Are snipers the most harmless thing in DayZ?

[Bororm 1156]

Sniping in SA is a bit more difficult currently than the mod.  Right now, the reload animation and the lack of being able to see your impacts past something like 300-400m means adjusting your shots is extremely difficult.  You basically have to trust fully in your zeroing, which takes a fair amount of skill/practice, especially with the lack of mildots.

 

Aside from that, it's still more difficult than the mod because of the way the new server architecture works.  Lags/desync are a lot more prevalent, characters slide around and move oddly more than the mod, because in the mod a lot of this stuff was calculated client side (I think?).  This makes leading shots very difficult.  The way players render in also has an effect.  You also typically have to hit a player 2-3 times with a mosin, where as in the mod many of the sniper rifles knocked out in one hit.  Since the SA has a ton more enterable structures, the window of opportunity literally becomes windows in many instances.  You have to be extremely quick and precise if you're shooting at people in an urban environment compared to the mod.  Bullet speed is also a bit slower than the mod, so leading long range shots is more difficult in that regard as well.  There's a lot of differences really, but it just takes practice.

 

Usually the only time I've been sniped, or at least sniped and killed, is when I am sniping myself and mostly stationary.

 

Snipers are pretty predictable, a good sniper will have some pretty sneaky spots but the majority of people use the common ones.  That's not entirely the result of being bad at sniping though, it's just making that decision of going for the best angle/largest field of view on an area, or going for the narrower but also safer one.  I often just pick stupid spots because I'm lazy and have a bit of a death wish, but if I'm being serious about it I like to find whole new places.  My typical rule of thumb though is, you find the obvious sniper spot, and set up slightly differently.  Like, I really do not advocate sniping from a radio tower as it's super exposed and obvious, but if you're going to, snipe from one of the lower platforms and not the tippy top =P  Same with buildings, don't go on the roof, hell don't even go on the top floor, pick one of the other floors that's a bit less obvious.  If you're trying to be for real sneaky though, don't pick those tall structures or obvious hills to begin with.  Sniping is probably 50/50 on your position and your ability to actually shoot.

 

Bottom line is, if some one is really good at it, they're extremely dangerous, otherwise not so much.

 

I am not a very good sniper, but it's something I like to do and practice at.

 

- I almost exclusively play hardcore (I think 3rd person gives additional advantages to snipers)

To address this specific point of the OP, it depends.  Long range sniping imo is easier on first person only, the advantage goes to the player way back in the hills because any player in the town/area he's sniping is going to be forced to expose themselves constantly.  For instance, any players on roof tops must be standing/crouched, same with players in windows etc.  When I play arma 3 and snipe I choose hardcore for this purpose.  I prefer long range sniping (600m+) and it just makes it super easy to sit way back and see everyone.

 

However, for the person close range, on a third person server they have a better advantage, because they are capable of hiding behind ledges etc, peeking through windows without being exposed.

 

So it really just depends what kind of sniping you're doing, each has pros/cons.

Edited May 26, 2014 by Bororm

[tinroofer 23]

Tbh I rarely even consider the threat of snipers around the place these days. After a while you can tell the likely positions that someone with a long gun is going to be at in a given area based on its sight lines etc, and you get used to avoiding giving anyone in these positions los on you by routing around them.

 

Even on 40/40's its been a while since I got a *crack*... *crack* as I've moved around.

 

Getting blasted in the face from 10 feet away on the other hand happens quite often :P

[bauertschi 254]

I want to thank you all for your answers, some spent really a lot of energy and thought. There seems to be a consens on the fact that a good sniper is a beast. At the same time and at least for the moment it seems that getting killed from far away is not a very common affliction. Maybe the reason is also the influx of new players that still have to learn - not saying that everyone will do so. With so many new players chances of running into a real veteran may simply be rather slim.

 

I am not saying the topic is done, I really enjoyed how many answers I got so fast and how ppl answered in detail. But I must stop giving everyone beans here for answering me, it's getting ridiculous ;)

 

So, carry on and enjoy the game!

Edited May 27, 2014 by bautschi

[Grimey Rick 3417]

I never miss. Well, I do sometimes. Okay, I miss whenever they zig-zag like a middle-aged white guy on bath salts.

 

[bauertschi 254]

I never miss. Well, I do sometimes. Okay, I miss whenever they zig-zag like a middle-aged white guy on bath salts.

 

You sir just made me laugh out loud and now, 10 minutes later, my mood is still improved. Thanks!

[alsmir 255]

Don't know a single good sniper that would bother playing SA in it's current status.

 

Personally I'm keeping my skills sharp playing Arma (ACE) and waiting for SA to become playable.

[sloasdaylight 129]

My group has 1 really excellent sniper, and a few pretty decent ones, including myself. Snipers are fucking dangerous if they know what they're doing. Our top guy saved my ass more than a few times with well placed headshots, and I'd be afraid of him if he weren't a part of my group.

