Cheap tactics in competitive games

[hoboman29]

First off cheap is in the eye of the beholder. For instance I was playing Team Fortress 2 and was accused of camping as a SNIPER in instances like those its not cheap its just playing the game using a tactic. If were staying with competitive games the only examples of cheap are glitches/exploits/hacks there may be a few examples of true overpoweredness (looking at you AWP) but mostly sore losers call cheap at any death.

Here's a story I know a guy who had a friend (lol sounds fake but trust me this is true) who was ranked on the top 100 halo 1 players in the world and one thing he would say is even pros can lose be it a bad day or a lucky shot. Classy.

 

[gnihton]

I always saw camping as a legitimate tactic. I sure as hell don't have the attention span to do it, but camping has it's own risks and opportunities, so I never saw any reason to dislike it so much despite the overwhelming hate for it, it seems.

Probably because camping basically guarantees a minimum of one kill per enemy, since you just shoot the enemy in the back while they're defenceless and unaware. This can obviously be particularly grating in no respawn game modes, and never mind the fact that even when you know where a camper's sat, they will always have an advantage because (depending on the game of course) they don't suffer movement accuracy penalties - which you will when trying to kill them - and can always have cover, which you wont when trying to kill them.

And camping has its own risks? Like what? You might fall asleep and let yourself die?

In summary, it's a cheap tactic, and I don't understand why anyone would do it other than someone completely inept at the game who also has a high tolerance for boredom and other people's hate... or trolls/sadistic people. People that try and justify something by saying it gives you an advantage... I just don't know what to say. You realise just breaking the neck of the enemy player would also give you an advantage, right? So why not do that? Answer: You're a considerate person, one that doesn't cheap others out of their enjoyment. (or life in the poor comparison)

EDIT: Oh, an addition to the answer: You may like an actual challenge.

 

[Lopende Paddo]

i agree with you except in one case... the AWP. nothing sucks more than entering a CS game with the opposite team awp camping... that gun is overpowered...

Im not sure if you've played GO, but it seems to have died down alot now. 9/10 Ive managed to survive the first shot and countered. I think it might be down to the guns having the ability to hit while spraying, or just general panic. Or people are just rubbish with it.

It feels weird going from avp banned servers in Source to GO and seeing almost no difference

maybe there is damage reduction with distance now?

I havent played go yet, am planning on buying it next month.
the thing about awp that always really got me was the:

"Lopende paddo: Damage"
"Console: 1 hit in foot with awp for 158 damage"

I dont mind awp being stronger than the scout but come on, thats just absurd.
although it always felt good to take out an awp basecamper with a scout!

 

[Lopende Paddo]

Probably because camping basically guarantees a minimum of one kill per enemy, since you just shoot the enemy in the back while they're defenceless and unaware. This can obviously be particularly grating in no respawn game modes, and never mind the fact that even when you know where a camper's sat, they will always have an advantage because (depending on the game of course) they don't suffer movement accuracy penalties - which you will when trying to kill them - and can always have cover, which you wont when trying to kill them.

EDIT: Oh, an addition to the answer: You may like an actual challenge.

I camp in counterstrike sometimes, it is just a momentary tactic. example:

I'm walking behind 3 guys into a building they turn the corner and instantly die, I decide to not throw a grenade and crouch to have an aim advantage for the 2/3 enemy's that might come around the corner any sec. i might stay there for 10-30 secs (better accuracy and the surprise advantage) until I get paranoid that I might get flanked.

now i have 2 options

#1: chuck a (flash)grenade around the corner and storm in or
#2 retreat to another passage.

and there you have legitimate camping

also if you know where the camp spots are be sure and use grenades!

 

[Smeggs]

No such thing as cheap tactics , IF the game is properly balanced . Something is only cheap of the developpers didn't design their game properly . Some tactics are annoying yes . But if it's in the game it's fair play .

This.

One class obviously outshines all others in MP, and the people who use this class have a power they keep spamming to win with virtually no hope for any other class? Cheap. Unbalanced. Unfair.

In Halo Reach, someone uses a powerful gun which every single player has the equal chance to pick up, and wins the round with it? Totally legitimate, losers are just whining because they didn't get the weapon first.

 

[gnihton]

Snip

There's a difference between being tactical and being a twat.

 

[Geth Reich]

I feel that spamming one kind of unit in ridiculous numbers and rushing it straight at the enemy base is quite cheap.

Especially when that enemy base is me.

Although now that I've stopped swearing, I'm not sure wether its cheap enough to be a bad tactic and worthy of complaining about.....

Edit: Do NOT get me started on the problems with the British faction in Company of Heroes online, for the sake of my blood pressure.

 

[Raika]

There's no such thing as 'cheap'. There's winning and there's losing. If you don't like it, play something else that's more your speed.

 

[Kingpopadopalus]

So house rules is CoD MLG?

I don't know anything about CoD but decent tournaments normally have their own rules above an a random game on the internet. Which is often anything goes and many people are plug pulling or using hacks.

CoD MLG is that youc an't use shotguns because they're seen to be unfair, as is blast shield, odd seeing as the only explosive is the grenade allowed in MLG, and any form of directed explosive besides the grenade. In other words, it's a bunch of pansy's who can't deal with 20% of the game and decide to ban it from their exclusive, no girls allowed club house that is in the tree in the backyard. See where I'm going with the analogy?

 

[ResonanceSD]

I'm Resonance, I play Spy, and it's been roughly 8 hours since I last used this.

Oh wait, wrong meeting.

In well balanced games (TF2), cheap tactics are rare.

[sub]Oh, Soldier, who will they find to replace you? Anyone! Ha Ha Ha![/sub]

 

[sanquin]

If the game is balanced, a 'cheap' tactic isn't really a thing even. But when the game is unbalanced, 'cheap' tactics are a problem.

In CS2 you have 'cannon cheese' for protoss (my favorite race) which basically means you rush a probe to the enemy base, and start building cannons at his entrance as soon as possible to stunt his economy and base growth. Only lower leagues see this as a cheap tactic as higher leagues know how to counter it and turn it around in their favor. (cannon cheese makes it pretty hard to get good in mid-game)

Then there's CS, where there is a REAL cheap tactic. AWP laming/camping. The AWP is just clearly the superior gun for both mid and long range fights. Skilled awp'ers are also good with it at close range. It's a mostly 1-shot-kill gun that requires a lot less aiming skill and tactics than any other gun. So yea, the awp is basically overpowered in most maps. Which is why it's cheap to only use that gun.

There was also the problem with WoW in end TBC. Resto Druid + Arms warrior. The two had perfect synergy in 2v2 pvp and were clearly the superior combination to any other. Once again, an overpowered tactic basically.

 

[bl4ckh4wk64]

Depends on the case, if it's a tactic that takes advantage of something, like a sniping position that you can only get to by one way that can easily be guarded, then it's usually looked down upon. Basically, things that give you an improper advantage in the game could be considered a cheap tactic. Play the game as you're meant to.