Mr_Echo
11-03-2006, 10:20 PM
Introduction
This is in response to the many threads on recon players and lone-wolfing. I just want to throw my experiences up for people to see. I will discuss those things that make an impact on snipeing, and will gloss over those things that dont have much of an impact. Take it or leave it.
Boot Camp Equipment
These items are standard in the recon kit
Knife - A fun as hell weapon. Remeber, this is a game, and nothing is quite the same as knifeing someone in the back (or the front for that matter). Aside from play value, as a sniper there will be times when you need to take down an enemy without causeing a ruckus. This is where you whip out the knife. Silence is a way of life for the sniper. Dont go overboard unless you are haveing a blast, as its easy to start something you cant finish, i.e if you miss your toast most of the time.
Pistol - There are two variants, the EU version and the PAC version. Preferences vary, but I like the EU one better. The EU pistol is a revolver and has a smaller bullet capacity, but better damage per shot. The PAC pistol has more rounds and fast fireing speed at the expense of a little less damage per shot. This is a standard sidearm and the Oh S*$% weapon. When reloading or just ambushed, whip this out and hope for the best. It can be lethal, Ive gunned down plenty that thought I was harmless, but is a weapon of last resort.
Sniper Rifle - Ah.....aint she pretty......uh....anyway, This is you bread and butter. The EU and PAC versions are basicly the same so preference is totally ascthetic. In the community, it is common knowledge hat this is a better rifle than the "upgraded" unlock rifle. Go figure. Five round capacity, and sweet range.
Special Training Equipment
APM (Anti-Personel Mine) - Man I love this thing. Its an all-around good thing for snipers. Snipers, in order to do thier job, narrow thier world to the size of a scope. When that happens it is excedingly easy to just run up and stab them (weeeeee free dogtags.......). So we get this little puppy. Set them around your chosen area and when someone tries to sneak up on you they get a free amputation. Be warned. This is not a gaurantee. They can be disarmed, shot, or avoided. For best effect, try to place them in a spot not seen until its triggered. For example, around a corner, between two objects, etc. I have had great sucsess with putting them right by a door that is an entrance to my position. Smart guys try to flank me, but you dont see it till it goes bang. Find all the access ways to you position, and cover them. You'll find far less surprises that way.
The DsyTek Scope - Sweet addition. Basicly a better scope. Not much to say here, it gives you the ability to be acurate at longer ranges, which is always good.
Scope Stabilizer - Has a dubious reputation. When zoomed, you gain the ability to hold the scope steady by pressing the shift button. Which would be great if the scope move a whole lot anyway. Realisticly you can get used to the movment of the scope on your own, and this seems a bit unnecessary. on the other hand, it is handy for long, long range shots, as the sway becomes worse the longer range the shot. Up to you.
Zellar-H - Has its ups and downs. First, the downs. (deep breath) Firstly, the ammo capacity is only 3 comapred to the regular rifles 5, thats two less head shots per clip. Those three shots get used up mighty quick. Also the scope is slightly smaller and a bit harder to see. Lastly it is very loud. Remeber when I said Silence was a snipers life....ya. There are a few positives though. First off, it packs more of a punch. If your target is wearing light armor, you can one shot them no matter where you hit. Of course, only about 10% of players will be wearing light armor (if that) and 90% are probably recon also ( hey, I do), which boils this down to sniper dueling (which I love).
Aside from the amror thing you still take a biger chunk out of you targets life, makeing it easier for someone else to kill him, which is good for haveing snipers do their part for the team effort. About the only other positive thing about the zellar ironically is its a better training weapon. Its smaller round count forces you to aim carefully (an imrotant sniper trait). All in all, just use the regular rifle (Ill stick to the zellar thank you, just out of spite).
RDX pack - not enough to do with snipeing, but a great all aroud unlock.
NetBat - I really like this NetBat enhancement. It basiclly keeps information that pops up by loking at an enemy, up longer than normal. This allows you to follow the movements of someone for longer. This is a great thing for snipers, as Ive used that alone to kill an enemy I couldnt entirely see(not recomended though). Also like all NetBats, it combines with all the other NetBat's your squad has.
IT-33 Active Camoflage - Another really fun item, and also grossly misunderstood. It DOES NOT make you invisible. Just harder to see. People who play for awhile can easily see you with this on. What it is, is an AID to stealth. Movement spoils it. So the less the better. Crawling is best. If you get spotted and run around a corner, dont just expect to turn it on and get away, it just dosent happen. However, when someone is not on guard, it makes avoiding detection, a whole lot easier. Many players just register movment on the screen. With the cammo, the chance they register that movemet is lessened. When in a good spot, I like to stay hidden until my shot. So I use the camo to stand up and peek at the scene, to zero my target. Also when you know your outgunned, and as a sniper up close thats alot, as you run, you can turn it on and make it that much harder for them to get a clear shot. Once again its not a get out of danger free card, and a good player will still gun you down, but along with dodgeing it can add the extra edge. And knifeing people you just passed you by without seeing you is just too much fun to pass up.
