- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
Yeeeah. I agree with most of it, but what about suppressive fire? A sniper can be used to great effect as a camping armament, but there are many people who would consider that a cheap tactic, a thought you yourself seem to believe. A sniper is a camper's weapon- there's no changing that.
In real life you'll never see a sniper run into the middle of a firefight and start blasting away. They usually aim for stealth and obscurity; instead of just not taking a shot from the S2 AM, why not simply blend it in by leading the contrail along a Scorpion's rocket? Sometimes the manic of battle is enough to hide the bullet's trail.
In most realistic games, such as Rainbow Six or Counter Strike, camping can be key to survival. Granted, Halo is not in the same vein of realism, sometimes campers can be key to the success of the rest of their team. By laying down enough pain to stop the opposition in its tracks, a sniper can easily cut a swath through a rough path for a flag carrier, or at least annoy and distract the other team enough to make them lose their concentration on the carrier for a short while. Also, a sniper must be adept at firing on the run and while falling or jumping. Without those basic skills they will almost never be able to come out on top against a superior player. Practice is always key, but camping shouldn't always be dismissed as being "cheap" either.
Running and gunning with a sniper is a nifty little ability to have when trying to mow down your opponents. Zooming in by 2x can make aiming at close range a whole lot easier, but getting hit while zoomed will revert your vision back to normal, possibly throwing off your aim completely (and also causing a nuisance). This is one of the reasons that aim unzoomed is an invaluable skill against those who are experienced with the more advanced gaming skills.
Also, memorize spawn points. If you can stop someone before they even start you could save your team a lot of trouble. A nice sniping spot on BG is behind your opponents' base while playing CTF. Clip away at their faces until you're out of ammo; if you're a good shot you could easily get at least 15 kills, which equals 15 less kills someone else on your team has to get, and 15 less chances for your team to lose or drop the flag. That's assuming you're a good shot, of course.
Something else you said was bothering me as well... why would a sniper almost positively die if they are spotted? I'm no pro by a long shot, but even I can handle a few bugs trying to bloody up my visor. Just as long as you're a good shot -Blam!- they're done for. Also, sidearms must be chosen wisely. A shotgun or pistol in conjunction with a sniper can be devastating. Not that a rocket or plasma weapon wouldn't work well, either, though...
Still, my original argument remains. A sniper is a camper's weapon of choice. And it is a deadly choice at that.
[Edited on 6/7/2004 7:06:10 PM]