Poll: What is it with Sniper Rifles and the Pro Mentality?

[Daverson]

There's this ridiculous idea among some gamers, and other groups (read: idiots), that "one shot, one kill" is the only real tactic. You know, the sort of people who don't actually know the meaning of words like "flank" or "suppression".

Though, to be fair, these sorts of tactics will always win out in the deathmatch environment, simply because they give the highest reward (kills) with the minimal risk.

 

[Oliver Pink]

Because the honest truth is, we NEED snipers in games... their cowardly existence allows us to bring to light the more Manly players:

you NEED that sniper, right at the start, to sniper that camper

He's only camping there 'cause he needs the health - and just when he's about to be full up, someone else shows up to hurt him.

 

[Oliver Pink]

Because the honest truth is, we NEED snipers in games... their cowardly existence allows us to bring to light the more Manly players:

I think I grew a third testicle just from watching that video.

All his videos are pretty damn manly

 

[Eclectic Dreck]

Honestly, this is not a new trend. Rail Arena did not come about by accident afterall. In Quake, the Railgun was a super high damage hitscan weapon, meaning a suitably skilled player could deliver a shot on target with unerring regularity. While one needed to cultivate skill with the rocket launcher, shotgun, lightning gun and machine gun as well, the effective mastery of the railgun was the most difficult to attain. Hitting a target at range with the weapon was trivial, only the elite few could hope to do well with the weapon at close range where the incredibly high speed of player movement meant you might be expected to track a target moving at > 1 radian/second across you field of view.

In modern games, the reason is actually quite simple. It is not an expression of mastery of a difficult skill, but rather offers players another alternative to the game. Modern games penalize the player for the failures of their team all while encouraging a lone wolf style of play. The sniper rifle allows a player to replace the advantage his team might provide with a buffer of distance. Thus, even when a game goes poorly, a sniper can still succeed in knocking down enemies without resorting to frustrating periods where he has to choke rivers with his avatar's corpses.

 

[LogicNProportion]

I would say it's a little more than annoying.

As I've said in countless topics, I find sniping to be a cowardly thing and find it alarming that it's such a growing trend. Every time Team Snipers shows up on Reach, it's picked, and while I play, and often win with the pistol and assassinations, I grit my teeth in anger.

Nothing like the fundamentals. Using fist, and grenade, rifle, and knife to get the job done.

...And maybe a Jet Pack for a recent addition...

 

[Radelaide]

Because the honest truth is, we NEED snipers in games... their cowardly existence allows us to bring to light the more Manly players:

Olly, have you been messing around on TF2 again? =P

 

[LandoCristo]

There is no problem with sniping, or even with sniper wars, they can be barrels of fun. The only problem is, i've never found a game were you can be a true sniper, just hiding and hiding, waiting for the right time to strike, then hitting hard and fast and moving quickly before you have more holes in you than swiss cheese. Most games use sniper rifles like an extrmely accurate machine gun, that's not how they are meant to be used.

Personally, i'd like to see a sniper game that plays like the sniper section against The End in MGS3 (aka: the funnest part of that game. Lots of cover, camo, and some decent rifles. It would focus on getting a comfortable position so your character doesn't shift around, holding still, bullet drop and the whole nine yards, rather than just being a tacked on gun in an FPS for people with above-average reflexes like they are in Halo.

Try Sniper Elite. I've not played it, but I heard that its pretty accurate insofar as actual firearms and sniping goes.

 

[Oliver Pink]

Because the honest truth is, we NEED snipers in games... their cowardly existence allows us to bring to light the more Manly players:

Olly, have you been messing around on TF2 again? =P

Yes, yes I have =D

 

[SovietX]

I really dont mind snipers. Although it does get really frustrating after a while, especially when the whole enemy team is sniping.

Also, with the snipers only and no shields game modes. I actually enjoy those. It keeps you on your toes and adds a certain intensity that you just dont get with other games.

 

[minimacker]

I always considered Snipers to be a big set-back in games. You don't have much of a chance to show how skilled you are at tactics or strategies. A bullet through the brain with no chance to redeem yourself.
Skill vs Sniper is non-existant.