Fortnite is the new hit game developed by Epic Games and People Can Fly, and is described by the developers to be a cross between Left 4 Dead and Minecraft. What it really is depends on how you choose to play in this world: do you play the main story and take command of one of the last bastions of humanity, or do you hop into a game of Fortnite Battle Royale and duke it out with other experienced players in a massive co-op battle similar to PUBG? Is it just me or does this sound a bit like The Hunger Games?
According to the background lore of this new game, the story is set in our own world. The difference is that one day, the world woke up with 98% of the human population missing, and most of the Earth covered in growing purple lightning clouds widely known as the Storm. What could possibly be weirder than the already strange scenario described here?
The world of Fortnite is a massive one, with tons of ground to cover. We mean this both metaphorically and literally because the playing fields are massive, as is the steep yet fun learning curve. When anyone is dropped in a sandbox game like this, it’s more than understandable to be overwhelmed. Needless to say, while technically there is no wrong way to play, there are surefire ways that can help your character survive this new harsh world. So grab your pickaxes and join us as we go over 25 things that casual Fortnite players are doing wrong.
25 The Dust Trail
When you find yourself caught in a tough fight, it’s a good move to get out when you’re in over your head. You can also just to wait it out until the last players are left standing for easy pickings. What isn’t a good move is getting out of dodge using the classic sprint button that players have used to hightail it since the game's invention.
You may notice that you’re regularly getting taken out when you do this.
One thing that players might not realize is a helpful and dangerous feature of Fortnite is the fact that player’s avatars leave a small dust trail whenever they sprint.
Ideally, you should avoid sprinting when you can, as more experienced players who know and are looking for that tell-tale sign will happily take the advantage and get a hit on your player.
24 To The Rescue!
The arguments in obscure forums that debate the use of headphones while playing a video game will likely go on until the end of time. Sure, some people feel that they can get into the game much better and be more immersed when their ears have the audio streaming directly in from headphones. Other gamers may argue though that headphones can be too restrictive and they don’t like the isolation from the real world.
However, in this one instance, the former wins the day. Fortnite’s audio was deliberately developed to be more loud and crisp so that players can hear enemies more easily around them, and to know when they are being approached. Because of this, it is generally recommended that players, especially those playing Battle Royale, wear good headphones in order to get the full experience that Fortnite has to offer.
23 Up, Up, And Away!
Many millenials may remember the old fashioned games where static objects were pretty much always just static objects. Unless you run into an obviously breakable object like a barrel or crate, you rarely expect the game to throw neat little gameplay elements at you here and there. For those who are still in the dark, I introduce to you the tire piles of Fortnite.
Yes, it seems like a no-brainer to so many, but when you’re on the run from Husks or other players for the first time, you might not immediately think to jump onto the stack of rubber.
If you haven’t yet, try it next time and suddenly you’ll find yourself on the nearest roof, well on your way to a safe spot on the map as you are launched up into the air. Make sure to give it a go!
22 Noisy Loot
Usually, when one goes looking for treasure, the last thing they use is their ears. This might not apply when you want to keep a sharp ear out for any sneaky or hopefully not-so-sneaky enemies coming your way. This is where Fortnite's enhanced audio can well and truly come in handy. Treasure Chests contain valuable and vital supplies, and they actually make a loud noise.
Instead of a metallic bell, the Chests give off a kind of shimmery sound to alert potential finders.
This can be extremely useful, especially when you’re heading through a house and have no idea if your risk is going to pan out. Be careful though, as sometimes players like to camp nearby and wait by an unopened chest for players to come rushing in for loot, so always check your surroundings.
21 No Mad Max Here
You would think that providing such a huge map for players to play in would have forced the developers to allow for a vehicle option within the game. Unfortunately, all cars, tractors, trucks, and buses no longer work in this brave new world. If you want to get anywhere, you’ll need to go on foot. This doesn’t mean that those vehicle-shaped assets are just there for show or to hop on though.
Missing a key gameplay element like the tires is a clue that you can actually smash vehicles for spare parts. While this will likely be taught in the main Fortnite game, there is a chance that you can miss out on this fact if you just jump straight into the standalone Fortnite Battle Royale.
20 Circle Up, Everyone!
Ideally, massive battle grounds have epic fights going on everywhere you look between players. In reality, almost everyone ends up with the same strategy of finding or building a cozy spot to curl up in to take out their fellow players from afar. When this happens, matches can last for ages as everyone refuses to budge and the game grinds to a halt.
