Help with sniping..

[Dyentious]

Heya everybody, I just started a sniper, but have been having some problems with getting into position.

It seems I spend 95 percent of my time trying to find a place to set up to snipe. I always want to get on top of hills or mountains, but find out that almost all of the mountains are too steep on all sides to actually get to the top. When I go for the smaller ones that I can actually get on, I am always either way to far away from any activity, or there is another hill, trees, etc in my way of actually having a line of fire.

Also, I have found that some continents have so much fog, that I basically have to be right next to a base to see anybody, especially if the base or fighting area is next to a body of water, forcing me to be on the side that everybody else is on.. and right in the heat of battle.
Some continents also seem to have very little hills or mountains at all, and the ones they DO have are wayy to steep to climb.

These things have irritated me to the point of almost wanting to give up sniping, because i spend all my time running around with no action cause I can't find a spot that gives me a line of sight. The only good places i've found to snipe are on the continents with a desert atmosphere.

Even still, when I DO find a good spot, the battles move from one place to another so fast that soon there is nobody left around to kill, or I have a million enemies passing right by me.

I always read that a sniper should take a few shots, move to a new position, take a few shots, move.. etc. HOW do they find that many spots to snipe from?
I have also heard that the surge implants lets you climb steeper inclines. Is this true?

[JakeLogan]

One thing I would suggest is to get the ATV cert and rexo. ATV is an underrated cert it allows quick transport over terrian that many other vehicles pass over. on top of that it can get up some steep hills. If you have trouble finding spots turn on the map and go to the area that looks good check it out if its not good enough move on.

[UncleDynamite]

Save yourself the trouble and consider these words of advice:

Don't snipe from the tops of mountains!

While some might disagree, I think the seasoned snipers here would agree that trying to shoot from the top of a mountain is one of the most dangerous places to be in big battles. If I'm defending, all I have to do is scan the ridgelines and mountain tops, and any sniper that managed to climb up there will stick out like Michael Jackson in a crowd of normal people. Even if just your head is exposed, it's very, very easy to spot you. And as sniper myself, your exposed head is all I need to counter-snipe you.

So I would actually recommend looking for sniping spots that are rather commonplace. Behind a tree, behind a rock, near parked vehicles, etc. Sometimes if you sit behind a ridge or mountain instead of on top of it, you'll still be able to see part of the base/battle from the side without completely exposing yourself. You might think, "But all these spots don't give nearly as great a view of a battlefield as being way up high!" That's true, but remember that if you can see 100 soldiers, 100 soldiers also have a chance of seeing you. And the moment you let off the first bolt shot off, that chance of discovery increases. So instead of trying to spot targets in the entire battle, move off, find a smaller part of the battle (say, the taking of a tower, or an assault at a base gate), hide from a reasonable distance, and snipe from there. It'll help by:

1. Having less enemies that have a chance of spotting and then attacking you.
2. Giving you fewer targets so you can focus a bit better.
3. Since trees and rocks offer fine sniper cover in these smaller fights, and since trees and rocks are pretty darn plentiful, you'll have no problems finding spots to shoot from.

These are just some of my tips. Hope they help.
UncleD

[Liquidtide]

1) Ridges are ok if you can't find cover at the top of those mountains, as long as you can duck back and outside their view you are safe.

2) Shoot until you are found, then move, or disappear and move back a few minutes later.

[Warborn]

While some might disagree, I think the seasoned snipers here would agree that trying to shoot from the top of a mountain is one of the most dangerous places to be in big battles. If I'm defending, all I have to do is scan the ridgelines and mountain tops, and any sniper that managed to climb up there will stick out like Michael Jackson in a crowd of normal people. Even if just your head is exposed, it's very, very easy to spot you. And as sniper myself, your exposed head is all I need to counter-snipe you.

Having the higher ground let's you potentially expose very little to your target. And with how sniping works in PS, it will be difficult to hit you if you have only your head and shoulders exposed. And if you do get hit, you can simply back down a bit out of sight and heal/repair. In fact, a lot of the time I personally like to jump up on some really obvious position, go into 3rd person mode, and move around a bit. It's really handy for finding where enemy snipers are and killing them, as their tracers will point you right to them.


But anyway, yeah, you don't have to snipe from on top of a hill or tower. A lot of the time you can actually get a better angle on a fight by going somewhere that's less typical for a sniper, although, of course, your chances of being killed in a atypical position tends to increase compared to sniping where all the other snipers are.

I always read that a sniper should take a few shots, move to a new position, take a few shots, move.. etc. HOW do they find that many spots to snipe from?
I have also heard that the surge implants lets you climb steeper inclines. Is this true?

