Is It Possible to Play Tarkov Wrong?

(Intro)

Video games are designed to provide a very specific gameplay experience. And Tarkov is no different. The goal of EFT is to provide the player the ability to use real world military gear in an environment where they can fight other players, the game itself through AI, survive raids and complete quests to level up and unlock more usable gear for your character. The thirty second loop is cyclical once you get it down and understand the mechanics, maps and gear you are actively using. But something I always think about especially as Tarkov has gotten older with more and more features, is whether it was or still is possible to play Tarkov wrong. The developers have a goal they want you to achieve, and if you deviate from that specific targeted experience, I wonder if they would say that’s technically playing their game wrong. They want us to use lot of different gear, weapons and everything in between to feel as operator as possible while also giving us the highest chance of survival and success. While also struggling along in the process because it just wouldn’t be Tarkov if it was easy. And if a player was to intentionally deprive themselves of those assets, would BSG see that as playing their game wrong? It’s a difficult question to try and explain, but also one I found both profound and interesting because it goes beyond just the scope of EFT. There is an argument that any game from any genre could technically be played wrong, but today I wanted to specifically look at EFT in a vacuum and go over its systems to see if there are or have been ways people have worked against them intentionally. Whether it was to their benefit or determent.

(You need to know how to play it wrong)

There are tons of mechanics and the like that a player needs to learn either before on the fly while playing this game. Losing a kit to a player, AI, or even environmental hazards because of things you simply didn’t know is part of the process. There will be moments where you simply just don’t know that this area on a particular map has mines. Or that stepping too far past this barrier evokes the wrath of the out of boundary sniper. So, as a new player or someone who is experiencing certain moments in the game for the first time, those moments are easily forgiven. But eventually, there will be a point that you’ve played this game enough that information will be second nature, so falling prey to those kinds of world hazards will be on you. There is a certain level of conditioning that must be met in order to fully grasp what Tarkov wants out of you. Ane depending on the player and the level of commitment that could be a week, two weeks, a month. Who knows? But that conditioning; it’s something that is integral to this conversation about playing the game wrong. Once you understand EFT, to play it wrong, you kind of have to do it intentionally. Because if you’re new, you may not know that the PACA armor is really bad. You may not understand how to modify your rifle to make it more effective. But if you have a couple hundred or even a few thousand hours into the game, that’s when you will really begin to break the game down to its core components.

An easy example of this that many have tried is called hardcore EFT. Essentially, it’s a community made way of playing Tarkov that has been around for years, which severely limits your ability to acquire items and gear in the game. You cannot purchase items from the traders, but you can barter for them. You can only acquire gear in raid. And there are other rules and stipulations as well, but those are the most important ones. Now normally, most people wouldn’t dare play the game like this. It can already be hard enough, why restrict yourself even more? Well, if you are bored, want a more challenging way to play, or to truly appreciate playing the game under normal conventions, hardcore is the best way to understand. There are other community made challenges, but hardcore has been the most widely played by the player base at large. And it’s something you would really only know about and even attempt after you have a firm understanding of Tarkov as a game and the amount of conditioning you need to completely get it. It’s kind of like how there are tons and tons of rules for writing well, but then a lot of authors intentionally break those rules because they have such a deep understanding of them. The same mentality can be applied to Tarkov. You play the game wrong, because you understand why the rules, systems, and mechanics are there in the first place.

(Using what you want, even if it isn’t the best)

Another simpler argument to this conversation, is that if you aren’t using the best on offer, you are playing the game wrong. And this is one I personally have always disagreed with. Depending on who you ask, only using the best items in the game is the only way to achieve victory. Anything else might as well not exist in the game once your options open up enough. But there are many, myself included, that either tried to play that way and found it boring, or just the idea alone is boring enough. Using wacky builds or just under appreciated weapons in general has always been the way to reignite my love for the game, no matter the game state. It’s why I enjoy using a bolt-action plus another weapon; either an SMG or a small rifle. If I always ran around with a meta Mutant, or HK416, that would become so stale. The game has thousands of items at your disposal, you might as well give them a try and experiment. You could find a new scope, or attachment in general that you’ve never used before and can add that into your weapon rotation. But in the end, it really boils down to playstyle.

(Aggressive or passive? Which is right?)

Playstyle is another contested part of EFT. Knowing when to shift your playstyle in raid to whatever the circumstances call for is what makes an effective player. For years the idea of the rat and the Chad, which originally started as a meme of sorts, has ultimately become the main way players describe how others engage with the game. And at the end of the day, Tarkov is about survival, by any means necessary. So, if the situation calls for all-out aggression, so be it. And if the position you’re in would benefit from some slower and methodical gameplay, than just do it. As long as you are still alive when the dust settles, that’s all that matters. The conversation about actually playing a raid incorrectly is a little more nuanced than just rat and Chad. You could have quests that require you to be more cautious, you might need to enter a certain area or building and if that section is nothing but noise and explosions, you might want to wait a little. Or you might want to rush over there if you are looking for certain PvP engagements. Everyone has or should have a good a reason to enter a raid; what if your goal whilst on this map? Unless you’ve done literally everything in the game, and are just looking for PvP fights, you should have a reason to load onto a map.

(Outro)

Playing Tarkov is a complicated beast. There are many different angles, avenues and reasons that players do what they do. And no one is inherently wrong for how they choose to engage with the game. But there are some players that swear by some rules or laws that dictate how they choose to play. And there is also nothing wrong with that. If you only want to use the best gear in the game, that’s your prerogative. If you would like to play with restrictions or adhere to a ruleset in Tarkov, there isn’t anything wrong with that either. Ultimately, how you spend your time in EFT is up to you. As long as you are aware of what you’re doing and have the knowledge and experience to back it up, there isn’t a wrong way to play Tarkov. But that all comes with time. And for a while, you will definitely make mistakes as new player, but that’s part of the learning process. So, in those moments, making the effort to learn and try to avoid those mistakes is what will drive you to become a better player, and appreciate the game more as a whole. Thank you very much for taking the time out of your day to watch this video. Let me know down in the comment section below your thoughts on whether or not you can play EFT wrong, any moments in your own experiences that felt like you were playing it wrong and be sure to subscribe for more videos dissecting different styles play that are all valid as long as you are intentionally doing them. I hope to see you in future ones.