Gun fights

[bigpittle 0]

At this point i have been in about 15 gunfights, and i have won about 7 of them. Now i might not be the best shooter in the game, but i see myself as someone who can defend against threats. Now i have noticed in these 15 gunfights, it is VERY HARD to hit people, no matter what gun you have. unless both you and your target are stationary, gunfights are nearly impossible. I was even i a fight were the guy shooting at me ran out of ammo trying to hit me, and he and i both agreed that the close quarters combat in this game is ridiculous. I was wondering if you guys have any tips, or opinions on the matter.

[BeaverProductions 441]

Here are a few tips for you.

 

• If out in the open (can work in cities too), and you can get some distance from your attacker, do so then take cover.  He will have to run towards you and that means his sway will be excessive. While you were crouched/prone waiting for him to arrive, your sway will be reduced/gone, making for easier shooting for you.
• Try and learn the sway pattern.  Once you learn that you can shoot while at max sway easier. 
• When close to your opponent, I find its often best to just hipfire rather than ADS.  ADS takes time to look down the sights meaning you lose valuable firing time.
• If your opponent is running at some distance away (>100m) you will have to compensate for the bullet travel time and lead your shots.  The further away, the greater the leading required.  his will only become natural after you have been in a lot of fights at range and see your shots impact behind the running player.  The amount of lead time required is dependent on the gun/ammo used (VSS needs lots at 2-300m due to subsonic rounds, Winchester not so much).  
• If sniping, its often handy to have a buddy with binocs to call out where your shots landed as when you reload the chamber, you will often not see the impact.  IF your buddy is closer to the target, even better as you will often not see impacts at very far range.
• Practice. Practice. Practice.  I would recommend getting some practice by finding a gun and ammo after you spawn and heading directly to a city PVP zone.
• Learn to burst fire (2-3) rounds at a time when shooting at >50m to master recoil.
• Strafing left or right as you fire can help you avoid bullets.
• Press S and D at the same time to have no sway when aiming.  Not tested recently though so might be fixed.
• Learning to range a gun is very important.  Make sure you are ranging your rifle correctly (PgUp and PgDown).  Find a gun and plenty ammo.  Head to a quiet server with lots of zombies and practice shooting them from different ranges to practice your distances.
• If you cant get a clean headshot or far away from target, shoot a target in the legs.  It makes them enter the prone animation and gives you a few seconds to finish them off without them being able to shoot you.

These are just a few of my own tips.  Your mileage may vary

[Mookie (original) 799]

Good advice from Beav. Nonetheless, there is often a serious element of randomness in gunfights. The number of times I've emptied an MP5 directly into someone for them to pop me in the head is probably well into double figures. As a rule, that randomness decreases relative to your distance from the target.

 

Also, for the most part, the outcome of a fight is usually determined by who sees whom first...

[Rags! 1966]

I'll disagree about the strafing bit. You strafe with a weapon raised very slowly. Your opponent isn't going to miss any of his shots because you are strafing at two miles an hour to the side. You're just making your own aim worse. If you feel that a fight is coming, then stand your ground and give yourself the best accuracy possible. 

 

I think that, honestly, the best possible advice on how to win gunfights is to open your ears and be more prepared for the fight than your opponent is. Be ready for the fight by having your gun at the ready, watch for an opponent coming around corners unawares, or laying in wait for him to walk into your sight.

 

Footsteps are OP. Respect your audio.

[CornProducts 315]

 

 

Footsteps are OP. Respect your audio.

While not as much of a gunfight guru as others might be, this above comment is as true as the can of beans I just gave. In urban areas especially, I am aware of others 9/10 before they know I'm there. All because when I think I hear footsteps, I stop, and listen.

[Reg Park 160]

Great points indeed. Let me just reiterate what has helped me survive gun fights. I've noticed way too often players get excited(or panic) and shoot right away while in terrible positioning, exposing themselves to easy deaths. I've learned that proper positioning can give you a nice upper hand. Of course, if it's 3rd person servers you really need to take advantage of that super human view point at it's fullest potential, as most are probably doing. Yes, it seems footsteps in 0.59 are louder and can easily hear players around you. If you're outgunned or outnumbered, you need to get distance between you and the threat as soon as possible, running away and relocating to safer positioning will give you some breathing room -- use everything you can for cover. I prefer sniping/long distance combat more just because they can't bum rush you as easily. And with close quarter combat, desync can really screw you over sometimes. You obviously killed the player first and yet his bullets kill you AFTER he is dead is quite frustrating. Regardless, I think the best thing to do is just practice, see what works for you.

[Milansson1 12]

Aim for the head and shoot ;)

[Bororm 1156]

The current state of pvp sucks for anyone who actually cares about aiming.

[pillock 850]

 

Footsteps are OP. Respect your audio.

While not as much of a gunfight guru as others might be, this above comment is as true as the can of beans I just gave. In urban areas especially, I am aware of others 9/10 before they know I'm there. All because when I think I hear footsteps, I stop, and listen.

 

I don't think it's over powered, though. The fact that people make a fair amount of noise when they are running around (especially on hard, paved surfaces like in towns) is unquestionably a good thing.

Edited January 14, 2016 by Pillock

[CornProducts 315]

I don't think it's over powered, though. The fact that people make a fair amount of noise when they are running around (especially on hard, paved surfaces like in towns) is unquestionably a good thing.

