Battle Royale style games like DayZ, PUBG, and Fortnite have been taking the spotlight recently in the realm of online gaming. However, Fortnite's building mechanic gives the game a certain strategical edge that sets it apart from the others and it takes a little while for new players to get the hang of it. So, to keep you from dying in the first 30 seconds of every game, here are some tips to help you survive.
1. Land far from the fray
It may seem tempting at first, to land where all the loot is, but resist that temptation. Everyone is thinking the same thing, and the veterans to the game will often land in large municipalities like Tilted Towers to try to claim all the goodies for themselves.
When you're just starting out in Fortnite, stay away from all that. Your goal is to survive as long as possible and get a feel of the game. Where to go? Anywhere there isn't people. Look for lone houses and small sheds, often even smaller areas will have common weapons and loot. But above all else, if you see a parachute landing near you go in the opposite direction.
2. Architecture 101
After you've landed away from the frontlines, take out your pickaxe and mine everything in site. Figure out what's harvestable and what's not. See the blue dot after you hit something? Aim for it. It speeds up your harvesting speed and gets you more loot in less time.
Once you have enough materials (100 wood should do for now), practice building four walls around you by switching to building mode and spamming the build button while spinning in a circle. This will create a weak shelter around you to give you enough time to figure out where you're getting shot from. After that, experiment with stairs and switching between building materials. Stairs are crucial to get you the best loot and out of dangerous areas.
3. the colors of the rainbow
The guns in Fortnite Battle Royale are simple and most of us like it that way. Instead of the customizing and modding system of PUBG, Fortnite uses a color coding system to show you a guns strength. So remember this order:
- Gray – Common
- Green – Uncommon
- Blue – Rare
- Purple – Epic
- Orange – Legendary
- Gold – Mythic
If you see a color class of the same weapon higher than yours, swap it out and you'll be packing more heat!
4. Gold Diggers Welcome
Listen for the sound of money, and look out for the gold shine of loot chests. You will hear the sound of shimmering when you are near a chest, if there's nothing in your near vicinity, it's likely above you. So build a staircase and mine the ceiling, but be careful. If you mine directly under the chest you'll destroy it and all its contents will disappear. I can't tell you the number of times I've inadvertently destroyed chests. Chests normally hold the best weapons so once you get the hang of the game, try landing on houses and mining the rooftops. Most attics will have a chest within it.
5. stay in the outskirts
Once you've safely landed, and gotten the hang of building and looting it's time to get in the action. However, let's take it slow. Stay in the outskirts of the circle for as long as possible and once the field starts coming in, try running in just within the limits and finding shelter near it's edges. Many players try to build forts directly in the eye of the storm, so staying in the outskirts will mean less enemies and less squads.
Those are just some tips for beginners to Fortnite: Battle Royale. Once you've gotten the basics down, go for it and be aggressive. Land in different areas of the map and explore different rural and municipal areas to get a good memory of the buildings in each area. Hang in there and as always, game on!