DoD, like many WWII-based games, attempts to strike a balance between realism and gameplay, something I feel it does pretty well. This means there's a lot to learn about how to get the most out of the game, the most important of which is:
If you've played traditional FPS games like Quake or Unreal Tournament, you might be used to running around like a nutter, aiming your weapons with pinpoint precision and acrobatically vaulting around whilst happily surviving hails of bullets/rockets/superheatedplasma/whatever. Try that in DoD and you'd better get used to respawning - this is WWII and a single rifle bullet can not only kill you instantly, but kill the guy behind you too.
Not only that, you're still a squaddie in full combat gear, which means you're not going to be pulling any sideways somersaults to dodge that MG fire. An important part of DoD is knowing how vulnerable you are, using cover, and keeping moving so the enemy can't get an easy bead on you.
Of course, if you're keeping moving, you'll need to learn the next important DoD lesson:
Remember what I said about you being a squaddie? That means you're not an incredible sharpshooter who can pick off a target a mile away whilst performing a sideroll that would make Max Payne look clumsy. Try firing a rifle whilst running and you're as likely to hit the guy next to you as whoever you're aiming at. Try firing an MG on the move and you're looking at clouds.
There are basically four different levels of accuracy (how close to the crosshair the bullet actually goes) and recoil (how bad the feedback on the gun is) depending on what you're doing at the time. In descending order of accuracy, these are:
Depending on the gun you're using, you'll need to fire in an appropriate stance. If you've got a rifle, the best tactic is to keep moving and pause momentarily to take shots. With an automatic you can get away with strafing at close quarters but at medium distance you'd better be crouching. And if you've got an MG you'd better be deployed if you want to hit anything that's not right in front of you.
Another more obvious aspect of maintaining accuracy is controlling your recoil. When firing a rifle, you need to train yourself to look down just after each shot automatically in order to compensate for the kick of the shot. Automatics are more difficult; you need to keep pulling your aim down whilst firing otherwise you end up aiming six feet above your target's head. A good way to offset this is by firing in bursts of two to five bullets.
Getting used to accuracy and recoil is just something that takes practice, as is getting used to the idea that:
Stealth is very important in DoD; it's a lot easier to shoot (or indeed stab) someone if they don't know you're there. However running makes noise - you're carrying a lot of gear and it audibly clanks around in time with your footsteps. Using your weapons is like broadcasting to the surrounding area where you are and what gun you have (each weapon has its own distinct report, and any firearm will generate a muzzle flash that can be seen for miles).
To be stealthy in DoD it helps to know the map; where enemies are going to come from, which spots are difficult to see but offer a good line of sight, etc. If you want to stay hidden use deep shadows and stay crouched while you move (you don't make any noise while crouched). If possible try sneaking up behind people and stabbing them with your knife or spade; this is a lot quieter than shooting them and has the added benefit of making them curl up with embarrassment.
The most important thing to remember when you're trying to be stealthy is that once you've killed someone or taken an objective, the enemy know where you are and it's time to move. Otherwise you'll find yourself sitting on a grenade or, worse, getting stabbed by someone else on their team who's been alerted to your position. Keep moving and stay hidden.
Of course, it pays to remember that the enemy is going to try and hide from you. And if you know where someone's hiding, the ideal solution is to drop a nade on them. However, remember that...
Throwing grenades is a whole subsection of DoD skill on it's own; there's a lot more to it than simply pulling the pin and letting your arm muscles do the rest.
The first aspect of throwing a grenade is getting used to the idea of the trajectory of the shot as it arcs through the air. If you want to throw further, you have to look up as you throw, otherwise your nade will flop out of your hands and go about five yards. Also, moving whilst throwing a grenade will affect where it goes - if you're going forward as you throw it'll fly further, if you're strafing it'll go off to that side. Jumping as you throw massively increases your range.
The second aspect of throwing a grenade is timing. A grenade has a five second fuse which starts from the moment you pull the pin. This means that if you blindly throw a grenade it takes five seconds to blow up, which is ample time for the enemy to scarper or, worse still, throw it back at you. To avoid such an embarrassment (and getting killed with your own nade is supreme ownage), you need to prime your nades.
Priming is very easy in DoD: Source. To prime a nade, simply select a grenade and hold the fire button. You then have five seconds to take aim, throw, and wait for it to reach its target. If you time it right it should explode just as it reaches its target, preferably in mid-air as this covers a greater area (this takes a lot of practice). You should get in the habit of priming and timing every nade you throw; you'll get much better results.
Grenade technique, more than anything else, requires a hell of a lot of practice. Once you've got the hang of it, though, you can devastate enemy campers.
Some more handy techniques, in no particular order:
Finally, there is one major lesson to be learnt, and in my opinion it's the most important of all:
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