Playing Battle Royale games the “right” way

Playing “Battle Royale” games is becoming something of a big deal in gaming as of late.  With the release of PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds on both PC and Xbox One, and the release Fortnite Battle Royale on PC, PS4 and Xbox One, people are all for going 1 v 99.

The problem is, everyone seems to think that these games should be played in a set way.  What that “right” way is, is definitely up for debate, ask anyone how they play and you’ll get a different answer (I asked on reddit to see what would come back).

The right way?

Personally I don’t think there is such a thing as a specific way.  The whole idea is that you survive, to become the last man standing.  The means of doing so, is left to you.

This can mean landing somewhere safe, getting a decent bit of kit, and only moving when you have to.  It can mean getting naff all, but going out to fight anyone you see.

The fact is, the whole gametype is built up on a set of random circumstances:

• Where is loot going to spawn?
• Will the gear be any good?
• Will others be near me?
• Will they find good stuff?
• Will they be aggressive?
• How far from the safe zone will I start?
• Where will the plane/bus fly over the map for me to drop?

There are so many questions that you need to constantly be evaluating, that there’s no possible right answer, surely?

The whole point is to survive, and with all the randomness thrown in, you can only do what you can to improve your odds of making it to the end.  Getting weapons and armour are great, but if they’re not where you are, you have to do without, until you stumble upon some.

Lucked-out and landed in the safe zone? Great! There’s no shame in holding the line at your “fort”, if you’ve got a building you can hole-up in and wait it out, that’s fine.  Lucky you!

Emergent gameplay

The whole point of these scenarios is that you are constantly adapting the the situation you find yourself in.

Having the opportunity to make these decisions, and gamble the odds as you see fit, it’s wonderful.  You never have the same game twice, you’re all in the same boat, and everyone wants the win, so you have to continually adapt.

Some rounds, you can land somewhere, have nothing, be miles away from the safe zone, and just die early doors.  Other times, you get to a great spot, you get some great gear and you’re well within reach of the safe zone.  Suddenly your priority is not getting spotted, or claiming kills.

You’re always having to assess what’s going on.  What can you hear?  Are you in a safe spot?  Did someone see you enter that building?

Based on a constantly-changing set of circumstances, your only hope of survival is by……surviving.  That just means, getting to the end any which way you see fit.

Camping vs Killing

The biggest thing I see is where people get called out for staying put and not getting those massive kill counts.  People say “it’s cheap” and “not the point of the game”…..

Others go around hunting, going for that massive kill count.  But then people say that is too aggressive and not how you should be playing.

Honestly, who cares?

I look at it as if it were real life.  Surely we’d all be more inclined to move only when required, and kill when we felt that we had the advantage?

Having said that, sometimes, I like to chance it and see how far I can get by running across the map to the safe zone, trying to kill people.  Your mood can have as mu

Fact is, it doesn’t matter.  The winner is usually the person who has been the best survivor.  There’s definitely a large element of luck and playing the odds, but those constant split-second decisions go a long way to getting you there.

Just do what you want

I don’t think it’s much to ask, to just say, let people do what they want.  That is literally the whole point of these games.  Do what it takes to get that top spot, or do whatever you want.  If you’re not interested in winning, that’s fine, too.

Get 25 kills? Great!  Win with just one kill? Awesome!  Accidentally get disconnected whilst you were hiding in a toilet, only to find you’ve won the match when you re-join? Sweet!

Just have a good time, and stop worrying about doing things the “right” way.  Your instincts and decisions are all that matter, just survive, and go for it.