Do you like sniper games? It’s okay to admit it, you’re among friends here. You see, sniper games are one of the little secrets of gamers. Society tells you that being a sniper is a dirty and underhanded way to behave in battle, but on the battlefield anything goes. You do what needs to be done to succeed and if that means lying in wait to ambush your enemy, so be it.
In online games, players dislike sniper tactics, claiming that “camping,” as it is often called, is somehow unfair. It surely depends on an individual player how he chooses to play a game or fight a war. Modern battlefield games are geared almost exclusively towards small squad tactics and this is fine as far as it goes. It’s just that small unit tactics should also be extended to sniper and spotter teams and not just a 4 or 8 man squad; with a thug carrying a squad support machine gun. No, let’s do things with a little finesse.
From the phrase “One shot. One kill”. became popular, some gamers have been drawn to games that give them the opportunity to emulate this philosophy on a virtual battlefield. This contrasts sharply with historical battlefields like Vietnam, where the estimated number of rounds fired per enemy killed runs into the many thousands. No, that’s not our way. Our path requires patience and precision, not spending enough metal to remake the Liberty Bell.
Fortunately, game designers are beginning to appreciate the world of the sniper. Artificial intelligence is making it possible to have an NPC spotter that won’t get spotted and killed and won’t shoot aimlessly on auto as soon as they spot it. One of the PC games to be released later this year that should put these recent advancements to good use is Sniper: Ghost Warrior. It promises true bullet physics and much more. I almost feel the need to reach for my ghillie suit and camp out to wait for its release…almost!
2010 could signal the advent of a new kind of military game for PC and other platforms. Everything depends on the success or failure of this new game. If it is a resounding success, no doubt other game design houses will make their own releases in time and the world of sniper games on PC will flourish. Let’s hope it does.