Better Shooting?

[M24]

Just a few miscellaneous questions about ways to make shooting more effective.

1. As sniper, should you shoot at a moving/running target or is it too risky? I usually wait for a clear headshot but often they scamper off when I could at least have nailed their torso.

2. As sniper, do you 'fight' the scope sway with the mouse, or simply wait till it drops onto the target?

3. With a Baur, which is best - (very) short bursts or semi-automatic?
Should you aim high or just try for the target's centre of mass?

4. CQB Sniper. Often I am jumped at close range by assaulters when I am regaining a lost flag. The chance of headshotting a bunnyhopper is remote (with my lack of skill) so its either pistol or knife. Which is more useful to have deployed when enemy are about - or should I stick with the Zeller? I am not interested in the knife but seems better than the puny pistol which just seems to irritate them.... Any tips for close quarters survival are appreciated...

5. Crouching tiger knifer... I have been attacked by knife guys who come diving at me horizontally in a superman dive. What the heck is this - a combo of prone/sprint/slash, a script or what?

6. Once in a while as recon I try to sneakily knife someone (and it inevitably goes wrong). They very often whip out their own knife (rather than use their AR) and so I counter by pulling out my pistol and shooting them dead while backpeddalling frantically. Poor sportsmanship or practical?

7. I hear the vents on a walker can be damaged by small arms fire. What else is vulnerable (presuming I have a Zeller).


Thanks!

[Arf]

1. Why would it be risky? I shoot the chest when there's large groups heading our way. The reasoning is that my squad mates can finish them with one shot and I can keep a higher rate of fire if I don't have to aim as carefully. If you're a sniper you need to be able to consistently hit moving targets.

2. Hit the shift key with the stabilizer equiped to stop the sway, it'll hold your gun steady for a second or two. Otherwise don't spend so much time lining up your shots. If you can't hit the head (you'll eventually have to learn to do that to be a good sniper) a good hit to the chest will do. Keep your sights on the target while it reloads. That will put them on the netbat for your squadmates. They'll see him and his low health, if they're good they'll take him down.

3. Very short bursts or single shots (a 2 round burst can kill). The longer the burst the longer you have to let it rest before it will be accurate again. Single shot will help you keep control of the Bauer but if you're hit while using the sights and single you'll get a short stun that will keep you from firing back. If you've ever run around a corner and found yourself unable to shoot back at an enemy spraying you with bullets that's what's happening. Get out of your sights and fire from the hip to break the stun.

4) If you're on the flag as a Sniper you'll have to rely on your teamates because you wont be able to stop multiple attackers with your gun. That doesn't mean you shouldn't be on a flag though. When you get there remember to place down defensive APMs (not so close that they kill you, your teamates, and the enemy all at once) and/or hide using the camo. If you hit them in the chest with the Zeller you can finish them with one shot from a pistol. The pistol will give you a better chance then the knife but you'll probably end up using it when the pistol is out of ammo.

5. It's an animation. In BF2 if you dived and strafed everyone would see you do a roll. If you jump and prone you will look like you're diving.

6. Practical. Except when all flags are taken and it's that last guy left and the entire team is converging on him. It should be a rule that that guy gets shanked, even if he shoots back. Not because it's sporting but because it's damn funny and it apeases the Sun God.

7. The vents are vulnerable even to the pistol. With a Zeller you can also kill APMs, Motion Mines, EMP Mines and RDX. I hear you can kill a shield by shooting the box in the middle but you can't hit that from the front and if you're behind it you might as well just shoot the Support.

[jackmacokc]

Regarding the crouching knifer - people are doing that because it seems to work better. I spent a lot of time on a knifing server, and i got way more kills by running to prone and slashing the ankles essentially. It was suggested from another TGer, but I can't remember who.

the knife is really flakey. i have had guys take my tags from like 10 feet away. it always seems to happen when i'm retreating backwards. It might be a bug.

[Acid]

When you play sniper for a little longer you will get used to fighting the sway and it will become natural. Using the stabilizer often messes me up because I am so used to the sway. In CQB, pull out the pistol and fire away. Just remember to stay calm and don't start spraying with it. Aim your shots and say in control. The pistol is actually pretty powerful and is actually a good matchup against an automatic if you know how to use it. You can also pull it out after you get one hit on an enemy with the Zeller and fire away in that general direction with the sights and kill them. I got a nice 200m pistol kill the other day with a Zeller/pistol combination.

[ThePenguineer]

I don't play sniper often (or very well), but I can offer one insight:

Is your goal to get the kill yourself or to help your team?

Well, that was a question, but here's the insight - If you're aiming to get the kill, headshots and that jazz are going to be important because you really get 1 chance to instant-kill your target before they move to find better cover. I can't help you there. BUT, if you don't care about the kills so much, chest and body shots can be immensly helpful for your team because of how much health it can take off an enemy. Say you land a chest shot on the enemy and they have like 15% life left. That's 85% less shooting your infantry friends need to do to eliminate that threat. Or, you'll force the wounded enemy to retreat to heal up, giving your squad a temporary number advantage. You'll get a lot of "Kill Damage Assists" instead of kills, but a smart, selfless sniper can really help in an assault by making it much easier to clear out small areas, leaving more friendlies alive with more bullets when they charge the flag.

