Ogopogo15 wrote:
Question for Books and SinnFein....
When you go sniping, what are the priority of your targets?
Do you try to kill snipers first, or do you kill anything that comes into your scope?
Do you guys go "lone wolf" which means settling in a spot for a while like at an obscure angel from enemy forces?
For me, I often move in the rear of the general direction of the team, and I provide squad support, so I like the SVD / TYPE 88 more often.
My first priority is kill mission critical soldiers, and my 2nd priority is to soften front line soldiers (thats why I get a lot of kill assists)
For example, I try to take out people capping back flags, people who had just planted C4 on APC.
For me, I guess it depends on the type and number of targets that are presented to me. When I spy only a lone trooper slipping along a street or skulking through the scrub, you can bet I'll go after the "opportunity kill." But if I'm taking down a group of targets on an enemy flag, or that are attacking a friendly flag, I try to assess what their inclination is and whether or not they're members of a common squad. If they appear disorganized or unfocused and don't seem to be intent on going anywhere, I'll pick them off indiscriminately. If they appear to be part of a squad with a specific agenda, then I use the following method of prioritization (assuming each class/role is present in the group):
1st target: Medics
2nd target: Snipers
3rd target: Squad Leader
4th target: Anti-tankers
5th target: Support
After that, in my opinion it doesn't matter. Medics go first for the obvious reason--you don't want them reviving an enemy you just killed. [While some players actually leave medics alive so that they can get more kills from the newly revived enemies, I think that's a dangerous (and unethical) practice; there's a very good possibility that you won't score a subsequent kill, and that leaves another ticket for the enemy to use against your team.] Snipers are second because it usually takes them a moment after that first shot on the medic to spin around and try to locate your position. In that time--if you're good--you should be able to put your next shot into the enemy sniper, hopefully killing him but at the very least sending him scrambling for cover. Squad leaders are next to eliminate a mobile spawn point. Anti-tankers have to go because of the one-shot kill potential of their missiles. And support is a priority because once they begin to spray your position, relocation can be difficult (and that damn PKM WILL kill you if it's allowed enough time and opportunity). Essentially, I fully support your idea of taking out mission-critical soldiers, and this prioritization table is an approach towards that end. Ultimately, however, a big part of my job as a sniper is to help eliminate the enemy's supply of tickets, so if I can't selectively pick targets because of frantic movement or some other issue, I'll fire on the target that's available.
I should point out, though, that even if I'm engaged with a group, if I hear someone on our team announce "Sniper!", you can bet that I immediately pull up the map and note where the flashing crosshair is. If it's close and is likely to have an advantageous angle on my position, I'll shift fire to eliminate that very real threat. If it's not close or is unlikely to have line of fire on me, I'll finish off the targets I'm involved with before turning my attention to countersniping. But usually by that time [GDC]SinnFein has already killed the enemy sniper, so it's pretty rare that they get away or are left as a potential threat to the rest of the team for very long.
With regard to the remainder of your question, I'd say that more often than not, I tend to settle in a general Area of Operation, but I usually relocate fairly frequently within that AO. I don't typically closely follow the skirmish line, but I'm oftentimes ahead of it (albeit in a position that provides the security of distance and cover, and that affords excellent visibility so that I can spot targets and report troop/vehicle activity for the team).
ROlyPOly wrote:
wow books. with all these people asking you questions, you'd think you were actually good...roflcakes
Yeah, I've got everyone fooled. I attribute what little success I've managed to the fact that I frequent servers populated solely by pre-schoolers and people whose only prior experience with computer games was a few games of Microsoft Hearts.
BTW, I'd like to congratulate ROlyPOly on a very fine round of play Tuesday. He linked up with me on a Kubra server, kitted himself out with an M95, and in one round proceeded to take out four--FOUR!!--enemy attack choppers as they strafed or attempted to capture bases. Very impressive, sir. I tip my hat to your skill.
Last edited by Books_DCDF (2006-04-13 06:54:24)