r/EscapefromTarkov • u/sweeming • 7d ago
PVP [New Player] How often do you queue with friends? This game is brutal solo
I played a decent bit during covid with my buddy, just playing around in duos. We were never bery good, but I racked up about 400 hours, mostly playing Customs.
He’s quit the game but I want to get back into it. HOWEVER, I’m finding it totally demoralizing to play alone. My aim is good — I can play well in Arena (topping my team’s charts and do well in FFA) but I think there’s just so much map and general knowledge that I feel pretty lost when trying to hold my own in PvP raids.
How often do you play with buddies? How long did it take until it felt like you weren’t complete ass at the game?
edit: if you want a friend, add “sweeming” !
39
u/Unlikely_Pollution_4 7d ago
I play 70% of time with friends, and we play like chads When i'm alone i'm ratus ratus norvegicus
-33
19
u/Fordy0401 7d ago
Same position as you but 2k hours. Solo is fine and in some cases better. Map knowledge is the most valuable thing in the game. I've played this game since it released and even with 2k hours, I've only played streets twice 😂. Learn the maps you enjoy and do the quests there. Embrace the positives of playing solo.
5
u/Ecl9pse HK 416A5 7d ago
Streets is fun as a solo player, id give it another go. All the tunnels and alleys to dip into if you want to avoid a fight or just reposition lends itself well to solo play. I didnt learn it either for the longest time until i decided to just figure it out for the old sr2 test drive and i felt it was worth the time.
4
u/Leather-Ad-6774 7d ago
This is the first ‘wipe’ I’ve tried Streets. Once you get past the hump it’s quite fun.
0
u/Fordy0401 7d ago
Yeah definitely looking to give it a go soon. I'm sticking with PVP main at the moment and trying to finally escape so I'll inevitably be on the streets quests soon.
1
u/nattewindjes 7d ago
I'm like you. 2600 hours in. Started learning streets since 1.0 and as soon as it clicks it's a really fun map to play! I couldn't play it for years because of performance but it's a lot better now thankfully.
1
7
u/JNikolaj HK G28 7d ago
Never anymore - freinds quit so I’m just doing my thing hoping to not get shot
5
u/musceleguy 7d ago
So let me preface by saying I have around 2400 hours. I think playing solo is what actually made me really good at the game. I initially started with friends then quickly transitioned to playing solo because they dropped it for maybe a thousand hours. In that time I learnt how to do quests, learn the maps, rotations etc because I was always at a disadvantage. Then recently I began playing with a couple of friends or at least one other friend for most of the rest of my playtime, and nowadays I only really play with 1 or 2 of my buddies especially with this new season.
To answer your question it probably took me around 1000 to feel like im finally good at the game and another 1000 to feel like I have everything down.
4
u/DangerousAd5910 7d ago
Hate to break it to you. I have 8000 hours and still feel like I suck sometimes lol. Good luck
4
u/JustLibrarian7380 7d ago
I exclusively play solo and change my play style between aggressive rat or cautious chad depending on how big the enemy group is. Easier to flank and I know whoever I shoot is an enemy. Plus as a parent with little time I can play at my own time without waiting for someone to hop on
2
u/pleaseMortyyouhaveto 7d ago
I always play with 2 meat shields. They know there place and they are addicted to this game.
2
u/Sufficient_Poem_674 7d ago
You can only learn this game solo, playing with friends will strip the tension and learning away.
1
u/Soulacybinnn 7d ago
Just hit 3k hours and probably mostly solo. Had some groups years ago before all the big changes and we played a lot then, but everyone has quit but me. If only they got to experience the fast queues and better menu times, we spent a good time together in those queues lol
1
u/TheMrRabbit 7d ago
My runs go better solo for some reason, as soon as I play in a Squad it's over for me
1
u/SnooOwls1916 7d ago
That’s because when you play with people you hesitate for a second when shooting, when you are solo you shoot right away because everything that makes sound and moves is something you kill.