Lambert Carbine - a nice gun but not sniper centered
The Remorsless Code
Now that the tools of the trade are out of the way, lets talk about how to get the job done.
I see snipers as the ultimate personification of war. War isnt glamorous or honourable, its brutal and unforgiving. If you can kill the enemy face to face, more power to you. But if you can kill him before he has a chance to react, thats even better. Your job isnt to support, counter armor, or heal troops. Its to kill the enemy. Period.
Lets cut right to the guideing principle of snipeing. Patience. If you are wanting to mix it up and have fast paced action snipeing isnt for you. The spec ops part of recon, assault, or support may be more your style. Snipeing is all about waiting for that perfect moment to strike. As said in sin city "look the devil in the eye." If you see an enemy capping a point from your vantage, dont just kill him right away. Relax. See if you spot any other baddies around to retaliate. You have plenty of time to gun him down. Let him think hes succeeding. Then as he nears his goal, pow. Gone. If someone dosnt get shot right away when doing things like that the think they are safe. Let them. Not only did you defend your point, but hes going to be extra careful next time. Wasteing more time, giving you the advantage.
Aside from patience, stealth is impotant. Not just stealth of movement, but stealth of style. Many snipers have favorite spots. I know I do. But you cant get too attached. You have to attack a few times then move. Keeping you enemy ignorent of your position is half the fight. If they zero you, they know where to hide, and how to get to you while you are looking for them. Kepp moving and obscure your position.
Lone-wolfing. The recon kit as a whole is geared to lone wolf types. But that doesnt mean you cant contribute to a squad. Far from it. But it does mean that recon player have a harder time contributing to a team effort. If you do lone wolf it, keep a few thing in mind. Have goal. If you want to be independent, contribute to the war effort by haveing a goal in mind. Defend the point, stunt the advance, whatever, just stay focused. Fluid choices mark a good lone operative. If a big brawl breaks out, go help. If your side starts to loose points fast, infiltrate and grab a point close to the enemy to make them react. This is more a spec ops job, but snipers can contribute to this pretty well.
Squad roles. The role of a sniper in a squad is a bit different. You are like the squads guardian angel. Take up a position overlooking the squads objective (if you have one) and proactively eliminate threats. This is an alteration because you dont have the luxury of time. You need to act decisivly, to protect your squad. Remeber you can't resupply, repair, or heal. Your contibution to the squad is keeping threats away from it. Eliminate the enemy. Period.
Recon soldier are a valuable asset, and snipers are deadly in the right hands. Hopefully this has helped out some people who like the role of sniper, and know that they too can contribute to the war effort. If you have and questions or comments, I love to argue, so step on up.
This is in response to the many threads on recon players and lone-wolfing. I just want to throw my experiences up for people to see. I will discuss those things that make an impact on snipeing, and will gloss over those things that dont have much of an impact. Take it or leave it.
Boot Camp Equipment
These items are standard in the recon kit
Knife - A fun as hell weapon. Remeber, this is a game, and nothing is quite the same as knifeing someone in the back (or the front for that matter). Aside from play value, as a sniper there will be times when you need to take down an enemy without causeing a ruckus. This is where you whip out the knife. Silence is a way of life for the sniper. Dont go overboard unless you are haveing a blast, as its easy to start something you cant finish, i.e if you miss your toast most of the time.
Pistol - There are two variants, the EU version and the PAC version. Preferences vary, but I like the EU one better. The EU pistol is a revolver and has a smaller bullet capacity, but better damage per shot. The PAC pistol has more rounds and fast fireing speed at the expense of a little less damage per shot. This is a standard sidearm and the Oh S*$% weapon. When reloading or just ambushed, whip this out and hope for the best. It can be lethal, Ive gunned down plenty that thought I was harmless, but is a weapon of last resort.
Sniper Rifle - Ah.....aint she pretty......uh....anyway, This is you bread and butter. The EU and PAC versions are basicly the same so preference is totally ascthetic. In the community, it is common knowledge hat this is a better rifle than the "upgraded" unlock rifle. Go figure. Five round capacity, and sweet range.
Special Training Equipment
APM (Anti-Personel Mine) - Man I love this thing. Its an all-around good thing for snipers. Snipers, in order to do thier job, narrow thier world to the size of a scope. When that happens it is excedingly easy to just run up and stab them (weeeeee free dogtags.......). So we get this little puppy. Set them around your chosen area and when someone tries to sneak up on you they get a free amputation. Be warned. This is not a gaurantee. They can be disarmed, shot, or avoided. For best effect, try to place them in a spot not seen until its triggered. For example, around a corner, between two objects, etc. I have had great sucsess with putting them right by a door that is an entrance to my position. Smart guys try to flank me, but you dont see it till it goes bang. Find all the access ways to you position, and cover them. You'll find far less surprises that way.
The DsyTek Scope - Sweet addition. Basicly a better scope. Not much to say here, it gives you the ability to be acurate at longer ranges, which is always good.
Scope Stabilizer - Has a dubious reputation. When zoomed, you gain the ability to hold the scope steady by pressing the shift button. Which would be great if the scope move a whole lot anyway. Realisticly you can get used to the movment of the scope on your own, and this seems a bit unnecessary. on the other hand, it is handy for long, long range shots, as the sway becomes worse the longer range the shot. Up to you.
