I wrote this for my clan for some of our members trying to get better and thought I would share it here also for those of you it might help. If you know what your doing this obviously isn't for you. The short version will probably seem obvious but I go into detail with each point. [b]Short Version:[/b] Practice your Gunskill, Maintain Map, Team, & Enemy Awareness, Check your Radar Frequently, Anticipate your enemy, Adapt & Conquer, Be versatile & Unpredictable [b]Long Version:[/b] There are 7 key things that make a good FPS player. I will break down each characteristic and elaborate on them. I will use Destiny as an example as it is the main shooter I currently play. 1) Perfecting your Gunskill 2) Constant Accurate Communication 3) Map Awareness 4) Team/Enemy Awareness 5) Using Radar Properly 6) Staying 2 steps ahead 7) Adapt & Conquer 1) [b]Perfecting your gunskill[/b][spoiler]Perfecting your gunskill is rather obvious if you are looking to improve but there are a few things I wanted to touch upon. Accuracy, there are many factors that go into obtaining a kill but accuracy is the very most important aspect of the kill. For instance, in Destiny head shots are Precision Kills which deal more damage than a regular shot. So if two opponents with the exact same load out get into a gunfight player 1 lands all body shots and player 2 lands 1 precision shot and the rest body shots. Player 2 will ALWAYS win the gunfight. So when your perfecting your gunskill you should be trying to land every bullet on your opponents head no matter what gun you are using as it will make your time to kill (TTK) as low as possible with the weapon your using. Leading your shots. This applies more to some weapons versus others but should always be kept in mind. Majority of the time in a gunfight your opponent will be moving or jumping. So obviously, you will need to follow them while you are shooting but to be more accurate you should predict their movements. For instance, rockets in Destiny shouldn't be fired straight at your opponent rather you should shoot at where they are going to be. If you shoot directly at them and they move your shot will fall behind them and you most likely won't kill them. With regular guns in Destiny you don't need to shoot ahead of them to hit them. Different games have different physics to them like bullet drop in Battlefield. Constantly, predicting your enemies movements while you are shooting will definitely help your accuracy.[/spoiler] 2) [b]Constant Accurate Communication[/b][spoiler]If you are playing alone this obviously doesn't apply but for competitive team play this is a MUST!!! Constant communication is necessary because if your team always knows where all the enemies are you will never be flanked or surprised. One thing I see frequently however are vague call outs. A vague call out is worse than no call out at all. If your call out is vague your teammates might start to panic assuming they are being pushed but not know exactly where its coming from. So as an individual always try and keep your call outs as quick & accurate as possible. Establish common names for certain areas that way your teams are always in unison. A team with lesser gunskill that operates as a Unit should be able to beat 3 individuals with better gunskill that don't play well together. Constant, accurate communication will help your team tremendously and put you at an advantage if the other team doesn't communicate well.[/spoiler] 3) [b]Map Awareness[/b][spoiler]This is something vital to anyone's success of any skill level. Memorizing maps and always being aware of your surroundings will prevent silly errors like trying to run away and getting stuck on a wall lol. Happens to the best of us. Knowing maps also helps when communicating with team mates, calling out enemy locations, and common enemy spots. (Head glitches, camping spots, etc).[/spoiler] 4) [b]Team/Enemy Awareness[/b][spoiler]Being aware of your enemies constant whereabouts prevents getting flanked or any surprises. Being aware of your teammates and keeping spacing will prevent the enemy from getting multi-kills or collaterals. Also, I have incidents in Destiny where I am trying to take cover but my teammate will be standing next to me or behind me so I can't move and die -_-. Always, always, always keep spacing. You ideally want to be close enough to help your teammates but not close enough to get multi-killed. Also, teammates shouldn't all be watching the same direction unless purposely team shotting. If you're all watching the same way it opens up your team to get flanked. [/spoiler] 5) [b]Using Radar Properly[/b][spoiler]I know this is difficult for people but practice this and it will be a huge help. Being able to glance at your radar mid gunfight or under pressure will prevent you getting flanked. Multi-tasking like this becomes easier when your gunskill is on point. When you aren't stressed about hitting shots or thinking to hard about other things it makes it easier to check it the radar mid fight. You should always check your radar periodically or when you see red out of the corner of your eye. Various games radars operate differently but using radar correctly helps maintain enemy awareness.[/spoiler] 6) [b]Staying 2 steps ahead of your enemy[/b][spoiler]Being able to consistently accurately predict your enemies movements makes things so much easier. If you already know what their doing than you can adjust your strategy to counter theirs. From time to time you may get things wrong but that's alright. Gaining an advantage early on puts the pressure on them to turn things around. From my experience most people are extremely predictable and flock to very common spots. Keep this in mind next time your playing.[/spoiler] 7) [b]Adapt & Conquer[/b][spoiler]Adapt & Conquer, versatility is going to be your best friend and if you are capable this eliminates having a weakness. Training with all types of weapons with all types of load outs will not only broaden your knowledge about your game. It will give you insight into everything. Knowing how certain weapons handle, certain classes play, etc. If you yourself practice to become versatile and use any load out, gear, or weapon you will always be able to counter your opponents. Along with predicting their movements, if they change strategies and you adapt to it quickly you will always have the advantage. You should practice to get yourself to the point where no matter what anyone throws at you, you know how to counter it.[/spoiler] 1) Practice your Gunskill 2) Maintain Awareness 3) Check your Radar Frequently 4) Anticipate your enemy 5) Adapt & Conquer 6) Be versatile & Unpredictable