Fortnite: Iterating to a Win
The new game called Fortnite has swept the gaming community since it’s release July 25, 2017. In less than a year 3.4 million people were playing the game at any given time. The game is considered a survival game and goes like this. 100 people are dropped onto the map at the same time with nothing but a pickaxe. Upon landing on the ground the player needs to locate a weapon and gather resources while either killing or avoiding the other players near them. To prevent one player from just hiding on the edge of the map players must stay within a circle that gets smaller every couple of minutes. If a player stays outside the circle too long, they will find themsleves in the storm which will kill you.
Fortnite is unlike any game I’ve played before as the objective is not to have a high kill count like Call of Duty, but rather to simply survive. It is actually possible to win and not kill anyone although that is very unlikely. The game also provides the opportunity to iterate over different strategies in a controlled environment until one is found that works. I have very much enjoyed doing this and while I am by no means really good, I have found what appears to be somewhat of a unique strategy that works for me…some of the time.
There are three main stages to each match, first is the initial drop and scramble for weapons, supplies and resources. Second is getting inside, and staying inside the cirlce while killing or avoiding other players. Third is the last few people when it is truly kill or be killed and the winner emerges. There are many different strategies for each but I want to outline what the common ones are, what mine is and why I diverted from the common strategies.
First: The Initial Drop
Everyone starts out even. Some people earn or buy ‘skins’ but they provide no tactical benefit in the game. There is no leveling up or pay to win components so everyone starts out eveny matched. This makes is vital to get down quickly and find some good weapons and supplies before others do because there is no other way to have an advantage. There are three key parts to the initial drop: where to land, how to drop and what to gather when you get down.
Where to Land
This is the first and one of the most important decisions to make. Every player starts on the bus which goes across the map in a random line.
The player can jump off the bus at any time or will be forced off when the bus reaches the end of the line. Choosing where to go is a balance of how many other people will be there, the quality and quantity of weapons and supplies and the locations proximity to the center of the map. Generally, most players drop right on the bus route so any location that the bus goes right over is very crowded. It can also be expected that the largest locations that have the best and most weapons and supplies will also be the most crowded. I usually choose a location slightly off the bus path that is not on the edge of the map but not right in the middle either. I also tend to go to the larger areas as getting good weapons and supplies is important. It usually means a fight or two but if I emerge victorious I’m usually in a good position with good equipment.
How to Drop
Once your lacation is picked you need to get there as soon as possible. When you jump off the bus the player will skydive down until a certain altitude is reached and a parachute is deployed automatically. The best thing to do is to get down over the lowest point possible so that the chute is pulled as late as possible. Getting down faster than other players lets you get a gun first which is a huge advantage.
What to do When Landed
As soon as the player has landed they should immediately find a gun and seek out any other players nearby and kill them. Once the area is cleared, or clear enough, it is time to gather supplies and resources. There are five different levels of weapons, white, green, blue, purple and gold with white being the weakest but most common and gold being strongest but most rare. In addition to weapons there are two other key supplies that are really good to have, a medkit or bandages which will heal player health and shield potions which provides a shield for the player. Once good enough weapons and supplies are gathered, most players then start to gather resources. As mentioned above, each player starts with a pickaxe which can be used to dismantle almost anything in the game and gather wood, stone or metal. These resources can then be used to build structures, stairs, walls, etc. later in the game. This is where my strategy differs from most players, I do not bother gathering resources as I do not build in stages two and three of the game like most others. Instead, I find the best weapons and supplies I can, usually won’t leave until I have at least one blue weapons and some shield, then make my way to the center of the circle. This is the beginning of stage two.
Two: Getting and Staying inside the Circle
Once landed, most players slowly make their way to the enter of the circle, gathering resources and looking for supplies along the way. The most common strategy is to get to the middle or as close to the middle as possible and build a structure, as tall as possible which gives the player good strategic position over others, espeically if they have a scoped weapon. Getting to the middle of the cirlcle does not gaurentee that the player will be in the circle when it shrinks but it does increase the likelihood considerably and being in the circle is very advatageous.
Originally I started by staying on the edge of the circle, my logic being that it was less likely someone would be behind me. While I waited for the circle to begin shrinking again I would build a structure as was the norm. This never worked. Not once. I would either die in my fortress because I cannot build and fight very effectively or I would die as I approached the circle because others were already there.
So I went back to the drawing board and after a few iterations came up with my current strategy. Now, instead of staying on the edge of the circle, I make it a point to get to the middle. This becomes especially important toward the end when the circle is small because now they have to come to me.
The biggest change I made however, is to not build at all. For those who are good at it, building is very powerful but I do not play enough to get that good. For me building is just a loud way to advertise my position to every person in the area and then my structure is destroyed and I am killed. So now, instead of building a structure, I find a bush or a small building and I hide and I wait. I let the other players kill each other off and only move when the cirlce forces me to and only attack if I am about to be discovered. Using this strategy I am consistently in the top 10 players. That leads into the last stage of the game.
Kill or be Killed
Most players when they reach the last stage build massive structures in the middle of the small circle. They get into elaborate battles with each other that result in vast, intricate super structures that are the culmination of two or more players building and fighting at the same time. Something I am not good at. They are very fun to watch from my bush.
The last stage of the game for me is a tense test of patience and stealth. In the ideal situation, I am able to stay hidden until it is just me and one other player. I wait until they are forced to leave their tower and come find me and I pop out and try to kill them. Sometimes, however I am forced to improvise like when there are no bushes to hide in. In these instances I have found that hiding inside someone’s structure can work or under a tree. Sometimes, most times, the cicle does not close on me and I am forced to leave my hiding place and confront whoever is left in the circle until I can find a new place to hide. The smaller the circle becomes, the more likely this will result in a fight or two.
Conclusion
My solution is by no means perfect and don’t win that often. But it has been the most effective so far. I continue to try new things and see how that works and that is why I think the game has become so popular so fast. Every match is a new opportunity to try something new and yet the map never changes so it is much easier to truly test strategy, more than relying on luck of the draw. As I move forward I am working on refining my closing strategy, and getting from the last 10 consistently to the last five.
