O-sniping: official definition (keep the ethics of it out of here)

Aki

Member
This is from another thread:

Sweeper is another tactic of Sniping, Its like Mixing Mid-Field and BowlParty- Sniping (as you recall it). Being Useless O sniping would probably be Sniping anyone and not paying attention to the Flags in a CTF game. Everyone just loves to pew there snipers at someone, They Usually don't notice someone is going to Cap unless they realize the game's already over as the other Team has already won. A bunch of O-Sniping tactics, But its useless if your not effective.

I like that Skepsis called it "Useless O sniping." Take off the 'sniping' at the end, and this might be a good term to replace "O sniping" as it also encompasses the idiot LO who ignores the flag when it's dropped (*coughmecough* :oops: getting better, though). The Useless O (or just UO?) is the guy who attacks the defenders but doesn't return, doesn't focus on the carrier or the HoF, either up close with RL or far away with LR.

Skepsis also makes the point that many offensive sniping tactics exist and work, it's the sniper who makes the difference.

Noobie snipers probably shouldn't try offensive sniping--they maybe should stick to d and midfielding until they've mastered their aim and positioning.
 

Karnage

Private Tester
I like where you are going Aki but I think that's maybe a bit too generic. We do need to specifically address the issue of the sniper. The non flag-aware LO is another story that you should probably not get me started on. Hehe. You are right that these are both ineffectual though. On the other hand "u-sniping" has a better ring to it than "snipe-camping".
 

Aki

Member
I could go for 'u-sniping.' Hell, we could even generalize 'u-' as a community prefix for anything useless, but that's up to the processes of sociolinguistic evolution.
 

Propkid

Member
I could go for 'u-sniping.' Hell, we could even generalize 'u-' as a community prefix for anything useless, but that's up to the processes of sociolinguistic evolution.
I like that. There is a sort of sniping that's inefficient, though maybe 'valid' as many of you say. U-sniping anyone?
 

Karnage

Private Tester
I, for one will be glad to promote that definition . I think a lot of people have given up on this thread so it will be up to the few of us who do read it to spread the word (hehe) and we will have to do that by simply using it as often as possible during games. Unless someone comes up with a better term in the next day or two I suggest we ask them to lock this thread.

I also think it works because it has a graphical representation. If you think of the top two points of the U as the sides of the enemy base and the two long sides of the U as trails that lead around and join behind the friendly base then you can see it. These are all points along which U-snipers like to camp and from which they can shoot into the base.
 

Metreon

Member
Good idea to start a thread on this, although whether it will end in a settlement...er, I'll take a wait-and-see on that.
*Grab a beer, and Prepare Thyselves for Epic Metreon Post*

I think a good place to start is the term "offensive." That is to say, how does that fit into o-sniping as we define it. In this context, I see it as implying that the person doing it is actually playing offense (as opposed to not doing something with offensive value.)

O-sniping is generally regarded at the moment as sitting on one spot and whanging away at enemies in their base with the LR. This is a cloudy definition, because said whanging, depending on how one approaches it, can actually be offense. Similarly, it can be useless (or at best, a mild diversion.)

For this purpose, I'll stick to the idea that our example sniper is usually sitting in one place. close enough to the enemy base to do damage (usually a tower, hill, or ledge overlooking the base.) My thought on the matter is that new nomenclature should reflect the idea of whether this action is actually being "offensive" (which I am defining here to be useful to a team's offense) or not.

I'm pretty sure we'll agree that hitting a HoF is useful. Especially if they are about to cap. (The idea being that you're making life easier on your team's chasers, either by killing the target they've softened already, softening the target to make it easier to kill, or by buying time by killing a prospective capper.)
Beyond that, I regard shooting departing enemies as useful, simply because they'll be weaker by the time they get to your own base (I generally don't find that people stop to heal or respawn when I do that.) And shooting enemies at their base is acceptable if your team is raiding it (to grab or chase or whatever.)
Which leaves us with the guy (I've been guilty of this on occasion, if only out of sheer boredom or tons of alcohol) who nests and just shoots at the enemies as they spawn or hold vigil, regardless of flag or capper or teammate presence. That's pretty useless. There are some other useless things too. But you're probably running low on beer.
So, that's my opinion on useful and useless. I'm sure that could be argued until the end of time... but for new nomenclature, I like "U-sniping" as a term for useless sniping in general. (Props to whoever came up with that.) Has a nice ring. U-snipers- they just snipe U indiscriminately.
("I smell a PUN!")
 

