Vlad Robert W. writes to say, “ I'm a noob and about a month ago I got into a
argument with a clannie who was cheating and I called him every name in the book.
Now when I see him or anyone else from his clan they make my life miserable with
trash talking and they're even switching sides to kill me! I like the game but
it's gotten so bad I'm thinking about quitting NOLF. What can I do? “
Dear Robert, It sounds like you got off to a horrible start playing the game,
but all is not lost if you realize what mistakes you made and take steps to correct
them, and thanks for sending your question because it allows me to explain several
fundamental points about NOLF and getting along with other players during a game.
Your first mistake was to accuse another player of cheating which, as far as
I know, is not possible to do in NOLF. There are tricks such as climbing up mountains
or buildings that some people do, but I don't think of that as cheating. In NOLF
MP there are no helpful cheats like auto-aiming or a God mode as in some other
FPS's, so players compete using the same abilities available to everyone. It's
just that there are a heck of a lot of really good NOLFer's out there and the
ones with clan tags probability know how to use those abilities better than most
and to a newbie their highly developed skill level may seem like cheating. What
you have to do is to play the game a lot, learn the maps and where all the best
places to take a photo are. Follow, and watch, a good teammate when he's going
in for a score and observe where he stands when he's on defense. Never stay still,
move and practice Bunny Hopping while shooting at an opponent. After a while
you will begin to see that what you thought was cheating was really superior
game play. Just remember not to criticize someone else's playing until you know
the game better and can comment with informed intelligence. As for your problem
with the clannie, I think that you have two ways that you can handle it. First,
try apologizing to him and his clan - maybe you could post one to his clan's
forum - admitting that you made a newbie's mistake and that it won't happen again.
Most folks I know in the game will accept an honest apology and let bygones be
bygones. However, if all else fails you may have to change your name and skin
and start again as a new player. Just make sure you don't make the same mistake
again.
Chefgrfx has a similar problem and states, “ I love the site and the game….
but in mp I’ve seen many people cheating and doing sneaky things. I’ve been
playing for about 2 months now and I’ve got moderate skill. I’ve found 1 hidden
area on Marrakech (spelling?) and no others. Also, I’ve seen people go invisible,
disappear and still shoot and climb walls and cliffs that seem impossible.
Lastly, I’ve shot others between the eyes at close range with no damage…and
I can’t figure out the codes (if that’s the case). I was hoping you could give
me a few tips to level the uneven playing field starting with hidden places
and maybe a few tips in the other items. Thanks, I would appreciate it. It’s
getting to the point where I don’t even want to play because I can’t keep up.
Thanks again. “
Dear Chefgrfx, As I said in answering the question above there are really
no cheats in NOLF. Most of the problems that you have run into (invisibility,
disappearing, shooting people at close range without their dieing and a constant
blue chat sign above a player’s head) are related to the poor net code that
the MP version is written in and to issues related to lag, ping and latency.
Even the best players face these same annoyances. The best way around these
problems is to make sure that you connect to a server that is able to handle
your modem’s speed. In other words, if you use a 56k modem you need to connect
to a server that is only running a game for 2 to 4 players. On servers running
games for 10 or more players you need a broadband modem to get a good ping
and play effectively. I play with a cable modem and find that I need a ping
lower than 600 to enjoy the MP game, with 100 to 300 being the best. I’ve seen
the mountain and building climbers too, but I don’t think that they have an
advantage just because they can get to high ground. Most often they don’t have
a very good position for either offense or defense and I think it’s just a
waste of time and effort. Also, they’re very easy to shoot since they’re silhouetted
against the sky. My advice is to kill them when you see them and otherwise
ignore them. Yes there are “ hidden spots “ and places to climb on most maps
but unless we happen to be in the same fast server, so I could show you where
each and every one is and how to navigate it, it’s really too complicated to
go into in this column. Look for me online and I’ll be glad to show you. The
best tip I can give you is to learn all the maps and where the best routes
are for taking photos and where all the items are located. If it’s any help,
read my column this month about how to get into the CSports.net top ten. I’m
usually in the top ten or twenty and I never climb a mountain or building.
Don’t give up, because you can be a top player without using any skills or
items other than those I use.
James asks, “ Where can I go to play NOLF online? “
Dear James, Click on the multiplayer tab in the game and you will be directed
to GameSpy where you can join an online game, also don’t forget to read the
very good tutorial on the multiplayer game located on the front page in the
Newbies section here at NG.com. Good luck and I’ll see you online.
Finally, I have a correction to make to an answer I gave in last month’s column.
Brian wrote me to ask if I knew where he could find the “ Rest & Relaxation “ single
player level and I gave him the wrong information. The “ Rest & Relaxation “ single
player level can be found in the NOLF Game of the Year edition (many thanks
to [BoS] Hostile for this info).