Fire a few shots then move? Sounds horribly inefficient. Granted a change of position to make yourself less predictable is always good, this isn't like WW2 snipers. Find a spot and camp it for a good while. As long as the spot is giving you good shots, and not exposing you to too many enemy snipers (don't want an insta-kill from two enemy snipers) it's a good spot and you've no need to move.

As for Surge doing that, yes and now. It'll give you a bigger bit of velocity as you come upon an incline you can't get traction on, but it won't let you climb it.

[JakeLogan]

I've done the parked vehicle thing. Then the vehicle moved away. haven't done it since. another thing you could try is to drop on a tree from a galaxy.

[TheRagingGerbil]

Hmmm...

Won't give away my best secrets but I'll chime in a bit.

The Highground
The high ground is always the best. Especially that closest to the base. The higher you are and the closer you are the more of the courtyard you will be able to see. Also, when you are looking over a steep incline you are harder to hit by other snipers below.

Shoot-&-Move
The only time you move is if you are taking enemy fire. Shooting and moving causes you to lose sight of your target. This means he got away and now knows there is a sniper out there. You will die because of this. More often then not, the snipers that say you need to shoot and move are the ones who shoot alot and miss alot. If you can't shoot to kill, then don't shoot. The only thing you are doing is drawing unnecessary attention to yourself.

I will say that I do move around in a couple of situations. When there are vehicles/maxes present, and when I am engaged in a hunt. There are a few good snipers out there I have a never ending duel with. We never kill eachother only wound. This is because we are so focused on the hunt for one another we can't afford to be in the same place twice. We fire on eachother, but once we are spotted we have to move.

Fog
Fog is actually your friend. There is a sweet spot that once you find it, you will rack up the kills. The position you are looking for is when the enemies become merely shadows on the horizon. This means you are also a shadow, and when next a tree or rock you are invisible. Watch for the shadows to move, and watch for the tracers. Estimate where the tracers are coming from and fire. More often then not, you will score a hit.

Leading
Leading is done by feel. Every battle is different and every zone is different. Prepare to miss the first couple of shots when shooting at moving targets in a new zone or a new battle. Varying amounts of packet loss and lag will require you to adjust the feel for how much you will have to lead your target. This will become very natural will time.

Prediction
Predict where your target is going to go. If he is crouched outside of a tower and there is a door behind him, that is where he is going to go after your first shot. Fire and reload, during the reload take aim at the door. By the time he reaches the door you will be ready to fire agian...kill him.

[GreyFox]

All tips here are good.

Another tip is to cert in medic, to be able to survive multiple sniper shots.

[BadAsh]

Originally Posted by Warborn

Fire a few shots then move? Sounds horribly inefficient. Granted a change of position to make yourself less predictable is always good, this isn't like WW2 snipers. Find a spot and camp it for a good while. As long as the spot is giving you good shots, and not exposing you to too many enemy snipers (don't want an insta-kill from two enemy snipers) it's a good spot and you've no need to move.

As for Surge doing that, yes and now. It'll give you a bigger bit of velocity as you come upon an incline you can't get traction on, but it won't let you climb it.

Advice has been given in these forums to shoot and move. I've even read that one shot is good, 2 shots are risky and 3 shots from the same location = dead sniper and you deserve it because of your stupidity. I love when people who don't know how to snipe make posts like that...

Personally, when I snipe I like to move to a position that gives me a perpendicular line up over a base wall where the main forces are fighting. You can shoot a guy and he moves to behind one of the wall protrusions for cover not realizing you still have a clear shot. I�ve gotten so many kills of guys repairing themselves after the first shot this way. The trick to firing many shots from an elevated point where you can be more easily spotted is to be at a distance that only a sniper and effectively shoot back. Then keep an eye on the enemy with special attention to an enemy sniper as that is your only real threat. And even the enemy sniper can�t kill you because you can just move once you are wounded. This is key; never try to return fire even if you have a shot lined up once you have been sniped. Don�t take the unnecessary risk. Play it cool, and take your time. Also, this is why having basic engineering and medical is essential. You will last a long time by self repairing and healing.

Also, practice leading targets and hitting infantry that are on the move. This will greatly add to your kill count. Hit them once and then predict where they will head for cover and aim there. As they are about to pass your crosshairs squeeze one off and get the kill.

Your ability to �climb� an incline is affected by foot speed/velocity so having a good running start helps and the lighter armors climb better with the infiltration suit being the best climber and the Rexo being the worst. Surge does help in this regard, but even the infiltration and surge combo can�t climb everything.

With that said please don�t be tempted to try the standard armor to snipe with. Yeah, you will climb a little better but remember that the infiltrator suits and standard armor are 1 shot kills with the sniper rifle.