 

I think "OP" was used hyperbolically. I don't think anyone thinks footsteps should be changed.

[PongoZ 127]

When I tell people online that I have only killed certainly less then 15 people in over 1000 hours of playing the game they do not understand it. But the combat mechanic is really just a gltichbat mechanic. So flaky that it wrecks the game for me. I like it to just be a threat that hangs out there. But actually playing the game for such a fail combat system is kind of pointeless IMHO. Only griefers would really value it.  I do not know that they will ever be able to do much better on such a huge map, and I am ok with that since the game is good enough without it. 

[p4triot 207]

Here are a few tips for you.

 

• If out in the open (can work in cities too), and you can get some distance from your attacker, do so then take cover.  He will have to run towards you and that means his sway will be excessive. While you were crouched/prone waiting for him to arrive, your sway will be reduced/gone, making for easier shooting for you.
• Try and learn the sway pattern.  Once you learn that you can shoot while at max sway easier. 
• When close to your opponent, I find its often best to just hipfire rather than ADS.  ADS takes time to look down the sights meaning you lose valuable firing time.
• If your opponent is running at some distance away (>100m) you will have to compensate for the bullet travel time and lead your shots.  The further away, the greater the leading required.  his will only become natural after you have been in a lot of fights at range and see your shots impact behind the running player.  The amount of lead time required is dependent on the gun/ammo used (VSS needs lots at 2-300m due to subsonic rounds, Winchester not so much).  
• If sniping, its often handy to have a buddy with binocs to call out where your shots landed as when you reload the chamber, you will often not see the impact.  IF your buddy is closer to the target, even better as you will often not see impacts at very far range.
• Practice. Practice. Practice.  I would recommend getting some practice by finding a gun and ammo after you spawn and heading directly to a city PVP zone.
• Learn to burst fire (2-3) rounds at a time when shooting at >50m to master recoil.
• Strafing left or right as you fire can help you avoid bullets.
• Press S and D at the same time to have no sway when aiming.  Not tested recently though so might be fixed.
• Learning to range a gun is very important.  Make sure you are ranging your rifle correctly (PgUp and PgDown).  Find a gun and plenty ammo.  Head to a quiet server with lots of zombies and practice shooting them from different ranges to practice your distances.
• If you cant get a clean headshot or far away from target, shoot a target in the legs.  It makes them enter the prone animation and gives you a few seconds to finish them off without them being able to shoot you.

These are just a few of my own tips.  Your mileage may vary

 

I think OP was talking about desync issues. Even if you follow all that list step by step most times u will end up killed by a dead guy who you just killed too.

[Bororm 1156]

When I tell people online that I have only killed certainly less then 15 people in over 1000 hours of playing the game they do not understand it. But the combat mechanic is really just a gltichbat mechanic. So flaky that it wrecks the game for me. I like it to just be a threat that hangs out there. But actually playing the game for such a fail combat system is kind of pointeless IMHO. Only griefers would really value it.  I do not know that they will ever be able to do much better on such a huge map, and I am ok with that since the game is good enough without it. 

 

The system is a mess but there's still fun to be had.  Once in a while the stars align and things work out alright and it actually feels fun.  The more you do it the more you learn to play within the confines of it too, even if the end result is a shit show =P

[sneakydudes 278]

At this point i have been in about 15 gunfights, and i have won about 7 of them. Now i might not be the best shooter in the game, but i see myself as someone who can defend against threats. Now i have noticed in these 15 gunfights, it is VERY HARD to hit people, no matter what gun you have. unless both you and your target are stationary, gunfights are nearly impossible. I was even i a fight were the guy shooting at me ran out of ammo trying to hit me, and he and i both agreed that the close quarters combat in this game is ridiculous. I was wondering if you guys have any tips, or opinions on the matter.

Desync is a horrible weapon. Someone usually wins being out of sync, and its usually not you.

 

Throw a few Infected in the loop, and maybe some hardcore laggy buildings and volla you have yourself a warping good ole time.

 

Its not your fault, it comes with practice but you cant practice against desync unless you try to aim 1/8th arm length ahead of them. When they are weaving just aim straight not to the left or right.

You might be surprised you will win.

[Bororm 1156]

Something to note about leading shots is it's not only laggy from regular old desync, but also from server lag in general.  At time's you'll fire shots and they'll take a full second to impact only 20m away.  Other times it's not so bad.  It's a lot like the throwing mechanic, where the laggier the server in general, the slower the rounds travel.

 

For that reason, it's pretty much impossible to get a reliable feel for leading targets.

[q.S Sachiel 470]

Throw a few Infected in the loop, and maybe some hardcore laggy buildings and volla you have yourself a warping good ole time.

It's just a step to the left...

And then a jump to the right!

[thatguyoverthar11 47]

i've had several close quarters gunfights and they have been some of the best. although playing cat and mouse with a sniper is damn good fun too. the above advice is basically all you can do. always aim dead center of the chest. if you're lucky the recoil will give you a headshot. leg shots are better at a range since they cripple. although i'm pretty sure that most people just get a kick out of seeing a guy fall over and struggle. another bit of advice is train yourself not to do a freakout "holy sh*t someone shot at me!" jerk.