Every game has a trial by fire when it comes to multiplayer competition. League of Legends was a nightmare trying to learn to play. PvP in WoW was really tough learning how to use my skills against different opponents in different situations. Playing Modern Warfare 2 for the first time was just a conga line of buses driving over my face one by one. DUST is the same. I can say it does get better; it just takes time and patience.

I assume by now someone has already replied with HTFU * but I don't think that is the best way to look at it. The better way to look at it is once you get to a certain amount of skills, both SP and 'game-sense' wise, you are going to be able to do just fine. Learning how to adapt to a situation and pull every ounce of an advantage out of it will help you significantly. To go all After School Special on you: "it gets better."

DUST does need some kind of training mode. Even just walking around an area shooting installations that have 200 HP and are not resistant to infantry weapons would be better than nothing. Remember when EVE first came out and there was NO introduction, just you floating in an Ibis wondering what the hell to do? EVE got better at New Player Experience (NPE) and I truly believe DUST will too.

Hang in there mate. Try to get into a good corporation, DUST University is a great starter, and join up in a squad. Get a microphone, make some friends, and (if you are of age of course) have a beer while laughing at the rag doll you just saw.

Edit: I was wrong! ^_^

Here's some tips: Run away from blaster tanks, people wearing black suits, and dropships. Also try to spawn in uplinks where the battle isn't going on unless you have a squad that's rushing the objective and you want to help them.

the training mode would be good, coz your dumped in and have no idea what any of it does,

also, have i missed something or is there some kind of proper tutorial type thing somewhere? as my "sister" (me) is a Pod-jockey i understand the skill books and weapon differences and how to fit out a suit.. but is there anything to explain at least some of it to properly new players who have never touched or heard of the EVE universe? it's way too much..

i know it should get better in time, i joined EVE in 2007 and have seen a marked improvement in the rookie entry tutorials and help, so hopefully Dust will follow..

lol thank you :)
although i had already worked out the tank one

are the coloured suits the prototype or higher tier gear? why a black suit in particular?

how is anyone ever supposed to be able to play and learn and find out whats good for them if they start playing and are constantly slaughtered by players with far more power and experience...

to put it into some context... you wouldn't expect a two-day old EVE newbie player in rookie ship with rookie fitting to go up against a much older one in a fully tanked LVL 5 capable BS would you? so why is it ok for it to happen to Dust players

ypu wouldn't expect that same EVE newbie Pod-Jockey to head straight into null space and expect them to survive and learn to play and enjoy the whole game, so why do it to the Mud-Humpers?

i know that Dust ihasn't got the population really to cope with it but can't there be some sorta "bracketing" thing put in so that players will only be in matches with players who are + or - 20K SP of them? it may make it a bit more even for newer players

*not giving up... YET*

lol thank you :)
although i had already worked out the tank one

are the coloured suits the prototype or higher tier gear? why a black suit in particular?

i started dust three days ago and have very nearly dumped it a few times already

I may get abuse for this and will probably be repeating what others have said before but.. well.. whats the point of playing a game when i am being killed all the time by people with far better skills and gear..

you dont want new players to get frustrated and stop playing? i don't want to stop playing as i like the EVE related elements.. but it's just pointless.. spawn die spawn die spawn die why bother?

why should i persevere at getting killed constantly by players who i'm never gonna be able to match or compete against..

for example.. day 2 of playing.. i spawn in a Dominance fight with my newbie armour and newbie fitting and newbie gun, and the first thing i run in to is some guy with a rail gun fitted tank... a tank ffs...

how is anyone ever supposed to be able to play and learn and find out whats good for them if they start playing and are constantly slaughtered by players with far more power and experience...

to put it into some context... you wouldn't expect a two-day old EVE newbie player in rookie ship with rookie fitting to go up against a much older one in a fully tanked LVL 5 capable BS would you? so why is it ok for it to happen to Dust players

ypu wouldn't expect that same EVE newbie Pod-Jockey to head straight into null space and expect them to survive and learn to play and enjoy the whole game, so why do it to the Mud-Humpers?

i know that Dust ihasn't got the population really to cope with it but can't there be some sorta "bracketing" thing put in so that players will only be in matches with players who are + or - 20K SP of them? it may make it a bit more even for newer players

apply it only in the Public games, the ones that people just drop in to play... leave corp and FW games alone, you join them knowing it's gonna be hard anyway....

the Ambush match types are totally pointless to me as i just get killed and cost the team clones so i try not to play them...

t i do like Dust and it is sorta fun to play.. i will admit that i get a certain amount of joy when i finally kill someone (usually by fluke or accident) but it's totally dampened by the fact that i get crushed the rest of the time...

i admit i'm not really a brilliant FPS-er (which doesn't help) but a friend who is a brilliant FPS-er tried this and has said exactly the same as me.


lol sorry, small moan over now

i'm off to die some more

*not giving up... YET*

The New Player Experience in dust is terrible. I've played dust 2 years now and it only gets worse. CCP really hates new players because they continue to let certain arrogant and terrible devs let their personal preference dictate their design.

