@Dustmop We could offer you more detailed, area-specific advice if you could answer some of these questions (I also have some general advice below):
1) Do you have a beast rig that can run NS2 at high, stable frame rates throughout most of a match? Things like a LightBoost-capable (or similar) monitor, decent mouse, etc. are pretty much mandatory additions to a beast rig if you're trying to reach your maximum pew-pew potential.
2) Are you already aware of the important in-game visual settings that have the most impact on FPS?
3) Are you equally skilled at both sides and know exactly how each lifeform behaves?
4) Do you often do research on NS2 game mechanics and general guides/tips on improving FPS gaming skills?
5) Is your sensitivity low, medium, or high? How long have you played with your preferred sensitivity?
6) Do you prefer playing on servers with low or high player count?
Personally, I've hit a plateau/ceiling several times over 1k hours. Early on, I felt like I was getting owned so hard by pub stars/comp players who seemed unbeatable. Ofc I still do - there's always someone who's better than you. I had already known how to play the game effectively, but my aiming sorely needed improvement.
My first plateau was overcome by simply upgrading my below-average hardware. High, stable frame rates and a LightBoost-enabled (or similar) gaming monitor help you reach your maximum reaction times.
My second critical improvement came from lowering my sensitivity over time. I played at 16~ cm/360 most of the time (medium-ish sens). Back then, I was most comfortable with that sensitivity since I aimed using mostly my wrist in all FPS games. Now I use my arm as well and I comfortably play at 29.7 cm/360. There are plenty of FPS pros that advise newer players to lower their sensitivity and I wholeheartedly agree with them. Ignore the players who suggest sticking to your most comfortable sensitivity - I strongly recommend working towards a lower one (if you play at high/medium sens) and using more of your arm. It takes some getting used to ofc, and the result is a large accuracy improvement with less erratic/jittery aim. The only downside I've experienced is that skulking/fading becomes harder due to their need to turn very quickly in combat.
Like others have said, you also need to keep playing the game for a long time in order to get better overall. Watch Twitch.tv/Youtube videos of comp players like Gorgeous, Gliss, Golden, Bitey, Eissfeldt, mf-, etc., revel in their godlike aim, and try to emulate them.
A lot of it is just learning the game, which takes time. Keep playing. Maybe watch some competitive NS2 on YouTube or Twitch. Watch how higher level players position themselves and such before an engagement.
I'm not so sure I would agree with this. What the OP is describing is a very common problem for good players that almost always find themselves up against bad players. Killing them becomes so easy that you develop bad habits you didn't even realise you had, because you never need to play better.
Last night, I loaded up UT2004 and played Instagib DM with a 50 kill score limit. On a whim, I cranked up the bot difficulty to GODLIKE instead of Adept (which I normally play). I got reamed. By the time the top bot hit 50 kills, I had only managed 16. So I went for a ciggie, focused my brain, and tried again. The next match, I won by 4 kills. The reason I lost the first match? I spent way too much time sitting in the middle of the map, effectively making myself a sitting duck. The match I won, I won because I learned from my mistake, and avoided the areas where I could be hit from multiple directions. It was intense (and hugely fun!) and I only just pulled it off (the top bot was above me for most of the match, I evened it out at 42 kills and managed to stay ahead).
The point I guess I am making, is that I challenged myself, and learned from it. From a MP perspective, you can't do that, because you never can tell when you will enter a game vs challenging opponents or bad ones. I would love nothing more than to be guaranteed hard matches in NS2, but they are hard to find (saying that, I have yet to enter a gather, so it is my own fault, don't have that much time to play these days).
You can only learn so much before you need to find the next level, and that isn't easy in a game where you can choose which server you play on. My advice to the OP (and myself for that matter) is to seek out gathers and join in. You learn more by being the bottom scorer in a match than being the top dog
Comments
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1PqnAuicnfMN9hU-253q32IYWWE2qIWVimuLqK9ONYEY/edit?pli=1
Anyways, if you really want to train yourself start playing with more skilled players.
