Forum Discussion

DDouble_Tap02's avatar
4 years ago
Solved

SNIPERS arent properly utilized and should be limited in BF 2042, agree?

7 things all troops need to know before becoming a sniper

 
 
Marine Corps Marines sniper sharpshooter Hue Vietnam
US sharpshooters in Hue, South Vietnam, February 3, 1968.  Bettmann/Getty Images
  • Snipers are force multipliers, able to strike targets and gather intelligence while far behind enemy lines.
  • They've gained notoriety and fame, but life as a sniper in the military isn't exactly as it's depicted in pop culture.
  • See more stories on Insider's business page.
 

For decades, snipers have been a dominating instrument of warfare striking fear in the heart of their enemies — scoring record kill shots from distances up to 2 miles away.

With Hollywood tapping into the sniper lifestyle with such films as "American Sniper" and the "Sniper" franchise, many young troops get a misconception of what it's like to be one.

So we asked a few veteran snipers what would they want young troops to know before embarking on the intense journey to become a sniper. Here's what they said:

1. It's not like in the movies
american sniper
"American Sniper."  Warner Bros.

Hollywood often showcases a sniper as a single-man force tracking down that perfect location to take that most concealed shot possible.

 

In modern day, scout sniper teams typically consist of four- to eight-man teams consisting of a shooter, spotter, radioman, and additional troops to provide security.

2. Shooting is only a fraction of what a sniper does
Army Iron Sniper
A US soldier prepares for the stalking event portion of the Iron Sniper 2019 competition at Fort Bliss in Texas, August 13, 2019.  US Army/Spc. Matthew J. Marcellus

A sniper needs to properly plan the mission, insert and quietly maneuver to a well-concealed firing location, stalk his prey, complete the math calculation before firing his weapon accordingly, then safely egress out.

A mission could last days.

3. Have mental conditioning
A student of the Special Forces Sniper Course at the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School moves quietly while avoiding detection during a stalking exercise at Fort Bragg, NC, on January 27, 2011
A student of the Special Forces Sniper Cours moves while avoiding detection during a stalking exercise at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, January 27, 2011.  US Army

Being sniper isn't just about being an excellent marksman — although that's important.

 

But when you're in an operational status, a sniper has to overcome many mental constraints like lack of sleep and sometimes limited rations. The teams typically only leave the wire with what supplies they can carry — and that's it.

The teams are usually outnumbered by the enemy and must maintain discipline throughout the mission. If the sniper has a mental breakdown in the field, the mission could be lost.

4. Patience is a virtue
Canada Canadian sniper Afghanistan
A Canadian sniper team scans the landscape during an Afghan-led operation to arrest suspected Taliban in southern Kandahar province, April 28, 2006.  JOHN D MCHUGH/AFP via Getty Images

Making a mistake because the sniper is in a hurry is unacceptable and can get him killed. A sniper's hyperactive moment could result in death.

5. The selection
Army Iron Sniper
A US soldier participates in the leg tuck event of the Army Combat Fitness Test as part of the Iron Sniper 2019 competition at Fort Bliss, August 13, 2019.  US Army/Spc. Matthew J. Marcellus

Completing sniper indoctrination doesn't guarantee a spot in the platoon.

 

Sniper teams look for the guy who is not only capable of firing that perfect shot but has an outgoing personality.

Once a troop is selected, they will go on to the next phase of intense sniper training.

6. It's constant training and learning
Army best sniper competition
A team of US Army snipers compete in the International Sniper Competition at Fort Benning, October 2018.  US Army

Battlefield tactics change and evolve based on the environment the shooter is facing. That said, a sniper team must be able to adapt and overcome any situation that presents itself.

If the wind keeps up or the sniper is forced to relocate, he will more than likely have to reconfigure his sight alignment within moments.

 
7. It's not a way out of the infantry
US Army Special Operations Command International Sniper Competition
A competitor in the US Army Special Operations Command International Sniper Competition scans a range for targets at Fort Bragg, March 18, 2019.  US Army/Spc. Alleea Oliver

Young troops tend to believe that going through the sniper pipeline is an easy way out of the grunt lifestyle.

To outsiders, life in the scout sniper platoons can appear more glamorous because of the modernized gear they train with and operate.

The truth is, that's just additional heavy gear they must haul during their missions.

Read the original article on We Are The Mighty. Copyright 2021.

166 Replies

  • Shoogaboog's avatar
    Shoogaboog
    4 years ago

    I remember playing BF3 and BF2BC and there was never the problem that there is today with half your team sitting back sniping rather than pushing the point.  

    It’s extremely frustrating.  I get the whole ‘let people play what they want’ but can we have a game mode where this is a thing and have other game modes that ensure balance is a thing?  

    You might be making some 12 year old kid happy sitting in the spawn sniping people for 4 kills a game, however for that one person sniping you are irritating countless more players trying to play the game mode as intended.

  • @Shoogaboog Interesting. I also remember BFBC2 and how snipers were already a plague there. Especially 'aggressive snipers', who usually were just quite bad.

    But in the end Battlefield is THE arcade shooter and what's realistically the difference between Bob who already tried to kill someone with his C4 jeep, but dies every time doing so and a sniper that's just camping a mountain and maybe once in an hour gets a kill in? They both don't add much value, the latter seems frowned upon a lot more though.

    The whole 'PTFO' is also very overrated and I usually see the people with a very marginal k/d ratio, who happen to be in the middle of the scoreboard at best, spam this into the chat.

    In the end BF is not a really serious game and more of a sandbox kind of thing.

    DICE made it very clear too. They have eliminated virtually every possibility to make Battlefield competitive nowadays (you can't create private servers anymore, basically no support for clans - platoons don't count, gating unlocks, poor implementation of infantry-only game modes) so for me it is no surprise the game became even more of a sandbox experience than ever before.

    I've played BF competively since 1942 (Clanbase nation cups, ESL ladders etc.) and the game is nothing like that anymore. I think people should accept this. The audience has changed.

    So, hop on to your plane and use it as a taxi!
  • kindOFsob's avatar
    kindOFsob
    4 years ago
    @Shoogaboog Every gun and kit have its purpose in game..even snipers,their task is difficult tarkets/clear up the way in.
  • OldFox63's avatar
    OldFox63
    Rising Traveler
    1 year ago
    Real players are players who play as a group and try to achieve the goal given by the game. Unlike teenagers who massage their EGO by sitting at a safe distance and playing sniper so that they can write EZ at the end of the game, regardless of whether their team won or not. They brag about their K/D
  • ElliotLH's avatar
    ElliotLH
    Hero+
    1 year ago

    I'm going to close this thread as it's not been active for a few years.

Featured Places