[qww 287]

someone far away from you, shooting at you, mayeb you cant see them, its dangerous. how can it not be.

[gearjammer 97]

I think that I've only been killed by one sniper, but I've killed more with my mosin than every other weapon. I don't think the mosin does the kind of damage that it should at range. I shot someone directly through the back at about 100 meters. Him and his buddy had someone handcuffed and were shoving a zucchini up this guys ass. (Seriously, what is it with bandits anyways?) It seemed easier to hit center mass rather than the head-shot so I put it through his back and nothing went well from there. I survived the encounter but it wasn't the heroic moment that I had hoped for. Now, I always try head shots and miss a lot.

[xenology 61]

No people with bad aim and horrible range/distance judging is the most harmless player tbh plus aim

Edited May 27, 2014 by Xenology

[bauertschi 254]

I think that I've only been killed by one sniper, but I've killed more with my mosin than every other weapon. I don't think the mosin does the kind of damage that it should at range. I shot someone directly through the back at about 100 meters. Him and his buddy had someone handcuffed and were shoving a zucchini up this guys ass. (Seriously, what is it with bandits anyways?) It seemed easier to hit center mass rather than the head-shot so I put it through his back and nothing went well from there. I survived the encounter but it wasn't the heroic moment that I had hoped for. Now, I always try head shots and miss a lot.

 

That's what I currently like about the Blaze. Ok, I only shot once at someone, probably about 70 meters, but because the game lags so much, I could put two bullets in his back, before he fell down. Well, or she, I don't discriminate that way here. Of course you need snaploaders, but I think running around with a Blaze and two or three snaploaders is something I might actually try.

It's just that Mosins are not uncommon and I usually throw the Blaze out when I find one, after all I just might get a LRS later...

[anothercynicalbrit 166]

A good sniper who knows the map terrain well is extremely dangerous.  Snipers in training especially ones who are new to Arma mechanics I just blow past their shots.

This, me and my friends rarely fire our mosins unless we are 800 meters away and every day we get at least ten kills so i dont know where it is you frequent but i can assure you snipers are a real threat in this game, i can prove it to you if you want.

 

Ive been playing too long. Group of 8 guys in Cherno with snipers tried to take me down. Ended up getting into their building and killing them all with a new spawns Axe I found down the stairs. People need to learn.

 

I have trouble believing this story somehow, maybe the fact you claim to have taken out 8 guys consecutively with an axe and that there were a group of 8 people crammed in one building. Did you record this as i am pretty sure something like this would get 100's of thousands of views in a few dayz ?

 

Edit : Thats not to say it never happened just that ihave a hard time beleiving it, would love to see a video.

Edited May 27, 2014 by anothercynicalbrit

[Murlough 192]

OP: Are snipers the most harmless thing in DayZ?

Me: No that would be the zeds.

[bauertschi 254]

OP: Are snipers the most harmless thing in DayZ?

Me: No that would be the zeds.

 

I died three times through zeds, if I remember correctly. First with my first life in DayZ, then there were two onehit deaths when I was completely healthy, well fed and watered. But I get where you're coming from. To be fair though, they are quite dangerous when they show other players your location. That also got me killed, when I exited a hangar on the nwaf and two ppl were already waiting aiming at the exit. Just before that two zeds crossed the af chasing after me...

[TheWookieMonster 405]

I can assure you that as a sniper I am far from harmless.  :D

[gibonez 3633]

I can assure you that as a sniper I am far from harmless.  :D

 

Yea snipers like to think they are but the truth is they are pretty harmless.

 

so what if they get a hit one time out of every 20 encounters. The damage they do then is pretty minimal.

[Murlough 192]

I died three times through zeds, if I remember correctly. First with my first life in DayZ, then there were two onehit deaths when I was completely healthy, well fed and watered. But I get where you're coming from. To be fair though, they are quite dangerous when they show other players your location. That also got me killed, when I exited a hangar on the nwaf and two ppl were already waiting aiming at the exit. Just before that two zeds crossed the af chasing after me...

Haha well maybe snipers are least dangerous for you but i can remember being killed by snipers WAYYY more often then being killed by zombies. I had one occasion where i actually made it out of Electro after being shot at by a sniper only to be hunted down by him until the next town. SPOILER ALERT: I died. Edited May 27, 2014 by Murlough

[anothercynicalbrit 166]

I think that I've only been killed by one sniper, but I've killed more with my mosin than every other weapon. I don't think the mosin does the kind of damage that it should at range. I shot someone directly through the back at about 100 meters. Him and his buddy had someone handcuffed and were shoving a zucchini up this guys ass. (Seriously, what is it with bandits anyways?) It seemed easier to hit center mass rather than the head-shot so I put it through his back and nothing went well from there. I survived the encounter but it wasn't the heroic moment that I had hoped for. Now, I always try head shots and miss a lot.

His backpack, shirt and vest probably absorbed the first bullet, not good but you ruined all his shit, follow up shot is a must.

