Advice for a newcomer

Slayde · Post by **Slayde** » 19-11-2003 07:00

Ok let me start with a warning:

Ok.

I played DB when it first came out for a while, then I bought a new computer and promptly lost my UT2003 manual. I tried to wait for 2004 but with the recent delay I couldn't, so I went out and bought another copy, with one thought: Deathball.

Now I have a second thought: I suck.

Can anyone give me some advice here? I know the basics... I know how to pass, I know to play keeper when I spawn keeper (even though I suck at it) etc... but beyond that I'm having a hard time. Any general tips to help me start improving?

Oh, and I HATE VO! I tried to play today but the ONLY server with a decent number of people that wasn't locked was VO. Gah.

NitrousOxide · Post by **NitrousOxide** » 19-11-2003 07:15

So here it is, merry Christmas, everybody's having fun... Look to the future now, it's only just begun!

RaGe|DB · Post by **RaGe|DB** » 19-11-2003 07:17

dude if u want, i can give ya some lessons, maybe teach some new moves or check if u got the old ones, i might not be the best one around but im around for long so i know the basic things

and some specials

Slayde · Post by **Slayde** » 19-11-2003 08:39

That'd be great. Ingame training beats written tips any day.

Uh, but if anyone does have any tips to give...

Mr_Dark · Post by **Mr_Dark** » 19-11-2003 08:47

Tip: don't play alone, play with your teamm8's (and maby you will win)

Slayde · Post by **Slayde** » 19-11-2003 09:11

My favorite position is zone defense... not the keeper, but staying in the p zone, as long as we aren't short of men on the field... though sometimes the keeper will come up and give me a kick in the arse, and I'm pretty sure he's not trying to boost me...

Catalyst88 · Post by **Catalyst88** » 19-11-2003 09:14

Box defend! I'll post something more coherent/useful when i get home but I just had to say that

Armagon · Post by **Armagon** » 19-11-2003 10:55

Slayde makes the box defend.

DiStUrbeD · Post by **DiStUrbeD** » 19-11-2003 11:23

though they are about the same joy as a pub game these days, join a pickup, those and scrims are the only non volley only games you will ever find anymore

if you live in north america, come to #dbpug on irc.pgpn.com (progameplayer)

if you are a euro, go to #dbpickup on irc.quakenet.org

ask around, people will tell you the rules. its a good way to play some actual deathball (shooting) and a good way to pick up some friends and maybe end up on a team

good luck, and welcome

Chrisfu · Post by **Chrisfu** » 19-11-2003 13:29

I'm afraid you missed the boat bud, the golden age of Deathball has come and gone again.

Catalyst88 · Post by **Catalyst88** » 19-11-2003 14:17

Okay, I'm home now

. What kind of level tips are you going for? I'd suggest you learn how to boost if you don't already (ie hitting your own team with the hammer - wait until they're moving in the same direction as you and have jumped, ideally, that makes them fly farther), but I think you probably know how considering you mentioned it

.

Defensive tips:

1) DON'T camp inside your area - it may seem like a good idea but it isn't in proper games - you've just taken yourself out of your team's passing forward play if you do

Okay, now we've got that out of the way, defending's all about positioning - use your radar. If you want to play last defender (sweeper), then you need to, first and foremost, keep an eye on the enemy attack - stay between them and your goal and you should be doing well (use your radar to see when people are boosting - often they can get over your head using this method. if they do just drop back and cover them, and let your teammates boost back to cover the other attackers). If you're positioned right you should be pushing players out of position just by being a nuisence - try to push attacks to as tight an angle on goal as possible, this makes it really hard to score.

Watch out for the cross-volleys - if you think someone's about to cross (or shoot for that matter), wait until you hear them charging, then hit them part-way into the charge (enough of a time in so that they cannot charge up fully and avoid the shake). It's often useful to get a quick hit in on a new ballcarrier - but beware of them passing away the ball quickly and riding your boost to get away from you.

As an attacking part of the team, the sweeper is involved in boosting players up into position - learn how to boost players at the right angle to get into position to recieve a pass. The sweeper is also used as a playmaker, they can recieve the ball from attackers farther up the pitch, then pass forward again - this is useful for rounding defenders or if a player's about to be killed and cannot get a shot off they make sure their team keeps posession.

Hrm... I could make all that sound a lot clearer. Time for a tutorial or two methinks

. Hope that helps.

Capital_G · Post by **Capital_G** » 19-11-2003 15:02

Okay, now we've got that out of the way, defending's all about positioning - use your radar. If you want to play last defender (sweeper), then you need to, first and foremost, keep an eye on the enemy attack - stay between them and your goal and you should be doing well (use your radar to see when people are boosting - often they can get over your head using this method. if they do just drop back and cover them, and let your teammates boost back to cover the other attackers).

yep, I spend about 90% of the game looking at my radar.

The only real way to learn how to play, is to play with "pro's", see what they do, remind it.
As defender this is very important. It's half the work to prevent goals if you know what they will do next, if you see them running at you, don't shoot right away, just wait till you hear they charging sound, then shoot a bit later, or wait till he enters the p-box.

I'm not real good at sweep, because I tend to miss out on things, as a sweep you gotta know where every1 is, and fill up any holes that exist in your defence, I just prefer play mid, but that job is kinda disapearing

RaGe|DB · Post by **RaGe|DB** » 19-11-2003 15:14

Capital_G wrote: [/B]

yep, I spend about 90% of the game looking at my radar.

The only real way to learn how to play, is to play with "pro's", see what they do, remind it.
As defender this is very important. It's half the work to prevent goals if you know what they will do next, if you see them running at you, don't shoot right away, just wait till you hear they charging sound, then shoot a bit later, or wait till he enters the p-box.

I'm not real good at sweep, because I tend to miss out on things, as a sweep you gotta know where every1 is, and fill up any holes that exist in your defence, I just prefer play mid, but that job is kinda disapearing

i somehow like to play sweep

but i can also keep,mid,attack

but sweeping gives me a rush for some reason $\o/$

Catalyst88 · Post by **Catalyst88** » 19-11-2003 15:32

Sweeping and keeping are cool because you get a rush from preventing other people getting a rush from scoring

It's also a really nice feeling to know you're good at handling responsibility - if the strikers don't score it's not as noticable as if the defence can't keep out the other team's attack

Oh, and I usually play attack, but I like keeping/defending every so often, it's all fun

Wibble · Post by **Wibble** » 19-11-2003 18:25

Woah there, attackers talking coherently about sweeping! Now thats just plain scary

She's right though. I'm a sweeper, and spend most of the time looking at the bottom radar. Its all to do with positioning and predicting what the other team's going to do.

Also, if you stay in your p-box you remove a VERY important passing option to your attacking players. It can often be a better option to sit on or around the centre line to give your teammates an easy pass if they need it.

Anyways, as they've already said, the best way of learning is to play, and #dbpickup is a good place to start. Hope to see you in there

Wibbs