- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
So I've read almost all of this thread, and here's one place where I will agree with Peck. Fully 2/3 of the responses on this thread have been from people starting out by saying, "Well, I am a sniper and..." and I think that's a little ridiculous.
To use the definition of a "sniper" given earlier, I'd say I would rather have a sharpshooter on my team. It's a team game, and if you're a true sniper, and you're sneaking around the level and choosing your shots very carefully, then you are not supporting your team.
I will agree that the sniper is part of the game and that it takes skill to use it. But, it's been my experience that way too many people are willing to die with a rifle in hand. When I grab a rifle (in BG, for instance) and get out to the middle of the level, I do what I can to corral the enemy at their base with shots. But, I'm a realist, and I know that no one can get a headshot every single time and have any hope of controlling the enemy, so if I get a hit that doesn't kill, I'll switch to my pistol in a heartbeat. I don't think you can afford to let that guy live any longer than necessary, and knowing that it will only take one pistol shot to put him away is enough to make me switch. In most games, you've got 3 or 4 enemies to corral. You don't have time to screw around. You're there to do a job, and that job is to pin them down until the rest of your team can roll in and get on top of the base.
What I usually see, however, is the guy that will successfully get them all trapped at their base, but continue to take 2-3 shots at each enemy. Well, here's a sad fact: by the time you're done killing the first guy, the other 3 should be on you (if they're any challenge) and you should (and most likely will) die with a spent mag in your rifle.
So, the bottom line is, the sniper can be useful, but you really have to know when to hang it up and switch to Ol' Faithful, the pistol.