Introduction :
First off, please excuse me for the intermediate level of English but I will do the maximum to be as clear as possible.
Secondly, this is not a guide that will help you to get better (intrasically speaking) but some tips I am glad to present you backed with the experience I have acquired through fourteen years playing on non-AAA games in order to make you more efficient and facilitate your start if you are aiming to compete and impose yourself as a solid opponent.
Once the game is finally here, you will need a lot of gametime. When I say a lot, take it at the true sens of the term. When a game is dropped, there are hundred of thousands if not millions of players wanting to frag around for months, and some will naturally have the same objective as you : becoming a predator at the top of the food chain and chase all the weak players hiding behind the same box all the round, every rounds.
Having a general knowledge of the different maps with knowing the main choke points, "noob-spots", shortways and timings is what makes the difference on first days. A casual player does approximatively play two hours a day, but some of your rivals will easily be on the game twice as long. All depends where you do you place your objectives, but I would say that playing six hours a day is a minimum if you want to catch up with people that will play ten, twelve, or fifteen hours a day. More experienced you are, the most you will be able to make benefits from this time. I also recommand you to divide your game period into shorter shifts in a way to diminish your eye strain, muscular fatigue and your lassitude. Making breaks every X games, wearing glasses if you need to, and having the screen placed at the correct height are also some things I heavily suggest you.
Playing a lot is important, but playing in an effective way is at least as much crucial. If you already have a team, or some friends aiming to grind the game : play with them as much as you can and do not hesitate to ask about the time they go online and make a planning to set up "team hours". Knowing how does your teammates moves / act on the map and a few basic strategies is a big advantage especially when other players are still learning the name of the weapons or figuring out how did you killed them the previous round.
If you do not have a team ready by the release of the game you can use this forum to check if people are hiring or you can make your own thread and ask for what you are looking for. Also, being "social" and active in game and over the different platforms related to Crossfire X is a point you will absolutely need to work on. I am not saying that it is necessary to talk about how good the cookies your mom made the last sunday were, but if you want to be invited to customs games your mic will have to be open and your communication / call-outs simple and useful.
A big part of the playerbase will look for friends or teammates in order to play ranked or private games to practice before and between tournaments. If competing is also what you're searching for, take care of your reputation.
Avoid talking to not say useful things publicly, avoid trashtalking to your teammates but also your opponents, you may see them again so you do not want to embarass your friends, and the opponents of today can become your mates of tommorow. Rivalties are often created really quick and that is something that can push your limits to become better but it need to be a healthy one. A T-bag here and there is not forbidden but keep in head that the more focus you are, the better you will be. And the better you will be, the most people will enjoy playing with you and inviting you to fill a spot if a slot is available.
You also need to keep in mind that even if your group of players does not have a tag or clan name and you frequently play together, people will put a sticker on your heads : Your team have a lot of numbers in your gamertags? You will now be called the "ZIP codes". You players have some mangas character names in their names? You will now be "The Japaneses".
Got the idea? We will go further in details.
Methodology and relations :
Natural capacities are obviously something to consider, but I don't believe that much on "talent", especially in video games. Once you have the methodology to understand how to improve, you have it for every games. Some games will more fit to you (because of mechanics, because you enjoy it, because you understood things before others) and some will simply not match with you. But if you really want to be a good player, especially at start of a new game, there is no secret : gametime, gametime and gametime. You need to use this gametime not simply with starting matchmaking games but to create links with good people you meet, playing a lot of privates games because it's where you will face best players, learn new strats from them or even discover some yourself. Grinding matchmaking just to have a high grade will not bring you a lot. You will for sure know how noobs plays, what is the quickest / most efficiency way to win games, but it's totally different from big men games.
One thing is certain : if you're serious, don't rage, being a positive element in games with your frags, assists and communication, you will achieve what you want. It's a lot of work, especially when you start from nothing or almost, but if you give your best to elevate yourself you will meet other people with the same state of mind.
You will also have to make choices as playing with friends or playing with good players. The thing is to make friends that are actually good and have the same aim than you. You will never become good if you just play with bad friends or if you play with good people but don't enjoy gaming with. You really need to find people that fit with you and with the same aim.
Relationships, at the start of a new IP is really important. If you find the good persons quickly, it's a huge step in the quest of becoming better. If you don't succed to make relations that can help you in the future and in the early grind it will indeed being harder.
