This is a bit off-topic, but Guarnere brings up something I've been quietly lamenting for a long time--the lack of a spotter subclass for the sniper in BF2.
I don't know how the military of other nations implement snipers in the field, but in the past (and probably to this present day) the U.S. Army and Marine Corps typically deployed snipers in a team of at least two individuals. Both men were outfitted with ghillies, and one man carried the long gun while the other carried a weapon with a higher rate of fire. I'm not sure how it's handled nowadays, but in the early '80s, U.S. Army sniper teams deployed in Central America were typically kitted out with an M21/M25 (usually) or a milspec Model 70 Winchester in .300 Win. Magnum (rarely) for the shooter; the spotter typically carried an M16/M203, but on rare occasions he might be equipped with a Stoner or even an M60E3 (a short-barreled and lighter version of the standard M60 GPMG). Both men carried a light load-out of grenades, and sidearms that had been modified to accept silencers--Smith & Wesson Hushpuppies, Browning Hi-Powers, and Colt M1911s were all pretty common. The spotter's lone piece of unique equipment was a spotting scope. The shooter handled the long gun and was responsible for dealing with the primary long-range targets while the spotter was responsible for establishing/maintaining security in the immediate surroundings of the team and spotting/ranging targets for the shooter. Both men could and would trade off duties, as being positioned behind the scope of the long gun for extended periods of time was stressful and tiring; however, one man was typically designated the primary and was the "ideal" shooter for taking down high value targets.
But back to my initial point: I don't know about the rest of you, but ideally when I'm sniping, I like to be paired up with another sniper that I know and trust. The fact that we're both equipped with primary weapons that have a low rate of fire, however, can pose problems when a group of enemies stumbles upon us or when we're spotted and they actively seek us out. This problem could be alleviated by pairing up with a different class--a medic or spec ops trooper, for example--but in my experience their lack of a ghillie suit makes them much more easy to spot and thus can alert the enemy to the presence of a threat and compromise both the sniper's security and his ability to effectively perform his role. So how about establishing a subclass for the sniper--the spotter? Like the sniper, he would be outfitted in a ghillie and carry the standard silenced sidearm, combat knife, and (maybe) grenades. But his primary weapon would be something with a higher ROF and a much lower zoom. (An M14 with an ACOG sight or an FN-FAL Para with a red dot would be ideal, but these might present game balance issues--both are powerful 7.62 x 51 mm weapons with 20-round box mags, extremely similar to the Assault class' G3--so a lower-damage silenced SMG like the 9 mm MP5SD might prove a better solution). And rather than claymores, his kit would include a spotting scope or a pair of range-finding binoculars. When paired with a sniper in a 2-person team, his principal duties would be to pick out targets at range and continue surveiling the area while the primary took the shot. But he would also provide perimeter security and more effectively deal with multiple threats when an enemy squad closed on the team. And above all, he would be better able to avoid compromising the team's position and mission because his uniform/camoflage would be identical to the sniper's.
Finally, in a last desperate attempt to link this post to the original thread, the spotter's range-finding binoculars could provide the sort of confirmation that many of you have expressed interest in, as well as increase the sniper's long-range accuracy. Most of the better snipers have become pretty good at determining range based upon the target's body size when on scope, and they adjust for drop accordingly. I can do this fairly well, but I have better success when I can estimate the distance by referencing it to a fixed location with a known range (a flag, for instance). If the flag is 300 meters away and the target is laying on the ground about 30 meters in front of it--270 meters out--that makes adjusting sight elevation a lot more accurate than guessing by body size. But the problem is that not all targets are in line with a fixed, measured point when you've got them under scope, so you don't always have the luxury of this assistance. The spotter could provide this. Engaging a target, then, might proceed something like this (on VOIP):
Spotter: "Target, enemy sniper. SSE. On Temple steps."
Shooter: "Acquired. Range?"
Spotter: "385 meters."
Shooter: "385 meters, roger."
(Boom)
Shooter: "Target down."
Spotter: "Confirmed. Target down, 385 meters."
These are just some thoughts I've been mulling over for the past few months. I'm sure there are problems and issues with this idea that I haven't considered, so feel free to chime in and share your perspectives, criticisms, and suggestions.
Last edited by Books_DCDF (2006-03-04 13:53:05)
