Here are some of the tutorials i followed when i started playing FPS:
General Principles
Know your Game
This depends on how you like to approach a game. Some people prefer not to
read the manual until after the game is over. Perhaps they don't want to spoil any surprises. I personally feel that the game should supply everything you need
to know, but that isn't always the case!
If you don't mind reading about weapons and enemies before you encounter them, then you should read the manual. If it is a good manual it will explain all the different aspects of the weapons, secondary fire modes (if any), hit damage etc. It could be the difference between winning and losing.
If the game doesn't have a good manual or you require more information then you should search the Internet for it. There are generally plenty of sites that cover individual games in depth, and often have forums where you can ask questions.
Pay Attention to the story
There are many ways for the game to tell a story, character speech, either spoken or subtitles, action of other characters, notices and signs, information points etc. Make sure you use these resources to their full extent. They may contain solutions to problems or situations that are otherwise impossible to find out any other way. They may also provide clues to useful tactics.
Input Devices
Mouse and mat
Whilst you can buy mice specifically designed for gaming the fact that you reading this guide means you are unlikely to need one! However careful consideration of which mouse you can bring benefits. I would highly recommend using a mouse with a wheel, which acts as another button. The question of whether to use a ball or laser, a corded or cordless are also down to you personal preferences. The advantage of using a laser is that you never having to clean it! They also tend to have better sensitivity (allowing for better accuracy).
You should also consider the type of mat you use. I personally use either a gaming mat or no mat at all. A gaming mat is generally much bigger than a normal mat and can feature different types of surfaces.
Keyboard and settings
The type of keyboard you use can be important. For example a mini keyboard can make it difficult to select the correct key when under pressure in a firefight. Most keyboards should be fine to use for gaming but it may be worth a visit to your local computer equipment supplier to find one that has the right balance of action.
Most games allow players to change the keys for certain actions. It is highly recommended that you learn how to do this and use and training room or level provided within the game to find a combination that you are comfortable with. This action is called "key binding" most newer games allow you complete control. Occasionally this has to be accomplished via editing a config file rather than through the options (or similar) menu of the game itself.
Other Input Devices
In the early days of FPS gaming it was quite common for players to using a joystick but I beli.e.ve this quite uncommon for modern games. There are however various devices that can be used. These tend to replace the keyboard in some way. A well-known option is Belkin's Nostromo N50 Gamepad. I bought one and keep promising myself that I would use it but never have. They are plenty of other devices available but these are outside the scope of this guide.
The Training Room
Most recent FPS games come with a room or area where you can become accustomed to the movement and some weapons before you venture into the real game. You should take advantage of this feature if it is available to you. My one criticism is that you rarely get a chance to practice with "live" enemies. These rooms/areas normally only allow movement and weapons to be tested.
Health
This is a measure of how much life you have. Normally when this reaches zero your playing character di.e.s. As mentioned in the Know your game section, you should understand the different types of health available to you.
Types
Often a game will contain different types of health. Normally will be the standard health of the player and this is often designated with a red cross or similar. Other types may include power for a suit or shield. This will normally provide extra protection and may make the difference between survival and death.
Careful Use
The use of this health is very important. For example if you have 90% (Or its equivalent) and you find a health pack that is worth 25% then unless you are absolutely sure you will not be retuning to this area you should leave it for later. 15% of this health pack will be lost and you hardly need it when you are at 90%. There can be no hard and fast rule about collecting health (Or ammunition for that matter) except to say consider each collection carefully. Perhaps it would be better to collect it later in the level when you need it most?
Saving
When new to a game it can be very tempting to want to save you progress often. I have to admit I am guilty of this occasionally you should try and balance the number of saves with the flow of the game. It may be annoying to have to replay certain sections or entire levels again but you may be causing yourself more problems by saving too often. Perhaps you save a game just after beating a difficult adversary, thinking it will mean you never have to beat it again. However, you may only have a little health left and the next moment you are dead. Perhaps it's better to replay the section again until you can beat the enemy AND still have lots of health left.
Cheating
Most recent games have some sort of console that allows you to cheat in some fashion. I strongly urge you to only consider this as an ABSOLUTELY LAST RESORT. I speak from experience when I say that the few times I did this I regretted it. Now I play through, even if I have to play a level or section 20 or more times.
However, I do concede that some custom made levels can be near impossible to beat, all I ask is you think carefully before you take the cheating route. There may be paths within the level that you haven't tried, better weapons for the situation or even a walk through that can help you.
Practice
Whilst it might go against you principles don't be afraid to use levels you have already passed as practice areas. You don't want the first time you use a weapon to be in actual combat. If possible go back to previous levels and practice. What you practice can be whatever you need to improve the most that could be running and shooting or just avoiding getting hit. There's a common phrase in English: Practice makes perfect. It's wrong! It should be Perfect practice makes perfect. Make sure you practice the things you need to improve NOT the things you are good at or enjoy the most!
Observe
You should consider either playing some FPS games online and or playing some Co-Op games. If you don't know Co-Op games are where humans play against the game-controlled enemies. You work as a team to defeat the game. You can learn a lot of tactics and skills this way. Normally games have special maps for this type of game play. If you are interested in trying these types of games I suggest you visit some support forums for your chosen game and see if they run a server for you to join.
More Tutorials will be posted later.
Source: © 2006 PlanetPhillip.