1. Most of the time, you're better off letting the Sims come to you. Higher level Sims especially have uncanny aim while moving and they do better than the average human in a running gun battle. Memorize "high traffic" areas which Sims tend to frequent and localize your hunting there. In other words, camp.

2. Sims love shields. Unlike most human players, who seem to like to see a gun battle through to the bitter end most of the time, Sims have no qualms about running off to re-shield themselves the moment the tide of battle turns against them and then returning to finish you off. It can be very annoying. Furthermore, Sims will often attempt to shield themselves when they first respawn rather than find a new weapon. Take advantage of this! Use the shield location(s) as a "Sim lure" to make them come to you and pick them off. Simply not playing with shields can also level the playing field. If you do use shields, always stay shielded yourself!

3. Whatever you do, avoid areas with more than one level where Sims can direct fire at you from above or below. You may not be able to easily run up a multi-story spiraling walkway with your gun pointed straight up, firing accurately all the while, but a Sim sure can.

4. When playing against multiple Sims, try to keep your back to the wall and avoid large, open areas. You don't have 360 degree vision and there's nothing worse than allowing yourself to be distracted battling one Sim only to be picked off from behind by another.

5. Sims are programmed to always go for the most powerful weapon. That means that if you're playing with all pistols and an automatic, they'll go for the automatic without fail. They also prefer explosive to non-explosive weapons as a rule. Know where these weapons are and acquire them yourself immediately after you start and each time you respawn. Also remember that the locations of these weapons are "Sim lures" and ideal places to prepare for a Sim onslaught or set up a cunning trap.

6. When playing with radar, use it always! Never let them get behind you if you can help it. This is vital.

7. Use the high ground. If you hold it, you don't have to worry about being bombarded from above. You effectively maximize the number of attack angles available to you and limit your opponent's at the same time. Make your way to the highest points in levels when possible.

8. Unless you have a teammate covering you or your radar tells you that you are alone in the room, avoid ladders like the plague. While climbing, you are very vulnerable. And DarkSims can climb about as fast as you can run!

9. Never attempt to go hand-to-hand with Sims. A fistfight usually isn't worth the screen-blurring dizzyness that may result. Attempting to run at and disarm a Sim will almost always result in your death. If you must try to disarm one, lure it to a doorway or around a corner and then whirl around and attempt to ambush it point blank. Still, it's not recommended.

10. Remember who you're playing against and adjust your tactics accordingly. The John Woo "run and gun" style works just fine against Meat, Easy, and Normal Sims but for Hard, Perfect, and Dark prepare to play defensively.

11. Use "bottomless pits" to your advantage. Avoid them yourself and send Sims tumbling down them as often as possible.

12. Use corners. If you are being chased by a Sim or spot one coming up behind you on radar, try luring it around a corner and blasting it just as it comes into view. This takes some good timing to pull off but can be worth it.

13. The bulletproof window glass of the Felicity can be an advantage. Sims don't seem to understand that they can't shoot through it with most weapons and will happily empty their gun into the glass if they spot you on the other side. When they pause to reload, you can go on the offensive and score an easy kill if you're quick.

14. Stealing kills. Against human players, it may be considered "cheap", but all's fair when fighting against souless computerized automatons. If you see two or more Sims engaged in combat, never hesitate to sneak up unnoticed when the time is right and let the weakened and unsuspecting combatants have it. All the points, little of the risk.

15. Aim! This is very important. Some high level Sims are very, very quick on the draw. You might only have time for one or two shots. Would you rather use them to score head shots or to clumsily spray half your clip into the wall and your opponent's forearm, wounding him slightly before he shrugs it off and blasts you into oblivion? Aim.

16. Sims will not hesitate to run away when the fight goes against them. Press your advantage: Give chase and finish the job!

17. Strafing (sidestepping) can make you a much harder target. It helps both your offense and defense in combat. By making yourself harder to hit, you take less damage which in turn allows you to stay alive and dish out more punishment yourself. The one exception seems to be single-shot weapons, where Sim opponents can sometimes seem to have a harder time hitting you when you stand still. Try standing still and aiming to get off a good shot instead of bobbing and weaving when confronting Sims using such weapons. This works great with one-hit kill weapons like the FarSight and DY357-LX.

