4Game

How to Learn Tarkov Without Harming your Desk and Mouse (Mostly) 

… Hey, can you see this? …. Weird, the last guy that had me must have died, typical. Every PMC does eventually. You look eager, I’ve seen that look before. OK, sit down, I’ll tell you what I know. 

Let’s skip the known part. Tarkov is hard. And you will die, multiple times. Now, onto business. Tarkov is an MMO with FPS and RPG elements. This means a few things. 1- Elements of the game will feel unfair without looking at the bigger picture of what Tarkov is meant to be. By practicing the FPS aspects of the game, you increase your characters RPG elements. This in turn affects the overall MMO interactions between players in Raid. Oh, yea, Raid. Raids are the experience you have when you load into a map with your character and begin to achieve your desired goal. All of this should mean to you that knowledge is key in surviving Tarkov and you will need knowledge of many things. We will start with maps. 

I know what you’re thinking, how can maps be the most important thing? Tarkov is full of big guns and Stimulants that make you faster and stronger, maps mean nothing right? Wrong. Beginning a Raid on Customs with a Slick plate carrier and kitted M4A1 will end very fast if you don’t know the possible dangers around you from the second the raid starts. This will not always be true young warrior but for now, assume someone in your Raid knows exactly where you are for the first 3 minutes of the Raid. This means you must obtain the same knowledge to know where they and most other enemies may be from the first seconds of the Raid. The only way to know these things are to study the maps of Tarkov. Every zone offers something unique and different and should be approached differently based on your goals and mission. Knowing where your enemies may be is not enough though. You must be able to assume where they are going. This is no easy feat and is not knowledge that can be easily obtained. Time, perseverance and keen study of more experienced Raiders will assist you in learning certain rotation patterns. An easy rule of thumb is this, Assume where every player spawned, it was instead you, and what you would do given that spawn. Now realize where they are in relation to you. Will that player want to push you, knowing they have an advantageous PVP spawn and you should start to move away from that area? Or should you maybe peek them, as they are closer to high-tier loot and may have their back to you as they run the opposite direction towards said loot? These become the chess moves of Tarkov and how the best Raiders are made. 
… Did you take your time to learn the world young Raider? Good, we can move on. Guns and ammo, the bread and butter of Tarkov. That M4A1 looks nice, does it not? Be careful young Raider, it is loaded with 55 FMJ. You see an enemy, contact directly north. He’s wearing level 4 armor and a face shield. Can you easily send him to the afterlife? Knowing your ammunition is more important than knowing your gun. Both are essential but the M4A1 mentioned above is a bee without its stinger. And so are you if you pulled the trigger in that situation. Sure, you may sneak in a good (head,eyes) every once in a while but luck of the draw is not an aspect you want to count on much in Tarkov. Calculated movements and plays will always be the best way. So, back to the situation at hand. What do you need to make this situation favorable? I’ve heard stories of an esteemed Raider, a friend to all who seek him that knows the utmost about the ammo of our world. He goes by NoFoodAfterMidnight and his charts are worth more than gold. You must seek out his knowledge as well if you wish to become the best Raider you can be. 

You’re still here eh? Alright, we’ll keep going. You’ve grasped the lay of the land and have found a decent weapon you’ve filled with the best ammo available to you. What now? Well, now the world is yours for the taking. Offline mode is your friend for learning cache locations and scav spawns. Questing will improve your reputation with the traders, allowing you to more easily build easier to handle weapons to aid you in your raids. The hideout continues to become a better and better resource for the aspiring Raider, don’t neglect it. Many hard to find quest items and essential Raiding aids can be found there. Find a squad to Raid with, there is strength in numbers. Movement is important and everything you do creates sound. Learning the best ways to use all of the movement controls at your disposal makes a great difference in whether or not you peek the same angle from around a box twice, or you peek from a new lower angle with a prone lean. Repositioning will often save your life. Not all cover is equal and bullets will penetrate certain types of cover. Tarkov is a world about survival, killing everything you see move may not be the most beneficial decision. Loot is important but it isn’t everything if you can never make it out with it. 
    This of course isn’t all there is to our world young Raider but this will get you started. You will have tired nights and days filled with only death and lost Roubles. Keep going, no one ever achieved anything by quitting. Good luck out there.