Fortnite: Battle Royale – Getting more time in.

I’ve been getting more time in, on Fortnite: Battle Royale.  It’s proving to be the perfect, quick escape from Destiny 2 that I need after finding myself stuck in that grind that comes with the end-game.

The timing of the release could not be better.  Honestly, I can jump in, have a couple of rounds, not worry about inventory or loot, beyond what I have from game to game.  It’s so simple and elegant.

Getting better

I’m not good, but I’m learning and improving.  I love how tense it can get, and how you’re constantly being pushed-onwards by the environment.

Get a decent landing spot, and you can set yourself up with decent gear.  Problem is, when there are 99 others looking for a decent spot and decent gear, it can lead to a quick death and game over.

I’ve started to try and hit less-obvious spots, forgoing the potential of a weapon straight away, in favour of safety and the ability to wait things out a bit.  This really worked out for me on my last stream! I ended up in the top 10 for the first time ever.

The biggest difference for me, as previously written about, is the use of a headset for all the game audio.  I’m “in” the game now, I hear things like the direction of footsteps and gunfire, I hear the timer warnings and the incoming storm.

My ability is improving, my awareness is greatly enhanced, and I’m starting to understand the ebbs and flows of the game (possibly the genre?) a little more.  Most importantly, I’m having a really good time doing it.

 

[wpdevart_youtube]9wPMMggeykY[/wpdevart_youtube]

 

The waiting game

I think the key to this whole genre is patience, and sometimes fighting the urge to go for that “easy kill”.

Getting caught up in a firefight is a surefire way to make some noise and attract others!  Plus, getting the drop on someone doesn’t guarantee a kill, certainly not in my experience.

I’ve found that biding my time, watching people battle it out, and only slowly, crouching, moving towards the next safe zone, benefits me much more.  It goes against some of my natural instincts to just dive in and get that gun and kill that person hacking a tree down.  But this is a game simply about survival, and survival is easier if nobody finds you.

Updates

The Fortnite team are absolutely nailing it with their frequent updates.  Honestly, I’m struggling to think of a company that not only updates their game so often (free game!), but actually updates their player base so frequently.  Twitter, their website, in-game messaged.  You’re always aware of what’s going on, and it’s always improving.

This would be reason enough to love it.  The guys at Epic obviously want this game to be played for a long time, and they keep working on it.  But they’re improving an already great game, and I still can’t get my head around the fact that it’s free!

Now we have Duos, so teams of two can battle against each other.  There are squads for teams of four to go at it, and there are constant changes to weapon balance, movement speed, aiming etc.

These guys are knocking it out of the park as a developer, and I couldn’t be happier to be along for the ride.

How are they making money off this?! I feel like I owe them some, and honestly, I’d happily pay something towards it.

Umbrellas

I only discovered yesterday, that if you actually win a round, you unlock an umbrella to use as your parachute into the game.  Suddenly, my life has a new purpose. I NEED an umbrella in solo play as soon as possible.  I just don’t know if I can take the pressure of being in the last few, enough to clinch that win.

It’ll come, and it will be glorious.