Video game lessons learned the hard way

C&C Tiberian Sun:

• Make sure in Skirmishes you have wasted the opponent's War Factory as well as their Construction Yard or they'll just replace the latter.

• For the love of all that is holy, ensure you have at least some anti-infantry defences in your base at all times.

• Do not ever assume that Cyborg Reapers will actually follow your instructions, I'm pretty sure it's deliberate that they sometimes don't bother.

• In the last mission of the GDI campaign, you have three targets to destroy. You've got an hour each, but you can trigger the timer for the second to run concurrently with the first if you're not careful. You know this has happened if the territory expands, which means you've hit the southern edge of the map. Don't do it, or you have to destroy both the first two targets within the same hour. The Ion Cannon kills them in a single shot though.

• There's only one Bridge Repair Hut on the only bridge leading to the Temple in the above mission, and it's on the temple's side. If you don't want to be forced into using air assaults, do not allow the bridge to be destroyed (note, you can repair it by transporting an APC full of engineers once you've disabled the anti-air).

Skyrim: Do not get the Apprentice Stone. It is Schmuck Bait. If you get it, the very next creature you see that uses anything magical (including and especially dragon breath) will one-shot your gullible ass.

edited 17th Jun '12 1:22:31 AM by Artemis92

You mean air assaults are not your first reflex when you're playing GDI, the side that has access to ORCA bombers?

edited 18th Jun '12 2:16:48 AM by Medinoc

^Yeah, based on that description, my approach would be "nuke the bridge and keep it that way".

Metroid Zero Mission : Don't ever try a 15%-run if you can't pull off every advanced Metroid-maneuver in the book without failing, also, it's important to know every quirk of the games engine and that you know where you have to pixelperfectly stand in order to manage it against the harder enemies and bosses, or else you will fail. Horribly.

Minecraft: Don't build your base above the cloud layer at the start of the game. I don't care how cool the view is, or how high the cliffs are. Digging will not get you anything but cobblestone that high, and a cloud might give you a heart attack; besides which, they're damn near opaque.

Devil Survivor Overclocked: You know you are underleveled when Keisuke rejoins your team at a higher level than the rest of your party (37 to his 43).

Kingdom Hearts (the whole series) : Learn to know the battle-system in and out. Because if you don't, you'll get murdered by the bosses and stronger enemies.

GTA 4 Multiplayer Versus:

• If you hear or see a helicopter, you are already dead. Unless you have a rocket launcher, your only hope is to grab a car and flee.
• The first thing you need is body armor. The second thing you need is an SMG. The third is a car, but that can be obtained at any point. If you don't plan on driving, replace SMG with AK-47. All other weapons come after.

Skyrim:

• Bears are faster than you, and can eat your ass even if it's sprinting away from them. Get some high ground, and use every opportunity to slow it down.
• If you're up against a mage, pray they use frost or fire. Lightning mages are snipers, and they do not miss.
• Using high ground to fuck with the AI is plenty fair when used against giants.

2Fortress:

• As Sniper, use your camera thumbstick to aim as little as possible. Move left and right instead.
• Most of the time, playing Scout at the start of the round is just cheap.
• All the really clever places to put a Sentry have already been found.

Minecraft:

• Never try to build a cobblestone generator in a wooden house, even if the lava isn't touching the wall.
• Overhangs render a house spiderproof, but they also provide shade for monsters. Go in, then out; it looks weird, but it's still a better design.
• "Door opens, door closes" is a perfectly valid tactic for fighting Creepers; more so, in fact, than tackling them out in the open (Less so, obviously, than just sniping the damn things from the roof, but I'm real stingy with arrows).

Skyrim: Even with maximum armor, Deathlords with ebony bows can still threaten you. Especially if they have full-power Unrelenting Force shouts at their disposal.

• Falls are farther than they look.
• When Astrid tells you not to eat the Jarrin Root, don't eat the Jarrin Root. Even if it doesn't kill you, you're wasting your only dose of the strongest poison ingredient in the game.
• Two-handed weapons slow you down while attacking, which makes them borderline useless against retreating enemies.
• Maxing out a skill means, "if you're going to level something else and run into trouble, you can use this to pull your ass out of the fire." It does not mean, "never use this again." Having to kill a few more enemies to get your grind back on track is better than having to reload your last save because you were too stubborn to go Shadow Warrior.
• Switch to the healing spells before your health reaches its last sliver.

Re: Last one: Healing potions first, especially when you have no or limited cover.

Beatmania IIDX: When playing on the arcade version, don't turn on the Hard or EX Hard options unless you're REALLY confident you can still pull through. And don't turn on EX Hard while sightreading, period. Doing so is a good way to throw away perfectly good credits and your place in line.

Empire Total War : When doing a thirty years war style custom battle with expert computers,

1) Remember that they probably won't be using Thirty years war tactics like you are. Especially if said tactic is the Spanish Tercio,

2) Never charge your pikemen into the front a pike wall, even if you outnumber them, it'll cost you the battle.

LA Noire

Civilians are stupid, suicidal and disobedient; they will not yield just because you have your siren on. Do not try to play chicken with anyone, they won't budge and you will get hit with a 1000$+ vehicle damage mark on your final grade, probably costing you a star.

Killing Floor: Fleshpounds will fuck you up.

Skyrim: Illusion spells, both offensive and defensive, count for jack shit against dragons.

Command And Conquer: When booming, do not make your entire force consist of mammoths, no matter how awesome it looks.

As well, don't assume the enemy is unwilling to use their superweapon in their own base.

edited 10th Jul '12 11:15:14 PM by thatonedude

Neither do paralysis poisons.

Mass Effect 3 Multiplayer: Once a phantom hits somebody with her sword, she's primed to perform an instant-kill follow-up against anybody who gets close, not just the initial target.

^^^Mammoth herd got nuked on the outskirts of the base? :D

Depends. Are we talking about C&C3, or any of the other games? Because otherwise you're better off using your own units as a counter instead, because they will likely outrun the range of the superweapon (especially if it's the SCUD storm or Particle Cannon from Generals).

edited 11th Jul '12 10:27:18 AM by SgtRicko

^I was asking about a specific occurrence from which thatonedude seemed to draw both lessons in that post :D

Team Fortress 2:

1) Most classes are weak, and have a learning curve.

2) Sniper is not a good class, and the blame will always fall on you when your team loses.

3) Never sit still as Scout. Ever.

4) Never leave your sentry's side as Engineer. You'll die.

5) Spy-check everyone.

6) EXTINGUISH YOUR BURNING TEAMMATES AS PYRO YOU FUCKWAD!

7) Heavy Pockets are the #1 priority, in any situation.

8) Kill the Medic first.

9) Always kill the Medic first.

10) A laggy Scout is a free kill.

11) Learn your counters, or your shit will get fucked.

Spelunky:

1) That Shopkeep is not worth messing with, unless he has a Jetpack.

2) Always kill the Mummy.

3) Circles are the mortal enemy of the caveman.

4) Never go into the Black Market after killing a Shopkeep, you will fucking die.

5) Sacrifice everything, yes even that Damsel.

6) Use bombs and ropes sparingly, you can get more.

Pokemon:

1) The stat buffs are never worth it, ever.

Amnesia has saved my ass more times than I can count

Actually, I find the stat boosts are quite often worth it. Using them smartly eliminates a LOT of grinding.