Strategies and Guides

[PROJECTILE]

first, you'll probably need to turn your sensitivity way down.  I'm just guessing here, but almost all the best snipers use very low sensitivities, and a lot of people struggle because they use much higher sensitivity than they need (I know it's different for different people's setups, but I use .08 for reference.  guys like darkstrand actually have their sensitivity at .01)

don't aim for headshots

the best way to hit targets is to set yourself in a position where they're not moving perpendicular to your field of view, because that does require some luck

always move while you're sniping.  Better snipers are extremely comfortable firing while strafing, and actually, strafing into your shot (as in, strafing left or right to hit a target rather than trying to move your mouse) is one of the ways you can more reliably hit targets

other than that, you can't really "teach" sniping.  It's just a lot of muscle memory.  I recommend just using it in every light loadout you have, and attempting to use it almost any chance you get.  Use it in duels, at close range, whenever you see someone skiing away, etc.

[PROJECTILE]

also, if you want to talk about really specific stuff (and i mean REALLY specific), you can harass darkstrand in irc (i'm sure he'll love it), since he's probably the best sniper in t2, and is crazy technical about his setup and how to snipe

[DarkBasilisk]

Projectile, you forgot to mention close range sniping is also amazingly fun ^_^ The first time I jousted and coup de graced someone in the head with my rifle was the second best moment ever in T2 (first was an awesome lance, I managed to get behind someone and kill them before even I had registered what exactly I had done)

I'm mixed on strafing, even from that reply when I wasn't at my best, you can see I did it or tried to do it a couple times, but I think really you get good with what comes natural to you first, then try to pickup better mechanics. Except for duels, learn to do the duel dance really well

Btw, on the demo, it's actually the third match there, there's a 5-8 minute interlude where everyone TK's each other, and then you guys are in for a pretty good treat. I looked it over and it's a really close match near the end, and I get some nice shots with the rifle, and even nicer lances to their bumbling heavy offense *grin*

[coulrophobia]

first, you'll probably need to turn your sensitivity way down.  I'm just guessing here, but almost all the best snipers use very low sensitivities, and a lot of people struggle because they use much higher sensitivity than they need (I know it's different for different people's setups, but I use .08 for reference.  guys like darkstrand actually have their sensitivity at .01)

don't aim for headshots

the best way to hit targets is to set yourself in a position where they're not moving perpendicular to your field of view, because that does require some luck

always move while you're sniping.  Better snipers are extremely comfortable firing while strafing, and actually, strafing into your shot (as in, strafing left or right to hit a target rather than trying to move your mouse) is one of the ways you can more reliably hit targets

other than that, you can't really "teach" sniping.  It's just a lot of muscle memory.  I recommend just using it in every light loadout you have, and attempting to use it almost any chance you get.  Use it in duels, at close range, whenever you see someone skiing away, etc.

sounds like great advice as well. My sens is currently at .4 or .04 (its pretty low) for all weapons. should I set it to where it only turns to .04 for sniper? (i think zoom control can do this)

I have always been aiming for headshots for maximum damage... why do you suggest against it? (im giong to assume lower chance of scoring a hit?)

ill practice the strafe shots... its funny because I keep going for the crazy side shots and missing going what the hell when all the good snipers are just strafing to soften up the angle 

[coulrophobia]

I am also having a little problem with chaingun aiming if you guys have advice on that - it seems like the chaingun is behaving different than I am used to in t1. Sometimes I will mow my targets apart and other times ill miss every shot I am very inconsistent (im not sure how far to lead etc)


edit: I remember being a cg pro in t1 but im having a little bit of a carryover into t2.. could be that I am just rusty.

[Eolk]

I am also having a little problem with chaingun aiming if you guys have advice on that - it seems like the chaingun is behaving different than I am used to in t1. Sometimes I will mow my targets apart and other times ill miss every shot I am very inconsistent (im not sure how far to lead etc)

For the chaingun, you still have to lead and determine if it's reasonable to use it against your target. Using chaingun on far-away targets is generally a bad idea, and you'll just chew up ammo.

Projectile is right, don't aim for the head unless your target is standing still and is easily hit-able. Aiming for the head is like a gamble -- it's either all (you hit doing massive damage) or nothing (you don't hit at all).

[coulrophobia]

I am also having a little problem with chaingun aiming if you guys have advice on that - it seems like the chaingun is behaving different than I am used to in t1. Sometimes I will mow my targets apart and other times ill miss every shot I am very inconsistent (im not sure how far to lead etc)

For the chaingun, you still have to lead and determine if it's reasonable to use it against your target. Using chaingun on far-away targets is generally a bad idea, and you'll just chew up ammo.

Projectile is right, don't aim for the head unless your target is standing still and is easily hit-able. Aiming for the head is like a gamble -- it's either all (you hit doing massive damage) or nothing (you don't hit at all).