Zellar-H - Has its ups and downs. First, the downs. (deep breath) Firstly, the ammo capacity is only 3 comapred to the regular rifles 5, thats two less head shots per clip. Those three shots get used up mighty quick. Also the scope is slightly smaller and a bit harder to see. Lastly it is very loud. Remeber when I said Silence was a snipers life....ya. There are a few positives though. First off, it packs more of a punch. If your target is wearing light armor, you can one shot them no matter where you hit. Of course, only about 10% of players will be wearing light armor (if that) and 90% are probably recon also ( hey, I do), which boils this down to sniper dueling (which I love).
Aside from the amror thing you still take a biger chunk out of you targets life, makeing it easier for someone else to kill him, which is good for haveing snipers do their part for the team effort. About the only other positive thing about the zellar ironically is its a better training weapon. Its smaller round count forces you to aim carefully (an imrotant sniper trait). All in all, just use the regular rifle (Ill stick to the zellar thank you, just out of spite).
RDX pack - not enough to do with snipeing, but a great all aroud unlock.
NetBat - I really like this NetBat enhancement. It basiclly keeps information that pops up by loking at an enemy, up longer than normal. This allows you to follow the movements of someone for longer. This is a great thing for snipers, as Ive used that alone to kill an enemy I couldnt entirely see(not recomended though). Also like all NetBats, it combines with all the other NetBat's your squad has.
IT-33 Active Camoflage - Another really fun item, and also grossly misunderstood. It DOES NOT make you invisible. Just harder to see. People who play for awhile can easily see you with this on. What it is, is an AID to stealth. Movement spoils it. So the less the better. Crawling is best. If you get spotted and run around a corner, dont just expect to turn it on and get away, it just dosent happen. However, when someone is not on guard, it makes avoiding detection, a whole lot easier. Many players just register movment on the screen. With the cammo, the chance they register that movemet is lessened. When in a good spot, I like to stay hidden until my shot. So I use the camo to stand up and peek at the scene, to zero my target. Also when you know your outgunned, and as a sniper up close thats alot, as you run, you can turn it on and make it that much harder for them to get a clear shot. Once again its not a get out of danger free card, and a good player will still gun you down, but along with dodgeing it can add the extra edge. And knifeing people you just passed you by without seeing you is just too much fun to pass up.
Lambert Carbine - a nice gun but not sniper centered
The Remorsless Code
Now that the tools of the trade are out of the way, lets talk about how to get the job done.
I see snipers as the ultimate personification of war. War isnt glamorous or honourable, its brutal and unforgiving. If you can kill the enemy face to face, more power to you. But if you can kill him before he has a chance to react, thats even better. Your job isnt to support, counter armor, or heal troops. Its to kill the enemy. Period.
Lets cut right to the guideing principle of snipeing. Patience. If you are wanting to mix it up and have fast paced action snipeing isnt for you. The spec ops part of recon, assault, or support may be more your style. Snipeing is all about waiting for that perfect moment to strike. As said in sin city "look the devil in the eye." If you see an enemy capping a point from your vantage, dont just kill him right away. Relax. See if you spot any other baddies around to retaliate. You have plenty of time to gun him down. Let him think hes succeeding. Then as he nears his goal, pow. Gone. If someone dosnt get shot right away when doing things like that the think they are safe. Let them. Not only did you defend your point, but hes going to be extra careful next time. Wasteing more time, giving you the advantage.
Aside from patience, stealth is impotant. Not just stealth of movement, but stealth of style. Many snipers have favorite spots. I know I do. But you cant get too attached. You have to attack a few times then move. Keeping you enemy ignorent of your position is half the fight. If they zero you, they know where to hide, and how to get to you while you are looking for them. Kepp moving and obscure your position.
Lone-wolfing. The recon kit as a whole is geared to lone wolf types. But that doesnt mean you cant contribute to a squad. Far from it. But it does mean that recon player have a harder time contributing to a team effort. If you do lone wolf it, keep a few thing in mind. Have goal. If you want to be independent, contribute to the war effort by haveing a goal in mind. Defend the point, stunt the advance, whatever, just stay focused. Fluid choices mark a good lone operative. If a big brawl breaks out, go help. If your side starts to loose points fast, infiltrate and grab a point close to the enemy to make them react. This is more a spec ops job, but snipers can contribute to this pretty well.
Squad roles. The role of a sniper in a squad is a bit different. You are like the squads guardian angel. Take up a position overlooking the squads objective (if you have one) and proactively eliminate threats. This is an alteration because you dont have the luxury of time. You need to act decisivly, to protect your squad. Remeber you can't resupply, repair, or heal. Your contibution to the squad is keeping threats away from it. Eliminate the enemy. Period.
Recon soldier are a valuable asset, and snipers are deadly in the right hands. Hopefully this has helped out some people who like the role of sniper, and know that they too can contribute to the war effort. If you have and questions or comments, I love to argue, so step on up.