As with any first-person shooter, the learning curve can be more than a little steep.
There's always players that seem to know more, shoot straighter and move faster than you and can wipe you off the map just as soon as you spawn in. Battlefield 1, even with its unique setting, is exactly the same.
So how can you level the playing field? Well, we've come up with a few tips and tricks we've learned so far that'll help save you from total embarrassment and get your ratios and stats up pretty quickly.
10. SUPPORT WEAPONS BECOME ACCURATE THE LONGER YOU FIRE
We'll go through the various classes in a further point, but the big thing to take away is that the larger machine guns in Support Class are hopelessly inaccurate when you try to run and gun. Instead, your best chance of getting points is to park yourself near a window ledge or under some kind of cover and crouch. The longer you shoot, the straighter the bullets are and the better chance you've got of taking someone out. As best we can tell, the heavier the gun, the more inaccurate they are on the move. The game wants you to use them like an emplacement, which means staying still and just unloading your bullets on a player or position.
9. GET USED TO USING VEHICLES
The maps we've played so far tell us one thing - maps are HUGE and vehicles are going to be important. That means tanks, planes, trains, whatever - get comfortable with them, get used to them and get attacking with them. As well as this, you can also customise the loadout for each vehicle, so the key is to make each loadout work for both the map and how you play. Say you prefer charging right into the middle of an objective point and shooting your way out - you'll want something with lots of armour and big firepower, but that'll mean you're slower. Say you prefer to come at it from the sides and circle in - then you'll want something that's light and unhindered, but strong enough to hit hard and make damage.
8. JOIN A SQUAD, GET #SQUADGOALS
This might seem like it's an obvious one, but working in a squad is hugely important. Joining a squad means that you'll spawn nearer to your teammates, which means if you're killed, you'll be able to get back into the action sooner. If you're serious about it, use a microphone or headset to communicate with your teammates and understand where and what you're after. If everyone's pushing in the same direction, the better chance you've got of winning the match. Yes, that's almost cliched saying it, but the truth is that it just works.
7. TRAINS ARE A THING IN CONQUEST MODE
Yes, really. If your team is getting crushed, the game will send a gigantic train complete with massive armoured guns to help even the odds for you. We haven't been able to figure out exactly what triggers it, but you'll know it when you see it. As best we can tell, the train turns up usually at the halfway point in a match - say 15-16 minutes into a 30-minute match - and only if one team is winning by a huge margin. We're talking 30+ kills to about five or ten. If that happens, the train turns up. If you feel the match is going against you, try get your squad to hang around the tracks and wait for the train. It won't stay there forever, of course, so use it while you have it.
6. SANDSTORMS ARE YOUR FRIEND
If you're playing on the Sinai Desert map on Conquest Mode, you're going to experience a sandstorm. It'll mean that you can take capture points without planes mowing you down and, as well as this, tank drivers will get completely disorientated in the storm which means you can get in nice and close to them. Sneak attacks work best when there's a sandstorm, so plan accordingly. Remember as well that they don't last long, so you'll have a small window to work with and you'll need to move quickly to take advantage.
5. ONLY USE THE BAYONET CHARGE WHEN NOBODY'S AROUND
As we mentioned, the Sinai Desert map is YUUUGE and if you're not on horseback or in a gunner tank, you're going to have to cross long distances in order to get into the action. Only use Bayonet Charge when it's safe to do so. If you see someone up ahead and you're in Bayonet Charge, aim right for them and you'll get a satisfying kill as the charge - as far as we know - speeds up if it sees someone.
4. THE CLASS SYSTEM ACTUALLY WORKS
Don't pick your class because you like the guns they've got. Well, look, it's a part of it - but don't base your choice solely on that. The game has specifically weighted attributes for different classes, so it's not just about the weapons. In fact, it's the gadgets / secondary items that really differentiates between the classes. Assault, Support, Medic, Scout - that's the four basic classes in Battlefield 1 and they've all got a particular purpose. Assault players have to stay on the field longer because they're the all-rounders. Support's got light machine guns and they're basically like a slow-moving machine gun emplacement. You park them and then they fire. Scout is the sniper class - find a perch, wait for someone to walk into your crosshairs. Boom. Medic is the real 'support' class here, as they carry a syringe which revitalises downed players. As well as this, medics also have some decent weapons to choose from - but remember your first duty is to heal players, so get into the thick of it.
3. ENVIRONMENTALLY UNFRIENDLY
The gameplay engine does allow for destructible buildings, so if you see a cannon on a building or whatever, put a grenade or a cannon shot on it and you'll knock it out. Depending on the type of weapon you've got on you, you can shoot through walls so if you see someone hiding in a house and you've got a light-machine gun, spray bullets and you'll hit something.
2. STICK WITH A PILOT, STICK WITH A GUNNER
If you find someone or know someone on the map who's a good pilot and you're a decent shot, stick together and work together. Battlefield 1 wants you to work together as much as possible because, well, it's a multiplayer experience. Again, this is where the pre-game strategy comes into play. Both of you should be making a run for the plane as soon as possible, get in and get flying. Remember that, if you're the gunner, you can switch between guns. Talk to your pilot, find out where he / she wants to go and cover one another. He / she is flying, you're shooting. You can't do both.
1. COVER, COVER, COVER, COVER
This is hugely important. If you're playing Rush Mode - or any mode for that matter - you need to use cover. If you're running right up the middle of a map and heading straight for the capture point, other players are going to mow you down as soon as possible. You need to move from cover to cover to get at the objective. Depending on the weaponry the opposing team has got, you'll have maybe three or four shots before you go down. You can't move that fast. You go prone, they'll just shoot you when you're on the ground. Use cover. Use dunes. Use rubble. Use anything to keep out of the bullets and stay alive. Yes, this might seem like an obvious point, but it's a key one. Cover doesn't run out of armour or health - so let it take the hits for you.
Battlefield 1 is available on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC from October 21st. If you want to win a copy of Battlefield 1 and an XBOX ONE(!) to play it on, just follow the link and enter our competition!
