Tips and Tricks

Crossout is easy to get into and hard to master. Here's a few tips to get you started on your way in the new world.

Survival

 * The first thing to understand: Your cabin is your life. As long as it remains intact, you're still in the fight.
 * As such, as soon as you can build, put some armor (structure parts) on it. Cover the front and the sides. Even if that part is later shot off, it will ensure that you won't start losing hit points.
 * Always make sure you are moving. A still target is much easier to hit than a target zigzagging about. The less you sit in a single spot the better your chances are of living.
 * That said, embrace the inevitability of your imminent demise.

Dealing damage

 * Use short, controlled bursts. An overheated weapon is not firing. A weapon not firing is an enemy not dead.
 * When fighting, concentrate on hamstringing your enemies. First: Aim for the weapons, in second the Wheels (A weaponless enemy is much less dangerous).
 * You will see the cabin burning in cause of less HP. That said, if the cabin is exposed, hit it with all you've got. A dead enemy can't shoot you.
 * If you happen to fight bots, prioritize human players over them. Really.

Teamwork

 * Be nice. Always flip back your teammates. A teammate on their back is not contributing to the fight.
 * Give others space. It's not particularly fun to miss a cannon shot because someone bumps into you.
 * Stick together. A lone wolf is not going to get very far.
 * Even in death, you still serve. Declawed and limping? Get in the way of enemy vehicles. Get in their line of sight, knock into them, block them, be a nuisance. --all this just means that you need to fight as a team. You could also self destruct onto an enemy and deal some pretty significant damage (Default: Backspace).

Advanced

 * Experiment. Finding the right niche can be surprisingly difficult. Stick different weapons on the car and see what comes out. A shotgun and an autocannon can be quite effective.
 * Note that you only receive reputation for kills and assisted kills. Whatever damage you did won't count if the enemy survives the round. (!This was changed in 0.9.0, shooting off parts is now rewarded!)
 * There's a lot to consider when building, but the utmost concern should be about two things: you'll either want a vehicle that moves fast with quick weapons meant to dodge incoming fire, or a heavily armored "tank" that sits and takes punishment, or a tertiary middle ground that splits the difference. Use your test drive area to find what playstyle suits you best.
 * Higher power numbers don't equate to better vehicles. The higher your power, the more elevated the players you'll be facing. Be sure to get in lots of practice, and if you find that you're not doing well, scale back the power level.

Addendum to "Experiment" - Not only should you try different combinations to find out what works best for you, but don't be afraid to take a step backward: after leveling up, there are times when six light machine guns do a little better than a Spectre and AutoCannon. Example: two larger weapons take up two spaces (not very much of a target for an enemy to aim at and knock off), whereas six machine guns use three times the space. More targets that an enemy has to aim for and destroy. Even try to Self-Destruct next to the enemy if you are on your last legs with no fire power left(unless your're at the objective as the last member of the team). This also goes for your cabins as well. Where everyone else who has leveled up is now sporting around in a Mac Truck or a Hum V cabin (decent on pushing power but not so wonderful on get-up-and-go speed), you could be zipping past them and doing donuts around them by using a Pick-Up truck or Airplane cabin. A Word Of Advice: If you do decide to drop back and use a smaller but faster cabin, make sure you make or purchase a Hazardous or a Gas Powered Generator. The Hazardous Generator will give you Two extra power points for weapon use and the Gas Powered Generator will give you Three extra power points. They are worth the time to grind for.