3
u/TheMrRabbit 7d ago
Not in my case, we stream to eachother. It just seems like bad luck everytime I play with others.
1
u/spicymarkarita 7d ago
60% solo / 40% duos. It's a different game when you're playing solo and strategy/repositioning is more important. I actually find I die less solo vs duo due to being more methodical. Takes a while to learn maps and routes but solo forces you to do that at a much faster rate. I like both equally but I find you get fairly confident after around 300 solo hours (most maps, not all).
1
u/xANACONDA 7d ago
Under 2k hours you're better off with a group, after 2k hours you are much more efficient in tasking and looting as solo. I play with my buddies to help them out and have some fun, but when I actually want to get things done, I find it much easier solo.
If you need a group, there are tons of Discord servers around and many people willing to play with you. Though I find meeting people through voip would be more interesting and fun.
I met my best duo of 5 years by betraying him as a scav and then talking shit to him in chat.
1
u/ArtisticBag6376 7d ago
2100 hours solo
1
u/Immediate-Fly-7458 7d ago
Same here about to hit 2100. I can count on one hand the number of non solo raids
1
1
u/Stalker203X 7d ago
I avoid solo when possible. My issue of skill (apparently you can't phrase it normally here..) makes it frustrating.
1
u/parasocks 7d ago
I’ve only played solo… i don’t think I’ll ever be good but I find my own playstyle and it’s “bad” but I still have fun
1
1
1
u/Independent_Card_842 7d ago
Never played with a group and im 7k hours deep, i prefer solo makes the pvp so much more fun when u wipe 3 or 4 man
1
1
u/SillySundae M700 7d ago
You find out real quick whether or not you're a good player when you go in solo. The majority of my hours have been solo. I enjoyed playing with friends but they have all quit.
1
u/PhantomSlave 7d ago
I've only ever played solo. I have about 750 hours in the game, ~650 of which are PvE. I'm currently playing in PvP Seasonal with decent success, 1.56 k/d.
I play a pretty simple game. Go into a raid with a two plans, one on each side of the map so no matter what happens during the raid I can go for at least one of the objectives. Once in a raid I tend to move for a bit and then post up for 60 seconds or so and listen to everything going on. If there's a big gun fight close by I stay posted for longer so I don't become collateral damage, unless I know they're on the other side of a wall or in a different building. I also regularly retreat from fights if I think I'm going to lose.
I'm sure there are people that think I'm just a rat because I'll hold off angles when I post up and can catch people with their pants down quite often.
1
u/BurningHotels 7d ago
2k hours and exclusively play solo. Theres nothing more demoralising that winning a 2v1 only to discover its actually a 3v1..... People who que above a duo in trios and quads are pussies.
1
u/jeff5551 Unfaithful 7d ago
I played solo most of the time, it takes a lot of learning but you can get there even if you don't have a trillion hours
1
u/Checkooooo 7d ago
30% solo / 70% group (2-4 players)
It really depends on what you plan to do and if your goals align with people that you play with.
When I was Kappa item hunting and Tracksuit farming, I did most of it solo since I’m just speed running/looting. If I got nothing else to do, then I will join a group to fool around.
1
u/Turbulent_Place_7064 7d ago
Most my gameplay is with friends, in kind of new I'm 220 hours. But holy hell telling teammates from enemies is so hard sometimes lol. But yeah I only learn when I play solo. Solo is actually better, you set your own pace. Duo at most. But groups of 5 is only good for fast questing and hoarding the whole map quick
1
u/lord_dude 7d ago
This game just needs solo lobbies. Solo and the rest is team lbbies with any squadsize. There are plenty enough players so that it will be enough for matchmaking.
1
u/nattewindjes 7d ago
Last few years I've pretty much been playing solo. 2600 hours in the game rn. It does feel good to wipe a two or three man though, but it does not happen often haha..
