Playing as a Sniper in ArmA2

[JaXxe 10]

Hello all, and thank you BI for this fantastic, epic title.

I am wondering which things I should consider while playing as a sniper in ArmA2.

Rifle Question:

For instance, I can't find any controls of the Elevation and Windage. For more than one target at different distances I just aim above the target for elevation, but since the normal indicators for wind (flags flapping more or less, trees budgin more or less, smoke from chimneys and so on) are not accurate ingame, I have not yet found how windage is shown - is there an indicator?

Rifle Suggestion:

It would be sooo great if one could make a sniper team, with an AI spotter on your side, whispering distance and windage when pointing on a target. Then optional controls to set those dials correctly before taking the kill.

Positioning Question:

I never go where I would brake the skyline as this would very much give away my position at once. Is this also true in ArmA2 (that staying below skyline on for instance a hill top or whatever will give you a better chance of not being detected)?

Also, I never position myself in sunlight from my 10 to 2 as this would show a light reflection on the optics of the scope giving away my position. So is this also true in ArmA2?

On a note of positioning, I find that once I am spotted I can rarely slip away into the forest and disapear from my pursuers. It is like once they have seen me, they can easily track my every move, even though I am in solid cover making evasive escape maneuvers (normally you could walk straight past a prone sniper in guilesuit within few meters and not know he is there, if he was lying in a good spot). I could understand this if they had dog patrols with them. But without dogs they should go to my last seen position and scan the area. Am I not being careful enough when falling back or is the AI a tad psychic?

Positioning suggestion:

Add optical lense effect if sniper points at you with the sun beaming into his optics. Even at great distances its a dead giveaway.

Concealment Question:

In ArmA2 if I crawl towards a good position and spot an enemy that has not spotted me. Even though I lie completly still the enemy would often spot me anyway. Now thats eagle eyes for you :) Is this the same psychic abillity as before, or is my camouflage inadequate?

Concealment suggestion:

One could interact with the local vegetation, making the guilesuit the correct color for the coresponding surroundings (giving the sniper a nice concealment bonus avoiding detection more effectively).

[instagoat 133]

For the rifles: Vanilla Arma2 doesn´t support adjusting windage and elevation, as there is no wind deflection anyway.

This, however, is added by Ace2, including the tools like Range tables and Windspeed gauging devices, ranging binoculars and spotting scopes.

Ace2 mod thread is here: http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=92466

Ace2 features list: http://ace.wikkii.com/wiki/Features_of_ACE2

For the positioning: I think the AI makes no difference between a skylined and non-skylined object. I´ve not tested this, though, so I may be wrong.

To slip away from your pursuers you need to be quick. The AI is very adept at moving on your position, and they will work together to find you. Instead of just the guy who saw you, you will also have to contend with his squadmates: 12 eyes see more than two. Once they are alerted, they scan their surroundings much more carefully. They don´t have x-ray vision, however, and a good hiding spot away from their search area will usually yield results. Get at least 200 meters away from your last position before hiding, that works for me most of the time.

[JaXxe 10]

Whoops, moved this thread to the Suggestions thread.

---------- Post added at 03:03 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:01 PM ----------

For the rifles: Vanilla Arma2 doesn´t support adjusting windage and elevation, as there is no wind deflection anyway.

This, however, is added by Ace2, including the tools like Range tables and Windspeed gauging devices, ranging binoculars and spotting scopes.

Ace2 mod thread is here: http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=92466

Ace2 features list: http://ace.wikkii.com/wiki/Features_of_ACE2

For the positioning: I think the AI makes no difference between a skylined and non-skylined object. I´ve not tested this, though, so I may be wrong.

To slip away from your pursuers you need to be quick. The AI is very adept at moving on your position, and they will work together to find you. Instead of just the guy who saw you, you will also have to contend with his squadmates: 12 eyes see more than two. Once they are alerted, they scan their surroundings much more carefully. They don´t have x-ray vision, however, and a good hiding spot away from their search area will usually yield results. Get at least 200 meters away from your last position before hiding, that works for me most of the time.

Hi Goat,

thank you for your replies.

And I'll check that Ace2 out at once!

[Evil_Echo 11]

Hello all, and thank you BI for this fantastic, epic title.

I am wondering which things I should consider while playing as a sniper in ArmA2.....