Start playing gathers, find a team with better players than you so that you can learn from them and the big P: patience.
By just playing pubs you will improve your skill until a certain point that apparently you already reached. Competitive is the only way to go imo.
1) Do you have a beast rig that can run NS2 at high, stable frame rates throughout most of a match? Things like a LightBoost-capable (or similar) monitor, decent mouse, etc. are pretty much mandatory additions to a beast rig if you're trying to reach your maximum pew-pew potential.
2) Are you already aware of the important in-game visual settings that have the most impact on FPS?
3) Are you equally skilled at both sides and know exactly how each lifeform behaves?
4) Do you often do research on NS2 game mechanics and general guides/tips on improving FPS gaming skills?
5) Is your sensitivity low, medium, or high? How long have you played with your preferred sensitivity?
6) Do you prefer playing on servers with low or high player count?
Personally, I've hit a plateau/ceiling several times over 1k hours. Early on, I felt like I was getting owned so hard by pub stars/comp players who seemed unbeatable. Ofc I still do - there's always someone who's better than you. I had already known how to play the game effectively, but my aiming sorely needed improvement.
My first plateau was overcome by simply upgrading my below-average hardware. High, stable frame rates and a LightBoost-enabled (or similar) gaming monitor help you reach your maximum reaction times.
My second critical improvement came from lowering my sensitivity over time. I played at 16~ cm/360 most of the time (medium-ish sens). Back then, I was most comfortable with that sensitivity since I aimed using mostly my wrist in all FPS games. Now I use my arm as well and I comfortably play at 29.7 cm/360. There are plenty of FPS pros that advise newer players to lower their sensitivity and I wholeheartedly agree with them. Ignore the players who suggest sticking to your most comfortable sensitivity - I strongly recommend working towards a lower one (if you play at high/medium sens) and using more of your arm. It takes some getting used to ofc, and the result is a large accuracy improvement with less erratic/jittery aim. The only downside I've experienced is that skulking/fading becomes harder due to their need to turn very quickly in combat.
Like others have said, you also need to keep playing the game for a long time in order to get better overall. Watch Twitch.tv/Youtube videos of comp players like Gorgeous, Gliss, Golden, Bitey, Eissfeldt, mf-, etc., revel in their godlike aim, and try to emulate them.
General how-to-be-awesome tips by Herakles with a strong focus on strategy.
forums.unknownworlds.com/discussion/134339/kind-of-guide#latest
Get perfect aim at another game, have sucky aim in ns2 cause you're not used to the mouse lag, lag comp and fps rollercoaster.
On somewhat equal terms certain skills can translate to other games.
I'm not so sure I would agree with this. What the OP is describing is a very common problem for good players that almost always find themselves up against bad players. Killing them becomes so easy that you develop bad habits you didn't even realise you had, because you never need to play better.
Last night, I loaded up UT2004 and played Instagib DM with a 50 kill score limit. On a whim, I cranked up the bot difficulty to GODLIKE instead of Adept (which I normally play). I got reamed. By the time the top bot hit 50 kills, I had only managed 16. So I went for a ciggie, focused my brain, and tried again. The next match, I won by 4 kills. The reason I lost the first match? I spent way too much time sitting in the middle of the map, effectively making myself a sitting duck. The match I won, I won because I learned from my mistake, and avoided the areas where I could be hit from multiple directions. It was intense (and hugely fun!) and I only just pulled it off (the top bot was above me for most of the match, I evened it out at 42 kills and managed to stay ahead).
The point I guess I am making, is that I challenged myself, and learned from it. From a MP perspective, you can't do that, because you never can tell when you will enter a game vs challenging opponents or bad ones. I would love nothing more than to be guaranteed hard matches in NS2, but they are hard to find (saying that, I have yet to enter a gather, so it is my own fault, don't have that much time to play these days).
You can only learn so much before you need to find the next level, and that isn't easy in a game where you can choose which server you play on. My advice to the OP (and myself for that matter) is to seek out gathers and join in. You learn more by being the bottom scorer in a match than being the top dog