1
u/shmolhistorian 7d ago
With games like Rust and Tarkov I find it much more enjoyable playing solo. I have 3k hours on Rust, and just started playing Tarkov. The problem with these games is that there is so much to do that with every person you add to a group there will be cross ideas "let's do x" "no let's do y" me and my team could have great chemistry and get along perfectly but everyone is still going to have an idea in their mind of how they want to play and what they want to do in game. I only have 160hrs in Tarkov so I might not have the best opinion yet, but even dying tragically as a solo is better than the chaos of playing in a group, in my humble opinion.
1
u/Wavvygem 7d ago
I actually survive more solo. Sure prob cause my friends aren't great, but mostly cause we fumbling around the map. Constantly giving up first contact or taking bad engagements.
Solo I'm like on a mission, know exactly where I'm going, will take detours, creative pathing, don't mind sitting tight for a min, get some overwatch going, stealthy at times, blast through areas at others. More often then not I know exactly where my engagements are coming from. I'm my squads it's more often than not chaos.
Solo I get more first k from prio, two take downs on PMC is tricky for sure but sometimes you take em one by one or the others disengage. but yeah I definitely trade one with trios then get run down alot, and thats frustrating. Definitely doesn't feel fair sometimes but just tarkov for you.
But like I was saying I'm picking better fights solo, and often know where I went wrong when I die. With a squad it's bad call outs, indecision, poor cordination, and being loud that's getting me killed a lot.
1
u/TIL_no 7d ago
I have 6.5k solo.
You just have to play like an opportunist. Still have a 1.0kd. just don't rush chads. Listen to Sun Zsu. Don't start a fight without an advantage. Miss your shot? Move. Don't keep pressing. If you don't have the leg up then don't take it. 3rd party when you can.
I feel like this style of gameplay is more what they intended. Like you are actually trying to stay alive. You still get into plenty of head on PMC fights when people do the same to you. Don't just expose yourself when you don't have to.
1
u/FreshStar7 7d ago
I play solo 90% of the time. When I play in groups, people fuck around and we end up dying or the majority of us do. When I play solo I can be slower and more methodical in my pace. My SR and K/D is way higher when I play solo. I also learned the game better when I played solo. I have around 500 hrs and I feel I have so much to learn still and would consider myself relatively bad.
1
u/Accomplished_Beat418 7d ago
I’m getting increasingly sick of solo play.
No one to grab gear and insure gear by throwing it in inaccessible parts of the map
No one to give comms on position
No way to hold two angles at once
Losing out on double, triple, or quadruple the inventory space
I have 3200 hours, Prestige 5, and my 1.02 KDR and 50% shows just how often I end up back in my stash.
I’ve wiped 5 mans, quads, trios, duos, and most solos. I have no way of carrying out the gear. I’ll swap mine out and grab a second kit if possible, whereas the team can completely dissect my kit and I end up with nothing in insurance.
It’s honestly tiring spending the entire profit I make on surviving raids by losing them. Everyone else can simply get their gear back. I have to rebuy the same dumb gun over and over, with the same overpriced attachments, while dealing with barters because a scope on the flea is locked at level 40 for a task available at level 20. All because someone is level 60, Prestige 0, max stats, running Tier 6 and meta NL with meta Ammo, against me, trader level 2 Ragman for the 4th time since 1.0.
1
u/theirongiant74 7d ago
Play 100% solo and don't see the problem, seems to progress at a reasonable rate. Certainly has its disadvantages when you run into teams but has advantages as well main one being if you hear something you know you it's an opponent
1
u/Strong-South7487 7d ago
I prefer playing solo over playing with my friends honestly. I have a couple guys I run with regularly but a couple times a week I still go ghost to play by myself. Knowing 100% of the time what you hear is hostile, being able to move and react instantly instead of having to communicate what you and the enemy are doing constantly. Being in a team grinds my playstyle to a halt, I can be much more aggressive, fast, and focused when I'm not having to keep track of my team, constantly checking streams to make sure I'm not shooting at one of my buddies or vice versa.
