Sniping Pilots

[IamEternal]

I was thinking it would make things more interesting if it was possible to snipe the pilot out of the aircraft. I have watched on so many occasions as a sniper, an enemy aircraft just hover as it unleashed multiple volleys into a sundy. If the graphics should the pilot and it was in the program, I would have had more than a few kills from that.

[Rothnang]

I don't really see how this would be justified, there are dedicated AA weapons that perform their task more than sufficiently at this point without needing to add special exceptions just to make it even easier to kill aircraft.

Maybe I'd support the idea of aircraft cockpits having different armor values so that infantry weapon can deal full damage when hitting it, because a large volume of small arms fire should be dangerous to aircraft, but snipers shouldn't be able to get a one shot, it should really just be so that when a whole mess of people open up it's something to worry about.

[IamEternal]

So what you're telling me is that If a plane is hovering and pelting ground forces and they aren't careful I should remain ineffective? I don't see how this is going to make Aircraft easier to kill? Just because I remove the pilot doesn't mean the aircraft is destroyed. I have accidentally ejected from my plane numerous times, fell to my death, and had to run back to where my aircraft landed to get back in and fly away. 99% of the time the sniper wont have a shot because normally the plane is in the wrong position or in motion, but on that rare occasion where get that lucky break, it would be worth it.

G2A sucks. Most pilots dont fret to much about it. This wouldn't even really change that. It would just make it an actual risk to sit there hovering to farm soft target kills. the only real threat to an aircraft right now is another aircraft, or a zerg with plenty of AA assets. Let snipers play there role, be precision killers when someone is dumb enough to stand in the open and give us a shot. Just because you are in a vehicle doesn't make you immune to the laws of a battlefield. If you give me a clean shot it's your own damn fault. I have been felled by enemy snipers myself for getting cocky or trying to take that one extra second to line up a shot. That's just the way it goes.

[Binkley]

Next you will want a little tiny driver's eye-slot so you can shoot into tanks, right?

[IamEternal]

So we should redesign the aircraft so there is no visible cockpit? If I can see the target, why cant I shoot it? Im not asking to redesign anything. Not really sure where that aspect even came from? But if you want t ogo there i could argue that the largest Sniper rifles should in fact be able to damage the heaviest tanks. It might not be a lot of damage but a .50cal sniper rifle can definitely harass a tank, and if you put enough rounds into it you are bound to hit a critical system and take it out. But I'm not trying to drastically redesign the game or make snipers some unstoppable killing force. The chances of getting the kill shot on a plane is near impossible and if its moving forget it. Im not asking for anything to drastic I just thought it would be nice, and give Snipers something to strive for. That would be the shot that they brag about because it would be so rare. It will also make pilots think twice about stopping in mid air to farm targets that have no real way to defend themselves.

I just want to be able to be a sniper. It's not like we get all the kills or have all the excite. It can be a very boring occupation and a lot of the time I just sit and spot for my squad, but when shit does go down hill my ability to remove a medic, or just taking out someone standing still, can swing the battle by preventing the enemy from securing a location. That's the joy of the class. I don't get the excitement, or the action, but sometimes, just sometimes, I do get to effect a battle. That's the tradeoff. I don't think allowing a sniper to hit someone in a vehicle that already shows the occupants is to much to ask for. If I can see them, why cant I shoot them? If you don't want to get shot, keep moving.

[Binkley]

Originally Posted by IamEternal

So we should redesign the aircraft so there is no visible cockpit? If I can see the target, why cant I shoot it?

Bullet-proof glass?

Originally Posted by IamEternal

Im not asking to redesign anything. Not really sure where that aspect even came from? But if you want t ogo there i could argue that the largest Sniper rifles should in fact be able to damage the heaviest tanks. It might not be a lot of damage but a .50cal sniper rifle can definitely harass a tank, and if you put enough rounds into it you are bound to hit a critical system and take it out.

Um, no.

Originally Posted by IamEternal

The chances of getting the kill shot on a plane is near impossible and if its moving forget it. Im not asking for anything to drastic I just thought it would be nice, and give Snipers something to strive for.

Maybe you *can* kill the pilot and you just haven't. As you say, it should be a one-in-a-million shot.

[IamEternal]

Even bullet-proof glass has it's limitations, but I'll accept that as a valid point. I honestly did not consider that. As for the tank and the .50Cal, Yes. I have seen what a .50 cal does to a tank first hand. We actually use old and damaged Tanks that can no longer be used as targets on the M1 range. It's very fun to walk that beast onto its target. No you cant kill the pilot, It the programing they have doesn't separate the pilot from the vehicle. They have to add some scripting that would place the pilot separate from the vehicle. It's not really feasible to do I think. I talked to a friend of mine who does some programming and he explained it to me and now it makes sense why you cant. Its just complicated to do right and not worth the trouble unfortunately.

[SGOniell]

I would support it, but only on the higher end sniper rifles. The big guys, those new ones they came out with, whatever they're called. Aircraft cockpits are only so bullet proof, but in today's world there are only a few sniper rifles powerful enough to penetrate them. Make it rifles you either really need to save certs for, or pay SC

[Stick Pin]

Oh great, the Mosquitoes are already paper thin with weak missiles and bullets, now you want to shoot the pilot.....

[coconut]

Battlefield 3 allows that, and it's working well. I think that's a good idea. It's also in line with the fact that regular infantry can shoot down an aircraft, although it takes a few mags.
Tanks are another story. You can't destroy them with riffles, and therefore shouldn't be vulnerable to sniper riffles.

[IamEternal]

Yeah. Im not worried about tanks. I just mentioned it because of an earlier comment. I just thought the planes would be nice though since I can see the pilot. It's not a big issue either way, just thought it would add a nice trick snipers could try for every once in awhile. Wouldn't be the end of aircraft. Probably wouldn't even make a noticeable change unless you're a moron that just sits there and hovers. Im not even worried about being able to do damage to the aircraft itself. I dont think it would be some phenomenal, game changing, everyone play Inf thing. Just another way to let snipers harass an enemy when they let their guard down.

[Rothnang]

How wouldn't this be a serious problem to Galaxies or Liberators? "Oh, this wouldn't even affect you at all unless you hover somewhere"... yea, sorry, not all of the aircraft can dodge just by tapping the spacebar and boost from 0 to 300km/h in one second. People like to completely ignore the fact that two thirds of all aircraft in the game are huge and don't move in any quick unpredictable ways.

Besides, the way people try to sell this idea is: "If an aircraft just hovers somewhere then a sniper can take it out, which is what the pilot deserves", but let's get real here, we all know how this will really get used. Sooner or later any aircraft has to slow down, there are inevitably a few seconds here or there where you aren't moving very fast, and it's not going to be a situation where a sniper comes in and punishes a pilot for hovering for a prolonged period of time, it's going to be a situation where a sniper just waits for the right moment and then pops the pilot.

Just what we need, another system where pilots get fucked over by attacks they can't really defend against or even see coming.

[TheBladeRoden]

Pilot heads don't render in the cockpit anyway, so you couldn't snipe them even if it were possible.