18. Always reload between lulls in the action, even if your weapon is only a few shots low. Having to reload in the middle of a firefight usually means your doom.

19. Know your levels. Some of Perfect Dark's multiplayer levels are huge and each one has its own twists and turns, choke points, ideal camping and sniping spots, weapon and item locations, and general quirks. The more you know, the better prepared for battle you'll be.

20. Cloaking is also deadly in the hands of a Sim. Just like with shields and high-powered weapons, Sims flock to cloaks when they repawn like moths to flame. This makes cloak spawn locations ideal camping spots and any traps set up near them are bound to pay off. Always play defensively when cloaks are available. Find a dead-end hallway or easily defended room if possible and hole up there to minimize the number of angles a cloaked Sim can attempt to sneak up on you from.

21. The huge stone slabs that function as doors in the Temple can be used to set up easy kills as they open very slowly. When you see one start to rise, crouch down and fire at the legs of the Sim on the other side. They never expect this. The slowly rising metal doors of the Car Park, Fortress, and Area 52 can be used in the same way.

22. If you must run from a Sim, remember that you're defenseless with your back turned. Try a "fighting retreat", backing away while keeping your foe in your sights and firing all the while.

23. Sims have no idea where weapons, shields, cloaks, etc are, only where they are supposed to be. Try moving weapons and ammo from their original position with gunshots. Not only will Sims be unable to find them, they will even respawn in their new positions when they are picked up.

24. Even when you don't use radar, a Sim will always face its choosen target. When playing with Sim teammates, have one stay near you and watch it. It will constantly aim its weapon at the nearest enemy, even if the target is on the other side of the level.

25. Sims won't move hovercrates. Try blocking access to the ladders in the Warehouse with a hovercrate. The Sims will swarm around it, trying in vain to climb the ladder, turning them into sitting ducks.

26. When using the Laser, set it to its secondary function and stand next to a door or other entryway. Engage the short-range stream and aim it parallel to the doorway at roughly head height. Sims won't hesitate to run through the doorway and place their heads in the path of the beam. Easy kill.

27. There are certain things that you can do better than any Sim:

A. Camp. They may wait outside a door for you, but rarely for long. The typical Sim is always moving and far from smart enough to set up complex traps and ambushes. The one exception is when you camp in one spot for long enough, a Sim may decide to try to wait you out or avoid you after two or three failed attacks on your position. When they do, you can often wait them out indefinitely by simply staying put and achieve an easy win if your score is higher.

B. Snipe. Sure, they'll shoot at you from afar if possible, but they won't go as far as to pick out a spot, aim at a doorway or other such choke point, and wait as long as necessary. That's strictly a human game.

C. Spot hidden hazards. No Sim, no matter how good will ever recognize a Laptop Gun turret, a mine, or a Dragon in proximity mode for what they are. They're just dumb that way. In fact, they will very rarely deploy proxie Dragons and Laptop turrets themselves. Use this to your advantage.

D. Use explosives. If you turn a corner and find yourself face-to-face with a rocket launcher-wielding Sim, don't think you're safe. A Sim won't think twice about nuking himself to take you down. They use such weapons at even the most suicidal point-blank ranges. A silly AI flaw to be sure, but it can be an advantage for you. Remember that each suicide is worth -1 point to the unlucky victim. Careless Sims with explosives can sometimes end up accidently lowering their own score by blasting themselves. Good news for you! Try to play defensive and let the Sims suicide themselves as much as possible.

E. Use the FarSight. Sims will rarely do this as well as a human player. They tend to employ the FarSight as an extremely slow "golden gun"-type one hit kill weapon more often than not. You have the advantage here. When they do fire through walls, remember to keep moving and strafe to make yourself a harder target. Shields help here, too.

F. Shoot through doors. This is another thing that Sims will never "think" to do. Simply get a magnum or a Callisto with high-velocity shells and start blasting as soon as your radar tells you they're on the other side of the door (or as it just starts to open if you're not using radar).

Well, that's all I can think of for now. Feel free to add your own tips.

Thanks go to gsgg atsdsdt for suggesting tip #26.

Email me with any questions or comments about this page at: greenyamo@hotmail.com