COD4 multiplayer for beginners

[Guru Suunto]

I know I came to the COD4 party late, just completed the single player game and ventured onto multi player. Died more times than I care to mention. Any advice on how to stay alive for more than a few seconds would be greatly appreciated.

[Maxx Reloaded]

This was from my Missis to me...un-prompted

' Take your time' ' don't rush head long into the nearest firefight then complain your dead!'

Yup she sat and watched me one day..got bored mightily fast at the kill cam said the above and left the building!

TBH depends on map / game variant you play...plus understand your own strenghts and weakness..play to your advantage.

Lizzie,Cam etc are the more....'skilled' players who may be able to shed more light on the dark arts of survival...

[EsNotTheMessiah]

I'll add my pearls of wisdom, the most obvious ones are:

Learn the maps, this is the only way of getting to know all the knooks and crannies, I tend to patrol the edge of a map until I've got the hang of it, this way you can limit the incoming fire to a maximum radius of 180 degrees rather than 360.

I take it you haven't got perks yet? These also make a big difference to your game, there is no right or wrong combination to the perks as it all depends on your style of play and the map you are on.

Stick to team games at first as you can then try and stick near a couple of your teammates, this gives you extra 'eyes and ears'.

'Lead' players when shooting, lag can be a real issue in this game, the good thing about the kill cam is that you can actually see how the lag is affecting your accuracy. (I did say this stuff was obvious ;D).

And a few other hints that are more 'personal' so they may not entirely suit your style of play.

If you use claymores (I do and they're bloody marvellous), use them to cover your rear, even if you don't kill people they'll give you warning of their approach.
If you plant claymores inside a doorway, point them into the room not parallel with the door, most people plant claymores at the wrong angle and give up on them as they don't kill anyone.

Red dot sight, I find the ACOG scope reduces your peripheral vision too much for very little improvement in accuracy.

'cook' grenades, stops people getting out of the way before they explode.

Hope some of this helps.

[Guru Suunto]

Thank you I will heed your pearls of wisdom, and try harder to slow down.
Shame one of the perks is not a chainsaw option, sorry I love that in GOW.

[OutcastDai San]

best bit of advice i can offer other than whats been posted by messiah is use you ears especially if you've got 5.1 surrond
listen for the martydom grenade and footsteps also if you are playiing free for all or the maps with lots of alleys and cornes you should turn as many as you can as its suprising how many time someone can spawn behind you and dont sprint round corners or towards enemies as it takes time to bring gun up to shoot, plus if its not hardcore shoot at any movement you see as its suprising how many times you can kill someone from across the map even when you cant see them properly

[gentleman]

I'd reiterate what "the very naughty boy" above wrote: shadow somebody else and let them take the first bullet for you - cowardly, I know but if you are the first person through the door or around the corner, you're liable to get a gun up your guts.
If you've got a headset, talk to other players nearby and find out what's going on. Of course, you will probably get a squeaky-voiced North American kid who will say something like, "Yer accent's funny!" or possibly, "Yo, dog, I owned that!" Incomprehensible, I know..
To begin with, find a weapon and perk combination that works for you and stick with it until you get more familiar with the maps; keep an eye on the range and accuracy.
Pay attention to the killcam - it'll give you a good idea of where the mutha who just wasted you is planted. The CoD4 maps are superbly well designed and there are very few places where you are only exposed from one angle, which means that usually there is an alternative approach to a location or target, if you find that one person keeps nailing you.
Keep an eye on the red dots on the maps, though bear in mind that if the player has a silenced weapon, s/he won't appear when firing.
Find a game type that appeals to you: I prefer Domination (no sniggering!) because it focuses the game on three key areas to take and defend. Hardcore mode can be interesting because it removes the radar (except for when a UAV is called in) and gamers tend to play more cautiously. Be warned, friendly fire is ON in this mode, so be prepared for some blue-on-blue (and if you're playing with me, a vast amount of negligent discharges (stop sniggering!)).
Bottom line, take it slow, learn the maps. Sometimes I still get frustrated when I'm hopelessly outclassed, other times I kick mucho arse. As ever, practice and patience.
Send me a FR if you like and I'll attempt to show you the ropes, by which I mean get killed rapidly in an endless cycle of erratic shooting, dying and respawning.