Starting a new online game can be intimidating, especially with its established player base. But don’t let the fear of falling behind hold you back. Here’s how I quickly catch up to veteran players and make fast progress in any new game I try.
Don’t Skip Over In-Game Tutorials And Tips
One of the most common mistakes gamers make is skipping tutorials or not carefully reading early tips. Yes, tutorials are boring and no action happens there, but they are there for a reason. Otherwise, you can get stuck and resort to asking for help in global chat where veterans will probably make fun of you for skipping tutorials.
For example, in Fortnite, there is a dedicated tutorial that teaches you almost everything about movement and combat. Without this info, you’ll have a hard time becoming competitive even if you learn the basic movements and combat on your own.
It’s better to pass the tutorial carefully and read tips even if you don’t immediately understand. It will help a lot later. Not to mention, many games offer great rewards for completing tutorials that can boost progress.
Experiment with Different PlayStyles Early
Most online games offer different playstyles. Whether it’s different gear, characters, or decks, there are many playstyles to enjoy the game. You need to find which playstyle you’ll like in the game before committing to it as you’ll be spending in-game resources on it.
I learned this the hard way in Diablo 4, focusing too much on Barbarian since I always like fighter characters in most games. However, later I tried Sorcerer and it felt so much better with amazing damage output and flashy abilities, I had to start from scratch.
If you blindly pick whatever looks cool at first, you might have to start from scratch again or burn out from playing something you don’t enjoy. Try to find what playstyles the game has to offer, and maybe get some help from community guides to know strengths and weaknesses (more on it later).
Hoard Bonuses and Resources in Early Game
A boost in the game’s resources in the early game is a common practice to help players set a strong footing faster. You’ll get lots of free premium currency, boosters, item enhancers, consumables, etc.
However, early game is usually much easier and you can do fine without this help as well. In most games, you’ll have more use of these resources later in the game when progression slows down. On top of that, you’ll also have a better understanding of the game later to use these resources optimally.
This practice is most noticeable in city/base building games where you have to upgrade buildings with premium currency to advance faster. For example, in Clash of Clans, you get gems early to upgrade faster by skipping the timer. You can instead hoard them when building times are few minutes only anyway and later buy a fifth builder that can dramatically improve progress.
Just keep storing whatever isn’t necessary to advance and go through the early learning and experimenting phase. Once you are ready to commit to a specific playstyle/goal, you can start optimally using these stored resources to progress much faster.
Boost Your Success With Side Quests And Story Mode Rewards
In multiplayer online games, there are usually side quests or a story mode that offer good rewards. Don’t overlook these if you are focused on PvP. Usually, game designers distribute rewards balanced between PvE and PvP. You’ll progress slower compared to someone who does both PvP and PvE.
The exotic missions in Destiny 2 are a good example of side quests. These missions can unlock extremely powerful gears, and some gears are even exotic missions exclusive.
Generally, PvE rewards increase much slower compared to PvP, but they do stack over time to make a big difference. A good strategy is to make your character/build stronger faster using PvP and bonus quests and then speed-run through story mode using the stronger setup. This will give you a good amount of resources to progress your PVP setup faster.
Explore the Game’s Settings
The in-game settings can not only improve your playing experience but also provide an advantage in the game. Many settings can make gameplay easier and more efficient to make progress easier. You should look around in the settings to make adjustments to optimize the game.
Some common adjustments I like to make are: enabling quick cast, reducing HUD size for a better view, lowering music volume and raising sound effects to hear important sounds, and decreasing shadows for a clearer view in darker areas. Furthermore, I also edit key bindings to bring important keys close to each other.
For example, having the quick cast enabled in League of Legends can give a big advantage when playing skillshots-based champions like Ezreal.
The settings are different for each game, but there are usually useful options that can make gameplay easier. Once you have optimized the game settings, you’ll have an edge over users who use default settings, helping you progress faster.
Having people to play the game with will not only increase the fun but also make progress faster. Many online games have guild systems that allow people to group to complete quests, like the weekly guild quests in Lost Ark. Some games also encourage guild members to share unrequired items, which can help progress faster.
Many established games also have active dedicated forums, discord communities, or subreddits where you can talk to other players. You can join them to stay up-to-date with upcoming changes, get help with in-game knowledge, and even find people to help you inside the game.
Checkout Online Gameplay Guides
Almost every game has some gameplay guide or tips available online. You can use search terms like “(game name) beginners guide” or “(game name) tips/strategy” to access guides that can dramatically increase progress speed. Learning by trial and error can take weeks, which you could have learned and optimized by reading/viewing a guide in just a few minutes.
For example, I searched “league of legends guide” and it gave me links to a guide website, an official guide from the game, some Reddit posts, and a bunch of YouTube videos. That’s more than enough information to boost your progress. You can also use Google Search operators to further enhance the search results.
Watching gameplay videos/streams of veteran players on YouTube or Twitch can also provide valuable insight. They can show you exactly how to optimally play games so you can copy them for success.
If you pick up a popular game with a big player base, there is a good chance its community has created helping tools to get help inside the game. I am talking about legit tools within the game’s guidelines that can make in-game tasks easier. For instance, OP.GG or Porofessor.gg is almost essential to stay competitive in League of Legends to get team stats and champion builds.
Tools like crafting profit calculators, team analysis tools, maps to highlight static boss locations, build makers, etc. can greatly help with progressing faster. You can ask other players in-game or on forums/subreddit, or search for them online. Just add search terms like “tools”, “calculator”, “mods”, “add-ons” “builder”, “apps”, etc. with the game’s name to find related tools.
These tools are usually free or donation-based, but make sure you download them from reputable sources and never provide login information. Such tools are often used to secretly download malware or attempt phishing attacks to steal game accounts.
Starting a new game may be challenging at the start, but the above tips will help you quickly catch up and enjoy the journey. Just remember that every pro was once a beginner. For some extra help, you might be interested in installing some gaming PC programs as well.
Image credit: Freepik. All screenshots by Karrar Haider.
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