[Deathlove 2286]

Yea snipers like to think they are but the truth is they are pretty harmless.

 

so what if they get a hit one time out of every 20 encounters. The damage they do then is pretty minimal.

Until you ran into that harmless cat.........

 

 

Its always the cute ones that are the most deadly.

[bauertschi 254]

This, me and my friends rarely fire our mosins unless we are 800 meters away and every day we get at least ten kills so i dont know where it is you frequent but i can assure you snipers are a real threat in this game, i can prove it to you if you want.

...

 

I was tempted all day long, and it keeps itching. Ok, I'm doing a Barney Stinson: "Challenge accepted!"

 

I propose a window of opportunity, let's say 1 or 2 hours (so you won't know who I am) where I will move through a before agreed upon location. I propose the neaf with 20ish ppl on a hardcore for the following reasons:

 

- 20 players on a server in hardcore in my experience means that there is enough traffic at the neaf so you would not simply lie down in the trees at the west prison road just 15 m next to the door. There is practically someone running around every few minutes. At the same time I have to be careful and could not simply sprint the whole time with no gun out. It forces me to play as I actually do.

 

- more than 20 ppl currently mean that I (it seems not everyone else) have extremely bad lag when switching weapons, I died several times now, because I could not take a gun out. Even if it were to run smoothly, I would not lone wolf the neaf on a full server, I would hunt looters instead.

 

- A full server would also increase the chances of my demise before you can kill me, that's not the plan.

 

- The fact that it is possible to look over walls, around corners, over hills,...without being seen on regular, it turns my stomach

 

- On regular playing with the crowd we were alone for more than half an hour at the neaf last time on a stuffed server. It was also unlooted after more than one hour. It seems like players can not even be bathered to run to the neaf any more. I really hate regular more and more, for more and more reasons it seems.

 

- you should find a good position to kill me at the neaf from whatever distance you prefer. I don't demand 800m, but as a proof of concept, it probably should be at least 300 or 400 , I think.

 

- the nwaf is too big. I would never just run through everything there. If I think it is unsafe to go somewhere, I simply skip it. There are areas there I never visit. We might even miss each other completely. You will definitely see me at the neaf... .

 

- the nwaf is either empty of other players and I could sprint way more than I usually would, after all I know you are out there, or

 

- there is some bad ass squad at the nwaf that kills me - with my luck before you had your chance.

 

- balota, hm, a possibility. But I don't think it has the same possibilities for long range engagement as the neaf. Too many small corners, some woods that are great for sniping but short distance. There are the big appartment builings of course (is it Dubky?), but all in all again too many chances to miss each other or only small windows of opportunity might occur. Especially as we specifically want long range. I think I could make it way harder or even impossible - there is one ace up my sleeve I won't disclose beforehand...

 

Rules:

- a minimum distance as proposed above should exist, you may hunt me down, if you decide to do so, but your first action must be a long range shot.

 

- Only you, not 10 of your friends additionally. I'll also be alone.

 

- I loot the neaf as I normally would, no extra anti sniper movements or so - you would of course have to trust me on that. That does of course include the fact that I spot the area before I charge in like an idiot. If I find you I may just decide to come for you instead. Or I might go through with the looting, who knows. Even if I spot a sniper, I won't know for sure it is you after all... .

 

An additional incentive for you to accept: I record all my DayZ gaming, so you get to see your handywork from my perspective. Of course I propose that you also record your game, but I don't demand it.

 

As I wrote in the original post, I am not a PvP god. But it's an interesting starting constellation, something new. And one should take from DayZ all it offers, even if it means dieing. Let's call it the "bautschi-anothercynicalbrit situation".

 

Even writing this challenge and thinking about the rules was already fun :)

Edited May 28, 2014 by bautschi

[Jvalor 59]

I can assure you that as a sniper I am far from harmless.  :D

Said every sniper in the history of.......ever.

[bauertschi 254]

Until you ran into that harmless cat.........

 

 

Its always the cute ones that are the most deadly.

 

No spraypaint job? No white ghillie? That's basic stuff, man! Really poor performance here, cat!

[Deathlove 2286]

No spraypaint job? No white ghillie? That's basic stuff, man! Really poor performance here, cat!

ONE SHOT, ONE KILL!

[PhillyT 554]

This isn't Call of Duty; real physics and what not applies and takes more than a few days of gameplay to learn how to play a sniper role in DayZ.

 

I am not sure the very rudimentary bullet drop in Dayz or ARMA equals real physics.

[bauertschi 254]

I am not sure the very rudimentary bullet drop in Dayz or ARMA equals real physics.

 

It does simulate some model of real physics and is reproduceable. I also play Battlefield 3 and there, for example,  you actually see your bullets flying and can adjust accordingly. Another main point is that you learn faster because you shoot more. Practically all the time. Then there are things like hitboxes...learning shooting in DayZ is generally harder. I can't even handle the m4, I'm better with everything else over 5 meters.

Edited May 28, 2014 by bautschi