Boom ! Headshot ! ( Building Neo - Tactics on Network - Level Anomalies in Online Tactical First - Person Shooters

This paper tries to de-mystify the urban legends and expose the secrets of success of those who excel at online tactical first-person shooters. It focuses specifically on the evolution of winning tactics, and postulates the existence of a special sort of tactic – the neo-tactic – which exploits the underlying low-level physics properties of the virtual environment. Such tactics may only be employed subconsciously by superior players, or with false justifications for their success. The paper gives examples of individual neo-tactics, such as first mover advantage and more complex team neo-tactics; it then suggests experiments that could empirically confirm their significance. The paper concludes that greater understanding and appreciation of neo-tactics could help make online gamers’ experiences more harmonious and successful.