Snipers get a bad rap in gaming?

[Dexiro]

It's probably because they have an advantage over the usual tactics. They're meant to force players to be more strategic so they can take out the snipers, but instead they run ahead and get killed and then rant about it.

I haven't played an FPS since CSS was the next big thing so there's a good chance i have no idea what i'm talking about here

 

[TheAceTheOne]

I don't mind what i would call "combat snipers" those who constantly move around using a sniper rifle with great effect. This was the case with Alien vs predator 2 (for the pc). It's nice to see people using it to good effect
What i hate are campers of the likes of your MW2 snipers, it bores me, you take a few steps and you die only to re-spawn and have it happen all over again. It's a problem which would be difficult for any FPS to effectively overcome, except by making a lot of maps which are really tight and claustrophobic where you couldn't use a scope if you wanted to.

I tend to follow the "combat sniper" route myself.

 

[Fallen-Angel Risen-Demon]

The problem is that there is so many of them.
But thats good for me, I play the anti-sniper!

 

[Mr. Cheese]

Sniping is ruined by people who just sit in one spot, trying to get kills and not actually helping the goals of the game.
I used to play sniper classes exclusively and got pretty good at sneaking up near an enemy spawn and taking out two or three people before making a high pitched escape, dodging fire from the enemies who had respawned, called their friends and were looking for revenge. This is the fun way to be a sniper (technically more of a sharpshooter) which doesn't involve camping in the usual manner (only to hide while ninja-ing up to bases)
From my extensive experience as every other class/gun user than sniper, I can say that the people who call themselves "pro" aren't actually any good at supporting their team and the actual pros are few and far between though usually very helpful.

btw snipers in 2fort are detrimental to the completion of the map, as they don't cap or help out in any way.

 

[zatzie zombie num666]

its just that pepol dont like going down without a fight also i like to snipe with guns with no scope

 

[awesomeClaw]

Snipers deserve every once of hate they get. They were the reason i quit online gaming, and converted to single and co-op only.

 

[Superior Mind]

If a team I'm on is winning comfortably and doesn't need my help I will happily sit back and snipe. Getting a few saviour kills in BFBC2 makes me feel useful.

If a team I'm on is really shit and nothing I do can change that, where I find myself running into bases and single handedly trying to take on the enemy team with no support, I often decide to just sit back and snipe so I can at least get some fun out of the situation.

However if it's a close game I don't think sniping is incredibly helpful and I'll be the first to run in and fight with assault rifles, grenades, machine guns, knives, forks and spoons. While doing this I often get pissed off at the Snipers hanging back picking off dudes or scratching away at an enemy's health. It doesn't seem all that useful to the goals of the team. It can be, but to be honest I'd rather have a guy WITH me with a machine gun to support me rather than some bloke sitting hundreds of meters away relying on timing, skill and luck to save my arse if I get into the shit.

Snipers need to pick their moment. If you enjoy sniping as I do then sweet, no problem, more power to you. However if the rest of your team are in a ight spot an need every man on deck to really fight then I don't like to see people running off to find a hidden vantage points where they can throw bullets at a stray enemy every now and then.

 

[Booze Zombie]

I would like sniping if it wasn't such a mindless experience in most shooters.
A real sniper has to constantly move, hide, fire, watch his ammo, call in enemy positions, account for distance when firing and hope beyond hope that taking a shot doesn't sign his own death warrant by bringing a tonne of soldiers down on him.

In CoD, it's sit in a corner with stopping power until you can't scav any more claymores to cover your ass.

I hate how boring the "standard" gaming experience with sniping is, really.
I want the game to beat me into a pulp when I fuck up, god damn it! I want to have to constantly move, to think about what I'm doing, to be tactical.
Not some lone-wolf praying my K/D goes positive!

 

[WilchBorisRyan]

My main issue with sniping isn't that they camp, or anything like that, it's just that, this is mainly just me, but if you're a sniper, you're ideally going to be too far away from your target for them to be able to actually fight back, and this is where I have an issue. What's the point of killing people online for fun, if there's no challenge? This is why I enjoyed games much much more when I was younger, I relish challenge, just not "Braid" level challenge. If I do something over and over and over and over again, and am forced to a walkthrough, I just don't enjoy it.
While I enjoy a challenge, I still prefer a game that's way too easy over way too hard.

Anyway, my point is, that yes, theres little challenge for a sniper, at least in comparison to more in-your-face roles, but also that the person you're killing has absolutely no way to fight back, unless THEY become a sniper, which really doesn't help matters. I am one of those people who really believesw in fairness. For example, I read on GameFAQS not too long ago, that a guy shot someone 5-8 times in the upper torso and head, with a semi-auto shotgun, then was killed by a single revolver bullet, and that he would go back to MW2. Now, you may find this ridiculous, but if I was shot that many times by a shotgun, in those areas, and I knew it, and didn't die, I would put my gun away, walk up to him and let him kill me, because he HAD killed me, it just didn't register and give him points for it. I guess I'm just old fashioned.

What I'm trying to say is, if you play against a sniper, unless you get close, there is no effective way to fight back, which pisses me off. I hope you can kind of understand my point.

