A Sniper's Guide

[Brainiac]

First of all, I'm going to post this in episodes. That way, I can reread stuff, etc...
Also, it's neither finished nor perfect. Comments and ideas are always welcome.

EDIT: I'm going to say stuff about sniper rifles. People in the army: this is purely on games. I wouldn't know what to do with a barrett if I had the bloody manual with me.

Introduction

First of all: sniping is not an art.
Art requires something noble, not present in the act of killing another human being.
The decision, whether someone should live or die, should lie in the hands of doctors, not presidents or kings.
That been said, let's focus on games. While in the real world, sniping is a quite horrible act of violence, in a game it is a useful skill. It may also be considered a nice fact that, the less realistic the act (of sniping) in a game, the more popular it becomes (Think: ModWar2 (missed shots hitting? Wtf?). And so many games there are. That is more or less why I'm writing this. I like to consider myself quite adept at sniping, and yet, very often, I learn something useful, something new. I wanted to write down what I've learnt, and maybe someone new to sniping will find this useful, or someone hoping to get just a bit better at what they are already good at.
Now, if you picked this up, hoping you'll be a master sniper, or a master FPS'er (first-person Shooter) for that matter, you're setting off on the wrong foot. Even my Golden Rules, which are a bit further, are not really rules. All I can give is advice. Skill comes with experience and practice. If you know Shooters, and want to start sniping, you might be disappointed in the frequency at which you will die, without having a clue of what happened. Don't give up. It just takes a little time and effort. If you don't know what a Shooter is, here's a short definition: you are one character. You see the world around you either through his eyes (First-Person Shooters) or from a fixed perspective behind or around the character (Third Person Shooters). These can be right above your character, behind it, and move with him, or fixed in the corner of the room. You're supposed to shoot things. If you didn't know what a shooter was, and all the above is new to you, I suggest you put this guide somewhere near, and get acquainted with the genre by renting a game.
When you know what sniping is, and maybe picked up a few terms which are now part of the popular gaming slang (FPS, KDR, Noob, frag (and the gaming industry's obsession with calling nades frags because of frag grenades), camper, etc), then you'll have the most benefit from  this guide.

[Niwantaw]

useful hint
don't put a silencer on ANY of the sipers in COD6
espcialy not the intervention

[Brainiac]

useful hint
don't put a silencer on ANY of the sipers in COD6
espcialy not the intervention

Thanks. I'll add it. (it reduces your accuracy by by 10 to 20 to more percent)

[Brainiac]

Here you go ^^

The Basics

What is sniping?

Sniping is a counteroffensive and sometimes defensive tactic. It is not an offensive tactic. You might waltz into an enemy base carrying a sniper rifle, but nine times out of ten you won't even be considered a sniper, and even less of a threat.   There is the occasional exception, but more on those later. Sniping is a tactic which (usually) requires a lot of finesse, stealth and attention. Quick reflexes are sometimes a requirement, depending on the game.
You snipe with a Sniper Rifle. The main differences between an ordinary, Call of Duty 2 rifle and a sniper rifle are:
A sniper rifle is easy to recognise. It's bigger. The Dragunov has a very distinct shape, so does the Barret .50 Caliber, etc... You will usually get noticed when holding one of these in a game.
Slower firing rate. A sniper rifle fires huge rounds (bullets). They owe their size to having to the great distances they have to fly in comparison to ordinary rifles. These rounds usually, but again, not always, have to be put in the gun manually.
A sniper rifle's clip (amount of bullets you can shoot before you have to reload) is a lot smaller. You will often encounter sniper rifles with a clip of only one bullet. This isn't called a clip, though. Sometimes a sniper rifle's clip can go up to 6 or even 10 rounds, but those are rare.
Most importantly, and not even always present: a scope. A scope is a magnifying lens, through which you can see your target over great distances. Over the middle of the scope, there are two thin lines. This is the crosshair. These might look different from time to time, but the main idea remains the same: the middle of the scope is where your bullet will probably hit.
A single shot is more important than it is with a rifle. This is due to both the increased lethality of the sniper rifle and the reduced amount of bullets.
Lethality. In a game, it might take multiple bullets from any other gun to get a kill (or frag), while a sniper usually has a one-hit kill.

A sniper is recognised by his lack of movement. They usually crouch to present less of a target to the enemy, get behind cover or on top of buildings, for a larger area in which to look for targets. (Read further on how this is not a good idea per sé.)

How do I snipe?

