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The joys of burning in
The benefits of dropping in from 15,000 feet and why Section 8 is worth your attention
Written by Andy Griffiths, 14 August 2009
Section 8 isn't your average first person shooter. Even though it's based on buff marines in an intergalactic war, this isn't the generic experience you might expect. First in the series of in-depth previews with Timegate's shooter, we'll be breaking down the beta with analysis and a few tactical tips before you step onto the battlefield.
Where should we drop?One of the first screen's you'll meet shows an interactive map indicating where capture points are, enemies being engaged and the circular range of enemy anti-aircraft fire. You'll need to choose where to drop and it's a big decision, it'll often be hasty and ill-informed but it could give the advantage over your enemy.
Nearly landed on the enemy APCAs a hardcore shooter Section 8 gives you as many options as possible. With a brilliant move by Timegate, spawn points are chosen by the player which completely eliminates the ever present annoyance of spawn campers in multi-player. If you die after you jump in, the blame is solely at your feet. There are many choices available to you- drop close to spawn points, fall in the middle of an enemy engagement, protect a mission critical chess piece, defend an already captured point, or drop in a deserted area which is probably safe. These choices are occurring constantly and dynamically change the battlefield around you.
PCGZine Issue 34
For our latest Section 8 coverage, click here to download PCGZine Issue 34 for free.When your part of a squad you also have the choice of breaching the atmosphere on your own or waiting with for your buddies to drop in tandem. Squads are capped at five players but when you all burn in together it's easy to realise why. Five players assaulting a small area of the map at the same time is incredibly efficient- the enemy won't know what hit them. You can Rambo it out if you must, but don't come crying to use when you get killed for the eighth time without a sniff of a kill.
Drop inOnce you've chosen your point of entry the tactical choices don't stop there. During your fifteen thousand foot descent into hell, the seconds until impact will tick down quickly. Applying the air brake is the only way to slow down for a good landing, but the timing of this act proves a problem. Execute too quickly and it'll be very easy for the enemy to pick you off before landing at your chosen spot, apply too late you'll leave a crater and lose precious few seconds dusting yourself off and gaining your bearings. You can apply the brakes when the game suggests, but good players will time it just right so to hit the battlefield in a fast but clean manner.
Time to apply the brake.You can change your trajectory once you apply the brakes getting a little bit closer to an enemy capture point, or drop behind an enemy for a quick kill. Aiming for high points in the scenery is a favourite of snipers. Topography is always varied in all three of the betas maps and high ground always holds the advantage. Some capture points are housed in warehouse like structures which can be landed on for easy defence.
All of these decisions are made before even one shot is fired in Section 8 and the smallest change can pay huge dividends on the battlefield. Thirty two players all trying to get the drop on each other is something many other games execute really well, but never quite like this. The beta only has sixteen versus sixteen team matches but we bet that all versus all multiplayer is something entirely different, we can't wait.
Section 8 coverage available in PCGZine Issue 34 - click here to download it for free!
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