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Brouhaha: Sniping versus camping versus everyone else

This is what happens when gaming journos hang out - we argue a lot. This time, it's on the merits - or the evils - of so-called camping in FPS games...

Perhaps the greatest thing about industry drinks is how easily the gloves come off and how quickly true feelings boil to the surface. Such was the case not so long ago when outspoken freelancer Dave Kozicki clashed with Atomic’s David Hollingworth on the topic of camping. To make matters more interesting, FPS-loving freelancer Nathan Lawrence entered the fray, throwing fists at both sides of the argument. Suffice it to say, things got interesting.

What you’re about to read is the slightly more composed follow-up to this epic showdown between three highly opinionated gamers.

It was up to Dave Kozicki to fire the first shot. And shoot it he did:

I hate snipers. Scratch that. I detest them.

They are the embodiment of everything wrong with online first-person shooters. The class perpetuates cheap kills by skill-less, no talent gamers who can’t hack it in the front lines so they revert to exploits and take the easiest way out. I usually reply to this type of online behaviour gracefully: shouting through the headset that I’ll track down the offender, knife him in the back of his head and skull-frak his eye socket. When was the last time you rage quit a match due to an engineer’s turret or a shotgun to the face? The answer to that riddle is never. Only spawn camping, tent pitching, root-growing gamers illicit this type of response.

A late joiner to the whole competitive gaming side of first-person shooters, I can remember with pinpoint clarity my first encounter with a sniper, as it was also my first time ever venturing online. After attending the Xbox 360 Perfect Dark Zero launch event at Bondi Beach and receiving a goodie bag that included the game, I decided to get online and see what the fuss was about. In my first match I was pitted against an adversary in a one on one, mano-e-mano duel.

It went something like this.

I entered the game. He had already lined up one of the two possible spawn points with his scope. Boom, headshot, respawn. This happened nine times in a row. I would take maybe a step and a half and die. Each and every time. Getting jack of it, I quit and later in the day found this little bitch of a gamer had registered a complaint against me via Xbox LIVE. So I guess I’m the asshole for not bending over and taking it, right?

Since then I have invested over a thousand hours into various titles such as Warhawk, Battlefield: Bad Company 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops and Killzone 3, and in all that time across those countless hours I’ve come across one, count it, ONE actual sniper. As part of a two-man squad in Bad Company 2 with the gamer in question, let’s call him Sniper X, he would spot the enemy religiously, call out their positions to confirm, stay in constant radio contact, pick off advancing soldiers as I completed objectives, reposition himself and call down mortar strikes over M-Com stations to secure detonation. The guy was one in a million. Literally. It was no surprise to either of us that our two-man squad took out ‘best squad’ honours (over four-man teams) the entire night; but this was an anomaly. A freak random occurrence rarely repeated.

Given the nature of XP-based, weapon and perk unlock-driven multiplayer it should be of no surprise that gamers take the easiest way out to get that shiny new toy, gadget or perk. I’d like to think there would be some code of honour on the digital battlefield and some semblance of teamwork, but it appears I’m in the minority by putting the needs of the many before the needs of the few.

I long for the day where I meet another gamer the calibre of Sniper X, but I can’t see that happening anytime soon. Till then, I’ll steer clear of titles such as Bad Company 2, Black Ops and Killzone 3 where this behaviour is beyond rampant and look forward to titles like Brink that favour fluid movement, objective and team-based play but, most importantly, have only a single sniper rifle in the armoury and gameplay that doesn’t really support or encourage its use.

Oh, thems be fighting words alright. David Hollingworth was quick to come back, though...