Simple. You point the crosshair, sometimes known as reticule over the enemy, and you slowly, once, squeeze the trigger.
That's all there is to it. But not really. More on this in the golden rules.
It's not a question I can answer just like that. That's what this entire manual is for.

Why do I snipe?

Why do you shoot people in the first place? But if you have to, there are a few reasons to snipe. First of all: snipers have a longer life-expectancy than the average grunt. This doesn't necessarily mean you get more kills. There are few snipers who manage to reach the top of the scoreboard. Snipers have a low KDR. This is Kill-Death ratio. It's the amount of kills you make per life. A good sniper KDR is about 2-4. A beginning sniper usually has a KDR of roughly 0.20. You'll get killed a lot, because you're an easy target yourself.
Sniping is also appreciated by your teammates, as long as you really are giving them covering fire. This means you shoot anyone who tries to shoot them. This does depend on the game, however.
Eg: while in Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory you might get congratulated or thanked by a teammate after saving his hide, you might get a few mean remarks thrown your way after 'stealing someone's frag' in a game like Modern Warfare.
It is best to ignore those people, but do try not to shoot people near them, unless the enemy really present themselves a target. As a regular troop, you play on your own. You're a hero. A sniper is a team character. Your actions should first help the team, and then yourself.

Eek! A sniper! What do I do?

Snipers tend to think they are invulnerable, because they are so far from the battlefield. When you notice one aiming for you, get to cover, and stay there for a minute. The sniper usually moves on, but this depends on the game again. Don't worry, I'll discuss tactics per game style later. It's a good idea to find out where the snipers hideout is. You might try to close the distance, but unless you're really sure you can make it without getting hit, I suggest you keep something between you and the sniper at all times. I'll get full sniper battling later, but these are the basics.

The Golden Rules.

In my years as a gamer and sniper, I found that, if I played by certain rules, I lived longer and even sometimes managed to elevate myself to the complete top of the scoreboards. These rules are more way of sniping, than rules. As a certain pirate once said: 'they're more like guidelines, anyway.' So I found myself living and sniping by these rules.

Never compromise your position. If your position is compromised, you move. Someone looks your way too long? Move. You think someone is coming? Move. You see a dot coming your way on the mini-map or radar? RUN!
Relocate often. Move a lot. One shot, and go.
One shot, one kill. You miss, you compromised your position, you move. This is even more noticeable when you have a radar or UAV, which can tell your location whenever you shoot. You don't shoot, you don't miss. Better to wait for a better shot. Exception to the rule: only one enemy in the vicinity: shoot again. Nobody is going to notice.
Take your time. Don't take speed for skill. If you're not sure your shot will hit, don't take it. This often happens with moving targets. If you take the shot, your target will be notified of your presence. It is also more useful to just hover the reticule over the area where you know your enemy is going to pass, than to try and follow them with the scope.
Mind your surroundings, young padawan. Snipers are very popular amongst knifers (people running around with knives.) and flamethrowers. They are a sniper's second worst enemy. (first being each other)
Always have an escape plan. When attacked, know where to go.
Get to know the environment. If you know where your enemies are going to pop up, you're one step ahead of them. Most people are stupid or predictable
Go for the head. Even thought this began, at least to me, as a necessity, it is also considered a common courtesy among snipers. It is often necessary to shoot someone in the head, because they could be wearing bullet-proof vests (counter-strike) or simply be 300-pound Slavic Heavy Weapons Guy (Team Fortress 2). Either way, they survive the shot, and you can forget about your kill, and probably your life, too. It is also a courtesy among snipers to go for the head. A body shot is so... vulgar. It's like one professional greeting another.
Show respect. Nobody likes getting insulted after being shot. Nor does anyone want to hear how 1337 your skillz are. Even if they really are 1337. If you can, emote ("let your character show the emotion or action of") a salute (Team Fortress 2)
Know your alternatives. Have a shotgun at hand. Just in case someone tries to take things close and personal.
Know your weapon. How fast does it fire? How fast do the bullets fly? How much noise does it make? How is the reload? Going into battle without knowledge of your weapon is like going unarmed. Get to know your gun before you aim it at an enemy. If your enemy knows your weapon better than you do, you're better of trying to hit him over the head with it.
Team first. Don't do Anything that greatly endangers the team. Don't shoot team-mates, don't do anything you think might be funny.
Don't do the obvious thing. 
Don't move in any predictable way. If you saw 'Enemy at the Gates', you'll know what I mean. If you didn't, let me just say there are lot of ways to die if you have a favourite sniping hideout, or always move through a certain hallway.
Shoot to kill, but aim to cripple. Got that? It means your actions should try to destroy the other team. They have a great duo coming your teams way? Shoot the wing-man. Enemy has a good sniper? Go and say hi. The other team often has one or two very good players. Those are dangerous, but can sometimes be handled by your team. Focus on the medic, the sniper and the annoying little guy who's jumping around with his handgun. You are backup, they have backup. Take it away. 
This also applies to real life: A dead soldier isn't going to slow anyone down. A wounded soldier, however... And now that games are becoming increasingly realistic, it might not be too uncommon, in the future, to see someone limping at, or away from, the enemy.

