in sight. What you may not notice is that they then do an acgtive reload to “power up” their ammo before entering a firefight. When you do an active reload the new rounds flash on and off for about 30 seconds (??) showing they are ready to do extra damage.
  • THE INTENT KILLER.
    Got one person who continually kills you? Be thankful because atg some point they will train you how to counter and beat them. Think of it as very frustrating but FREE training. It also is better than pure frustration.
  • DON’T STEP ON THE FIRE
    Incendiary grenades leave a burning napalm-like fire on ground and nearby walls. As long as it burns if you walk through, friendly grenade or not, you’ll burn. Yep, even though your teammates can’t shoot you (friendly fire is off for most weapons) the grenades ALL effect you, and so will other explosives.
  • SET A TRAP.
    One of the simplest traps to set is to “tag” a wall with a grenade. Walk up to a wall and hit the melee button and the grenade should stick – if not get closer and try again. It will sit there until an enemy comes near enough. Move a little forward and draw the bad guys in and pass your trap. Wait for it to go off and finish them off if the grenade doesn’t.
  • SET AN AMBUSH TRAP.
    Pass one of your team mates in cover and start firing like a wild man (or woman) and wait til someone starts coming at you. Drop back past your team mate who will happily ambush whoever has followed you – and turn around to help when the ambush is sprung.
  • THE CLAW.
    See if the claw, an alternate way of holding the controller works for you. I employ a modified claw at times, and it can be helpful. Most likely you’ll have to get used to using your controller like this – so if you are going to give it a try, it might take hours till you get used to it. It has benefits and drawbacks like many changes in the way you do things.

More coming later. So what do you have to say?  Speak up, add your own tips in comments.