I've noticed quite a few guides popping up on these forums, and as I am one to trail behind any bandwagon I see, here are a few tips I feel could help medics to get better.
Thus I present:
The Better Part of Valor
Staying alive when everyone is trying to kill you
Part 1: Why it's so darn important you stay alive
Medics win games. Those of you who've had the pleasure of playing with a good medic are sure to remember the times he saved you from dying, and the clutch ubercharges that destroyed those sentry nests and defensive positions. But what separates the good medics from the bad? The difference is how well that medic stays alive.
See, every second a medic is alive, he is doing two things; Keeping his teammates from a long trip from the respawn room, and building his game changing Ubercharge. Every time you die, whatever percentage ubercharge you've managed to build is utterly wasted entirely, and your teammates also no longer get any healing for however long you're gone. Thus, they die due to attrition, everyone gets pushed back, the defense gets to solidify, and time is generally wasted in a game where you're ultimately fighting against the clock.
Thus, a medic's goals run in this order:
1. Stay Alive
2. Keep everyone else alive
Part 2: The Techniques of Cowardice
But how to keep yourself alive when everyone on the other team is gunning primarily for you? Well, here are a few things to keep in mind.
1. Don't stop moving! You never know when a sniper is drawing a bead, so try to make yourself a difficult target for anyone who hasn't shot at you yet.
2. Look around! The medigun locks on to your patients, so take the opportunity to check your six for spies and any other ne'er-do-wells who may be trying to sneak up on you.
3. Keep an escape plan handy! You never know when enemies may show up, so keep in mind where any medkits, friendly sentry emplacements, and teammates are in case you have to book it.
But eventually, ]some breaker of the Geneva conventions will come gunning for your labcoated German keyster, so keep these things in mind as you desperately try to not die:
1. Turn around and book it! You are faster than every class except the scout, but ONLY when running forward. Moving backwards will only allow them to gain on you for your eventual demise.
2. Break line of sight! They can't shoot through walls, so get behind one as soon as you can. They can't shoot you if they can't see you.
3. Don't stop running until you get to safety! Good players will chase you to the ends of the earth, so don't stop until you have a teammate to hide behind and your pursuers are still cooling bodies in the dirt.
Part 3: Not dying, as applied to the classes
Most classes can be avoided using the tips listed above. There are, however, 3 classes who can cause the most trouble for medics. Here are some tips for avoiding these seasoned medic killers.
Scouts
Scouts are the bane of a Medic's existence. Two shots with either Scattergun can kill you outright, and they are too fast simply run away from. What is a medic to do?
Well, take out your needlegun (Blutsauger for preference) and lead your shots, tell your teammates you need help, and pray to Valve that he dies before you do. It is imperative that the scout die as quickly as possible, because every second he has is a chance for him to give you a pointblank helping of buckshot.
Pyros
They're almost as fast as you. They WILL beat you in a fight. They can kill you in less than a second. And even if they die, the afterburn can still reduce you to cinders. How do you avoid becoming a toasted strudel?
Many of the tips in section 2 still apply. Turn around to use your superior speed, and book it for a medkit or teammates. Do NOT turn around and shoot at them, unless you need to use the Blutsauger to stop yourself from burning to death anyway. Don't forget to tell your teammates that the mumbling abomination is hot on your heels!
Snipers
Less of a problem, perhaps. But a good sniper will pick you off out of a group of people from a mile away before you can say "What's this red dot for?".
Once again, stay out of line of sight as long as possible. However, when you do have to go out into the open, Do NOT run in a straight line or jump. Duck, weave, and crouch until you're out of line of sight again. A sniper good enough to target Medic's consistently is good enough to hit a target moving predictably, so don't be predictable!
That wraps up my Medic's guide to running away. Tips like these are scarce, as far as I can tell, and it's these techniques that have made me a successful medic and team player. Please, leave feedback, comments, or complaints about my bad jokes!
Thus I present:
The Better Part of Valor
Staying alive when everyone is trying to kill you
Part 1: Why it's so darn important you stay alive
Medics win games. Those of you who've had the pleasure of playing with a good medic are sure to remember the times he saved you from dying, and the clutch ubercharges that destroyed those sentry nests and defensive positions. But what separates the good medics from the bad? The difference is how well that medic stays alive.
See, every second a medic is alive, he is doing two things; Keeping his teammates from a long trip from the respawn room, and building his game changing Ubercharge. Every time you die, whatever percentage ubercharge you've managed to build is utterly wasted entirely, and your teammates also no longer get any healing for however long you're gone. Thus, they die due to attrition, everyone gets pushed back, the defense gets to solidify, and time is generally wasted in a game where you're ultimately fighting against the clock.
Thus, a medic's goals run in this order:
1. Stay Alive
2. Keep everyone else alive
Part 2: The Techniques of Cowardice
But how to keep yourself alive when everyone on the other team is gunning primarily for you? Well, here are a few things to keep in mind.
1. Don't stop moving! You never know when a sniper is drawing a bead, so try to make yourself a difficult target for anyone who hasn't shot at you yet.
2. Look around! The medigun locks on to your patients, so take the opportunity to check your six for spies and any other ne'er-do-wells who may be trying to sneak up on you.
3. Keep an escape plan handy! You never know when enemies may show up, so keep in mind where any medkits, friendly sentry emplacements, and teammates are in case you have to book it.
But eventually, ]some breaker of the Geneva conventions will come gunning for your labcoated German keyster, so keep these things in mind as you desperately try to not die:
1. Turn around and book it! You are faster than every class except the scout, but ONLY when running forward. Moving backwards will only allow them to gain on you for your eventual demise.
2. Break line of sight! They can't shoot through walls, so get behind one as soon as you can. They can't shoot you if they can't see you.
3. Don't stop running until you get to safety! Good players will chase you to the ends of the earth, so don't stop until you have a teammate to hide behind and your pursuers are still cooling bodies in the dirt.
Part 3: Not dying, as applied to the classes
Most classes can be avoided using the tips listed above. There are, however, 3 classes who can cause the most trouble for medics. Here are some tips for avoiding these seasoned medic killers.
Scouts
Scouts are the bane of a Medic's existence. Two shots with either Scattergun can kill you outright, and they are too fast simply run away from. What is a medic to do?
Well, take out your needlegun (Blutsauger for preference) and lead your shots, tell your teammates you need help, and pray to Valve that he dies before you do. It is imperative that the scout die as quickly as possible, because every second he has is a chance for him to give you a pointblank helping of buckshot.
Pyros
They're almost as fast as you. They WILL beat you in a fight. They can kill you in less than a second. And even if they die, the afterburn can still reduce you to cinders. How do you avoid becoming a toasted strudel?
Many of the tips in section 2 still apply. Turn around to use your superior speed, and book it for a medkit or teammates. Do NOT turn around and shoot at them, unless you need to use the Blutsauger to stop yourself from burning to death anyway. Don't forget to tell your teammates that the mumbling abomination is hot on your heels!
Snipers
Less of a problem, perhaps. But a good sniper will pick you off out of a group of people from a mile away before you can say "What's this red dot for?".
Once again, stay out of line of sight as long as possible. However, when you do have to go out into the open, Do NOT run in a straight line or jump. Duck, weave, and crouch until you're out of line of sight again. A sniper good enough to target Medic's consistently is good enough to hit a target moving predictably, so don't be predictable!
That wraps up my Medic's guide to running away. Tips like these are scarce, as far as I can tell, and it's these techniques that have made me a successful medic and team player. Please, leave feedback, comments, or complaints about my bad jokes!