These 'rules' apply to a great number of games. Different games require different tactics, but the rules stay the same. Every rule has an exception, of course, but more on that later. Every rule is just as important, with the exception of the first. That one really is rule number one.

There are some things that aren't really rules or guidelines, but just some ideas and tips:

• Don't use a silencer. You're a bloody sniper. Either the shot is loud enough, and everyone will hear it, and it won't matter, or you're so far off no-one will. A silencer will only reduce your accuracy. By a great deal.
• If you get sniped, don't think twice about watching a kill-cam. Not only could you learn a thing or two, you might even get to know a cool new hideout.
• You can, more and more in games, customise your weapon. There are very few real disadvantages, and it'll help you develop a playing style, and a favourite scope.
• Use different sniper rifles. If you run out of bullets, and the game uses different rifles, you might have to pick up someone else's gun.

[Brainiac]

Next!

The Genres

There are many kinds of games. There are even many kinds of shooters. There are many versions and rules. Even though the distinction has never been made officially, I can make a few myself.
Why is the genre important to a sniper, doest thou ask? It is simple, really. Every game and game style has different rules, which also apply to snipers. It's also a good Idea to adapt to the playing style of the average grunt.
Eg:
A sniper in Counter Strike will usually find a safe spot, far from any place where the enemy will be able to sneak up on him, keep an eye on an open space in front of him and don't let it out of his sight. This is because, in Counter Strike, you don't have a lot of hit points. A few shots from a machine gun will cost you your life. You'll play defensively and keep an eye on anyone approaching. Your one life defines the outcome of the match.
A sniper in Battlefield:1942 will get on top of a hill, lay down, shoot some people, and move on. He gets shot, but it's no biggie. You will Respawn (come back to life) in a few seconds. You'll be a lot less careful.

Game styles:

• Team Deathmatch 1: Eliminate the enemy team, soldier by soldier. Every team then has a number of respawns. This is a version of the Team Deathmatch.
• Team Deathmatch 2. Your team against the others. Usually, you have to get a specified number of points, in any possible way: shooting enemies, taking over spawn points.
• Zone control. Claim all of their land. This revolves around another part of the Battlefield Gameplay: the spawn point. When you respawn, you can choose where to do so. But only at one of the pre-set spawning points. You can, usually, capture these. In some games, it is impossible to catch them all, but in the original Battlefield, you can. So claiming their land would require a player to take over every single enemy spawn point. You usually take it over by simply standing near something signalling the spawn point, like a flag or banner. In zone control, you have to stand in a zone to protect your flag from enemies. The zone is quite a big circle around the flag.
• Capture the flag(CTF): go into the enemy encampment, usually the main, furthest away-camp, and take a token, like a flag or a box, and take it back to your camp, often next to your own flag.
• Hero. This is a rare and rather new game-style. One player is the hero, and he is the only one able to score points, and it's him against everyone else. His health and damage is far larger than that of everyone else. Their life-span is short, but KDR is often huge. Once they die, the person to kill the hero becomes the hero. This is also sometimes know as gladiator.
• FFA, a.k.a. free for all, a.k.a. Deathmatch. Everyone against everyone else. Not recommended for snipers, because you don't have anyone to cover your back, or someone's back to cover.

