Project Reality Forums

Just have an officer/Spec Ops with the sniper and use the GLTD to relay distance to target.

What Brownded said. The DEV's are trying to encourage teamplay and realistic usage of the kit. Snipers work in pairs as you know, and with the ability to determine distance yourself ingame it promotes more lonewolfing. Besides every sniper loves having some backup. Especially since you can't hit **** with the sniper if the target is near you and moving.

Sorry NickO, but with respect I have to disagree with snipers being very useful to a squad. I don't really won't to re-open an old issue and argue opinions with you suffice to say that even your own example has a flaw or two. When a squad is actively assaulting a flag - and not just moving into an undefended flag zone to cap the flag, they really need another front line rifle (preferably automatic). The sit back and cover role is better performed by a support gunner.

Snipers really do need to be outside of squads for everyone's benefit. Clearly a spotter would also help (you and your buddy can cycle the sniper kit if one of you is killed so that is a good system for sharing.), but I can see you would prefer to work alone.

I'd like sniper kits to be available outside of squads altogether or perhaps only available in a TWO MAN or THREE MAN Squad. Full six man squads are unfortunately the limit in this engine and in my mind, even the marksmen kit are excess weight unless in VERY specific situations. i.e. you don't need one until you actually reach the said situation, at which point the SM grabs the kit. Ask those AT guys how it feels to be out of rockets and only having 3 magazines when that enemy APC comes rolling up...Everyone is bleeding out because there is no medic...You happen upon a firebase and there is no engineer... You get my drift.

So I kind of agree with you (in part), as I'd like the sniper to be more self-reliant but I would hope they have the good sense to have at least one companion - consider the kit preservation as the most important point. Ultimately, I really can't see the point of one in a FULL squad at all (i realise this is not your suggestion anyway). I think there are a couple of different, but related, points here. Snipers in Big squads( to be avoided), snipers in small squads (best case), snipers totally solo (to be avoided). To improve the scope (give more independence to snipers) pretty much adds to the third case (not so good), but does help the first case (sniper can be more independent).

True NickO you shouldnt be engaging targets at close range if you are hidden and undiscovered. Unfortunately you don't determine where the enemy is or what target he is going after. Meaning that you are a prime target to be taken out and that the enemy will close with and engage you. Those are situations where you have backup from a spotter. Just as IRL.

As for your thinking that this will actually reduce lonewolfing I think you are seriously diluted. Players are hardcoded, if you make the sniper even more self sufficient, it will promote lonewolfing. Some pubber can just grab up the sniper kit and go off and play by himself. As for the sniper being kicked from a squad. You don't belong there in the first place. Sniper is not a squad level weapon for standard infantry squads, that's what the designated marksman is for. You should be working in a small sniper squad, coordinating with the commander. Not "supporting" one squad anyway.

I think it would be fair if there was a scale or distance bar on map. It seems pretty common on maps

If the sniper is an asset worth deploying isn't he an asset worth protecting? If he's not valuable enough to deploy a soldier with for protection then he isn't valuable enough to be played at all.

It sticks on objects and doesnt give an accurate measurement. If you play the wookie mod then you will know what i mean, as that measurement is the most usefull tool at the sniper's disposal. for PR if you want to know distances and double your productivity, get a spotter. It is proven and it works, and you have more fun because you'v sombody to talk to.

Don't like the idea, it would encourage lone wolfing because then the Sniper would be compleatly self sufficient, I would in fact like to see the opposite and have a true Spotter kit introduced.

What we need to do is establish a system for estimating range using the existing binocular's markings (mils, and their related formulae), so that the sniper actually has to crunch some numbers to hit a long-range target without a spotter.

A dedicated spotter kit sounds like a great idea! Give it a Ghillie suit as well as a carbine and all the other useful bits and bobs - soflam, smoke grenades (plus coloured ones), extra bandages.

And make the sniper kit only requestable in SMALL Squads (2 or 3 players) (or indeed on their own - highly contentious issue). Whatever, just get them out of the big squads please.

Billy_Crook_Foot wrote:Sorry NickO, but with respect I have to disagree with snipers being very useful to a squad. I don't really won't to re-open an old issue and argue opinions with you suffice to say that even your own example has a flaw or two. When a squad is actively assaulting a flag - and not just moving into an undefended flag zone to cap the flag, they really need another front line rifle (preferably automatic). The sit back and cover role is better performed by a support gunner.

Snipers really do need to be outside of squads for everyone's benefit. Clearly a spotter would also help (you and your buddy can cycle the sniper kit if one of you is killed so that is a good system for sharing.), but I can see you would prefer to work alone.

**Sigh** Everyone just assumes this is completely realistic for snipers. Old school stuff really. There are ton's of tactics open for snipers and to try and force them to use old school Hathcock tactics is just silly and far to simple minded for the most highly trained anti-infantry weapon on the battlefield.

Read this bookon the Top USMC Sniper in the corps today. He talks ALL the time about people being idiots in reference to sniper tactics and only want to leave them in the back to see and kill a commander...because they don't know or understand how to best use them. He works with squads ALL the time and even works off of a mobile shooting platform for insane run-n-gun tactics which is his forte (he lays on the softcover on the back of a humvee).

He also routinely lets the trigger fly and engages as many targets as possible during fights.

Oh and btw...he uses a ranger finder all day long. No need for a squadie to drop his gun and "pull the binocular eyes out" just to see if the insurgent on the roof has four fingers and is 4 or 5 hundred meters away. How about this...we don't have enough fighters on the field as it is...lets not waste another one by making him a spotter. Combine the two classes, make things realistic...and give the guy a range finder. Until one is made...give him so-flams.