Edit: Ok so this got a little long by oh, say 5 paragraphs. I just wanted to get my thoughts out on the subject though, so if you're gonna bitch about how long this is, then please don't read and save us the trouble.
Ever since the 2142 Beta ended, I find myself missing the Recon kit. I personally think it's probably the best Sniper kit made for the Battlefield line of games so far. This got me to thinking and I've been trying to figure out what it is about the kit that I like and I think I may have found my answer.
First, let me start by defining what a "Sniper Kit" is to me. The Sniper is a reconnaissance unit, with long-range target acquisition capabilities. It is a unit specialized in stealth, discreteness, and efficiency. As such, the sniper kit should empower him to perform these duties as best as possible. He is a Recon soldier. Now, a Sharpshooter on the other hand, is a unit that is capable of utilizing long range rifles with pinpoint accuracy, a lot like the sniper. However, there is no requirement to be stealthy and to observe the enemy. This makes him an Assault/Offensive soldier. When the kit is labeled "Sniper", I personally expect it to fulfill the role explained above for sniper, not for sharpshooter.
I realize that many people enjoy playing the Sniper kit due to the powerful, kick-ass rifles, and lets not forget the claymores hehe. But it seems that in BF2, most of the snipers I see aren't fulfilling the sniper role, but rather the sharpshooter role. In fact, the majority of the snipers in BF2 take the "Assault" mode of things rather than the "Recon" mode. See, I personally enjoy the "Sniper" job. I would love to be able to trek to a secluded location on the battlefield, and observe the grounds from afar. I would enjoy relaying important information to my team (or squad more likely) of what targets are unprotected, reveal positions, and take out critical targets whenever possible. Anti-vehicle/Anti-infantry rifles would be necessary and should be very powerful to take out targets in 1-2 shots max. I loved in the previews of BF2 that the sniper could illuminate targets for the commander for instance, and would be a highly valuable asset for the battlefield. Combine these features with Squad Leader abilities if you chose that role and you are no longer just an relaying the info, but can send out effective orders as well. This to me is a real sniper kit.
In FPS games though, there is a slight problem with the Sniper Kit as I've described it. It can terribly unbalance a game. Take for instance the perfect example of the AWP in the Counterstrike line of games. It is possibly the single most unbalanced weapon I have ever seen in games. The weapon has a powerful scope, absolutely no trick to shooting it (no breathing, wind, bullet-drop, etc), and can be shot at distances or at close range. This is why the weapon usually causes a server to escalate to a full out AWP war. There is no way to counter a 1 hit kill weapon that with a little skill, can be used at close range. So it escalates to everyone in the server needing AWP's to win.
BF2 avoided this problem well by not making the sniper rifles 1 hit kill weapons. This is good because it keeps most players from utilizing it for an unintended purpose. However, the game also screws up the sniper game because of situations like the following. I'm sure you've all done this; You take a few mins (which would = valuable points) to climb to the highest roof, trek to the farthest shrub, or anything similar in hopes of taking out many soldiers. You finally get there, you spot your first victim and you shoot him and it hits his chest. The enemy quickly turns around and spots you and in a few rounds he takes you out with G36 or something.
THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. You are at well over 200m range, and yet somehow they are able to take you out with relative ease. These situations make would-be snipers say fuck it, and decide to go in with a guns blazing, claymore popping attitude. I know this is what I've become now because there is simply no reason (and no advantage) to being stealthy and keeping your distance. And as such, the snipers become hated and it is no longer a real sniper, but simply another soldier with a powerful gun and the cheap claymores.
I hear a lot of talk about people wanting the Sniper kits to be fixed, and how they want more powerful weapons, and a lot of talk like that. But see, what most people are really asking for isn't an improved sniper kit... no they are asking for an AWP kit which makes kills easy. Now I am not trying to say that these people are wrong. I'm just trying to say that it is necessary to make the clear distinction so that people realize what they are really asking for. I know for a fact most of you aren't willing to play the Sniper role I've described, but that is really what the Sniper definition is.
