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I bought a copy of the game from eBay for £28, which seemed reasonable enough to me. My online skills have always been lacking with Gears of War in general though, so I'm going to be a horrible team mate for anyone unfortunate enough to be matched with me. Does anyone have any tips? I played the beta (badly), played Gears of War 2 (terribly), and the original game reasonably well. I'm aware of some of the tactics, but I know I'm terrible enough to justify my usage of the Sawn Off if necessary. Gears is well known for its difficulty curve and I would like to get decent enough to crawl over the curve. :p

I bought a copy of the game from eBay for £28, which seemed reasonable enough to me. My online skills have always been lacking with Gears of War in general though, so I'm going to be a horrible team mate for anyone unfortunate enough to be matched with me. Does anyone have any tips? I played the beta (badly), played Gears of War 2 (terribly), and the original game reasonably well. I'm aware of some of the tactics, but I know I'm terrible enough to justify my usage of the Sawn Off if necessary. Gears is well known for its difficulty curve and I would like to get decent enough to crawl over the curve. :p

What kind of tips do you mean?

Some general ones:

- I think the Hammerburst is utterly useless, personally. Especially for a beginner. Don't bother equipping it.

- If you're playing deathmatch or a variation of that kind of mode, stick with your assault rifle. People who rush in with shotguns are easy pickings.

- Most importantly: listen for the noise of your enemy. Humans and Locusts make distinct noises when they run, and you can generally hear someone coming at you. I like to jump into a roadie run when I hear someone charging or roadie running at me, then I turn a corner and unload on them with a shotgun.

- Learn the maps. Goes without saying, but as with any multiplayer game, learn when and how someone can flank each position. Flanking's more important in Gears than most games.

- For modes like King of the Hill and Capture the Leader, get used to using smoke grenades to stun enemies and/or make them drop your leader.

- Remember that you can shoot grenades to blow them up. Always aim at them to see if they're friendly or enemy (the crosshair turns red with enemy grenades).

- Place grenades in spots that people frequent, such as the grenade locations themselves (slap a bad boy where the nades spawn and idiots will rush in thinking they're there to pick up) and tight corners on entrances/exits.

Not really sure what areas you're having issues with, but those are some general tips.

I bought a copy of the game from eBay for £28, which seemed reasonable enough to me. My online skills have always been lacking with Gears of War in general though, so I'm going to be a horrible team mate for anyone unfortunate enough to be matched with me. Does anyone have any tips? I played the beta (badly), played Gears of War 2 (terribly), and the original game reasonably well. I'm aware of some of the tactics, but I know I'm terrible enough to justify my usage of the Sawn Off if necessary. Gears is well known for its difficulty curve and I would like to get decent enough to crawl over the curve. :p

You have to adjust your game-play to the map, the opposition and unfortunately the connection.

I choose different weapons for different maps.

If you like to run in all guns blazing then prepare to die a lot. People hide around corners with the Sawn Off and also plant grenades so be aware.

Learn the maps and the weapons specific to that map (eg. on Checkout, Frag grenades spawn everytime and people always seems to plant one where they spawn. Throw your smoke grenade in, which will detonate any planted grenades).

All too often you will meet teams of 'sawn off' ###### who just run around one shotting. Listen for their footsteps and hang back with the lancer. Plant a smoke grenade in any route approcahing you to warn you some one is coming. An experienced Gnasher user will destroy a sawn off user every time (connection permitting!) but the gansher takes some practice.

Learn all the weapons in private matches against bots and learn which ones suit your style. However you will need to be good at most weapons to get a high KD.

I recommend learning the digger. The weapon is often left as its difficult to use at first but I think its a great gun. It one shot kills at close range with a direct hit, it also sends people running when they hear it so quickly switch to lancer and pick them off. Look up a tutorial on Youtube. Understanding it's trajectory is important.

If in cover, don't leave your head up too long, obvious but amazing how may people stand still in the open, unloading a lancer. Easy pickings for a sniper / oneshot / Boltock user.

the MP in this one is actually a lot easier than the previous two games, although leveling up is slow. i just don't understand why there are so few people playing online.

Hah, I think it's the exact opposite, personally -- multiplayer is more difficult to master (easier to hop in to, though), but the leveling up is much faster due to it working across modes. I've seen tons of people playing online, too.

