Making Snipers useful. - Page 4

FriendlyFire · 2012-02-01, 03:55 PM

If sniper rifles don't OSK... at least make up a story on why/how they don't (in PS2.)

BF3 is a great example of poor sniper rifle implementation. The reward for head shots is a OSK but anything less is 2+ shots. Considering most assault rifles have a TTK of less than .5 seconds, a one shot body shot from a 50 cal should be a OSK. No questions asked.

If sniper rifles (in PS2) don't OSK I would like to see:
Radar darts (as mentioned before)
Paralyzing darts
Virus darts (when the target moves they take damage. This could lead to a OSK on a running target)

These would all add flavor to what would be bland class. OSKs should still be in game, but they should not be the limitations of a Snipers performance.

Tikuto · 2012-02-01, 04:06 PM

My signature makes use of Snipers.

Espion · 2012-02-01, 04:21 PM

PS1 sniping... pretty much impossible

Graywolves · 2012-02-01, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by FriendlyFire

If sniper rifles don't OSK... at least make up a story on why/how they don't (in PS2.)

Like all that armor and helmets?

And shields

Duddy · 2012-02-01, 04:49 PM

Just to illustrate for VioletZero, or perhaps anyone else too, at 6:40 in the video below two of our guys lock down the vehicle pad of that base for some time. Naturally this means it was very difficult for them to pull any vehicles and they had to spend time dealing with the pair of them to prevent that.

2 person sniping teams (or more) was something we did often, and quite frankly in the right setup it caused a lot of disruption.

I would certainly hate to see sniping lose it's ability to have a meaningful impact on a fight.

So yeah, skip to 6:40 for v-pad lockdown. (You should watch the rest of the video too btw!)

Warborn · 2012-02-01, 04:52 PM

I'll say it again. Sniping was perfect in Planetside 1. It's the only thing that doesn't need to be changed. It would be so easy to give sniping all these extra abilities and headshots and turn the game into a really shitty sniper-fest everytime you step outside. If there is anything that could easily ruin infantry combat, this is it.

ratfusion · 2012-02-01, 07:20 PM

Originally Posted by Warborn

Planetside 1's sniper mechanics were perfect in every way. I could not believe how well-done they were. When you have a game featuring wide, open areas, it is incredibly easy to ruin everything by making snipers too good. PS1 managed to avoid that pitfall. Sniping is hard, and its main function was harassment/destroying deployables, but that's exactly what its role should have been. You can't make sniper rifles really good at getting kills and expect battles outdoors to wind up as much more than horrible sniper-fests. Making sniper rifles support weapons helps keep the medium assault weaponry useful.

Personally, I want sniping to stay exactly the same in terms of power. Sniping is the only thing PS1 really did right and I'd like to see carried over unchanged. If sniping is improved significantly, the game would suffer for it. And kill cams don't change sniping considering PS1 sniper rifles had hugely obvious tracers anyway.

100% agree. PS1 sniping was fun, and very challenging. If it had been any easier it would have ruined outdoor combat.

VioletZero · 2012-02-01, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by ratfusion

100% agree. PS1 sniping was fun, and very challenging. If it had been any easier it would have ruined outdoor combat.

I did say more useful, not more powerful.

Particularly more utility.

Graywolves · 2012-02-01, 07:42 PM

Originally Posted by VioletZero

I did say more useful, not more powerful.

Particularly more utility.

Snipers serve their purpose, nothing needs to be forced into it.

Allowing snipers to snipe isn't a matter of "not being as useful as someone repairing vehicles" because that honestly doesn't matter in the least bit since the game isn't restricted in numbers on the scale of other MMO's.

PoisonTaco · 2012-02-01, 08:04 PM

There's a lot of emphasis on the weapon that a sniper uses, and not a lot on the scope. In Battlefield 2 and 2142 a sniper's scope was much more valuable to the team than their gun could ever be. You could spot targets from much longer distances which would help your team immensely. My favorite use of sniper integration was in Battlefield 1942. In that game snipers had binoculars which they could use to spot for artillery. When Snipers were using it, other people could use artillery and see what the sniper sees for indirect fire.