In order to counteract this, PUBG and Fortnite implemented a feature into their multiplayer that forces players to move closer together, and in this case, Fortnite has the Storm and the Storm Shield.
Someone could still be fleeing behind you and if you keep your back turned, you'll kiss that round goodbye. Always keep a sharp eye to the outsides of the circle, even when you think you must be the last one in.
19 We Have A Bad Feeling About This...
Everyone who regularly plays an online PvP has wandered into some abandoned town and spotted what must be an empty shack nearby. As they approach a building, keeping a watch out for other players, they realize that the door is wide open. As you enter the room, your character is taken out by someone standing just out of sight within the building.
The bottom line here is this: never, ever trust an open door, no matter how desperate you are.
Experienced players are well aware that bright-eyed, new players will waltz through without a care, and will use this to their advantage in order to surprise you. Instead, try getting in through a window and hopefully you can catch a camping player.
Also, always close a door behind you if you ever walk through one, so no one can sneak up.
18 It's A Trap!
Confirming the identity of open doors as just game overs waiting to happen, let's talk about how you can use a simple door to play complex mind-games with your opponents.
As we already mentioned, open doors are almost always trouble. That knowledge can be used to lead players in through an entrance that you want them to go through. They, being more experienced, will know to go through another entrance instead. You can use this to funnel players through windows that you keep an eye on.
You can also use a closed door to give a player a false sense of security. Every time someone enters through an actual door, they are always taking a gamble. Most players however think that a closed door must mean that no one is home and walk through without checking behind it.
17 Look Before You Leap
Gamers who have played video games all their lives are used to the idea that they need to search a defeated enemy in order to gain a loot reward. This involves going right up to their enemy in order to make a collection. In a game like Fortnite, this can prove problematic as often a loot drop will be directly out in the open.
A rookie might immediately feel that they need to pick up what their enemy dropped immediately, but that will almost always get you in a bad way.
Fortnite fixes the problem of curious or antsy players by making sure that dropped loot not only glows gold when it appears, but it also hovers well within view of others nearby. This is so that a player has the opportunity to size up whether or not they even need the loot they've won, so keep an eye out.
16 It's Not As Bad As It Looks
The Storm is an ominous gathering of storm clouds that is dangerous to anyone caught in it. If a player gets stuck in the Storm, their health will be sapped all the way down to zero and this will cause them to lose the match.
So when the Storm Shield tightens and the clouds roll in, new players can be forgiven for worrying when this huge thing catches up to them and makes them tick down, closer and closer to a loss.
Never fear! If you do stay out in the Storm and lose some health, you won't be taken out instantly once it reaches you. You still have a few more moments to get within the circle before you lose. So take what time you can and don't let the Storm run you into a trap.
15 Cue "Mission Impossible" Theme
We've already mentioned that going out into the open is bad news, but it's important to be a bit more clear on these things so that casual players and newcomers alike can absorb this information easier.
When we say "going out into the open," we mean leaving all traces of visual and physical cover to go cavorting around in the street or field, intentionally or not.
It may seem like a faster route, and it may even seem clear, considering that you haven't seen any other players for the last while. Next thing you know, you've lost the game, and your hard-won things are taken by the victor, who may also immediately lose because they too are now out in the open. Always remember that buildings, trees and waist-high fences are your friends.
And you should always stick close to your friends.
14 Pulling The Rug Out
Another neat way to interact with the environment is your ability to harvest resources from a wide variety of areas, which includes the buildings themselves. You can harvest brick, metal, wood, and other materials you happen to find.
You can even harvest pieces of an intact floor, and create holes up or down through a structure. At first glance, this seems like just another way to get building material, but it can really be turned to your advantage in a fight.
For example, if you happen to enter a building containing a sniper, and you know for a fact where they are on the floor above you, you can harvest the floor out from beneath them. This also works with Chests! If you feel like moving will expose you, but you can hear a Chest directly above you, you can take out the floor from underneath it and access it that way.
13 Hate To Waste
A key feature of Fortnite is a player's ability to build their own custom fortress using whatever materials they can find around them. These structures, built with enough time and resources, can be massive. Essentially, these places become castles for players to defend themselves from other players. The only issue with this is the fact that, due to the ever shrinking playing area, it won't be long before players are forced to leave it behind.