mausgang

Puzzlemaster
True, metreon, and this is the entire point of the conversation is that "o-sniping" is a dirty word in Legions and yet its too generic, so in that epic post, you managed to pretty much come to the same conclusion as everybody else. I am all for 'u-sniping' becoming the new 'dirty word' for snipers, now all we need to do is get everybody else to use it too.
 

anak

VIP
why does this thread exist. it's either going to continue being pointless or devolve into another congealed mess of tl;dr's.
 

anak

VIP
I stated in two sentences what might have taken you all 7 pages to figure out. i've been posting in o-sniping threads for years. was simply trying to save you time.
 

Aki

Member
Which is why your argument is so original! It's been said for years!

Honestly, did you READ the thread? Let me sum up, since I'm pretty sure you didn't get passed "O-sniping" in the title:

We've defined o-sniping as any sniping tactics which are offensive, including hitting the enemy D and bowl partying, etc. We then assigned the term "u-sniping" to cover sniping behaviors which are ineffective and essentially render one teammate useless to his team. After that, we suggested that the discussion be closed and the thread locked as the issue was resolved with a surprising degree of speed and maturity for a gaming community. Then you showed up and bashed the thread without realizing that the very thread you're bashing is a perfect counter example to your entire statement.

So, with the results of the discussion sum'd in one post and the closure of the topic reiterated, let's let this thread be on its merry way to the next page, eh? Better yet, a lock on the thread would serve us all very well.
 

WildFire

Warrior of Linux
Which is why your argument is so original! It's been said for years!

Honestly, did you READ the thread? Let me sum up, since I'm pretty sure you didn't get passed "O-sniping" in the title:

Anaklu has been here since the original beta of Fallen Empire: Legions back on Instantaction, so I believe he does know what he is on about. As for him not reading, I don't blame him. You can sit here all day on your computer and your opinions will probably still be the same as when you started. He's just simply stating that it is a waste of time, in his own way, which continues to annoy people (not me!)

topic reiterated, let's let this thread be on its merry way to the next page, eh? Better yet, a lock on the thread would serve us all very well.

He'd agree! So I don't know why you are arguing :/
 

Karnage

Private Tester
Look, Aki has a point and I like the way he put it too. We resolved this. That is why no one is posting any more. Can we just stop now?
 
O-sniping to me is when someone snipes into enemy base (enemy defense should not be getting hit with lazer), past half way on a map, or when they snipe from a safe distance (someone has to go chase this person down because there is no other way to kill this person). Always a good indicator of o-snipe is if the sniper is camping.

I just kind of make an invisible line as a half way mark, it is easier to do then it sounds. I give cappers a chance to get speed going before I try to whale on them with my lazer.

Exceptions:
1- The person with flag is always open game, END OF STORY. It is not O-sniping if you snipe the person with the flag. I will even go as far as saying the person you know the capper will pass to (you can tell with some people Ex: Gravis + Karnage), but I normally only do this to a hof and always when they have double hof. I met mable and outlawl with this argument. They didn't like getting shot when they where trying to make it home with my flag.....and then tried to call it O-snipe (I will nevah let you guys live this down after you tried to put me down wua ha ha ha). I also met Bahlitz this way, I got kicked from Bahlitz's game because we all know he can cap and we all know anybody with flag is open game (I forgive him... I set him on fire through webcam mind control).

*sad face*.....a sniper is like a cheap date....nobody loves us unless we are on your team giving lazer jobs.

2- If the sniper is at your base, or he is dueling you, it is not O-sniping.... you can still kill the guy, he is not out camping in a safe spot. Just because you got owned by a sniper in a duel, don't QQ.

3- Sweeping; If a person is trying to shoot/bb/duel you and you ignore this person, I think he has the right to shoot you in the back. He has to put himself in harms way, he cant just camp at tower say "oh he past me *shoot*". He has to be in a dueling range at some point. So if a sweeper is pinging people at your base, it is O-snipe. If someone is starting his route, and before he even touches the ground he gets shot, that is o-snipe (give the person a break...), unless he was in dueling range (EX: on frostbite I am on a bridge and you just spawned next to me and took off, expect to be shot because you didn't say hi).

This is my idea of O-snipe. There might be more, but I am to lazy to think of any right now. Let me know what you think.
 
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