Maybe that's something Snipers could provide in Planetside 2. Have a Commander CERT where you can see what a sniper sees from their scope. Snipers could then become the eyes of a battlefield, and could be a valuable asset to their team. As coordinated Outfit could spread their snipers out and their commander would be able to see what's going on.

Have abilities for Snipers to identify and mark targets. They can zoom into an incoming team and see high priority threats. Maybe have a HUD element that tells them what class they're looking at, or if someone is a Squad Leader. They can either try to take them out themselves, or they could place markers for their squad/platoon to see. Reward snipers when a marked target dies.

There are ways to give Snipers more to do on the battlefield. But hey those are my ideas.

Mezorin · 2012-02-01, 09:05 PM

Originally Posted by PoisonTaco

There's a lot of emphasis on the weapon that a sniper uses, and not a lot on the scope. In Battlefield 2 and 2142 a sniper's scope was much more valuable to the team than their gun could ever be. You could spot targets from much longer distances which would help your team immensely. My favorite use of sniper integration was in Battlefield 1942. In that game snipers had binoculars which they could use to spot for artillery. When Snipers were using it, other people could use artillery and see what the sniper sees for indirect fire.

Maybe that's something Snipers could provide in Planetside 2. Have a Commander CERT where you can see what a sniper sees from their scope. Snipers could then become the eyes of a battlefield, and could be a valuable asset to their team. As coordinated Outfit could spread their snipers out and their commander would be able to see what's going on.

Have abilities for Snipers to identify and mark targets. They can zoom into an incoming team and see high priority threats. Maybe have a HUD element that tells them what class they're looking at, or if someone is a Squad Leader. They can either try to take them out themselves, or they could place markers for their squad/platoon to see. Reward snipers when a marked target dies.

There are ways to give Snipers more to do on the battlefield. But hey those are my ideas.

This is a fantastic idea, and the sort of role I would love to play as a sniper if put into PS2. The ability to spot targets for your team and commanders along with being stealthy and a decent bolt action or semi auto rifle will make well played snipers a valuable asset to any outfit that wants up to date intel.

Lord Cosine · 2012-02-01, 09:33 PM

Yeah that would be awesome. Any feature that allows people to coordinate easier is good in my book. It is an easy feature that would give great depth to the multiplayer combat.

That could be an implant that anyone/(possibly only infiltrators as they are the new sniper class) could take, and the squad leader could choose which screen to watch, with perhaps the additional ability to relay it to his squadmates.

Tehroth · 2012-02-01, 10:16 PM

Perhaps sniper rifles can have a ability to slow the target down if they hit them in the leg of an infantry unit?

CutterJohn · 2012-02-01, 11:16 PM

Originally Posted by HitbackTR

I really don't understand the problem that people had with snipers and I would say that if people think that they are useless, then they really don't/didn't have a clue how to play one.

I just loathed the cof system of them. So utterly counterintuitive, and whoever designed it never once held a weapon in their lives. OSOK? Whatever. I can take it or leave it. Just fix the horrid cof. And the unscoped cof while you're at it.. that was ridiculous. Doesn't need to be exceptionally accurate, but it doesn't have to be half the screen either.

Vancha · 2012-02-01, 11:22 PM

Originally Posted by CutterJohn

I just loathed the cof system of them. So utterly counterintuitive, and whoever designed it never once held a weapon in their lives. OSOK? Whatever. I can take it or leave it. Just fix the horrid cof. And the unscoped cof while you're at it.. that was ridiculous. Doesn't need to be exceptionally accurate, but it doesn't have to be half the screen either.

Awww, did the meanie bolt dwiver cof make ickle Cutter cwy?!

The CoF meant you had to line shots up instead of swinging the reticule over people's heads AWP-style.