Welcome to the 'nam!

I've written this guide with the aim of helping newer (and experienced players) increase their survivability and thrive in RS2. These tips aren't designed to be exhaustive, but are drawn from my own personal experience in game and should be seen as loose guidelines that you can employ when necessary.

With that out of the way, read on to become the ultimate soldier in RS2!

This is true for any FPS, but becomes all the more important when you consider RS2's large, extensive maps. It may be tempting to return to the same objectives or cover the same map sectors becuase they're "more familiar" or "easier to attack/defend", but becoming familiar with the environments you'll be fighting in is crucial to exploiting the enemy.

On Territories, spend some time learning both cap-zones, not just A or B. On Supremacy, don't always run to the same objective because it's familiar or you think you can get a few kills there. As an attacker, familiarise yourself with useful cover that you can use in later games - hedges, fallen trees, bunkers and trenches are all fantastic to have a knowledge of on each map. It takes time to learn them, but once you do, staying out of enemy fire becomes much easier. You'll find that the defenders use the same defensive positions game after game, so knowing where these are and how likely they are to contain the enemy will be important in helping you avoid no-mans-land / chokepoints. As a defender, your priority should be locating the best postions to occupy: is visibility good? Are you in cover? How predictable is your position to the enemy? Can you easily access the objectives if the attackers push in? These are some of the questions you should be asking yourself as a defender. Be mindful of certain channels and "high traffic areas" that attackers like to use; knowing these will enable you to plan your defence and prevent the enemy advance.

Death in RS2 is often quick and unexpected. You won't always be able to anticpate getting shot, but positioning is perhaps the most valuable skill to learn to ensure your individual survival.

2a. Individual positioning:

The basic principle of good positioning is minimising your exposure to enemy fire. Your stance and use of cover are key to this. Regardless of attacking or defending, you'll want to be in cover 90% of the time, preferably in the crouched or prone stance if that cover permits it. The benefits of this are obvious: you not only make a smaller profile for yourself, but you can also use raised/lowered terrain and your weapon will have less sway, improving your accuracy. Leaning is also a fantastic tool that too few players use; you can lean left or right in any stance, and mastering this in conjuction with the cover around you will let you engage the enemy while making yourself very hard to hit. Try to position yourself relative to the situation: always minimise your time in the open; if you're in an especially fierce firefight, move from cover to cover, or ask yourself whether it's worth moving at all. If you're using a window, try not to stand directly in front of it, but position yourself further back or at an angle to reduce your exposure. Sometimes bad decisions are inevitable, but learning how to position yourself according to the battlefield will dramatically improve your impact on the game.

2b. Tactical positioning:

Flanking, suppression, field of fire - these terms are easily learned, but applying them to the battle in the right place at the right time is a skill that takes time to learn. Co-ordination with your team is important here; if you're attacking and a few players on the left decide to initiate a flank, consider joining the attack and to bolster their numbers. As a defender, you'll want to ensure you have a position that A) Offers good cover/concealment, and B) Allows you good visibility/potential to deny attackers. Try to check your map every couple of minutes; keep aware of where assaults are forming and where the your team are; if they're concentrated at one cap-zone, consider helping at another to cover the map evenly. Be mindful of enemy artillery and air support; ask yourself whether you're safe in your current position, and be prepared to get out of the barrage zone if you're not. Tactical positioning is a great way to ensure you're being the maximum use to your team at all times.

We're in the killing business here, so knowledge of the weapon you're using goes a long way to being a functional member of your team. It's a good idea to know how full your mag is and what firemode it's on at all times (mag check is R by default, firemode is X). Try to build up a rough knowledge of the weapons you use; knowing rates of fire and magazine sizes will aid you in judging when to reload, while knowing a weapon's recoil can help you predict and manage it during a firefight. The machineguns and several rifles fire higher calibre rounds that mean higher recoil, but also provide better stopping power and surface penetration.