I played a bit more of Gears of War 3 over the past few days, and I really enjoy it. I ventured online on day one, and that was a bit of a disaster. Still, I managed to hide out for an entire round because I wasn't going to win against some of the people on the other team. It feels easier to pick up and play, but I don't know if I could play too well.

I've worked out that I like the Retro Lancer more than the other rifles. The Hammerburst works well enough for me, but your tips have made a difference for me Ayepecks. I'm still terrible at the game but at least they give me a better idea of the game's workings. I was able to help a friend with a few Insane parts of the campaign, in the 'easy' way (I ran it on Casual, killed everything, and he sat back on Insane). It was a good way to get some more practice with the game, but I'm not sure which parts I played with him. I know they involved the Giant Serapede and the Armored Kantus, but that's all I remember.

Beast Mode might be my favorite addition to the game overall. It does only have a limited appeal but I find it really entertaining. I might attempt (attempt being a key word here :p) to finish Beast on Insane because apparently it's straightforward enough to do using only Tickers, as enemies can't hit them as easily. I'm not far into the story solo (I think I'm on Chapter 4 of Act 2), but I'm really enjoying it. It's a story I think you get the most from by playing it solo and then going through the game with friends. I don't remember the story in the older Gears of War games that well, but it's done a good job of bringing back up to speed with the game world.

I've worked out that I like the Retro Lancer more than the other rifles. The Hammerburst works well enough for me, but your tips have made a difference for me Ayepecks. I'm still terrible at the game but at least they give me a better idea of the game's workings. I was able to help a friend with a few Insane parts of the campaign, in the 'easy' way (I ran it on Casual, killed everything, and he sat back on Insane). It was a good way to get some more practice with the game, but I'm not sure which parts I played with him. I know they involved the Giant Serapede and the Armored Kantus, but that's all I remember.

Retro lancer? Really? I hate that thing. Totally inaccurate (yes, powerful) but I love the takedowns with it. What do you like about the retro?

Hammerburst is good and I only use it at long range really. Up close it is slow and just doesnt do damage fast enough for my liking. And on harder levels, the hammerburst is pretty much useless...at least it is to me. I find myself using the torque bow more on Insane as I can sit in the back and pick off enemies while the computer characters are taking all the attention away from me.

My weapon of choice still is the Lancer tho. Normally always use that with a more powerful secondary weapon like the torque bow or boomshot. They are good to take down grinders, maulers, boomers, and a group. And the torque bow works great on the armored kantus. When the armor kantus does its scream, his eye lights up. One shot with the torque bow to the eye and he is dead. Dont use shotguns to much really.

I do like the Gorgon pistol tho and use that whenever I can find it.

Retro lancer? Really? I hate that thing. Totally inaccurate (yes, powerful) but I love the takedowns with it. What do you like about the retro?

I have weird taste in weapons in games, it seems. I'm the guy who chose the F2000 in Modern Warfare 2 and the MP44 in Call of Duty 4 as well. :p

It's incredibly inaccurate, I'll agree, but I tend to fire it in quick bursts, correct my aim, and then fire another burst of about five or six shots. I can rarely get more than that off before I'm looking at the sky. When at point blank ranges without the time to fire the shotgun I just hold down the trigger and hope for the best. It works some of the time, particularly with Sawn Off rushers. As they come over, I hit them a few times to slow them down and then roll away and begin running in the hope they won't chase (or will chase me into something of an ambush). The execution with it was what convinced me I needed to continue using it, actually. That, and using it in Horde mode. On the earlier levels I just try and rush with the bayonet.

When using the Hammerburst I find myself using the sights and standing as far away from the actual fight as possible. When aiming down its sights it doesn't seem to have the same recoil, though the recoil was actually fairly manageable anyway. It's designed more as a long-range option I think, though the execution for it is also a laugh the first few times. If I'm running low on Retro ammo I tend to find plenty of Hammerbursts in the campaign and Horde so it's probably the assault rifle that would be used most during the game for me.