[Brainiac]

Nevermind some of the silly nicknames

Aaand the genres:

Battlefield

The 'Battlefield'-genre is one which started, obviously, with the 'Battlefield'-series of games (correct me if there were games of that type before them). Battlefield is a war simulator. The setting is often WWII, but in a lot of battlefield-kind of games it is not limited to that era. There is Battlefield 1942 (and more recently, 1943), Battlefield 2142 and Battlefield 1542. Outside of the series there are also the Star Wars Battlefront games, and now a Lord of the Rings Battlefields (though that's not really a shooter). In a battlefield-game, the players are a single person on the battlefield. With only a few exceptions, most of the soldiers are bots (computer controlled soldiers or characters). They are unimportant, expendable soldiers, no matter what rank or online fame they might acquire. An exception to this is Warhawk. This is a battlefield-game in which every character is a player. Either way, you are sure to die in a Battlefield game. You are sure to die lots of times.
The goal of the game is, usually, to score points in a lot of different ways, often named differently, depending on what kind of game you wish to play (within the genre)

It is important to know that the Battlefield genre is a team-based game, even though there is a Deathmatch option. Not every shooter is a team-based game, and those will be 'dealt with' in due time.

Battlefield-games usually have huge maps, able to support the large amount of troops usually involved in Battlefield. Why the large amounts of troops? Because Battlefield tries to recreate a war. These maps are usually quite open, because planes and other vehicles are not uncommon in these games.

Now, there are a lot of ways people play a Battlefield game. Here are the most common, and a few exceptions:

Players:

Gunslinger. The gunslinger is a master at medium range combat. He's not the first to charge, but he's somewhere at the front, machine gunning your people. Not too dangerous for you, unless he's really close. He might take time to get a machine gun or shotgun, or no weapon at all, but he's not going to waste a lot of time with it. It is possible that he can decimate your troops with a handgun His goal is to kill the other team. The only things standing in the way are your soldiers. He is the second most common kind of gamer, choosing strength and brutality over stealth, but not abandoning caution. His open attacks make him a prime target, so usually, don't worry about him.
Maniac. A maniac will not give a damn about weapons, or his life. They come in 2 types, and both of them are the first to come over the hill when the "fight" bell sounds. First are the knifing, screaming, 'shoot me!' signs. If the battle was a real one, they really would come over the hill yelling, but these days, this is not prone to happen, unless they have a headset. Go ahead. Mute them. Because, even though they are a lovely target, they are also very unpredictable. This will get them a few kills, and they will brag at every one of them, in case of a headset. You might want to shoot them to save your friends the ammo, trouble or bragging, or when you see one that is really good. If they get too close to you, your sniper is useless, and a handgun won't save you if you noticed the attack too late. A good reason not to snipe them, is because they are, usually, very childish, and take a death as an insult. They will then proceed to look for you, hunt you down. Hell hath no fury like a 12-year-old scorned. 
They are usually fond of grenades, too, so keeping your distance will not always save you. If you encounter one of these, my best advice is to move erratically, and jump out of a window. Get in between friends. Get as far away as possible. 
The other kind of maniac puts proximity mines (mines that go of as an enemy approaches them) on a jeep, and drives it into an enemy camp. It is virtually impossible to get any closer to playing a suicide bomber. These players are despised all around the internet, but it is sadly nearly impossible for a sniper to do anything about them, unless you get a lucky headshot into the driver. If you do, you can consider yourself not only lucky, but skilled, and you already have my congratulations. If you see one heading your way, run. If you can't, blast away. He is too high on adrenaline to take notice. Even though they are highly annoying, the maniac is the most common gamer there is, cursing at you from behind his screen.
Explosives expert or Demolition Man. Closer to the back of his lines, the explosive expert makes your team go boom. He'll throw mines, grenades and rockets your way. He is one of your most important targets, because of the damage he can do to your team. Even an inexperienced Demoman can cause a great amount of death and destruction. Don't wait to see whether it's to your team or theirs. You better go for a headshot, however, because a grenade your way will flush you out faster than any bullet could. It is also important not go to obvious sniper hideouts when you know the other team has a demoman. There might just be a mine hidden under a box.
Scout/Spy. Their tactic is similar to the guerrilla- tactic which I will describe a bit further. They will be the first to leave the camp, but won't confront your troops the way any other would. They are more likely to take a jeep as close to your camp as possible, and harass you there. They are fans of the air-strike and/or artillery strike. They could be hiding in your base without you ever knowing it, until he's behind you with his knife. There are sneaky, fast and unafraid of you. If there are a number of neutral spawn points on the map, he'll capture the one closest to your base, not theirs. He's not especially good in combat, but he makes up for it with skill in deceiving the enemy. In some games, they are able to put on an enemy's uniform. Be very aware. I'm often one of them.
Tank Tony and Jeep Jerry. These people can't let go of their vehicle. If you weren't a sniper, this would be to your advantage. A Jeep Jerry won't get out of his jeep, even if it's about to blow. Tank Tony thinks he's immortal, and is likely to die, too. Tank Tony is sometimes associated with 'Top Hatch Hank', a figure sitting in the hatch of the tank, who also thinks he's immortal. He's a sitting duck, just like 'Machine-Gun Gary' in the back of the Jeep. Shoot Gun Gary, but leave Hatch Hank alone. Tank Tony is very likely to aim his very big cannon at wherever he saw the bullet fly from, and squeeze off a few. In most games, a tank is one of the few things having a greater range than a sniper, so don't anger them. Jeep Jerry is just annoying, but inconsequential to you. For the record: Tony, Jerry, Hank and Gary are just nicknames. They do not represent actual people, nor are they 'the official names' for people who act like this.
New Buyer. No matter what class they are, a gamer who's new to the game, will behave... well... strange. They tend to throw grenade at their feet, punch vehicles, try to jump onto walls, off the map and out of airplanes. They have a short life-span, and aren't a lot of danger, but killing them will only make them learn the game the hard way. So if you see one, shoot him. They are easily recognized, and they are likely not to know what a sniper rifle does. No matter how frustrating they are when on your team, don't give them a hard time. You were like this too, once.
Top Gun. Whether it's on your team or on the other's, the top gun is the first to steal a plane. Just when you're really close to one, he'll jump-sprint over you and get in. A Top Gun thinks he's a great pilot, and will show off by doing loops and barrel rolls. If you can pull it off, shoot the plane. In the average game, a sniper does tons of damage to a plane, and due to his fast flying speed, he'll have no idea of where you are. If you shoot a plane out of the sky, or even more unlikely, the pilot out of the plane, with a sniper rifle, the feeling of satisfaction is nearly unrivalled.
Engineer He builds turrets for his team, health dispensers in some games, hands out ammo and almost always has a shotgun. The vehicle he's in often regenerates health, and he can often get out and heal it at an even faster rate. He is a big target for you, because he is another support unit the other team counts on, until you blast him into oblivion. Plus, an empty mode of transportation often remains after his demise. Read: Get in the tank when he's dead.
Scaredy cats. Crouched behind boxes, walls and vehicles, they'll do anything not to get seen or hit. Maybe they'll throw a grenade, or a mine, and run. Do not confuse them with a scout, because the scaredy cat has no goal. He's just scared, but wants to play the game anyway. He is sometimes a new buyer, and sometimes just someone trying out every kind of weapon. Easy target, but not important. If you don't have anything to do at the moment, you could put him out of his misery.
Flamethrower. Even though a flamethrower is a strong weapon, and feared in a lot of games, it is not useful in a battlefield game. You are a lot more likely to find your enemies far from you, in a wide, open space, than be confronted with one around every corner. In games where you can carry a multitude of weapons, however, you should be very, very afraid.
Also remember which one of your own team has the flamethrower. If teamkilling (the ability to shoot a teammate) is active, stay the hell away from him. Seriously. It's always the guy with the flamethrower.
'Special' Classes. Almost every game has a unique class. These classes have to be dealt with in their own sweet way, but I do not possess the knowledge required to do so, and I therefore I can't pass it on. Improvise. I know you can do it.
The Turret. A turret is actually a heavy machine gun, mounted on a wall or vehicle. But the term turret is also used to refer to the user of a turret, or someone with a heavy weapon and ways of healing near (eg: healer, health dispenser, health boxes). He won't stray, but your average bullet can't put him down. Both are not really dangerous to you, but they are wonderful targets nevertheless. They don't move, and they pose a threat to your teammates. This makes it necessary for you to shoot them, but it's also fun and easy. Less movement means easy headshot. And that's a kill your team is going to thank you for.
Cheater. They exist. Let them be. Leave the server. it has to do with ego. They don't have enough, or too much, of it. Sniping pisses them off.
Flag Runner: Now you see them, now you don't. They appear in your camp, take the flag, and run back to their camp. This gets them lots of points. Shoot the bastards.
Turret Hater: very odd person, of which there are many. When you are in a turret or tank, they tend to keep shooting it with a sniper rifle or small pistol, apparently in the hope you'll hop out and try to walk towards them. Needless to say, it's easier to simply shoot them with the tank. Not really relevant for a sniper.
Turret Destroyer: like a turret-hater, but effective. If there is one, I recommend you keep out of turrets. But as a sniper, don't mind him.
Other snipers. More on them later.