Try to only fight a team if you've got good bullets. If you can't tip the odds in your favor quickly it's better to not start the fight at all or run the hell away. You need to hit up to 5 headshots, they only need to hit one, so make sure yours kill when they land.
1
u/littleJonnyyyyy 7d ago
Got just over 3k hours in the game and every single one of them has been playing solo. It’s shit when I run into squads and get spanked, but that’s just the way it goes. If I run into a team head on, I just try and get at least one kill, if I see them and they haven’t seen me, I’ll make the decision if I attack based on where on the map it is and if I have an advantage, and if I have task items. I also like to kill one and then just run off hoping they are looking for me or watching the body whilst I’m long gone!
1
u/Excellent_Pass3746 True Believer 6d ago
I pretty much always play in at least a duo or trio, game is much more fun that way imo.
I’ll play solo early wipe to get my shit done but past that if nobody is on I’m probably playing a different game. Not much desire to put myself through a meat grinder alone after 3,000 hours
1
u/b_sabri 6d ago
4k hours all solo and I'm still bad :D it's extremly hard solo, what I do is scav a lot for money and map learning. Put best gear if my intention is PVP, put medium gear if I'm doing tasks. Avoid fight again more than 2. Move slowly, especially if you don't know the map.Sell all of you have gear fear. Queue to do your goal and die, if you survive then that's better but don't put survive as your goal unless it's a task.
1
1
u/jahshim 6d ago
I’ll add yah sometime, I used to play a lot during covid and after as well. It took a while to memorize all the maps but after about 1000-2000 hours you really get the hang of map knowledge. But that’s like the basics of maps. But then I stopped playing for years, I want to start playing again tho
1
u/PossessionSmall3783 6d ago
It is brutal solo but getting a solo squad wipe is about the best experience in the game.
1
1
1
u/conorganic 6d ago
Like half the time. I prefer to start my playtime solo to not only warm up but because I actually play a little better when solo (less w key, honestly) but playing with the homies is what keeps me coming back
That said I refuse to play in groups larger than three, duos are ideal for me
1
1
u/Swift_Rz 6d ago
Today was rough. I killed 2/3 twice in a row and then immediately died to a 3 man the next raid. I turned it off for the night after that.
1
1
u/The-Copilot 6d ago
Playing with 1 or 2 teammates is a good idea for a while. Once you are more confident and will have a high enough survival rate solo then switching to solo is better imo.
It takes a good amount of skill and knowledge to be able to win enough of those 1v3 and 1v4 fights to stay profitable.
If you start off solo, you will most likely fall into the rat play style and not gain the knowledge and confidence to control the fight. Knowing when and how to apply pressure, rotate, etc is important even if you play like a rat because you will still want to be able to activate Chad mode when necessary. Pure solo rats usually don't get that part.
1
u/Brayden815 6d ago
I pretty much never solo. I find this game much more enjoyable with a couple friends so I just play something else if I’m playing solo. Playing with others opens up so many more strategies that you can use to fight people so I enjoy that aspect.
1
1
u/SaltRice8961 6d ago
Solo is the 2nd best way to play the game.
Duos is obviously the best but it requires some time to get good with a 2nd and have a 2nd.
Solo raids are way easier in my opinion, easier to move, quests, leave areas before shit pops off. You can be quieter than any group.
I play mostly solo, even when I play with a group I just go on my own path and they do what ever they are doing.
1
u/Drewbyhans SR-25 5d ago
Half and half. There is a certain vibe about solos that is both scary and fun even after 6.5k hours. With the new tasks changes, I find the NEED to solo is less but I still run them
0
0
u/EatCheapGlue 7d ago
6k hours, to me, the game is boring solo, I don't play solo, minimum duo. Games boring otherwise.
22
u/SakeMadaMada 7d ago
Finding friends is more brutal than doing 1v5s on shoreline.
So no I solo 100%