My choice is normally the Retro Lancer and the Gnasher or Longshot during the single-player. In multiplayer it's unusual that I last long enough to get my hands on the power weapons like the Torque Bow. :p

I can't work out how anyone enjoys using the Gorgon Pistol much. I try to get the Boltok when possible but the Gorgon is good for suppressing enemies. It doesn't seem too powerful but I don't doubt I'm using it wrong, since the Armored Kantus has the right idea by dual wielding them.

agree with techbeck that the retro Lancer seems cool on first glance but is very ungainly to use. i tried for a while, but the regular Lancer is so much better. Lancer and Boomshot may indeed be the sweet spot. BTW i just love the MP on Gears 3, finally a Gears game i can get into the MP with!

Retro lancer? Really? I hate that thing. Totally inaccurate (yes, powerful) but I love the takedowns with it. What do you like about the retro?

Hammerburst is good and I only use it at long range really. Up close it is slow and just doesnt do damage fast enough for my liking. And on harder levels, the hammerburst is pretty much useless...at least it is to me. I find myself using the torque bow more on Insane as I can sit in the back and pick off enemies while the computer characters are taking all the attention away from me.

My weapon of choice still is the Lancer tho. Normally always use that with a more powerful secondary weapon like the torque bow or boomshot. They are good to take down grinders, maulers, boomers, and a group. And the torque bow works great on the armored kantus. When the armor kantus does its scream, his eye lights up. One shot with the torque bow to the eye and he is dead. Dont use shotguns to much really.

I do like the Gorgon pistol tho and use that whenever I can find it.

The Retro's great for quick matches. It's great in close range and fairly good at long range, and the charge is good when no one else is around your target. It's a fine substitute for the Lancer.

I have to use the Lancer for Short-Mid, and Hammerburst for Mid-Long. Ironsights and use it as replacement for Longshot.

Havent played it in a while, have to get back into it over weekend,, tend to play king of hill though, or whtever type the capture points are

I have to use the Lancer for Short-Mid, and Hammerburst for Mid-Long. Ironsights and use it as replacement for Longshot.

Havent played it in a while, have to get back into it over weekend,, tend to play king of hill though, or whtever type the capture points are

Hammerburst... ew. :laugh:

I've had moderate success with the Hammerburst. It's aggravating to constantly have more downs than kills (i.e. because somebody will inevitably be closer to your victim than you are), but as long as you pull the trigger fast enough, you can get some decent damage in at mid-long range.

I've had moderate success with the Hammerburst. It's aggravating to constantly have more downs than kills (i.e. because somebody will inevitably be closer to your victim than you are), but as long as you pull the trigger fast enough, you can get some decent damage in at mid-long range.

Agreed, i can get quite rapid with it

3 friends and myself played Horde/Private for a few hours, got to around Wave 30 with loads of cash stored up / fortification upgrades... we then went out for the night assuming we'd be able to continue where we left off. However, the only way seems to be to start a new Horde/Private match and choose to start on wave 30, but you start from scratch without any money/fortification upgrades putting you at a disadvantage. Is there no way to save a private local horde matches?

3 friends and myself played Horde/Private for a few hours, got to around Wave 30 with loads of cash stored up / fortification upgrades... we then went out for the night assuming we'd be able to continue where we left off. However, the only way seems to be to start a new Horde/Private match and choose to start on wave 30, but you start from scratch without any money/fortification upgrades putting you at a disadvantage. Is there no way to save a private local horde matches?

No such thing, as far as I can tell. I was wondering the same but having played a few matches of Horde solo it doesn't seem that you can 'quick-save' at a point, so to speak.

the whole point of horde is lasting as long as you can in one go...saving would defeat that entire purpose. the fact they let you start from the last level you unlocked is quite fair enough, keeping you from having all the cash and upgrades is only reasonable. otherwise even i think it'd be too easy, and i love easy games!

the whole point of horde is lasting as long as you can in one go...saving would defeat that entire purpose. the fact they let you start from the last level you unlocked is quite fair enough, keeping you from having all the cash and upgrades is only reasonable. otherwise even i think it'd be too easy, and i love easy games!

I didn't mean being able to save and go back to earlier waves with all your cash/fortifications if you fail the last one... I just wanted to be able to come back to the current game the next day if you don't have a solid 2-4 hours to sit down for (I don't know anyone who does). That wouldn't make it easier, it would be no different from leaving it on pause overnight and continuing in the morning.

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