 

[TheAceTheOne]

My main issue with sniping isn't that they camp, or anything like that, it's just that, this is mainly just me, but if you're a sniper, you're ideally going to be too far away from your target for them to be able to actually fight back, and this is where I have an issue. What's the point of killing people online for fun, if there's no challenge? This is why I enjoyed games much much more when I was younger, I relish challenge, just not "Braid" level challenge. If I do something over and over and over and over again, and am forced to a walkthrough, I just don't enjoy it.
While I enjoy a challenge, I still prefer a game that's way too easy over way too hard.

Anyway, my point is, that yes, theres little challenge for a sniper, at least in comparison to more in-your-face roles, but also that the person you're killing has absolutely no way to fight back, unless THEY become a sniper, which really doesn't help matters. I am one of those people who really believesw in fairness. For example, I read on GameFAQS not too long ago, that a guy shot someone 5-8 times in the upper torso and head, with a semi-auto shotgun, then was killed by a single revolver bullet, and that he would go back to MW2. Now, you may find this ridiculous, but if I was shot that many times by a shotgun, in those areas, and I knew it, and didn't die, I would put my gun away, walk up to him and let him kill me, because he HAD killed me, it just didn't register and give him points for it. I guess I'm just old fashioned.

What I'm trying to say is, if you play against a sniper, unless you get close, there is no effective way to fight back, which pisses me off. I hope you can kind of understand my point.

Valid point. I've gone down at times and got mad because the guy who hit me was sitting, looking out a window somewhere, has full health, and just smoked seven of my teammates the exact same way.

 

[rabidmidget]

The only problem is when you're attacking and your entire team is made up of snipers.

It isn't exactly "productive".

 

[Superior Mind]

My main issue with sniping isn't that they camp, or anything like that, it's just that, this is mainly just me, but if you're a sniper, you're ideally going to be too far away from your target for them to be able to actually fight back, and this is where I have an issue. What's the point of killing people online for fun, if there's no challenge?

This is a good point but I would argue that adding snipers to a game adds another demension to the playing experience. If you know a sniper is out there watching you you're going to pick your cover, plan your movements strategicly, perhaps even draw the sniper's fire while someone gets into a vantage point so they can take the sniper out - or even jus staying alive long enough so you can pinpoint the sniper's position and take him out yourself. I've had some really fun times when opposing snipers.

 

[mikemart]

as someone who used to hate sniper, just trying to go for an objective or just doing anything to get killed gets aynoyying fast.. theres no way to counter it either because unless you know where they are you have to avoid that entire area and even if you do find him, he can snipe you before you get anywhere near him

and most snipers just camp in the same area..

 

[awesomeClaw]

You know what also bothers me about snipers?

That they`re in EVERY SINGLE FUCKING game with no exceptions. Really, i want you to name one online game without snipers. Just one. Think you can do it? I mean, all i want is to play a online game without snipers *Sniff* just once *Sniff* in my life, so i *sniff* could have some fun.

 

[TheAceTheOne]

You know what also bothers me about snipers?

That they`re in EVERY SINGLE FUCKING game with no exceptions. Really, i want you to name one online game without snipers. Just one. Think you can do it? I mean, all i want is to play a online game without snipers *Sniff* just once *Sniff* in my life, so i *sniff* could have some fun.

Civilization 4. Unless you're looking for shooters, in which case... can't do it.

 

[minus_273c]

I don't mind snipers.

I'm currently play BFBC2, and if I get sniped I like to try and hunt the bastard down .

Great fun, but bloody hard work sometimes.

 

[Stuntcrab]

Snipers deserve every once of hate they get. They were the reason i quit online gaming, and converted to single and co-op only.

why? what did snipers do to you?

 

[TheAceTheOne]

Snipers deserve every once of hate they get. They were the reason i quit online gaming, and converted to single and co-op only.

why? what did snipers do to you?

Glad to see some discussion on this. Yes, do tell us, why DO you hate snipers?

 

[WilchBorisRyan]

My main issue with sniping isn't that they camp, or anything like that, it's just that, this is mainly just me, but if you're a sniper, you're ideally going to be too far away from your target for them to be able to actually fight back, and this is where I have an issue. What's the point of killing people online for fun, if there's no challenge?

This is a good point but I would argue that adding snipers to a game adds another demension to the playing experience. If you know a sniper is out there watching you you're going to pick your cover, plan your movements strategicly, perhaps even draw the sniper's fire while someone gets into a vantage point so they can take the sniper out - or even jus staying alive long enough so you can pinpoint the sniper's position and take him out yourself. I've had some really fun times when opposing snipers.

I see where you're comming from, and I wish things were like that in online FPS games, but I have very VERY rarely seen a game where people were that strategic or team based, save from maybe Team Fortress 2. Which particular game were you talking about?

 

[Cabisco]

I find it really depends on the amount of snipers. A MW2 match where everyone is half a mile away shooting you is just boring as hell and not fun at all, I can't imagine it being fun for the other team either.

The worst as people have undoubtedly mentioned is snipers on Bad Company 2 Rush mode. You know you have lost a match if you look near your base to find a bunch of snipers. They barely get any kills (I check leaderboards) and don't actually help with getting the objective at all. If the sniper actual where to mortar strike the objective i'd be okay, but they just don't. It's the same when your defending, you'll have a bunch of them far away from the objective, not coverinbg it at all and like fuck they are going to help when a bomb gets planted.

So really, I don't hate snipers it's just the amount you get.