Plus, a lot of people ignore the role of the Recon kit as... Recon. Don't just use your superior vantage points not as platforms for 1337 kills. You'll be a lot more helpful telling your squad "Hey, there's 20 people coming your way" instead of trying to kill them all yourself

[jepzilla]

If you're going to play recon and want to benefit your team, don't worry so much about ultra long-range shots where bullet drop and leading a moving target are important. A more useful skill to practice is the medium range snap-shot; being able to lock in on a stationary target and get a headshot in under a second or two will let you kill: Assault soldiers preparing the rockets, engineers readying their AVRs and support guys destroying your teammates with a stabalized machine gun.

[WhiskeySix]

wait.. there ARE headshots in this game? I thought headshots were no longer 1-shot kills??

[Fehmart]

Sniper rifles have always been capable of one-shot kills to the head.

[WhiskeySix]

ah ok - so it's just the sniper rifles then.... in bf2 any head-shot was an insta-kill.

[InfernoBLT11]

Baur single shot is the way to go. Too many time I have seen over-confident sniper got wasted waiting for their scope to stabilized. I can pop 3 rounds during their cool down and run for cover, since people have a habit of not shooting back at a rifle firing at them. This weekend gonna be my last before a long trip so I'm gonna make sure there is a little Baur in in everyone of the opposite team.

[InfernoBLT11]

Originally Posted by WhiskeySix

ah ok - so it's just the sniper rifles then.... in bf2 any head-shot was an insta-kill.

Not with the pistol though. Pistol need 2 shots in the head in BF2.

[DeimosManifest]

Headshots in BF2 were 3X the damage I think, whereas they're only 2 times the damage in 2142.

[M24]

@Arf

1. Why would it be risky? I shoot the chest when there's large groups heading our way.
M24 = by myself, I tend to wait for a headshot and don't sacrifice my concealment. In a squad, I tend to go for quick torso shot.

2. Hit the shift key with the stabilizer equiped to stop the sway, it'll hold your gun steady for a second or two.
M24=Aha. I couldn't figure how it worked but then I had mapped my shift key to crouch. Btw, it seems impossible to shift your squad key from CAPS LOCK (or at least you can change it but it stays the same in-game). What is with that?

3. Very short bursts or single shots (a 2 round burst can kill). The longer the burst the longer you have to let it rest before it will be accurate again.
M24=I tend to use semi-auto unless I am in titan or close to flag but I am still getting used to it - bit of a change from my SCAR11. With quick burst over longer distance should I aim for centre of mass or head?

4) If you're on the flag as a Sniper you'll have to rely on your teamates because you wont be able to stop multiple attackers with your gun. That doesn't mean you shouldn't be on a flag though. When you get there remember to place down defensive APMs (not so close that they kill you, your teamates, and the enemy all at once) and/or hide using the camo. If you hit them in the chest with the Zeller you can finish them with one shot from a pistol. The pistol will give you a better chance then the knife but you'll probably end up using it when the pistol is out of ammo.

5. It's an animation. In BF2 if you dived and strafed everyone would see you do a roll. If you jump and prone you will look like you're diving.
M24=Phew.... (wipes brow)

6. Practical. Except when all flags are taken and it's that last guy left and the entire team is converging on him. It should be a rule that that guy gets shanked, even if he shoots back. Not because it's sporting but because it's damn funny and it apeases the Sun God.
:-)

7. The vents are vulnerable even to the pistol. With a Zeller you can also kill APMs, Motion Mines, EMP Mines and RDX. I hear you can kill a shield by shooting the box in the middle but you can't hit that from the front and if you're behind it you might as well just shoot the Support.
M24=Thanks for that. I just got killed after planting RDX on a tank but thanks to your advice I respawned and shot the RDX from long range taking the tank with... :-)

@Inferno. I also play as a Baur/rocket medic - and I have found the Baur to be capable of counter-sniper fire (i.e. I was the only one in my Voss-laden squad capable of taking down snipers)

Thanks all. I'll further play with my keys to find a convenient button for stabiliser/sprint

[Zid]

Here's some tips from a very capable sniper =P..

Moving targets lead them aim for the torso when it is a mass chaos it won't matter as much if you miss since theres so much going on people won't be looking for you.

Your at an enemy flag alone wait for the enemy to stop moving and shoot an enemy. then BANG single shot to the head they won't know where you are.

Vehicles in the distance should indefinitly be spotted. Maps like Verdun a sniper can see much further then a standard soldier can so spot out those TANKS!

"6. Practical. Except when all flags are taken and it's that last guy left and the entire team is converging on him. It should be a rule that that guy gets shanked, even if he shoots back. Not because it's sporting but because it's damn funny and it apeases the Sun God.
:-)"

I would love for a team to try that on me ultra or someother member of the 7th i feel bad for the team and how much of a fool we'd make them =P

[ultrablue]

I recall a round of Carebear landing where the last man on the team standing was a EU sniper watching Office Ruins. Too bad he wasn't knifed because he deserved it.