Every FPS falls somewhere on a spectrum. At one end of this spectrum are ‘movement shooters’, and at the other end are ‘positional shooters’. Most shooters fall somewhere between these extremes though they tend to lean in one of either direction. It is helpful to both players and developers of shooters to know the difference.
In movement shooters, movement during combat is a significant factor in the combat’s outcome. Players move quickly, run, jump, and slide around a lot, executing flanking manoeuvres, darting in and out of cover, and making tactical retreats. Holding a position for a long time is not usually as advantageous as moving around a lot to evade enemy fire, disorientate your opponents, and retreat when a shootout is going badly. The emphasis is almost always on moving quickly and unpredictably.
Examples of movement shooters include Titanfall 2, Unreal Tournament, Apex Legends, and Overwatch.
In positional shooters, one’s position at the start of combat is far more significant than one’s movement during combat. Movement is usually so slow and detrimental to one’s ability to shoot that when two players engage it is often better to stand and shoot until one of them is dead rather than attempt any creative manoeuvres.
The greatest extent of mid-combat movement you see in positional shooters includes side-strafing, ducking behind nearby cover, questionably effective bunny hopping, and maybe diving into a prone position, each of which can be performed in movement shooters to far greater effect and with a lesser penalty to weapon accuracy.
It is thus more beneficial to do your manoeuvring before the shooting starts in positional shooters, seizing an advantageous position so that when the combat begins you have an advantage that the enemy cannot easily overcome using the game’s slow and cumbersome movement mechanics.
Positional shooters include games like Battlefield, Escape From Tarkov, Hell Let Loose, and Arma.
A shooter can’t be purely positional or purely movement-based. Every positional shooter allows you to move during combat, and every movement shooter has one’s position at the start of combat matter to some degree. This is why, rather than being binary, the dynamic between movement and positional shooters must be viewed as a spectrum. At either end are the theoretical ‘pure’ movement and positional shooters that cannot in reality exist, and between them at various points are every shooter that has ever been made.
Unreal Tournament is extremely far toward the movement side of the spectrum. Arma 3, meanwhile, is exceptionally far toward the positional side of the spectrum. Anyone who’s played these games or at least knows of them should be able to identify the stark differences in how players move during combat in both these games. In Unreal Tournament, the movement is fast and relentless. In Arma 3, players don’t move when they shoot; they only move during breaks in the fighting.
There are other skills besides movement and choice-of-positioning you need to win in FPSs, of course – aim, situational awareness, map knowledge, weapon choice, etc. – but the relative importance of these skills varies by game and aren’t intrinsically linked to the positional vs movement spectrum.
The distinction between positional and movement shooters is useful for three reasons.
Firstly, it helps players of shooters to understand what shooters they actually like to play.
Secondly, it helps players understand how to play a game most effectively. If a game has a fast and dynamic movement system, you will do better to focus on honing your movement skills. Suppose a game has slow movement and penalises you for moving as you shoot. In that case, you should focus more on figuring out where the enemy is or will be before you see them and choosing good firing positions before you engage.
In any shooter, the tactical value of a position can be assessed by asking the following questions:
1. Can I damage the enemy from here?
2. Am I in cover?
3. Can I see what the enemy is doing?
4. Is it tactically beneficial to control this part of the map?
Suppose the answer to these questions is yes, and no better position is nearby. In that case, the position is good and should be maintained until circumstances change.
If the answer is no, or a nearby position does the same thing better, you must move elsewhere.
These questions are most important to answer in a positional shooter because once you get into a position it takes more time, effort, and risk to displace from it during combat.
The third reason knowledge of this spectrum is useful is that it can help developers understand what kind of shooter they are making. Players tend to be drawn to one style of movement over the other. Some players like to earn their victories by making better positional decisions before the fighting happens, whereas others prefer to rush into combat and earn their victories through intense, fast-paced movement techniques. Knowing which crowd your shooter appeals to can help you decide on movement mechanics, map design, hit points, and weapon accuracy.