Stay hungry, each days more than the previous one, keep asking yourself everytime you died or lost a round what YOU should had do right and what your teammates should have do too. This way, of always questioning yourself in bad rounds or good rounds is honestly an immortant key. Don't just play to play. Play to improve. Everytime.
Relations is a major part of the grind. It's better to play 1 hour with and against good players than 5 hours against randoms daddies or school kids. Also, it is as good to play with good players than against. Winning easily everytime doesn't teach a lot, and losing everytime by an huge marge doesn't bring a lot neither. I would dsay that balanced games, with people a little bit better than you is the good compromise. Also, you do not have to be afraid to try some new things. Inspiring yourself from other players can be good but the ultimate goal is to have your own way of playing. Imiting others will never give you the possibility to be as good as them, simply a bad copy. It doesn't mean you shouldn't hear other tips at all, it just means that if someone do something but you notice that it have only 30% of being successful or useful, don't. Make friends, try to stay in a good contact with other teams, try to understand your errors and good points and all will be fine.
Relations
Gametime
In that order.
Both are very important, but it's less damaging to play a bit less than the average if you play with better players. Playing 10 hours a day against casual players will obviously give you some basics and a little advance compared to others but on the long run, if you "only" play 7 hours a day, or even 5 but mostly in scrims or against the best/good comp players, the end result will be better. Firstly because you will improve yourself, but also and it's a very important point, you will remember other players habits. With playing with / against the same players every days, you will remember (if you work to) how everyone plays, if player A is passive, where player B use to push etc... You will also have to remember that player A knows that you like this certain spot at a certain moment so sometimes you will have to mislead him by playing elsewhere etc... Most of the people think that reflex is the most important thing in FPS. But the memory is as if not more important. At a high level, very honestly, the memory is the most important aspect in game. By playing several games, it will be automatic if you previously worked to keep that in mind. You will know if it's better to go this way with 20% hp, or the other way. In a clutch situation you will remember if picking an AWM on the ground to make the first frag is a good choice or not, then switching back to your rifle to fake the other players, etc... Mindfucking opponents is a thing you need to place at the center. You can't just rush 1v2 or 1v3 with thinking it will do it because your aim is powerful.
No worries, you'll get all of this very quickly. Just play efficiently, look to improve, look for people with the same vision, and try to put yourself in the competitive community on the battleground. Internet is internet, but at the end only things you show in game have it's interest.
What you also need to know is that a lot of people will try to play like they do on PC, but that's not something to do on console and especially with a pad. On CSX, a lot of people just watched pc streams, strats etc and tried to apply this on Xbox. It's just curbing yourself. You can't do the same thing with a controller, so you have to take the game with a completely different angle. Once again, learn what's working, what's not, what is possible to realise with a controller and what is it's limit.
Roles :
Do not put yourself in a specific case as soon you have the game into your hands. You should be polyvalent, shortened in "poly". It means that you need to play with rifles and snipers as much as you can, do some entry, some lurks, some bomb carrying and fully understand specificities of eachs ones. Unless you quickly have a full team and played a few scrims with it, do not specialize in a thing. You need first to become a good overall player and know how every roles are played if you want to counter them.
Putting you in a case and say you're a "sniper", a "rifle", an "igl", an "entry", a "support", or anything will block your progression and you may miss so fun or interesting parts of the game. You better should learn particularities of every types of players / roles. You will naturally move yourself in a specific role with the time and at which tasks you perform the better.
At the very start of CS, I was a slayer / entry / sniper, but since I also was the IGL, my role slowly changed to poly and then to support, keeping the IGL role but with letting entries frags and awp to my friends. My role was precisely to give calls between each frags and keeping the bomb safe. Since I also was the last alive in most of the rounds, also had a large ammount to clutch to play and became very scaring because of the XP accumulated. You can't just say, "ok I like sniping so I will become the main awp" when other players fit the role better. But you can also be one if other people prefers to take less risks, doesn't like to open, etc... The support role is underrated, needs a very good game knowledge and is definitively very interesting to play if you want my opinion!
