Learning to love sniper, but...

[neiby]

I've been playing TF2 for nearly three years now. I usually play soldier, pyro, engy or medic, with a little bit of spy and demo thrown in. I almost never play sniper and haven't tried it in a very long time. My son loves it, but I just never really gave it a chance. Last night I decided to try it again and had the best round I've had in a very long time and I had a ton of fun. I ended up with the highest score on the server for that game, which hasn't happened in a while when I play the other classes. I was having an absolute blast, though.

However, when I play my usual classes, I always know who is playing on my team (their names), what classes they're playing, and where they are. I focus on communication, tactics and teamwork and I like to know what the general plan is. With sniper, despite having a whole bunch of fun and trying to help my team another way, I just felt disconnected from the game. I don't even remember who I was playing with, which is unusual for me. I didn't have that feeling of being part of the team. I did my usual constant spy checking and stuff like that, but I'm not used to being so far away from the action. It was a bittersweet experience.

Any other snipers feel that way?

 

[xosniper]

aslong as you are locking down the other snipers, and picking off medics, you are credit 2 team.

 

[Opeth!]

ive learned to love xosniper

 

[Toasteddude]

Nope, I never feel like I am disconnected to the team. Its a symbiotic relationship. The team protects you from close threats, you cover the team advances and systematically thin out enemy ranks making it easier for your team. Nothing hurts morale more than knowing you're about to die if you step out into the open.

 

[Stinky Wizzleteats]

If youre having fun sniping, that means the other teams spies arent doing their job!

 

[neiby]

I guess I'll just have to play it more. I'm used to being in the action as one of the classes moving forward, or maybe as a defensive class hanging back, but in either case I usually know what's going on where. As a sniper last night, despite racking up a whole bunch of kills and helping our team to win (and having a blast at it), I missed being part of the forward group charging toward the intel.

However, it was still an amazing amount of fun and I found a few ways to be really aggressive that seemed to work well. I'm going to play more tonight and be even more aggressive. I'll either have another epic round or I'll die often in the pyro's flames.

 

[neiby]

If youre having fun sniping, that means the other teams spies arent doing their job!

They were trying, but I was often killing them before they could make it across the bridge. They weren't fully disguising before dropping down from the battlements, or they'd jump down disguised as my team already. Pretty obvious. They had some good snipers, but I seemed to be doing okay against them.

 

[Cl!FF]

Sometimes it is better to be sure than pretty,

if you see a medic with a gun glowing, dont go for the headshot unless it is quite easy, if you bodyshot him, he is pretty much dead as well, rather save a few teammates with a bodyshot, than miss the headshot, same goes for other snipers though. Also, headshotting scouts is fun, but hard, I usually use the bodyshot there

It may not be pretty, but it is very effective

Take out the engineers behind their sentryguns, you can then take out their gun in 2 full powered shots, or let some spammy teammate take it out

easy classes to kill
Heavy,
soldier,
pyro (usually they are just running forward, quite easy to pick out
sniper,

but best ways to help out the team it to take out medics, and look out for kritskrieg pairs, medics are usually offguard when they activate it.

but because you have a good view over the battlefield, always communicate if something is up, like a sniper, something incoming, a spy...

 

[neiby]

Cl!ff, that's definitely the kind of stuff I was trying to do. I think it just felt weird hanging back and not being part of the forward team or not staying back play pyro or something. Usually, if I'm hanging back playing defense, I'm playing pyro or engineer. Sniper sure was fun, though, and I can't wait to do it again tonight. It was fun trying to out-snipe the other team. I can see how you can easily get into a competition to outsmart the other guys and try to find unexpected vantage points.

 

[DRaGZ]

If you really want to get closer to the action, be a Huntsman Sniper. You still need to stay behind your team, but you're best when you're right behind the front line, choosing priority targets.

 

[neiby]

I do have the Huntsman available. I should give that a try tonight. I was already moving around a lot with the rifle. I didn't just hang out in one spot on the battlements. I was all over the place. I think I might load up the Huntsman and go hang out in the enemy base.

 

[Cl!FF]

huntsman = fail

usually you just shoot into a crowd of people and you hit someone because the hitbox is so huge for the head, you get a kill

more reliable is the original sniper, you can easily dodge the huntsman if you see it coming, but yes, if you are very skiled with it you might be able to use it the way it is intended

 

[Toasteddude]

If you really want to get closer to the action, be a Huntsman Sniper. You still need to stay behind your team, but you're best when you're right behind the front line, choosing priority targets.

Huntsman is good for when you want to screw around and not help the team in any way whatsoever.

 

[DRaGZ]

Huntsman is good for when you want to screw around and not help the team in any way whatsoever.

Actually, considering the Huntsman has a higher DPS, faster rate of fire, wider field of vision, more effective maneuverability, and larger headshot box than the Sniper Rifle, I'd say it's far superior to the original rifle in a front-line situation.

If a Scout gets the jump on you while you have the Rifle, 9 times out of 10, you're boned (chances are, you wouldn't even have seen him coming). With the Huntsman, it's pretty much 50/50. This makes it superior in front-line situations where there are multiple routes by which a player can ambush you.

There's a reason why they was talk of replacing a roaming Soldier with a Huntsman Sniper in comp play.

 

[QB]

I'll say this once. The last huntsman discussion got locked for a reason. Let's not turn his thread into a flaming pile of crap please.

That said

If you want to feel even more team oriented as a sniper, don't forget to bring your jarate.

 

[FeatherFrog]

PEE FTW!

love the jarate... always use it. =]

 

[neiby]

I love Jarate! I was using it a lot tonight. I'd played a lot more sniper before switching to medic for a couple of hours. I was getting a little frustrated as sniper tonight. The snipers on the other team had an inhuman ability to pop out, aim, and shoot faster than I could. I could be looking at them when they pop out and they'd still aim and fire before I could click the mouse button. Amazing.

 

[Skill/CJaZ]

Be Polite. Be Efficient. Have a Plan to Kill Everyone You Meet.

Do not follow those rules. Follow THESE rules.

Be Rude. Spam Headshots. Have a Plan to Jarate Everywhere You Go.

 

[QB]

If I'm on a map with a "base," few people will ever make it inside unless they've been covered in jarate first. No other class can change the battlefield so drastically with a secondary weapon.

 

[Lukas the Dead]

I do alright as a sniper, Demoman is my preferred class but if I see that no-one is keeping the enemy snipers busy then I'll swap.

I've never been a fan of using the huntsman, but then I've not put a lot of time into learning how to use it effectively. I'm unwilling to commit to a broad statement about it, as I've watched some people use it to great effect in clearing the way and creating choke points(like on the bridge in 2Fort). However, some people (like myself) should stick to the rifle.

It's a fun class . .. but I like it more for the fact it lets me kill other snipers over and over than anything else.