I may have been using error in tactical judgement when trying to cg targets 300+m away

[DarkBasilisk]

I am also having a little problem with chaingun aiming if you guys have advice on that - it seems like the chaingun is behaving different than I am used to in t1. Sometimes I will mow my targets apart and other times ill miss every shot I am very inconsistent (im not sure how far to lead etc)

For the chaingun, you still have to lead and determine if it's reasonable to use it against your target. Using chaingun on far-away targets is generally a bad idea, and you'll just chew up ammo.

Projectile is right, don't aim for the head unless your target is standing still and is easily hit-able. Aiming for the head is like a gamble -- it's either all (you hit doing massive damage) or nothing (you don't hit at all).

I may have been using error in tactical judgement when trying to cg targets 300+m away

Yea, the chaingun is for really close unless the person is almost dead. Anyone worth their salt will be able to dodge chaingun fire pretty well at that distance.

I am also having a little problem with chaingun aiming if you guys have advice on that - it seems like the chaingun is behaving different than I am used to in t1. Sometimes I will mow my targets apart and other times ill miss every shot I am very inconsistent (im not sure how far to lead etc)

For the chaingun, you still have to lead and determine if it's reasonable to use it against your target. Using chaingun on far-away targets is generally a bad idea, and you'll just chew up ammo.

Projectile is right, don't aim for the head unless your target is standing still and is easily hit-able. Aiming for the head is like a gamble -- it's either all (you hit doing massive damage) or nothing (you don't hit at all).

Note entirely true on the staying still part. If the person is moving/flying in a relatively straight pattern (preferably going towards or away from you), scoring a headshot is quite possible. Even walking diagonally isn't too hard to headshot.

But yes, if the shot's even moderately difficult, aim for the body, dead center is pretty good since you have a small amount of room to miss.

[coulrophobia]

thanks, im used to chaingun have some good distance in tribes1.

[Abstract]

It's hitscan, but the network protocol, player position smoothing, and extrapolation make sniping with a target moving laterally to your forward vector extraordinarily unreliable in this game.

Even with perfect aim, there is a component of luck.

There is a way to disable "Player Position Smoothing", correct?  Would this create an advantage, and is it fair(not a cheat)?

[thaen]

i would say the rifle is balanced without interpolation because of how much damage it does

[coulrophobia]

It's hitscan, but the network protocol, player position smoothing, and extrapolation make sniping with a target moving laterally to your forward vector extraordinarily unreliable in this game.

Even with perfect aim, there is a component of luck.

There is a way to disable "Player Position Smoothing", correct?  Would this create an advantage, and is it fair(not a cheat)?

in for response .

[PROJECTILE]

It's hitscan, but the network protocol, player position smoothing, and extrapolation make sniping with a target moving laterally to your forward vector extraordinarily unreliable in this game.

Even with perfect aim, there is a component of luck.

There is a way to disable "Player Position Smoothing", correct?  Would this create an advantage, and is it fair(not a cheat)?

in for response .

you've opened the can of worms with that question...

[xionc]

My average ping is about 200 to 250 ms, so I have discovered how network code is constructed. Even with my ping, sometimes sniping is more effective than chainguning (at that ping chainguning, or using blaster get loose my plot and I cannot hit anything, at low distances especialy). Look when You firing chaingun or blaster with large ping and moving eg. in left direction - it will be looking like someone at your right side is firing, not You.

I have began my researches with spinfusior. The direction that disk is fired is the direction that your crosshair was when clicked a mouse (+ your momentum), the place where disk was fired is that place where you've been when you clicked a mouse. But time when a disk is fired is the time you've clicked, but delayed by your current ping.

So conclusion is:
Laser Rifle is not a hitscan weapon, it is like other projectile weapons but shoots a projectle with infinite speed - so when you want to hit anything you have just to know where will be the enemy 'your ping' ahead, but remember the beam is fired from position where you've been, not where you are now. So that makes sniping not easy job, luck is more useful here than estimating this things - but it is still possible to hit fast moving targets, even with large ping.
Shock Lance is based on the same rules i guess.

Making LR or SL a hitscan weapon it will unbalance other weapons, and make the gameplay using LR less, or even not "fluent" - matter of aiming will be easy like in counter strike. But now aiming is 'mystic', cause our conditions (ping) is changing all the time, so aiming is not based on mastering a mouse and behave like BOT, but still thinking and counting on luck - it is more human - that makes Tribes a specyfic game, in witch gaming of a pro players don't look like they're bots (like in CS) doing their alorithm, but they think. Of course hitscan making aimbots less effective than our brains are

[Thyth]

Laser Rifle is not a hitscan weapon, it is like other projectile weapons but shoots a projectle with infinite speed

Congratulations, you have successfully defined what a hitscan weapon is. A projectile with infinite velocity.

Any anomalies in behavior can be traced to latency in the firing command, and the extrapolation/smoothing done on the client side position depictions. It's done as a raycast on the server side.

As for disabling it, yes... it's possible. The client game is responsible for providing smooth rendering coordinates based on the ghosted coordinates. The ghosted coordinates are still accessible within the game. You can either manipulate the network interpolation settings or access the ghost data directly. Accessing ghost data and depicting unsmoothed coordinates in a useful way is an exercise left to the reader.