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Tactics How to deal with long-range combat?

imnrk

Grizzled Veteran
Jul 9, 2015
702
95
Hi. I'm new to the series, but I have a pretty good understanding of objectives and teamwork, so I have that part covered. But what I'm still flailing around with is long-range combat. Give me an assault rifle or a shotgun and I can hold my own in tight spaces, but in open areas like ChuChi I'm completely helpless, even as marksman/sniper. My aim is bad, and I don't quite understand bullet drop/adjusting sights, but I feel like there's something else I'm missing.

I always end up either
A: getting shot before I know what happened, or
B: getting shot by someone that I try to shoot at and miss.

How exactly am I supposed to go about these kinds of scenarios? I see other players taking cover and taking occasional popshots, but when I try that I just get killed. Some help would be appreciated.

P.S. I love this game, I die a lot and get mad but other times I feel like an action hero. It's a fun game, just one I don't fully understand.
 
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Well we cant really help you with your aim.

When it comes to having trouble adjusting the sights, I can recommend you are using the tactical display. It will show you the distance from you to certain objects and points. This includes things like ammo boxes, captures zones etc. It will literally show you the exact distance to it. You can use this for quick and easy range estimation of the area in which are your targets.

When you get killed that fast it us because another player has made it to a very good position first or that you are outnumbered. This is especially the case if you try to do some "dank flanking" and you get instantly wrecked. It is likely that 2-3 enemies are already locking down that flank or that area. This is the big difference between RS2 and other games like BF or CoD. In this case you "cant succeed" alone. You need support from other players or your team.
 
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For range finding you can use the [spot enemy] key. Dunno what the default is, I have that customised.

But on most maps it's usually not necessary to adjust the sights, because you will rarely shoot further than 200 meters and there is not much bullet drop. Adjusting the sights is more appropriate when you permanently stay in a position to provide really long range covering/suppressive fire.

Your survivability is a lot about map knoweledge. Most players that killwhore a lot are usually on their favourite "camping" spots, where they have an advantage in encounters like you described where you are getting creamed.

As long as you feel insecure on a map you need to avoid exposing yourself for too long. Don't take more than one or two shots out of a temporary position. Like when you are on the move and find some cover, dont shoot much from there. That will attract attention and when you just recently moved in that place, you don't necessarily know what dangers are facing you around.

Make yourself small and ugly. Only engage in extensive shootouts when you have a really solid position.
 
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Never use the AKM; it has noticably worse accuracy than the other AK variants (in my experience), even more-so than when I use the Type56-1 with the stock folded. :p

Set yer sights to 200m on the sniper rifles & AK's, 100m for the SMG's where possible, and then it's a case of aiming for the chest; if they are closer than 200m you will tend to get the headshot some of the time, further away it's still a chest shot (not that they are further than 200m in most cases).

Using a little kentucky windage with the M1911 can score somewhat-reliable chest shots at around 60 metres, you'll want to aim half a metre above your target's head. This also works for most of the SMG's and even the shotguns.

Everything must be on Single-shot mode if it has it.

Turn off Depth Of Field (if it's on).

Maybe spend a little quality time on the firing range to get the hang of some of the weapons? :)

And of course, try to rest that weapon on something!
 
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Bullet drop won't significantly affect you at most ranges you'll engage at, so I wouldn't worry too much there. Travel time is an issue though - don't forget to lead your shots on moving targets.

More significant are the fact that sway is significantly higher for the first ~1 second after raising the sights and the fact that sharp movements (including recoil) will cause your sights to temporarily misalign, which will cause the rounds to go in a direction you aren't expecting.

This can give the advantage to the guy who already has his weapon up and ready, and is stationary. The best ways to deal with it are to hit crouch as you're raising the sights, to minimise the sway and get the sight misalignment out of the way while you're performing an action that you wouldn't be aiming in anyway, and then once those sights are up, hold shift to hold your breath and quickly nullify all sway for a second or so. That should be enough to let you get a clean shot on target. If you can't get a bead on them in that time, or you miss, then you'd have been dead by that point anyway.

Or something else that can sometimes work is if you encounter someone who's slightly more prepared than you are, just try firing wildly at him to get some suppression going. It'll throw his aim and vision off and might give you enough of a chance to either take cover, or get an aimed shot off.
 
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PsYcH0_Ch!cKeN;n2296363 said:
More significant are the fact that sway is significantly higher for the first ~1 second after raising the sights and the fact that sharp movements (including recoil) will cause your sights to temporarily misalign, which will cause the rounds to go in a direction you aren't expecting.
I find it extremely frustrating when I have the sights on target and my shots go elsewhere. And I believe a lot of the inaccuracy complaints about the AK in full auto, come from that sight misalignment mechanic.
 
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PsYcH0_Ch!cKeN;n2296363 said:
Bullet drop won't significantly affect you at most ranges you'll engage at, so I wouldn't worry too much there. Travel time is an issue though - don't forget to lead your shots on moving targets.

More significant are the fact that sway is significantly higher for the first ~1 second after raising the sights and the fact that sharp movements (including recoil) will cause your sights to temporarily misalign, which will cause the rounds to go in a direction you aren't expecting.

This can give the advantage to the guy who already has his weapon up and ready, and is stationary. The best ways to deal with it are to hit crouch as you're raising the sights, to minimise the sway and get the sight misalignment out of the way while you're performing an action that you wouldn't be aiming in anyway, and then once those sights are up, hold shift to hold your breath and quickly nullify all sway for a second or so. That should be enough to let you get a clean shot on target. If you can't get a bead on them in that time, or you miss, then you'd have been dead by that point anyway.

Or something else that can sometimes work is if you encounter someone who's slightly more prepared than you are, just try firing wildly at him to get some suppression going. It'll throw his aim and vision off and might give you enough of a chance to either take cover, or get an aimed shot off.

Thanks I didn't know about the misaligned sights thing, I knew about it for hipfiring but I never really noticed that it could also happen when looking down the sights. I might just have to start firing blindly too!
 
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Gladius;n2296192 said:
For range finding you can use the [spot enemy] key. Dunno what the default is, I have that customised.

But on most maps it's usually not necessary to adjust the sights, because you will rarely shoot further than 200 meters and there is not much bullet drop. Adjusting the sights is more appropriate when you permanently stay in a position to provide really long range covering/suppressive fire.

Your survivability is a lot about map knoweledge. Most players that killwhore a lot are usually on their favourite "camping" spots, where they have an advantage in encounters like you described where you are getting creamed.

As long as you feel insecure on a map you need to avoid exposing yourself for too long. Don't take more than one or two shots out of a temporary position. Like when you are on the move and find some cover, dont shoot much from there. That will attract attention and when you just recently moved in that place, you don't necessarily know what dangers are facing you around.

Make yourself small and ugly. Only engage in extensive shootouts when you have a really solid position.

the default is z
 
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Vision is everything in this game. The key to this game is to see all of your enemies, without them having vision of you (without hacking of course.) You need your entire team to communicate properly for this. Z button, local voice channels, and the SL/TL order widget is essential to team vision.
 
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