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33 Comments

smadge1 May 16, 2011 12:11 PM	The map I play in TF2, ctf_turbine, has some good sniper battles, but there is nowhere a sniper can safely stand and camp. even spawn camping requires numbers. Thank goodness for spies, and other snipers.
ArcaneMagik May 16, 2011 12:21 PM	Snipers are fair when there is balance to their overwhelming infantry killing power. Battlefield from memory had this right. You always had the option of taking out the sniper with a tank, artillery, plane, jeep loaded with C4, etc. Or simply be a better sniper, and not chose the rooftop like your friend, but hide under a bush in the arse-end of nowhere and kill him from there. In games like TF2, you are really limited by what is an anti sniper class with Spy being the only real option. Not something so easy for a new player to pick up and learn.
nesquick May 16, 2011 12:50 PM	Oh come on snipers are not that bad... Takes a degree of skill on games like BC2 to lead the target from a distance and account for bullet drop. True on games like MW2 I was a cunt and had several spots I would sit in on HQ to cover the objective many times getting a mini nuke because I used a silenced M21 and people had nfi where I was. Its funny though on BC2 I used the recon class more than anything else and while I have heaps of kills with the sniper rifles the total is nowhere near my C4 and thompson kills, nothing like ambushing tanks from the undergrowth or sneaking up on then massacreing an entire squad.
Foofski May 16, 2011 12:52 PM	In addition to the above, sniping needs to be made harder in order to add balance. I remember sniping in TFC in the days of dial-up and 300ms pings required a great deal of mouse-manship. While BC2 offers some bullet physics and requires players to adjust for range, further variables could be added. Arma 2 requires players to zero their sights to the desired range, and manage breathing / wobble to make the shot. Perhaps players also need more counter-sniper abilities? Engineers could erect an OWL (http://articles.cnn.com/2007-01-17/tech/robotic.head_1_sniper-friendly-fire-laser?_s=PM:TECH) in key locations to assist in spotting snipers, requiring them to constantly reposition themselves between shots.
philo-sofa May 16, 2011 1:07 PM	L2P SNIPERF4GS is roughly where I stand (and shout... and spam global in caps) on this issue. However there are skileld snipers; they may not all advance on objectives or be great team players but that is hardly limited to that class TBH - also most snipers will move and engage in the game somehow. My final two pro wookie-muppet points are that close-quarter snipers (I've seen and known a few legendary ones) are possibly the most skillful players in a given game, and that any good player should fairly easily be able to take out the type of player who just hangs back taking pot shots (the tpe of situation Dave faced excepted). As an added bonus is there anything more satisfying that outsniping some skilless hang-back hero using your assault rifle and mocking their weak FPS-fu, or knifing one in the back repeatedly? Still not exactly a big fan of snipers, and agree they usually embody a type of play I dislike, but I do believe in viewing them as a challenge, and reasonably balanced game should give one more than ample opportunity to learn how to turn the tables and dominate them over and over, unless they develop some skill.
Ekythump May 16, 2011 1:49 PM	I hate campers. But I don't hate snipers. Its the guys that sit and snipe spawn points that get on my nerves. Its frustrating when you spawn and BANG you're dead, and it happens multiple times. I've played snipers myself for a change, I actually play all the different classes just for a change and keep it interesting but I will never camp a spawn point. Luckily enough I've never come across an all sniper scenario. And I tip my hat off to snipers in BC2 sniping isn't easy in that game. Its more the games like where mention that don't have bullet drop and leading the target where it can get annoying.
Blackorchad May 16, 2011 1:51 PM	So I'll ask this. Do Australian’s fighting over in Afghanistan /Iran/where ever, shout out in the middle of the battle "Stop camping! I can't see you! Play fairly" Answer - No! It's a war and these games are adaptations of wars/battles made to feel as close as possible to one. Don't like snipers? I wonder how you would feel when they are covering your arse, in a real life war. Same problem with people whingeing about tubers. Don't like it? - play better..... Or give up. - That’s my thought.
H3VIW8 May 16, 2011 2:03 PM	my feeling is snipers are snipers campers are little douchebags, sniping is tactical as long as you aren't spawn killing or similar, sniping had its uses and should not be compared to camping. I base what i said on the fact most players dislike snipers, because not everone can do it, it takes skill, timing and the need not be the center of attention. just like in UT2K4, the flac cannon was called by many the n00b canno, because, basically all you had to do was aim in the general direction of a player and you got dead, but like sniping the flac cannon could be used tactically by some, and was good weapon in the right hands. all depends on the player wielding the weapon.
Opy May 16, 2011 2:18 PM	David found his niche in World of Tanks when he got his first tank destroyer (a 16 ton sniper with 2 inches of armor to protect his beard). I also enjoy the sniper role from time to time, but I'm not one to camp spawn points unless in retaliation for half a minute. I'm also better at it than at assault class as I suck in a fire fight and lose about 40 times out of every 30 fights. If it's in the game, it's to be used. If it really bugs you, go play Doom.
wraith676 May 16, 2011 2:25 PM	This is so awesome, same exact conversation i was having with my mates last night.
smadge1 May 16, 2011 4:46 PM	@Blackorchad "Don't like snipers? I wonder how you would feel when they are covering your arse, in a real life war. " Big difference to gaming. The issue is, people will lose interest in the game if they find they cannot counter the camper (sniper or not) and these games live or die on the people that play them.
Mudg3 May 16, 2011 5:54 PM	This article screams I was beaten to pump by someone with a intervention mW2 a M40A3 in Mw and a m24/GOL in BC2. Learn to counter and outplay
H3VIW8 May 16, 2011 6:42 PM	i found rushing most snipers puts them off, they can't counter a M203 to the face. true snipers get you with out you even knowing where it came from. sniper ghost warrior was alot of fun just 1 on 1 tho.
