Weekly Discussion #9 - Advice for your noob self

If you could give a piece of advice to yourself when you were first starting out, what would it be?

For example, I would tell my noob self that T1 and T2 are important, and that rushing for T3 tech immediately will just lose me most games.

stop suicide acu

Do not play astrocrater

Stop being passive go for it

Zoom out

Bind a “select unupgraded mex” hotkey and a “upgrade selected structure” hotkey

put the xbox units in the game pls u_u

My initial factory is able to build units other than T1 engis.

make way more eco and less units

The embodiment of depression...

Zoom out, look at the map and chill. Microing the ACU or those 10 tanks isnt worth it, better to get a good read of the bigger picture

FAF Website Developer

Reclaim. Upgrade mexes. Make ras boiiiis!!!

“Be a yardstick of quality. Some people aren’t used to an environment where excellence is expected.”
— Steve Jobs.
My UI Mods

Spam t1 tanks and deny map control

pfp credit to gieb

Install recommended mods, especially UI party as it gives a ring for your build range that is invaluable.
Always be improving your eco. No exception. Doesn't matter if you feel you are winning or losing, you will lose eventually if you don't keep eco growing.
Replays are your best friend. I love getting owned as I go watch the replay and see the game in a whole new light. I only ever got better due to watching replays.
Watch casters on youtube, much good intel is casually mentioned there. Recommend Willow especially.
Intel is the best thing in the game. With good intel (radar) you can do twice as much with half the units.
Acu gun upgrade is needed fairly fast in most games.
In team games, ASK if unsure what to do.
In team games, DONT just die quietly - say if you need help and you will recieve it.
In team games, focus for the first 200 games in simply not dying. Seriously. Aim to be one of the last in your team to do so.
Reclaiming mass on battlefields wins games often.
Play the role of the spot you are in on the map. You cannot be in eg navy spot and play air or you will get flamed when their navy wrecks everyones bases.

I started playing around when the original supcom first came out. My real advice to my noob self back then would be to focus on school and then college. Knowing I’d probably ignore that and play games anyway, it would be this:

Playing survival and other unrated games is fun but it’s actually a hell of a lot more fun to play ranked games. Sure you’ll be embarrassingly bad to start with, but watch replays of top players, learn from them, and be patient. Play ladder, Setons, and random team games that aren’t gap or Astro. Things will click.

Keybinds, use them.

Stop trying to figure everything out yourself, look at guides listen to the people who are high ranked ( and therefore probably know what they are talking about)

Stop building too many low tier units who aren't paying off anymore. Otherwise you will loose the eco race.

Check out my maps here:

Madness 1 - 10

https://forum.faforever.com/topic/480/h-master-s-maps