This can be extremely frustrating, and a new player will be even more mad when all their hard work has to be abandoned in order to stay in the game. Because of this, and because of the fact that the time between play area shrinkage gets longer and the final area more clear, it's recommended that players wait until the later phases of the game before they start building big.
12 Hurry It Up!
One thing that players love about sandbox games is the ability to creatively customize the way they play. Players will go out of their way in order to find some odd weapon modification in order to give them any kind of edge during a tournament.
Any time spent on this is a wasted cause in Fortnite, though. Sorry to anyone just finding this out after being ready to quit after losing so often trying to find weapon attachments. There is no time, leave them there!
Fortnite's weapons already come equipped with all the necessary equipment. There is no way to craft or find a scope or a larger magazine for your weapon.
What you see is what you get. So move on and focus on the more important things!
11 There's No Running From This
Any player, old or new, can be forgiven for feeling a sense of panic when they get caught in the Storm. Your character starts to lose health, and all of your hard work is about to be undone. In the few seconds before the Storm actually hits though, that sense of panic will go through the roof as you're racing towards safety. Well, racing might not actually be the best way to go about escaping the Storm.
Unfortunately, the player's sprint is nowhere near fast enough to outrun the calamity. What you'll likely do instead is end up running into a trap with no way to escape, or be out of stamina to beat those last few feet with a good sprint. Instead, try to stay calm, keep moving, and watch out for other enemies.
10 Not Your Friendly Neighbourhood Tracer
Another stylistic choice made by the developers has also ended up being a more functional feature.
In the event that a character fires a bullet or any other projectile, that bullet will leave a "trace" in the air, a straight line of light that points right back to where it was fired from.
This can either be extremely helpful or extremely bad for a player, depending which end of the tracer they are on. If you find yourself in a situation where someone is taking shots at you, but you can't seem to pinpoint where they're coming from, try to follow where the thin lines of light are coming from. They fade quickly though, so keep your eyes peeled and your head down. You don't want to get caught either!
9 Versatility Is The Key
Fortnite offers a wide variety of beautifully rendered weapons to attack other players with. This includes, but is not limited to: swords, assault rifles, sniper rifles, bats, axes, and huge hammers. It's easy though for any rookie to find something that seems to work best for them, and stick solely to that weapon for every match. This is a poor strategy, though.
You need the right tools to deal with the right situations. While you certainly can take out a player at close range with a sniper rifle, it's so much easier to use a sword or a shotgun to do the job. Even if you mostly stick to your weapon of choice, it never hurts to branch out and at least keep something different on hand to switch it up on your opponent.
8 Optional Care
It might not happen often, but every once in a while you might just survive an encounter with another player. When this happens, there's a fair chance you're not getting away unharmed. If you're lucky, you might have only lost a handful of hit points.
Unfortunately, Fortnite is very stingy when it comes to providing ways to restore your health.
From time to time, you might come across a medical kit, but for the most part you'll have to work with what you've got. A new player may feel that their first fight was barely won even if they only lost a few HP and may think to break out the medical supplies. Think twice though! You won't likely come across more, so it's more prudent to wait for an emergency before applying a band-aid.
7 Early Bird Gets The Worm
Resource gathering is a major part of Fortnite, both in the main game and in Battle Royale. Gathered materials can be used to create all sorts of weapons, and can even be used to create your dream fortress. It can, however, seem a bit intimidating, and even time-wasting to go resource hunting during your first matches. When everyone is out to get each other, it doesn't seem to make sense to chop down a tree for wood or gather stone for bricks.
Gathering a great deal of resources will pay off in the long run though. As the playing field shrinks, players are forced closer and closer together. The last thing you want is to be within spitting distance of your enemies, who can hear everything you're doing, and be left vulnerable as you cut wood for yourself to create ramps and walls.
6 Don't Crack!
Speaking of building, if anyone watches videos of Fortnite matches, they may notice this neat thing that players do where ramps and walls start building themselves while they're battling it out it with other players. This is an essential skill to build in Fortnite, and can mean the difference between winning and losing.
Building on the fly seems impossible at first, considering that you'll be dodging and returning fire while planning a structure to get an edge on your opponent. That's why it's important to practice building when you have a moment to breathe, and to remember that you can recover materials even after use.