[GUIDE] Mastering PS2: Secrets of the Pros

Has anyone ever told you to "L2P" or perhaps "U mad U bad"? Do you stay awake at night worried about your KDR? Then you need this guide! With this guide I will teach you how you too can tryhard, have an awesome KDR and then tell other noobs that THEY need to L2P!

These strategies I'm about to reveal have been a jealously guarded secret by many PS2 Pros and they are definitely not going to be happy with me giving them away! So why I am being so generous and telling everyone now when I could be keeping them to myself?

I've grown tired of all the killing and I want to pass my wisdom on to you so you can succeed too! All for just 9.99/minute. Call now! 1-800-PS2-PROS! (Don't actually call that number)

1. Zerging

This can't be stressed enough. Stay with the horde/hive mind and follow where the large battles are. You can talk about strategy, tactics and flanking all you want but at the end of the day PS2 is a numbers game where the largest attacking force will almost always have the advantage.

It helps to join an organized outfit or platoon/squad at least so you can squad deploy into battle.

2. Spawncamping

This goes hand in hand with zerging. Surround an enemy base with armor, air, infantry, MAXes and have a field day. This is where explosives, rocket launchers, etc. shine by continually lobbing them into the exits so anything that tries to stick out so much as a toe gets incinerated on contact. Players jumping up to the top level of spawnrooms also make easy targets. If this is your first time spawncamping, sit back from a safe position and watch what your teammates do for a while until you're comfortable taking your first baby steps towards becoming a pro.

Indar is the most popular continent for pro tryhards due to the lattice system. Lattice was supposed to SOE's answer to strategy and metagame or some crap like that but really all it does is funnel your enemies into easily spawncampable channels. Once you capture an enemy base all you have to do is look at the next connected enemy base and just repeat all over.

3. Air-Chav'ing

This goes hand in hand with spawncamping since there's no better way to airchav. Grab an ESF or Liberator and spawncamp away. Always make sure you're not far from a friendly zerg horde in case you get attacked by enemy ground or air. If you do, just turn around back towards the horde. If you actually get them to follow, it's usually free XP for the horde. Make repeated runs over enemy spawnrooms flying quickly over and dropping rockets/daltons on them. For maximum lolpodding/daltoning, thermal vision FTW. If the base is completely spawncamped with tanks just sitting right outside the shield doors you can pretty much just hover over head with complete immunity.

4. Tank-Chav'ing

Fairly similar to Air-Chav'ing, find a position near friendly zerg with a good vantage on the enemy spawnroom/position. Use hills, rocks as nearby cover so you can uncover, fire and retreat to repair if necessary. Watch our for enemy LAs with bad feelings. Make sure you're aware of the enemy's line of approach/advance/retreat so you know which direction to expect enemy vehicles and infantry.

3. Reverse Spawncamping

Getting spawncamped isn't always a bad thing. Because there are so many players who don't realize that yes, you can shoot bullets OUT of spawn shields but they can't shoot bullets IN or they just get overly-confident or often you'll just catch while they're in the middle of wiping Doritos dust on their shirt. Spawncampers make easy bait for both Infiltrators and HAs. If your base is completely spawncamped by an entire Tank/Air platoon it's best to avoid unshielded top floors/roofs of your spawnroom. Depending on how spawncamped you are, you might be able to break an Infiltrator out and get some SMG/Rifle/Pistol/Knife/Mine kills but you'll likely get killed in the process yourself.

When your base only has 30 seconds left to capture your options are squad deploy/instant action or just logout then log back in to avoid being killed by the zerg.

4. Bio-Labs

Truly hardcore spawncamping comes from defending Bio-Labs. Spawn a MAX or HA and then just sit back and bang randomly on your keyboard while the XP spills in. Attacking a Bio-Lab can require a bit more work if you don't have a decent population or local zerg advantage so it's not recommended unless you do.

5. Infil-hatin'

Racking up massive kill sprees with a sniper rifle isn't hard to do if you follow a few tips.

Position and vantage to the enemy are two of the most important factors in proper tryharding just remember that while high positions are great you still need to be close enough to an enemy base or position for enemy infantry to render. If you're at the top of a cliff, be careful not to silhouette yourself by standing straight up at the top of a hill/cliff/ridge/etc. This makes you an easy target for...anything really. Always have a fallback position in mind if possible.

Tower bases are probably the easiest targets for Infiltrators and provide endless amusement. Bases like this with hills or cliffs nearby with an unobstructed view are often the best.

Always keep an eye out for enemy Infs. After firing, cloak and move. You don't have to leave your position entirely but you don't want to sit in the same spot so enemy Infs can guess where your head is even if you're cloaked. Listen and stay aware of your surroundings as well as enemy Infs may drop-pod in or deploy elsewhere and then hunt down enemy spawncampers.

