Everybody's a Sniper...

[Sardonac]

I enjoy games with snipers. Although snipers can be irritating, they are both a great strength and a great weakness. The strength is obvious, one person can get multiple enemy kills and fluster them enough that they mess up or act as if there are snipers everywhere. The drawback is that you have a teammate who contributes almost nothing to many games, and is an easy target for anybody who gets by him/her or via an alternate route. A sniper contributes little in ctf games, or KOTH games, or LMOTH or just about any non-death match game for that matter. Yes, they can kill an enemy flag runner however they will rarely make an effort to retrieve the flag once it's been dropped - and that's only if they hit. As for vulnerability, most actual snipers are sensible enough to move positions when firing upon the enemy (In real life I mean). In most games, snipers who don't move ("campers") believe their position is so solid that they leave themselves open to attacks from behind.


If you hate snipers, just die once - that's my philosophy. Run out into enemy territory and hop about but make sure you, or a friend, keep a wary eye out for enemy shots. Once they shoot, you now know where an enemy will likely be for the rest of the game and can easily avoid him/her. Or, if you enjoy sweet revenge, you know exactly where a near-immobile enemy is located; easy pickings for a good gamer.

 

[Novan Leon]

I enjoy sniping, though in real life I only do it in paintball. They never see that tang-orange ball coming. I am mediocre to you in many ways. Teach me, O sniping one, as paintball is only six days away...
BTW: Robin William's BF2 name is 'neoflee', and he's a sniper. go, sniping celebrities!

You can't reeeaaallly snipe in paintball matches and despite radical claims - it cannot be done in airsoft either. If you play either of these two games and class yourself as a sniper then you are fundamentally "that bloke who doesn't want to be shot" and therefore a big wuss!

- Cue death threats and the throwing of rotten vegetables lol -

I still don't understand the popularity of the position though, guys. Why do people think it's cool? That's really the question I'm asking.

While long range shots in paintball or airsoft aren't really possible, you don't have to shoot from long range to be a sniper, rather, it's a style of play that emphasizes stealth, reconnaissance and carefully choosing your shots not to give away your location.

 

[maximilian]

Halo 3 is just tiring and every sniper battle is undermined by the fact that everyone is wearing rainbow suits in a bouncy castle world. CoD4 is super hilarious when everyone is a sniper, as throwing on a silencer, stopping power and deep impact equals a game of you running around knifing people in all the generic, dead easy spots. Sniping is only good when a specific team member plays that role. Otherwise, if I join a server in CoD4 and someone is always a sniper, I know they'll generally be rubbish due to their inability to master anything in else. Moderation is the key.

 

[Audemas]

I'm not REALLY trying to slag off sniping lol. I wanted feedback from you all on how significant it has become in modern computer games and your average FPS online multiplayer. I also wanted to know if any of you could explain it's popularity beyond thinking it's "cool".

I still disagree with matches that are entirely sniper-based, i.e. shotty snipes etc. Not because it's unrealistic but because it's unfair to skilled players who prefer a wider selection of medium-range weapons.


Anyone agree with me here?

I agree that too many people pick the "Sniper" role in games like Halo 3 and Call of Duty 4 (I am guilty there) but I think the reason is because people see it as an easy way to get kills and your far away form the action. I mean what's better than being lazy and doing well? Anyway, my grandfather was a sniper during World War II and he told me he liked it so much because there seems to be this kind of "Guardian" persona attached to the role of the "Sniper". Having a wide view of the area, ready to assist and possibly save a fellow soldier from death. That's why I think most people like being snipers.