EFT Tutorial and Guide
THE TARKOV CENTRAL
Find your pace and playstile
In the previous chapter, I suggested watching content creators and streamers on YouTube to learn from them. However, there’s something important you need to keep in mind: many of them play Escape from Tarkov for several hours a day, it's their job, and they have been doing so for years. This means they have accumulated thousands of hours of gameplay experience.
By playing for so many hours every day, they have developed an ease, skill level, and set of automatic reflexes that are almost unattainable for an average player who only plays a few hours a day or less. Moreover, with so much time spent in the game, they know the maps like the back of their hand and are familiar with every possible trick.
This doesn’t mean that watching them to learn isn’t useful—it absolutely is. You will learn a lot about EFT. But you shouldn’t expect to play like them, keeping up with the same pace and playstyle.
You definitely won’t be able to do it right away. Depending on your skill level, your experience with FPS games, and the number of hours you play daily, you might eventually reach their level.
Find your own pace, develop your own playstyle. Take inspiration from them, learn tricks and game mechanics, but don’t push yourself too hard or get frustrated if you can’t reach their level.
There are also streamers who play at a slower pace, making their style more relatable for us mere mortals. That’s why I enjoy, and I think it's very useful, watching content from DeadlySlob, Sleek and MaskedFPS.
Also, remember these three things:
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Even the most experienced and skilled player can be beaten if you play well and smartly.
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The vast majority of players are regular people with jobs, families, and limited time to play, so you will mostly encounter players like this.
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If it feels like you're running into god-like skilled players too often, it's because they are the ones moving around the most, actively hunting for PvP. Less skilled players tend to play more stealthily and avoid fights unless they have a clear advantage.
Playstyle Controversies
Another thing you often hear or read (for example, on Reddit) is the controversy surrounding different playstyles. As I’ve mentioned before, there’s no right or wrong way to play.
One common complaint is about encountering players who hide in a corner, waiting to ambush others.
While it’s true that there are the infamous “Rats”—players who genuinely camp in a hidden spot, waiting for an entire raid just to ambush someone and steal their gear and loot—it’s also true that many players rush around the map at full speed, making a lot of noise.
Naturally, these noisy players will be heard by more cautious and silent players, who will inevitably set up in a strategic position and surprise them.
The first group will assume the others have been camping there forever, thinking they’re just cowards hiding in a corner. In reality, though, the opposing team may have only just positioned themselves moments before, after hearing them approach—ultimately outplaying them.
In short, play however you like—whatever works best for you and, most importantly, whatever you enjoy the most.
The beauty of Escape from Tarkov lies in the diversity of playstyles. Rats, Chads, Stealthy players, Timmies—all of them make each raid different and add an element of unpredictability, which is one of the most exciting aspects of this game.
Always have a plan
A very valid piece of advice that I often see given by experienced players is to always enter a raid with a plan, an objective, and a route to follow. It doesn’t matter if you want to complete a specific quest, just loot around, or hunt for players—you should always have a plan and a route in mind.
Entering a raid just to wander aimlessly is not recommended. There are several reasons for this, but the most important ones are:
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Staying Focused: If you don’t at least have a route in mind, you risk being less focused on what you’re doing, getting distracted, and being led off track by events. In EFT, distraction = death.
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Having the Right Gear: For example, if you’re equipped for CQC and you find yourself in an open field where you’d need a long-range weapon, you’ll be at a disadvantage.
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Knowing What You're Getting Into: This applies both in terms of the combat environment and the spawn locations of other players, as well as map rotation (or map flow). If you have your movements planned, you can anticipate the possible movements of your opponents. If you wander around aimlessly, you might end up in unexpected situations that you could have foreseen.
Sometimes, I enjoy equipping myself with low-value gear or just a lightweight loadout specifically to roam freely for fun. This can lead to both disadvantages (being caught off guard by enemies) and advantages (catching enemies off guard because I follow an unpredictable and unconventional path). However, I am fully aware of what I am doing, so I stay cautious. That said, I often still run into the issues mentioned above, which proves just how true they are.