I am seeing more and more people not taking the time to aim properly to make their shots count. This applies to all classes and not just the sharpshooter. Hopefully these tips will help inexperienced players become better players and as a result enjoy the game more.
Rule #1: Aim for the head. This is important for all classes except firebug and demolition. Headshots are the key to minimizing ammo usage which translates to longer endurance and less money wasted. Decapitated zombies will eventually die on their own. You do not need to shoot a zombie without a head. Not only is this courteous to other players in terms of "kill stealing" but this also allows you to shift your focus on other more threatening targets. Sometimes it is necessary to continue to shoot zeds until they are actually dead, but that is often only because it is standing in the path of where you need to move or if you are cornered.
Rule #2: Use an appropriate weapon for your role, situation, and environment. Learning to use the right weapon at the right time is essential to becoming a proficient shooter. Here are some things to consider when picking your class and weapon.
Class: Planning before a game is ideal, but usually isn't going to happen in a public game so a good idea is to look at what classes other people are using and decide if what you want to play as is a good choice. For example, if your party largely consists of firebugs then you might consider picking a class that deals well with more powerful zombies.
Role: A class can have different roles. This is largely dictated by the player's skills, strengths and the weapon he or she is using. A sharpshooter with a crossbow should focus on taking down larger zeds and similarly someone with a SCAR would be smart to focus on weaker zeds to clear the way.
Situation: Be aware of your surroundings in terms of where your teammates are and what they are doing. Whether it is holding an area or moving from point A to point B, always know what is happening with others and avoid tunnel vision. Frequently look around even if you know there is nothing there. This habit WILL save your life one time or another in the future. Playing with headphones will help you immensely as it adds an extra sense to help you identify what and where things are happening.
Environment: Take note of the layout of the map. Enclosed areas like indoor maps may not be the best place to be using a crossbow.
Rule #3: Do not panic. As zeds approach, naturally people will often get desperate and resort to spamming their weapon. All this does is exhaust your weapon system and leave you defenseless while you get overwhelmed. Shooting slowly but deliberately is much more effective at falling zeds. Shoot with a regular rhythm both to focus the mind as well as make your weapon's behavior more predictable which results in more accurate shots. A variable rate of fire will only make a weapon harder to control. When zeds get close your rate of fire can increase, but more on this later.
Rule #4: Use the ironsights. There are no crosshairs in this game. Use the ironsights as they were intended to place rounds down range more accurately. Ironsights will also slightly magnify the view which will ultimately allow you to shoot farther with greater accuracy. Shooting without ironsights is sometimes useful, but that requires you to be proficient in knowing exactly where your shots will land. Again ironsights will teach you that. The cone of fire is the concept that shots land more accurately on targets close up than farther away. Use this to your advantage when shooting without ironsights. When zeds get close, you may want to shoot without ironsights to increase your mobility as well as situational awareness. The concept of the cone of fire will allow you to shoot accurately up close with the added benefit of less tunnel vision.
Rule #5: Plant your feet while shooting. This may require Rule #3 at times when large hoards are approaching. If you must move, focus on moving before shooting. This will make it easier to assess the situation and decide where to move to be more effective. Without your own gun blasting away, you will find it easier to pick up audio cues which may help dictate where you want to move. It will also help you reduce ammo usage.
These tips are not all there is to learn, but provide a good base on which to build from. There are much more finer details and techniques that can be learned just by playing the game.
I leave you with the obligatory cliche of the post: Practice makes perfect.
Here is a simple and short video to show some basic techniques to becoming an effective shooter. The video uses the clotbuster mutator to clearly illustrate the techniques. Click on the video to see annotations on the techniques.
YouTube - Killing Floor shooting techniques
Rule #1: Aim for the head. This is important for all classes except firebug and demolition. Headshots are the key to minimizing ammo usage which translates to longer endurance and less money wasted. Decapitated zombies will eventually die on their own. You do not need to shoot a zombie without a head. Not only is this courteous to other players in terms of "kill stealing" but this also allows you to shift your focus on other more threatening targets. Sometimes it is necessary to continue to shoot zeds until they are actually dead, but that is often only because it is standing in the path of where you need to move or if you are cornered.
Rule #2: Use an appropriate weapon for your role, situation, and environment. Learning to use the right weapon at the right time is essential to becoming a proficient shooter. Here are some things to consider when picking your class and weapon.
Class: Planning before a game is ideal, but usually isn't going to happen in a public game so a good idea is to look at what classes other people are using and decide if what you want to play as is a good choice. For example, if your party largely consists of firebugs then you might consider picking a class that deals well with more powerful zombies.
Role: A class can have different roles. This is largely dictated by the player's skills, strengths and the weapon he or she is using. A sharpshooter with a crossbow should focus on taking down larger zeds and similarly someone with a SCAR would be smart to focus on weaker zeds to clear the way.
Situation: Be aware of your surroundings in terms of where your teammates are and what they are doing. Whether it is holding an area or moving from point A to point B, always know what is happening with others and avoid tunnel vision. Frequently look around even if you know there is nothing there. This habit WILL save your life one time or another in the future. Playing with headphones will help you immensely as it adds an extra sense to help you identify what and where things are happening.
Environment: Take note of the layout of the map. Enclosed areas like indoor maps may not be the best place to be using a crossbow.
Rule #3: Do not panic. As zeds approach, naturally people will often get desperate and resort to spamming their weapon. All this does is exhaust your weapon system and leave you defenseless while you get overwhelmed. Shooting slowly but deliberately is much more effective at falling zeds. Shoot with a regular rhythm both to focus the mind as well as make your weapon's behavior more predictable which results in more accurate shots. A variable rate of fire will only make a weapon harder to control. When zeds get close your rate of fire can increase, but more on this later.
Rule #4: Use the ironsights. There are no crosshairs in this game. Use the ironsights as they were intended to place rounds down range more accurately. Ironsights will also slightly magnify the view which will ultimately allow you to shoot farther with greater accuracy. Shooting without ironsights is sometimes useful, but that requires you to be proficient in knowing exactly where your shots will land. Again ironsights will teach you that. The cone of fire is the concept that shots land more accurately on targets close up than farther away. Use this to your advantage when shooting without ironsights. When zeds get close, you may want to shoot without ironsights to increase your mobility as well as situational awareness. The concept of the cone of fire will allow you to shoot accurately up close with the added benefit of less tunnel vision.
Rule #5: Plant your feet while shooting. This may require Rule #3 at times when large hoards are approaching. If you must move, focus on moving before shooting. This will make it easier to assess the situation and decide where to move to be more effective. Without your own gun blasting away, you will find it easier to pick up audio cues which may help dictate where you want to move. It will also help you reduce ammo usage.
These tips are not all there is to learn, but provide a good base on which to build from. There are much more finer details and techniques that can be learned just by playing the game.
I leave you with the obligatory cliche of the post: Practice makes perfect.
Here is a simple and short video to show some basic techniques to becoming an effective shooter. The video uses the clotbuster mutator to clearly illustrate the techniques. Click on the video to see annotations on the techniques.
YouTube - Killing Floor shooting techniques