Rifle sights:

There are a number of mods that include scope adjustments, you just need to install one. ACE has full windage/elevation control for various rifles, a wind doping system and rangefinding tools. Plus wind DOES deflect small-arms fire when using ACE.

AI spotter:

Spotter calling out bearing, range, elevation via direct chat would be cool. It would require some coding, but is very possible. Dunno if anyone has done that yet though.

Positioning Question:

All the things you talk about definitely apply to play vs humans. While the AI may seem a tad psychic, it's not. A lot depends on the skill level of your AI opponents in how well/fast they find you. Noise matters a lot though as does time in one location.

Scope glint:

I like it, nice idea. Bet a lot of human players would scream though. But I like screams.

Creeping:

Slow movement in vegetation does help. But once you are made everyone in that unit knows your location.

Ghillie:

Right now the AI is color-blind, suit does not matter to them. Vs humans of course - big deal. Even with a non-perfect match, you'd be surprised how well a good spot in shadows or among trees will work in hiding you.

Edited January 17, 2010 by Evil_Echo

[Alex72 1]

Spotter calling out bearing, range, elevation via direct chat would be cool.

Direct chat does not work? Or did i miss your point maybe.

[thales100 10]

Direct chat does not work? Or did i miss your point maybe.

For AI Spotter ? :j:

[CarlGustaffa 4]

AI spotter:

Forget it, team up with a human instead :) Using ACE naturally. AI have some magical spotting capabilities you don't want to take advantage of.

Positioning:

Against AI since I don't think silhouetting is a valid concern, I would value the escape route higher. Staying close to a ridgeline would be important for easy access to solid cover, since the terrain and structures generally is quite bad for that.

Against humans, it's a valid concern, but I'm assuming that PvP games suffer from "win at all costs" syndrome, shooting (and hitting) from extreme distances with "any" rifle. In open missions anyone will grab the DMR (20 rnd semi automatic 7.62), giving them unbalanced firepower compared - the M40 sniper no longer have any kind of advantage. Hiding in shadows? Players just turn shadows off to give them an advantage since winning is more important than realism.

Scope glint:

Wouldn't mind it, but I don't think it is possible to measure if a point is in shadow, and how "flat" the lighting conditions are (over than overcast). The advantage of glint would have to be turned off for any players playing without shadows.

Creeping (movement):

AI is much more observant on moving target than stationary ones. Even while aiming you should hold alt to use freelook to avoid rotating your whole body on the ground as you aim, as this attracts AIs attention. Ghillied up snipers are overused in mainstream multiplayer missions, as the sniper team never go on a sniper mission, but instead kills everything they see from a distance, and/or play with suit in a regular squad making themselves targets (in ACE you can't ID anyone from a distance).

Ghillie:

On the contrary, suit matters a lot to the AI (camoflage value, not the texture), in terms of not becoming spotted and identified. Once you start shooting and taking out targets, you've been made and I don't think the suit will help much from this point on with the same group of targets. If you measure the AIs knowsAbout value, you'll see that once it's maxed it takes a long while to reset. But, if you're made again, it will jump to the maximum number instantly instead of gradually increasing.

Edit (forgot one):

Magic AI tracking:

Yes and no. When they have full knowledge about you, they are a lot more aware of what you do. They will respot you much more easily. When they are on the hunt, they are going towards your last seen position, or even expected position you would go to (if you were seen escaping in a certain direction). If they spot you, this data will be updated and their plans changed. If they are near you, keep in mind they are using their ears as well. Their "enemy updated position" will change based on hearing alone. But, as has already been showed in videos, they are very focused on you, and if you teleport to a position behind them, they might not spot you unless they accidentally turn around. They might also shoot at your last seen position, but not in a high volume suppressive mode unless told to do so, but apparently there are lots of factors going on so I'm not 100% sure how it works.

Here is how to test in the mission editor:

Set yourself as a sniper (maybe add: this allowdamage false in the players init), but set one of the enemy members (not the leader) as "playable". Use 'u' or 't' to switch between who you play. Be sure to have everything turned on in the difficulty options. That will give you a good understanding on how "AI think".

Edited January 17, 2010 by CarlGustaffa

[Simon C 0]

I've seen glint on weapons before, it is quite noticeable. Obviously the AI won't see it, but players can.