In before CCP Propaganda tells us its different this time

Even putting blue tags on stuff is really stressing their workload. They are terribly busy doing...well ....not fixing anything. I wonder what they are doing.

Squadding up is the thing to do! If you need someone to squad with lemme know and I'll help show you the ropes.

In the beginning, if you spend your Skill Points (SP), spend them in the Dropsuit Upgrades skill tree first. You want t upgrade your armor and shield, and your CPU won'tPG before you commit to a role. Create alternate characters to try out different suits and weapons, you can always delete them and use the character slots as many times as you want. In the meantime, practice strategy and tactics with squads. Retreating and using cover are good tactics in this game. There is no use continuously firing at the enemy who is wielding a proto rail rifle on a tanked dropsuit. Stick with the group! You will get f*cked running out in the open alone. This game is a lot of fun if you're willing to development the skills to contribute to a squad.

i started dust three days ago and have very nearly dumped it a few times already

I may get abuse for this and will probably be repeating what others have said before but.. well.. whats the point of playing a game when i am being killed all the time by people with far better skills and gear..

you dont want new players to get frustrated and stop playing? i don't want to stop playing as i like the EVE related elements.. but it's just pointless.. spawn die spawn die spawn die why bother?

why should i persevere at getting killed constantly by players who i'm never gonna be able to match or compete against..

for example.. day 2 of playing.. i spawn in a Dominance fight with my newbie armour and newbie fitting and newbie gun, and the first thing i run in to is some guy with a rail gun fitted tank... a tank ffs...

how is anyone ever supposed to be able to play and learn and find out whats good for them if they start playing and are constantly slaughtered by players with far more power and experience...

to put it into some context... you wouldn't expect a two-day old EVE newbie player in rookie ship with rookie fitting to go up against a much older one in a fully tanked LVL 5 capable BS would you? so why is it ok for it to happen to Dust players

ypu wouldn't expect that same EVE newbie Pod-Jockey to head straight into null space and expect them to survive and learn to play and enjoy the whole game, so why do it to the Mud-Humpers?

i know that Dust ihasn't got the population really to cope with it but can't there be some sorta "bracketing" thing put in so that players will only be in matches with players who are + or - 20K SP of them? it may make it a bit more even for newer players

apply it only in the Public games, the ones that people just drop in to play... leave corp and FW games alone, you join them knowing it's gonna be hard anyway....

the Ambush match types are totally pointless to me as i just get killed and cost the team clones so i try not to play them...

t i do like Dust and it is sorta fun to play.. i will admit that i get a certain amount of joy when i finally kill someone (usually by fluke or accident) but it's totally dampened by the fact that i get crushed the rest of the time...

i admit i'm not really a brilliant FPS-er (which doesn't help) but a friend who is a brilliant FPS-er tried this and has said exactly the same as me.


lol sorry, small moan over now

i'm off to die some more

*not giving up... YET*

In DUST 514, your FPS skills work against you.

YouGÇÖre likely an experienced FPS shooter, youGÇÖve spent years playing FPS games, developing unconscious strategies, tactics and muscle memories. YouGÇÖve likely switched shooters several times, and after a little practice youGÇÖve been able to perform as well as you did in your last FPS. YouGÇÖve developed a set of FPS skills / FPS game instincts, and youGÇÖve likely come to view yourself as an experienced FPS shooter. HoweverGǪ

In DUST 514, many of the play-styles, tactics, and strategies you have developed will work against you.

It is very likely that every other FPS you have ever played has been built on the same premise: nothing except player skill (and a little luck) influences who wins. In reality, things like lag, hardware, cheats, game imbalance, exploits, etc influence who wins, but at the core, the FPS premise has always been a level playing field where player skill triumphs. ItGÇÖs the main reason why Kill/Death ratio is the metric used to track player performance and 1337 status.

DUST 514 does NOT play like any other FPS.

DUST 514 is different, at the very core of the gameplay is the idea that not all mercenaries are created equal. In DUST you can and should seek to obtain an unfair advantage against your opponent (in accordance with the EULA of course). In DUSTGÇöas in EVEGÇöplayer skill is not the only factor affecting who wins.

This is a huge departure from the traditional FPS mechanic. Your characterGÇÖs skill points (SP) and equipment play a very significant role in determining who wins a firefight. You will not be able to go head to head with every other player on the battlefield. But your FPS skill, instinct and mindset will tell you that you should.