Rexo is a good choice for sniping because of the extra ammo storage and second rifle holster slot for another weapon to fend off cloakers and other troops that come too close. Agile is nice too because you can pilot an aircraft and bail out to a prime location that is otherwise inaccessible. One of my old tricks is to find an unclimbable peak that has just enough room to land a mosquito. I ditch the 12mm ammo for the mosquito and fill it with sniper ammo and head for my peak. I land and fire for a long time until an enemy aircraft comes and kills me. For added staying power get CE and put a few ACE devices in your mossy trunk for deployment. This is a good tactic from any sniper location, just be sure to deploy your goods where the enemy troops you plan to snipe can�t see them. Keep the deployables behind you and out of sight.

[GreyFox]

I usually snipe on the same position until I've been compromised in a way that it's dangerous to stay.

I would say, if you can sit in the same location for a long while, do it.

If I get shot by a sniper shot, and I'm really unsure of where it was from, I back down, heal, and then move to a new spot. On the other hand, if I'm more sure of who shot me, I will heal, and then battle him on a sniper battle. Unless he is very good coordinated with a sniper friend, I usually win these battles, or it ends in a draw.

[JFPhoenix]

If you don't know how to snipe I wouldn't recommend it but if it's something you really want to do then you have to try to find your best way of hitting someone because everybody has there own way of sniping. I usually follow the person till they slow down to heal or something then shoot them, the second time I try to get the most accurate shot I can then try to get lucky and fire my weapon.

[TheRagingGerbil]

Sniping tips continued...

Vehicles
Flying vehicles are the best choice. They will allow you to reach those hard to reach places quickly and easily. The only drawback being you will be restricted to your Agile armor.

ATV's are very useful for the lone sniper. You can move quickly, and carry extra ammo and supplies. They allow you to escape quickly as well.

Additional Certs
There are a few snipers who like to have Combat Engineering to place deployables around there sniping position. I found this to be a waste of time and inventory space. The added benefits of having a motion sensor, spitty, and mines isn't worth the hassle.

Medical is a must have for any dedicated sniper. You will take so many hits that you won't survive long without it.

I found that certing in AV makes a useful addition to a sniper. It will take care of that pesky max, or scare of a mosquito that decided to show up. Additionally, since you are there to provide fire support, it is usefull for removing deployables from on and inside the base.

Loadout
Rexo is your friend. You can carry more ammo and you can carry a secondary firearm. My personal favorite is a Guass paired with the BD. The punisher is also extremely useful. The secondary will help you despatch that pesky cloaker or softie who decides to get to close. The additonal armor and hit absorbtion will sustain you longer in a drawout firefight.

Implants
Personally I use Darklight, Range Mag, and Second Wind. This was the best combo I have come up with yet.

Range Mag is a given. That extra 4x zoom will help ensure your bolt hits its mark, and help with target identification.

Darklight is a necessity with the number of cloakers roaming the outskirts of the battle field. Every couple of shots, take a step back and do a 360 degree darklight sweep.

Second Wind has saved my ass a number of times. If I take an unsuspecting bolt hit, I'll immediately jam a med pack. If a second hits before I can take cover, SW will kick in and I'll survive. It is also buys you a few extra seconds to kill that cloaker who decides to jam his amp in your back.

[Warborn]

Advice has been given in these forums to shoot and move. I've even read that one shot is good, 2 shots are risky and 3 shots from the same location = dead sniper and you deserve it because of your stupidity. I love when people who don't know how to snipe make posts like that...

I know how to snipe very well, and I think whoever says you have to move after a few shots is an idiot. I wouldn't start making assumptions about my ability when you subscribe to such inane bullshit as that.

[Rayder]

I've always found the best places to snipe are right next to the enemy. For instance, On Amerish I think, the NC were coming out of a tower, trying to grab our base, and this being the time when I had the sniper cert, I grabbed a BD went out on top of the wall and shot a few guys. Of course, they had a sniper too, and I was easily found, we exchanged shots, la de da, I died. So, when I respawn I grab my BD again, and this time, instead of going out on the wall, I went out the entrance that was facing the tower, and behind a tree about 10-15m away from the entrance.

Now, this new spot might seem risky and extremely easy to spot me in, but I still sat there and shot them. You might be thinking, "well, now that you've killed a couple guys, they know where you are," but, they didn't. They had no clue where I was sniping from, and I found this extremely interesting. I managed to rack up about 15-20 kills before running out of ammo.

[TheRagingGerbil]

Indeed Rayder. The problem with sniping at the enemy from the base is that once they get by you they are out of your sight. By moving closer to the enemy you can shoot them in the back as they run by. Plus, you are usually covered by those guys still on the base walls.

I find that actually being behind the enemy, so they are between your friendlies and you, usually proves to be the most fruitful.