Ah, the Bullet Sponge. The noob. The chronically dead. A Bullet Sponge is different from “not that good"; a Bullet Sponge is terrible. If you're a team member of a Bullet Sponge, or if you're the Bullet Sponge, listen up.
As a self professed Bullet Sponge, I understand. My first T-hunt in R6V resulted in killing myself and my entire team within 10 seconds. Things like “kills” just don’t happen for me, they happen to me. So how can my fellow 2o2players help someone like me? Or more importantly, how can the Bullet Sponge help themselves?
Attitude
Team members of Bullet Sponges, recognize you were once a Bullet Sponge, too. Yes, now you're better than the other guy, but there was once a time when you couldn’t tell a sniper rifle from an assault rifle. Ask yourself this question: Do you want FPS noobs on your team? If you say “yes,” then you signed up for a rewarding but harrowing experience. To see someone develop their skills is richly rewarding, but it takes a lot of work and your noob is going to “cost” you games. Tactics can cover some weaknesses of a new player, but not all. But that’s okay if it’s what you signed up for. Here at 2o2play, we already have this fantastic attitude. We are prepared to teach people how to get better. There is a sense of camaraderie.
Bullet Sponge, relax and forgive yourself for the numerous stupid mistakes you're about to make. You will get killed often. Generally speaking, if you are new to console gaming everyone around you has years more experience than you do. And it goes further than knowing the controller. They have seen more maps, more weapons, more game types than you can imagine. They "get" the nuances of the maps, of the games; you are at a huge disadvantage until you gain experience. So, enjoy the deaths, learn to love the animations, the respawn screens, everything there is to do with the game when you are dead, cause you will see this often. Watch those kill cams too, kiddos.
Seriously though, this one is easy to say, hard to do. Relax, relax and relax some more. A fun attitude will make you a better clan mate than someone who is sour with a super high K/D ratio. People will still want to play with you even if you are bad, if you come with a will to learn and a positive attitude.
Tactics! Tactics! Tactics!
I think a tactics-based clan should be the first stop for any Bullet Sponge and here is why. Tactics tell you what to do. I hate going into team deathmatches or FFAs alone. Why is that? Because in these games, as a Bullet Sponge, I don’t know where to go. I find myself vulnerable, wandering aimlessly, or just following someone else, but with no purpose. Objective based games give me something to do.
With tactics-based clans, even a non-objective-based game is played like a series of objective-based games. You have something you have to do, a place on the map to “take.” Having something to do is much easier to handle than “shoot em in the face.”
Team members: please... tell us what to do. Make it as simple, but as directed as you can. I feel like I do my best work when I am told... “JayCat. Stand here and kill anyone who comes out this door.” It’s simple, and it’s within my skill set. My clan members also explain that if I guard this door, they are free to move around in front. I am a valuable member, and I have a job that I can handle.
Understanding the Bullet Sponge Mind During Play
Bullet Sponges are a strange species. We don’t see things the experienced players do. We don’t see the cool weapons lying around, we don’t see the hiding places, sniper points. We don’t even see the map. Why?
A Bullet Sponge is so worried about how to get around, how to shoot, how to switch grenades, basically how to work the controller, they can’t pay attention to the map with the same level of “intelligence” as a seasoned veteran. Everything is new to us. Where the vet understands the finer points of any given map, the bullet sponge may see just walls and mud.
A good rule of thumb is for every one walkthrough a vet needs on a map to learn it, the Bullet Sponge will need at least three or five. When we see a map, we won’t intuitively understand what weapon is best for that map. And if we figure it out once, we may not remember. We are learning so much stuff each time we play, it's impossible for everything to sink in. We’re not stupid, in fact it’s the opposite; we are learning so much the details fall away.
So how can team members help? Before each game remind your Bullet Sponge exactly what to do. For instance:
This is this map, the one with the big barn and the houses, and the two bridges. Shotguns are no good on this map, you need something with longer range, probably your M16. The game is Domination, we want to take whatever flag is nearest and B, but don’t ever take all three! If we only take two, we push them to one part of the map and we know where they are. Snipers hang out in the barn so watch out! You are in squad B, you take the wood bridge and hang out there ... don’t let anyone past!
Bullet Sponges, please listen to the advice of your clan members. They are the "all knowing, all seeing" elders of your tribe and are there to help you get better. Shut up and be humble.
From "Bullet Sponge" to "Not Entirely Sucktacular"
Not all Bullet Sponges can stay in the same place and watch the door forever, you have to be prepared to develop. Just remember the Bullet Sponge mantra: Watching, Learning, Pwning. Keep saying it and maybe one day you too can not entirely suck. When that day happens, drop me a line and tell me how it feels.
