How to Improve Multiplayer Gaming Skills

With the advent of massive gaming franchises like Quake, Unreal Tournament and World of Warcraft, multiplayer gaming has exploded in popularity and availability. Games from every genre now offer booming online communities where you can play your favorites with friends from the comfort of your home. Honing your multiplayer skills takes time, however, especially if you're a competitive player.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Learn the technical components of playing your game. Knowing the controls, mechanics and maps of your game's essential to being a successful multiplayer gamer.

2. Familiarize yourself with your game's major strategies and tactics. For example, one essential strategy for first-person shooters is to keep running while laying down strafing fire.

3. Improve your Internet connection speed. Lag kills many multiplayer sessions, especially death matches where a fraction of a second can be the difference between getting fragged and racking one up.

4. Devote as much time to practicing as you can. It's often helpful to play simulated multiplayer games against the AI. This gives you a feel for your game's maps and basic strategies without having to find other players to compete against.

5. Play against the best players you can find. This sharpens your reflexes and skills much quicker than playing against beginners. It also gives you the opportunity to ask for tips and advice from experts.

6. Developing a playing style you're comfortable with and relax during your games. The best players use instinct as much as they do rehearsed strategy, so learning to calm down and ease into the flow of the game's bound to make you better.