CK May 16, 2011 7:19 PM	80% of the time in BC2 I'm assault/engineer to attack/defend m-coms. When I get taken out by a sniper, I usually make it my personal goal in life(for the next 5mins) to find the best way to counter said sniper. I just can't decide what's more satisfying between sneaking up behind him with a knife in the back or grabing my m24 and headshoting from the greatest distance possible across the map. I think that DoD idea of limited sniper slots per team/squad could actually be really good in BC2. Being the lone attacker in a squad of recon players just trying to improve their k/d ratio brings me close to tears. I also agree that the best defence is a good offense. Nothing brings a bigger smile to my face than breaking through an attacking line and finding 3-4 enemy snipers crouching behind some rocks reloading...happy days.
tantryl May 16, 2011 7:20 PM	How many times during the "discussion" did Hollingworth do a stage whisper "... I can't hear you... you're so far away... speak up... BLAM!"
CPLDANABD May 16, 2011 7:25 PM	I got tired of campers with sniper rifles and no talent in games like MW2 and such a long time ago, and I snipe! Now I mainly play Project Reality (Bf2 mod, great fun look it up) and Arma 2 and the sniper community in both of them is great you really do have to work as a team or you'll end up sitting in the middle of nowhere twiddling your thumbs cause no chopper wants to pick you up, or dead cause you didn't relocate after taking that shot, and promptly had the turd mortared out of you. Anyhow back on subject i just cannot see the appeal or fun in camping, whether it be with a sniper or a shotty or a RPG etc etc.
DeAtomizer May 16, 2011 8:28 PM	Sniping goes great with a cup of coffee. mmmmmmm Double shot with a one shot one kill please.
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qwakqwak May 17, 2011 9:30 AM	Ummm...since when is war a fair fight? Atleast in games you get the advantage of being able to communicate snipers locations - even after you have died. Knifing a sniper in the back makes up for any ammount of long distance deaths.
Periander May 17, 2011 10:28 AM	I have nightmares about t awpers on dust 2...
Periander May 17, 2011 10:31 AM	..running the gauntlet through double doors, take a quick right up the stairs, nail a T or two in the back then sneaking to the T spawn to take them out though, is one of the most satisfying things you can do though; usually they're too dumb to realise you're coming and are just fixated looking down the scope through double doors.
hateu May 17, 2011 11:17 AM	recon: Saiga, knife, c4 and Wookie balls. Protect the wookie!
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17 May 17, 2011 5:37 PM	I think a good reason sniping is so fleshed out in games is because it is honestly a hell of a lot of fun in single-player/campaign modes. I understand that these days that devs only make money with solid multi-player modes, but I am one of those people that care more about an engaging story than online bouts. Does anyone agree that sniping in Borderlands never gets old? How fun was awp_inddia from CS:S? Unreal Tournament 2004 / Unreal Tournament 3 make sniping bots so immensely satisfying. And we all know that Sniper: Ghost Warrior is as glorified as single-player sniping gets. My point is, there should be a distinction made. Sniping/camping can breed slack online etiquette, but when you're headshotting offline or in co-op you feel like you're on top of the world.
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smadge1 May 18, 2011 2:37 PM	I love the sniper rifles in Borderlands, I collected a powerful one with each elemental power. Usually I could get away with sniping, my special power, and melee. what other guns do you need?
kzinti1 May 18, 2011 8:54 PM	Really stupid argument. If an action is allowed in a game then why not use it? If you want a realistic war game then you're going to have to accept sniping as a legitimate form of assault. Situational awareness is a way of life, or death, in real combat. I suggest that you quit playing with your peckers and go join the military. That's a very good place to try and flame snipers! If you don't like it then take your crybaby, douchebag, whining asses back to a game that suits your personality. Rainbow Brite comes to mind as being just about perfect for you limp-wristed, mewling sissies!
tator May 18, 2011 10:24 PM	One of the best sniping games I have played was Delta Force Blackhawk Down as the maps went out forever and it was possible to get kills from a simulated 1km out or more. One of the ways the game balanced it out was the better the zoom of the rifle, the less ammo it carried in the mag ie 8x scope = 20 shot semi auto M21, 16x scope = 4 shots .300 win mag bolt action. You still had to judge distances as there was ballistics involved but there was no camoflage involved, you just stood out like a shag on a rock, I used to go way out and go counter sniping and just pick off the opposition snipers who picked obvious spots which had huge FOV.
Twents May 22, 2011 8:23 AM	if the game is going to give you something, that is an extreme high precision piece of gear and good spots to use it, then people are going to snipe. Not that i snipe alot of the time its pretty boring. I like to run over them in the jeep on bfbc2, its lolololol
vestige May 25, 2011 4:17 PM	Most idiots who spend all their time with sniper rifles will try and draw the line between snipers and campers. The fact of the matter is, sniper rifles encourage a play style that involves sitting in a corner for long periods of time. There is no action, there is no intensity, just some idiot scoping some spot until someone runs past. If everyone was a sniper the games would literally grind to a halt.
taichi May 25, 2011 5:41 PM	Ah yes,Dave Kozicki is clearly the type of easy target I'm always looking for when I'm in my favourite camping spot.
Potplanty May 29, 2011 3:17 AM	Wow. BC2 sniping is a skill. For one you have flight time and bullet drop to calculate (not to mention dust, sand and debris to look through, and don't start me on the giant maps). Secondly, no going prone; you're always out in the open. Thirdly, every shot you take has to matter as EVERY shot you take leaves a trail behind it for a few seconds; in which time a couple of soldiers could have shot you from down below or another sniper could have picked you off. Other games, not so much. But BC2, definitely.

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Issue: 137 | June, 2012

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