So here comes BF2142 and they have improved a good amount on the kit. It is now called Recon, which to me is kind of silly since there really are not many recon features. Sniper wouldn't really fit thought since you also have the C4 and non-sniper tasks. Spec-Ops would probably be the most appropriate name this time around. However the sniper shooting balance has been restored to a more acceptable range. This time around, there is now movement in the scope. This is good, because it puts skill into the kit, and brings in the real disadvantage of having a rifle as big as a sniper one. Without the movement, it's simply point and click with a clearly overpowered weapon. Now you have to compensate. Also, there is no more of those bullshit kills by non-sniper troops. This doesn't mean that you can just camp out in clear view though, because troops can definitely kill you at a distance. Rather, you have the option of hiding, relocating, and taking that shot again keeping your long distance advantage. At close distances however, you are pretty much hopeless with that sniper rifle, making you want to keep your distance like it should be.
So in conclusion, I want to say that BF2142 is taking the right route to making a better Sniper kit but there is much room for improvement. The non-static scope is a necessity. The long-distance advantage is important to ensure snipers fulfill their roles. The close distance weakness is also important to prevent AWP like wars as well. It is actually fun to camp out in a tall tower now and try and pick-off enemies without getting killed yourself. However, I have yet to see an amazing Sniper kit created in any multi-player fps game and I hope to see one soon because it could be amazing what players could do with it. So I leave you with my run down of what would make a kick ass sniper kit for us true sniper people out there. Keep in mind that my ideal kit would only fulfill it's potential if you work as a true team/squad. You can definitely have fun picking-off troops by going the lone wolf route, but having a squad to relay information to, and to have the tell you who to take out so that they can advance would be so much better:
1. Anti-infantry and Anti-vehicle sniper rifles with high power scopes, stabilization enhancements, and a good rate of fire to promote balance. 1-hit head-shot kills, 2-hit anywhere else is probably the best way to balance the games right now. At least until games redesign the damage models we have now.
2. Binoculars with high-tech enhancements like range finder, target identification, target illumination, and any other cool things you can cram in there.
3. Radio abilities unique to sniper such as relaying info to commander/squad (kind of like the new NetBat stuff which is pretty sweet). Ability to call for artillery, UAV, etc more efficiently than squad leader could.
4. Silenced pistol for when close-quarter combat is unavoidable.
5. Claymores to protect yourself from ambush attacks, and to prevent enemy infantry from advancing to a certain position. This however doesn't mean they should be used to protect flags or hallways, so friendly-fire is a must to keep balance.
6. Camouflage of some sort to promote stealth and encourage snipers to keep their distance.
Ok, well that's it. This turned out to be a dissertation though, when I just meant to put my thoughts on paper, so thanks for reading if you do.
Ever since the 2142 Beta ended, I find myself missing the Recon kit. I personally think it's probably the best Sniper kit made for the Battlefield line of games so far. This got me to thinking and I've been trying to figure out what it is about the kit that I like and I think I may have found my answer.
First, let me start by defining what a "Sniper Kit" is to me. The Sniper is a reconnaissance unit, with long-range target acquisition capabilities. It is a unit specialized in stealth, discreteness, and efficiency. As such, the sniper kit should empower him to perform these duties as best as possible. He is a Recon soldier. Now, a Sharpshooter on the other hand, is a unit that is capable of utilizing long range rifles with pinpoint accuracy, a lot like the sniper. However, there is no requirement to be stealthy and to observe the enemy. This makes him an Assault/Offensive soldier. When the kit is labeled "Sniper", I personally expect it to fulfill the role explained above for sniper, not for sharpshooter.
I realize that many people enjoy playing the Sniper kit due to the powerful, kick-ass rifles, and lets not forget the claymores hehe. But it seems that in BF2, most of the snipers I see aren't fulfilling the sniper role, but rather the sharpshooter role. In fact, the majority of the snipers in BF2 take the "Assault" mode of things rather than the "Recon" mode. See, I personally enjoy the "Sniper" job. I would love to be able to trek to a secluded location on the battlefield, and observe the grounds from afar. I would enjoy relaying important information to my team (or squad more likely) of what targets are unprotected, reveal positions, and take out critical targets whenever possible. Anti-vehicle/Anti-infantry rifles would be necessary and should be very powerful to take out targets in 1-2 shots max. I loved in the previews of BF2 that the sniper could illuminate targets for the commander for instance, and would be a highly valuable asset for the battlefield. Combine these features with Squad Leader abilities if you chose that role and you are no longer just an relaying the info, but can send out effective orders as well. This to me is a real sniper kit.