That's not up to you to choose the role but it's the role that will choose you and in comparison to the players you play with. Let's say you play on monday with very aggressive players. On this day, you better play passive if you're used to play slower than them, hold certain positions etc... But if on wednesday you're playing with very passive players, and are used to take more risks than them, then prefer playing some entries frags or taking risks. It's a whole thing, you need to see the force and the strenght of your team after a few rounds only. If you are used to play with the same players days after days or in a team, things have to be done naturally once again. If one is very strong with the snipers but another teammate also likes it he should take his ego off and says ok this guy gonna awp no problem, and I will be the second when needed. If one people wants to play support but he always try to make first frags, doesn't sacrifice himself when needed, never throw supportive stuff etc, then this role doesn't fit him and he will have to accept to play slayer or whatever you call it. Things must be done naturally and every players must know their forces and skills.
Practices and state of mind :
To find scrims, you shouldn't be shy or scared of anything. If you know some people in a team just ask if they're up to play some friendly games against your squad to practice, whatever the result is. If you see some people in the discord with a team or in game with the same tag or playing a lot together, also just ask. You can also use CFX Arena forums. At the very start finding scrims if you don't know comp players from other games may be hard, but more you will be implied in the community and playing customs games / top ranks games, the more you will be known from other players. Days passing, you will have a global view of who is who, who play at this time, who play in what team etc... It's really not a hard work, if you want to CFX being your first game where you dominate 99% of players, it will mainly requiere some motivation, focus and game time. You will also need to get better days after days because if a gap is made between the players you're used to play with / against, you'll "step down". At the moment of making teams, people will be less interested in you and at the moment to make mixs they will have no regret to put you on the bench. The thing is as previously said, your social skills will have to be used well in order to always have customs games when you get online, picking a sub or being a sub if neededfor ranked matchs, knowing what's happening around in the community (if there is a spot in a team, if a team is actually doing good / bad, if people are interested in you, etc...).
If you're willing to dominate, the very first advice I can give you is to aim for the number 1 spot. Not satisfying you of being in the "top 10" or "top 20" players, but being the BEST. It's a lot of sacrifices (IRL, hobbies, etc...), but if your goal is to bring your domination over a scene, and do your possible to achieve it then it's possible. You can clearly suck during a week or two, even more and it's not a problem. As previously said, the thing is to always play and see what / where you can improve. Every times you're dying you need to ask your mind "why am I dead, was my death worth, what could I have done If I wasn't dead, etc". You also need to think that for your teammates, "what could he have done to help the team more, where should he have throw his grenade, etc".
Try to always keep a positive mindstate, play with people you enjoy (if they're actually good and with the same vision), and always prefer tough games than easy ones. You will usually improve after a slight defeat, or even a big one. But with kicking people 10-0 every games it will take you longer. Playing with people of your level at the minimum, and seeking games where you can improve is a recommandation. Better play 1 game of custom with competitive grinders aiming to stay on the game for months or years than playing 5 games with randoms that just intalled Crossfire X or doesn't have any competitive ambition. Remember that as long you will not open your mouth when it's not needed, respect better and less skilled players, you'll be liked and things will go smoothly.
Want to practice but the game is still unvailable?
It's always good to find a similar game to prepare you before the d-day. I did it with playing ET:QW before Brink (same devs, "similar" gameplays) and it brang a lot. Also found my old Counter-Strike disc from OG Xbox and played a bit on the 360 before the release of CSX. It also helped a bit even if it was in a lesser degree. Breakout is probably the second best choice after Counter-Strike Xbox if you want to practice for CFX and it will definitively bring you a little something during the first 2 or 3 days. You have to know that playing without a sprint and an ADS is a different approach so Breakout can be useful (especially if you're not playing alone) but that will certainly not gives you an unbelievable advantage during weeks!
Playing a "similar" FPS you never tried before will for sure help you a bit at the release of Crossfire X (if you do it seriously). The work you need to accomplish is to find the main keys to become a better player as fast as possible. Becoming a good Breakout player will not necessary help you to being a good CFX player at it's release but the work you put to achieve that, will. If you quickly find the important mechanisms of the game, what fight to take or not, how playing this site, when to pick your duels will help you a lot to do it also on CFX. To resume, being the best Breakout player will not magically tranform you in the best Crossfire X player but remembering all the questions you asked to yourself to become better will definitively gives you a plus. Take this for a "mental" practice instead of a "thumb" practice if you get it. Doing things, even if you're only going to be 1% more "ready" or less rusty than other players is the way to go.
We are coming to the end of this topic, I did not went too in deep for everything related to teams but it will be the object of a future guide. If you have any questions or need me to develop certain points, I would be happy to reply you! Thanks for reading and do not hesitate to let me know about the mistakes I made on the writing.