In short, your set of FPS skills is based on a completely different paradigm from the one operating in DUST 514. Practically, this means that your FPS skills are going to get you into trouble. But itGÇÖs not a lost cause, you just need to refine and alter your FPS mindset.

This changes EVERYTHING!

Once you understand that your FPS experience is getting in the way of your success, you are on the road to improvement. The good news is that you wonGÇÖt need to throw out your FPS skills, they just need to be modified, and for the better. IGÇÖve found that the FPS skills IGÇÖve adopted for DUST have improved my game in other FPSGÇÖs. This is because DUST challenges you to play more strategically. Strategy is how you approach the battlefield, itGÇÖs the bigger picture. Tactics are what you do in the firefight, strategy is what you do to shape the fight to your advantage.

The DUST 514 mindset

So how can you play more strategically? The following are a list of strategic lessons that shape the way I fight.


Not every player can be beaten head-to-head.

Everyone can be beatenGǪin the right set of conditions

Never get tunnel vision, continually evaluate the battlefield, and force the enemy to play in conditions that favor you.

If the conditions are not favorable, hide with pride and seek out a more favorable set of circumstances.

Circumstances are fluid, but you canGÇÖt take advantage of them while you are waiting to respawn. If in a firefight you have to give up a kill in order to survive yourself, do it. ItGÇÖs better to stay in the fight.

If at first you donGÇÖt succeed, try something new. They enemy likely has control of the current circumstance, you need to try something different to alter the battlefield.

Work with a squad. One well-coordinated squad is often enough to turn the tide of battle for the entire team. Shoot, move, communicate.

FLANK, FLANK, FLANK! Getting the first shot is often the difference between winning and losing a firefight.

Specialization is king. Find a role, suit, and weapon you like, and stick with it. Your strategy will largely be determined by the weapon and suit you are using. It is very hard to get switch roles and also successfully switch the strategies each suit/weapon will need to succeed. Prototype gear helps compensate for this, but it can never fully eclipse the issue. Over time, you will be able to expand into different suits, weapons and roles. Also, DUST alters your rotational speed based on the size of your suit and amount of armor. Your aim will feel completely different for a shield-tanked scout and a brick-tanked sentinel.

Strategy is queen. Or in other words, character skill and equipment canGÇÖt beat player skill and strategy. A highly skilled player using a high SP, prototype-fitted character is something to be feared. But it is the player skill that is to be feared. I regularly go into the negative K/D using my 25m SP character equipped with prototype gear, while just as often go 17/2 or better with my 600k SP character using militia gear. The difference is the complacency that often develops when using prototype gear.

why should i persevere at getting killed constantly by players who i'm never gonna be able to match or compete against..

i started dust three days ago and have very nearly dumped it a few times already

I may get abuse for this and will probably be repeating what others have said before but.. well.. whats the point of playing a game when i am being killed all the time by people with far better skills and gear..

you dont want new players to get frustrated and stop playing? i don't want to stop playing as i like the EVE related elements.. but it's just pointless.. spawn die spawn die spawn die why bother?

why should i persevere at getting killed constantly by players who i'm never gonna be able to match or compete against..

for example.. day 2 of playing.. i spawn in a Dominance fight with my newbie armour and newbie fitting and newbie gun, and the first thing i run in to is some guy with a rail gun fitted tank... a tank ffs...

how is anyone ever supposed to be able to play and learn and find out whats good for them if they start playing and are constantly slaughtered by players with far more power and experience...

to put it into some context... you wouldn't expect a two-day old EVE newbie player in rookie ship with rookie fitting to go up against a much older one in a fully tanked LVL 5 capable BS would you? so why is it ok for it to happen to Dust players

ypu wouldn't expect that same EVE newbie Pod-Jockey to head straight into null space and expect them to survive and learn to play and enjoy the whole game, so why do it to the Mud-Humpers?

i know that Dust ihasn't got the population really to cope with it but can't there be some sorta "bracketing" thing put in so that players will only be in matches with players who are + or - 20K SP of them? it may make it a bit more even for newer players

apply it only in the Public games, the ones that people just drop in to play... leave corp and FW games alone, you join them knowing it's gonna be hard anyway....

the Ambush match types are totally pointless to me as i just get killed and cost the team clones so i try not to play them...

t i do like Dust and it is sorta fun to play.. i will admit that i get a certain amount of joy when i finally kill someone (usually by fluke or accident) but it's totally dampened by the fact that i get crushed the rest of the time...

i admit i'm not really a brilliant FPS-er (which doesn't help) but a friend who is a brilliant FPS-er tried this and has said exactly the same as me.


lol sorry, small moan over now

i'm off to die some more

*not giving up... YET*