Monster Hunter Rise: Proper etiquette for multiplayer hunts

Monster Hunter Rise is finally available for the Nintendo Switch, and it's already a big hit. In Monster Hunter Rise, players face off against large, fearsome beasts in epic boss-fight style duels with 14 weapons to choose from. Once those monsters are defeated, hunters get loot from the monster to turn into cooler armor and weapons and repeat the process. The game is also split up into single-player Village quests, and then there are the Gathering Hub multiplayer quests.

As I've been playing a lot of multiplayer Hub quests with random people online, I've noticed some people just don't seem to understand what has long been considered "proper Monster Hunter etiquette" for hunting with others. This is frustrating, especially when multiplayer is supposed to be about teamwork — there is no PvP here, folks.

Here are some suggestions for good Monster Hunter Rise etiquette from me after years of Monster Hunter experience.

Stop being greedy with the potions in the Supply Box

This one is the biggest irk for me. I often join Hub quests that are already in progress, and by the time I load in and head to the supply box to grab some free health potions, they're already gone. Or, I load in simultaneously as someone else, and they head over to the box, then grab everything that is left without even letting me get anything.

Look, there are four health potions and four rations in a supply box for a Gathering Hub quest because it's supposed to be one per hunter. I'm not sure how this is hard to understand. Unless someone purposely didn't take any because they don't need it, then you shouldn't be grabbing more than one of whatever is in the box, especially when you're at the box with other people. However, if you're playing with one or two other friends and don't intend for randoms to join, then you can split it up evenly or as best as you can.

After all, this is about working together as a team. Why would you want to leave your teammates at a disadvantage and risk them carting? That would affect the entire group! Seriously, stop being jerks. This is the biggest tip on proper Monster Hunter Rise etiquette.

Bring and use Lifepowder and Dust of Life, please

Lifepowder and Dust of Life are two items that can heal not only yourself but nearby hunters as well. I always bring both items with me and keep an eye out on everyone's health bars when I can, and use them when multiple people are low. Again, this is a game about teamwork, and when one hunter carts, it affects the entire group since it's a quest failure once you get three carts.

Always have some Lifepowder or Dust of Life (or both) with you in multiplayer hunts and use them when necessary. Your fellow hunters will be grateful, and it's just good Monster Hunter Rise etiquette.

Some useful armor skills that can also support your team are Wide-Range and Free Meal. Wide-Range can basically share some of your health recovery from a potion with others near you. Free Meal has a chance to prevent a consumable item from being used up, so you can get even more use out of your potions.

Be mindful of where you attack

Certain weapons in Monster Hunter Rise can trip other hunters or even make them flinch. This can interrupt that player's attacks or repositioning, which means less DPS being done to the monster. I know Longsword is especially prone to making others trip, so just be mindful of where you're attacking. You could also equip something with the Flinch Free skill to prevent being tripped by others.

Another thing that is important to note is where a monster you should be attacking depends on what weapon you are using. The monster head should be prioritized for Hammer, Hunting Horn, and Charge Blade — this is because those weapons specialize in Stun damage, which can knock down a monster and give the entire team more opportunities to deal damage. The hit zones for heads also have bonus damage for blunt weapon types, so give them a priority. Blade users should generally aim for the tail to cut it off, then pretty much anywhere else is fair game. Ranged users should be able to aim anywhere, as long as they don't flinch other users with their shots.

Don't AFK or waste a lot of time

Never just join a quest and then sit at camp for a few minutes without doing anything. If you join a quest, the difficulty is scaled accordingly, so if you join and go AFK, you're just making it harder for the other people in the group to take down the monster. If you need to take care of something, withdraw from the quest or don't join in the first place.

With all of the new endemic life in Monster Hunter Rise, you may want to collect some permabuffs from Spiribirds along the way. This is fine, but don't waste too much time trying to max out everything. I would recommend just collecting what you can while on your way to the monster, but don't go out of your way. After all, time is of the essence, and your teammates could always use more DPS.

Don't try and capture every single time

While you can always end a hunt sooner by capturing a monster instead of slaying it, you can also be missing out on some monster parts that are only obtainable by killing a monster. Usually, in previous games, capturing was always better, but that isn't the case in Monster Hunter Rise.

If you're farming certain monsters for a specific part to build your next armor piece or weapon, make sure to check the Hunter's Notes in the game to see whether you need to slay it or if it can be obtained by capture. I've noticed that many multiplayer hunts I'm in end up with the capture of the monster, but this really should be left up to the host of the quest, or if someone lets others know that they want to capture.

I'm certainly guilty of this, too — it's been ingrained into me from previous games that capture is always better, but that doesn't seem to be the case this time around.

So if you aren't able to obtain a certain part after many hunts, try killing the monster instead of capturing it.

Don't just join a lobby and post a quest immediately

If you join someone else's lobby, it's rude to just come in and post a quest up immediately and expect others in the room to join you. For the most part, it's usually the host of the lobby that decides what quests to do, and then maybe everyone takes turns to post a quest. Or some lobbies are just for farming specific monsters.

But if you really want to post quests to do, you should consider making your own lobby instead of joining someone else's.

Pay attention to music stopping

When you're in combat, it's important to pay attention to the music. Almost all monsters have a battle theme, though some like Khezu are silent (thus adding to the creepy factor), and Goss Harag just has the generic theme of the locale. But when a monster is hit with the Sleep status ailment enough times from weapons, the music will stop, and they will go to sleep. It is at this moment that you'll want to, for the love of god, stop attacking the monster.

Once a monster is asleep, every hunter should put Large or Mega Barrel Bombs next to the head, and then have a hunter with a Great Sword, Hammer, Gunlance, or Bow detonate the bombs with a charge attack. This is because while a monster is asleep, the first hit will deal double damage, including bombs. This technique is called sleep bombing, and it can definitely do a ton of damage at once with proper planning.

So if you notice the music and the monster just stopping out of the blue, you should stop going ham and plop some bombs down. After all, watching a big explosion going KABOOM is entertaining, so why ruin it?

It's all about teamwork and preparation

Monster Hunter Rise is a huge hit, as it has already sold over 5 million copies in just the first two weeks. And since this is the most accessible Monster Hunter yet, there are sure to be many new players. These are just some tips on proper Monster Hunter Rise etiquette for multiplayer hunts, so you don't ruin the experience for everyone — no one likes a griefer.

Do you have any tips on playing with others in Monster Hunter Rise? Make sure to share them with us in the comments below. And don't forget to pick up a microSD card for your Nintendo Switch because you're going to want a lot of space for the game and any video recordings you may want to capture.