Please stop moving! I'm trying to shoot you!

[desertjedi 3]

I was in the armory checking out the Aimpoint Desert weapons and a challenge came up to go to a shooting gallery. I was presented with static and moving targets (totally sweet btw). I missed every single moving target. The dirt puff from my missed shots seemed to have quite a delay before appearing. Do I need to seriously lead my targets when they're moving?

Another point...I'm having bad problems hitting any enemy soldier with a scope. Instead, I use the reticle and "walk my tracers" to make the kill - even with an M16. I'm guessing my lack of success is related to the point above - moving targets. What I find very strange is that I do quite well "walking the tracers" to a kill shot but I noticed that the reticle is not on target when I make the kill. This makes me think that I shouldn't be lining the reticle up directly on the target in the first place....

Sort of related...if I go into a CQB-type situation, is it better to switch to my pistol? With the M16 I'm having trouble hitting targets that are very close but moving. Does the pistol afford you any better control for CQB?

[MehMan 0]

Well, it depends if your shots fall low, it's bullet drop. Otherwise it's being a bad shot. Don't worry, I'm a bad shot too. I just can't quite get it, sometimes a bit to the left, a bit to the right, sometimes I manage to miss by just a bit as the soldier is moving and the shot goes right where his head should've been. But one thing for sure - do not hesitate. I always do that, I'm always: hmm, will he move or will he stay and just as I think he's staying he gets up and evades my shot! Blah!

[Staos 0]

The weapons in ArmA and OFP are not hitscan, you do need to lead on a moving target.

[-=seany=- 5]

In CQB the pistols are very useful and have deadly stopping power up to 100 meters or so. They also make it much easier to engage the enemy when you are looking out a doorway/ moving quickly around inside buildings and stair wells etc. Your character just always gets annoyingly stuck on every thing with the rifles. Oh yes, have a go of the MP5 too. Very nice for CQB also.

It takes a bit to get used to the deflection to use when shooting moving targets, but it will come to you. I find double tapping with an iron sight for every shot I take helps.

just wait till you play online and are trying to lead/deflect shoot at the damned lagging AI , now thats a whole new skill in itself

[Commando84 0]

lol you're right Seany

[walker 0]

Another point...I'm having bad problems hitting any enemy soldier with a scope. Instead, I use the reticle and "walk my tracers" to make the kill - even with an M16. I'm guessing my lack of success is related to the point above - moving targets. What I find very strange is that I do quite well "walking the tracers" to a kill shot but I noticed that the reticle is not on target when I make the kill. This makes me think that I shouldn't be lining the reticle up directly on the target in the first place....

Hi DesertJedi

On your first point as others have pointed out ArmA has balistics. In fact every bullet is tracked in ArmA. Unlike those games you have played before ArmA is a simulation.

This means like in reality the bullet takes time to reach the target and gravity effects it causing bullet drop. They do not model wind though some Beta testing of mods to include it is taking place.

On your second point. PRACTICE!

It takes time to learn the balistics of each weapon.

Fire up the editor with a bunch of ammo boxes and a range and try out every weapon. Practice with them once a week if you can. There are several practice range missions available for down load that are better than the default practice range.

Use your sights!

Learn where each shot lands relative to the cross hair at different ranges. Most rifles are zeroed in the 200m to 300m range any shots outside these ranges are going to land above or below the zeroed cross hair range.

A simple rough and ready rule to correct fire, is just to remember where you were aiming, then note where you hit, and aim your next shot the same but oposite angle above or below your last aim point. The same apllies with leading.

Be aware that shots fired down or uphill are not the same as shots fired on the flat take relative elevation into account.

Do not move when shooting! Best to lay down for an acurate shot; next best is kneeling and finaly stood still.

Moving stood up it is possible to hit a target about 1 in five times at under 25 m aiming centre mass, while crounched cut that to under 10m.

Single aimed shots are better than burst at any thing over 10m

On your third point I too use a pistol in CQB because I can spin quicker with it; just the same as in real life. Rifles are clumsy in buldings and bump into walls.

As I said ArmA is more simulation than game. Real soldiers halt and take aimed shots. Watch some Afghanistan and Iraq videos.

Kind regards walker

[max power 21]

Further to the point that ArmA uses bullet simulations...

The bullets have a finite speed, so it takes time for the bullet to get where it's going. They are also affected by gravity, so they are pulled down from where you are aiming over time. They are also affected by drag, so they slow down as they get farther away, so they start to dip more extremely at longer ranges. And, building on that, a bullet's damage is calculated as a function of its velocity, so bullets at longer ranges will do less damage that they will close up.

[benreeper 0]

Welcome to the world of BIS and ballistics.

The first time I experienced this in OFP I was TOTALLY amazed. In this game you just don't chose the most powerful weapon, you chose the most appropriate weapon.

I was watching a TF2 sniper deathmatch yesterday and what they were doing could never happen in ArmA: Putting the aiming reticle directly on the head of an enemy sniper 700 feet away and killing said sniper as soon as the trigger is pulled.

--Ben