In FPS games though, there is a slight problem with the Sniper Kit as I've described it. It can terribly unbalance a game. Take for instance the perfect example of the AWP in the Counterstrike line of games. It is possibly the single most unbalanced weapon I have ever seen in games. The weapon has a powerful scope, absolutely no trick to shooting it (no breathing, wind, bullet-drop, etc), and can be shot at distances or at close range. This is why the weapon usually causes a server to escalate to a full out AWP war. There is no way to counter a 1 hit kill weapon that with a little skill, can be used at close range. So it escalates to everyone in the server needing AWP's to win.
BF2 avoided this problem well by not making the sniper rifles 1 hit kill weapons. This is good because it keeps most players from utilizing it for an unintended purpose. However, the game also screws up the sniper game because of situations like the following. I'm sure you've all done this; You take a few mins (which would = valuable points) to climb to the highest roof, trek to the farthest shrub, or anything similar in hopes of taking out many soldiers. You finally get there, you spot your first victim and you shoot him and it hits his chest. The enemy quickly turns around and spots you and in a few rounds he takes you out with G36 or something.
THIS SHOULD NOT HAPPEN. You are at well over 200m range, and yet somehow they are able to take you out with relative ease. These situations make would-be snipers say fuck it, and decide to go in with a guns blazing, claymore popping attitude. I know this is what I've become now because there is simply no reason (and no advantage) to being stealthy and keeping your distance. And as such, the snipers become hated and it is no longer a real sniper, but simply another soldier with a powerful gun and the cheap claymores.
I hear a lot of talk about people wanting the Sniper kits to be fixed, and how they want more powerful weapons, and a lot of talk like that. But see, what most people are really asking for isn't an improved sniper kit... no they are asking for an AWP kit which makes kills easy. Now I am not trying to say that these people are wrong. I'm just trying to say that it is necessary to make the clear distinction so that people realize what they are really asking for. I know for a fact most of you aren't willing to play the Sniper role I've described, but that is really what the Sniper definition is.
So here comes BF2142 and they have improved a good amount on the kit. It is now called Recon, which to me is kind of silly since there really are not many recon features. Sniper wouldn't really fit thought since you also have the C4 and non-sniper tasks. Spec-Ops would probably be the most appropriate name this time around. However the sniper shooting balance has been restored to a more acceptable range. This time around, there is now movement in the scope. This is good, because it puts skill into the kit, and brings in the real disadvantage of having a rifle as big as a sniper one. Without the movement, it's simply point and click with a clearly overpowered weapon. Now you have to compensate. Also, there is no more of those bullshit kills by non-sniper troops. This doesn't mean that you can just camp out in clear view though, because troops can definitely kill you at a distance. Rather, you have the option of hiding, relocating, and taking that shot again keeping your long distance advantage. At close distances however, you are pretty much hopeless with that sniper rifle, making you want to keep your distance like it should be.
So in conclusion, I want to say that BF2142 is taking the right route to making a better Sniper kit but there is much room for improvement. The non-static scope is a necessity. The long-distance advantage is important to ensure snipers fulfill their roles. The close distance weakness is also important to prevent AWP like wars as well. It is actually fun to camp out in a tall tower now and try and pick-off enemies without getting killed yourself. However, I have yet to see an amazing Sniper kit created in any multi-player fps game and I hope to see one soon because it could be amazing what players could do with it. So I leave you with my run down of what would make a kick ass sniper kit for us true sniper people out there. Keep in mind that my ideal kit would only fulfill it's potential if you work as a true team/squad. You can definitely have fun picking-off troops by going the lone wolf route, but having a squad to relay information to, and to have the tell you who to take out so that they can advance would be so much better:
1. Anti-infantry and Anti-vehicle sniper rifles with high power scopes, stabilization enhancements, and a good rate of fire to promote balance. 1-hit head-shot kills, 2-hit anywhere else is probably the best way to balance the games right now. At least until games redesign the damage models we have now.
2. Binoculars with high-tech enhancements like range finder, target identification, target illumination, and any other cool things you can cram in there.
3. Radio abilities unique to sniper such as relaying info to commander/squad (kind of like the new NetBat stuff which is pretty sweet). Ability to call for artillery, UAV, etc more efficiently than squad leader could.
4. Silenced pistol for when close-quarter combat is unavoidable.
5. Claymores to protect yourself from ambush attacks, and to prevent enemy infantry from advancing to a certain position. This however doesn't mean they should be used to protect flags or hallways, so friendly-fire is a must to keep balance.
6. Camouflage of some sort to promote stealth and encourage snipers to keep their distance.
Ok, well that's it. This turned out to be a dissertation though, when I just meant to put my thoughts on paper, so thanks for reading if you do.