Take well-aimed shots and learn the bullet drop of your weapon. Headshots are best since they ensure your enemy will usually be dead before they figure out where the shot came from.

Enemy Sunderers make easy targets for Infiltrators as well

If your base is about to be captured, break out if you can and find a place with a high vantage over the base's vehicle terminals because after a capture enemies will invariably flock in numbers to the base's vehicle terminals making easy targets.

6. There are no exploits...only winners

Well...there are things you might consider exploits but currently SOE seems to consider many of these bugs more like features because they aren't handing out warnings or suspensions to anyone despite numerous complaints.

Some current examples include camping spawnrooms with Libs/Tanks/anything with splash damage that goes straight through walls and straight into the middle of spawnrooms, including the mini-spawnhubs inside Biolabs.

Liberator pilots have even been having fun by landing directly on top of a Biolab and shooting through the roof of the Biolab itself.

Another example is the auto-locking feature for Engineer AV Turrets. By holding Q and bringing up the Q-menu on an enemy the turret will automatically lock on to them and stay locked on them, basically turning the AV turret into a rudimentary aimbot. While it won't work if they run behind cover, it makes taking out most targets incredibly easy. You can simply release Q at any time to take back manual control.

You would think things like should be at the top of the list to get fixed but numerous hotfixes and patches have already come and gone without so much as a mention from the devs that these are even issues or scolding anyone who abuses them.

7. Greasy fingers don't win wars

Winners don't play PS2 with Doritos dust all over their hands. Get a few baby wipes and wipe down your mouse, keyboard and your filthy, filthy hands. It doesn't hurt to take a little duster to the keyboard and blow it out as well. Afterwards, use a cloth to dry them off.

Greasy fingers slipping or keys sticking in the middle of a battle can mean the difference between life and death.

Conclusion

But...but...It's so obvious! Well...come to think of it, I guess it is.

But...I don't do that! I use "strategy!" Well, of course *you're* not like those guys. You're special baby! You're strategic! But...it probably does help that while you're "strategically" killing all those enemies, there's a squad of friendly tanks parked outside their spawnroom and an air platoon overhead.

Well anyway, that's it for now! If I missed anything feel free to share your tryhard tips with everyone too!

I'm also prepared for the hate I'm going to receive for revealing these PS2 Pro secrets but I did it for the benefit of all Conglomo-Van-Republic-kind!

Press Delete. Problem solved.

And then you can wait an extra 20 seconds, too!

Pfft, terrible guide, the easiest way to do it is gunning a Marauder or Fury Harrasser, besides, that will give both high KDR and high KPM, your suggestions won't give you a high KPM.

This need more funny clip art for me to seriously consider.

I'm a special snowflake, I use harassers.

There are no pro players. Only cheese, and those too weak to wield it.

You're absolutely right good sir! It's entirely sinful that I didn't mention Harasserchav'ing which is a relatively emerging field of chavery, where one basically drives around in circles and launching explosives with infinite repair if you have an Engy on the back. Although, to be fair it requires 2-3 players and for them to have an actual pulse in comparison to your standard air/tank chavtics.

don't forget the VULCAN! that will raise your Score/minute with all the BR100 extreme menace vanguard kills.

You clearly haven't seen NUC on waterson.

whats funny, i spot one real...err.... "special" tactic. holding Q will actually auto-aim for u. works for regular infantry too.

saves me from a bit of carpal tunnel.

The secret ingredient is the grenade launcher. Takes about a second to learn, a minute to master.

Certs on certs on certs.

no MLG harr, no MLG skill tube, no rocket launcher spam?

No skill... just poor sould who lag more or less then me...

Skilltubes/raweket launchers were mentioned in the sections on Spawncamping and Air Chaving. Harasserchaving was mentioned in a follow-up comment. All valid strategies or chavtics.

You just described the entire TR population on waterson

Do I smell..... Sarcasm with actual tips mixed in? Ooh, my favorite!

Best read today, you my friend, are funny ! xD

That is arguably the worst way to have fun in this game. Becuz:
1) Chances are you facing opposite zerg which results in numerous suicide runs and little to no satisfaction. Unless odds are in your favor or terrain is the advantageous for attackers you will not get much kills and mostly die.
2) When you're not facing enemy zerg its either steamrolling aka 48+vs1-12 or even if there are 48+vs25-48 you will often have to fight nothing but spawnroom warriors, which is boring and counterproductive.
3) Ghostcap and teamkills.
TL;DR Following ally zerg results in waste of time as you rarely have a chance to kill and you die alot.