The best way to use the cover system is to ignore it

[Agenda_Suicide]

I find that the cover system exposes the top of your head to gunfire most the time so I don't use it much. The only time its useful is when your popping in and out of door ways or around corners. Being in a trench or behind sandbags I can usually head shot people while they are in cover.

 

[Merin Redplate]

I use cover all the time. /flex

 

[Argenguy]

The main issue is not the cover system itself, but that it shares the same key with the "use" function. I would separate both functions, each one with their own key binding.
I use the cover system because it easier than manual cover using crouch and lean.
The blind fire, I don't use that function in any game that has it (RO2, Gears of War, Mafia II), but it doesn't mean that is completely useless, actually you really have to know what you are doing.

 

[Qweets]

I use it when it allows me to peek up over something that just crouch + ironsights doesn't.. If you aim down out of a window while using cover you actually lean your body out the window to look down as well, its awesome. I love the cover system.

 

[Gaizokubanou]

The main issue is not the cover system itself, but that it shares the same key with the "use" function. I would separate both functions, each one with their own key binding.
I use the cover system because it easier than manual cover using crouch and lean.
The blind fire, I don't use that function in any game that has it (RO2, Gears of War, Mafia II), but it doesn't mean that is completely useless, actually you really have to know what you are doing.

No there is a problem with the cover system. First is that it requires you to press extra button to basically lock you in a position. Second is that animation they use often have your head or gun stick out, exposing you even more.

 

[dakuth]

My Guide to Using Cover effectively

My Guide to Using Cover effectively

I think I'll make a video, because much of this needs visual aids. But cover definitely, definitely has its place. Two common mistakes:

1. Never using it
2. Always using it

When using it there are a large number of things to watch out for:
1. Make sure you attach to something high enough. Your character will actually duck down lower a little, to stay in cover. So sometimes you can actually use a piece of wall that you couldn't with just normal crouch.... but there are still plenty of things that you can cower behind and be exposing the top of your head. That is instant death, doing that. Also, be aware that elevation will allow people to snipe the top of your head if you're only *just* squeezing in. I see a number of people above saying "only for windows." I find windows one of the *worst* for taking cover near. They're often too low, and expose you. Trenches and sandbags are usually the best.

2. Use peek first, always. Peeking only exposes your head, and if you only keep up for a second or two, this is usually a good way to spot enemies, without exposing your entire top half. You can usually get away with it. If you spot an enemy, and they're not aiming at you, a quick right-click and shoot. Then pop down and change positions. If you peek and they are looking in your direction, pop down again immediately. Visualise their position and move slightly. Then pop up and snap shoot. They'll be expecting you to appear in the same spot, but you'll know where they are with the visualisation technique. It gives you a significant advantage in a straight-up snap shoot.

3. Change position, a lot. After you shoot, pop back down, move a little around, and next time pop up again in a different spot. If you can't change position - such as a door frame (sigh, should be able to crouch and use wall cover.) Peek once down the hallway, spot the enemy. I literally mean peek. I don't mean stick your head our and inspect. Tap the key and look for less than a second. If you see an enemy, visualise his position... now because it is a doorframe, you can't change positions... so uncover and use the lean system. He's expecting you to pop out, but instead you're in a crouched or prone position just popping out with the shot.

4. Mix up cover system and non-cover cover. When camping at a window in Freedom - probably best to back up and be shrouded in darkness (on the other hand, if someone sees a muzzle flash and shoots back, they'll get you while if you were in cover, you'd have popped back down.) When advancing through exposed territory. Dash from cover to cover. Stop, peek, change position, and peek again. If there is no fire and you see no-one, you can dash again. If gun fire suppresses your peeking efforts, detach, go prone, and crawl away (possibly to pop up somewhere else.) It is much, much, much faster to do "pop up" shots with the cover system than anything else... but you have to mix it up to stay unpredictable - and often that means using the lean and crouch system.

5. Door frames and wall corners are generally only good for peeking. The cover system exposes nearly your whole body when shooting there... but if you peek and spot an unaware target - take the shot. Then get back and detach. You're probably compromised. A crouch and lean to mix it up is good then. Peek is superior in the first instance, though, because with a swift movement you can view far more. You're generally safe - but keep those peeks quick, and don't be afraid to detach once you've been spotted.



I've never found a use for blind firing. Theoretically you could blind fire down a hallway or out a door, if you know the enemy is coming, but I've never once had the opportunity, or wherewithal to pull it off. Seems like 100% gimmick.

 

[Josef Nader]

I play machine gunner.

I never use it.

Coming over cover and framing myself is a bad decision.

HOWEVER, it is -very- useful for blind-throwing grenades around corners and into rooms, and occasionally (if I'm playing rifleman) I'll use cover to peek over trenches.

But as a machine gunner, never.

 

[CapitalistDog]

I find the cover mechanic very intuitive and useful. I agree that it can be a nuisance due to its pairing with the "use" function, but other than that I honestly think it's the best cover system that I've ever used in a game.

 

[Gaizokubanou]

I wish RO2's cover system worked in fluid motion, without requiring extra buttons. Like this.

Crysis 2 - Cover system - YouTube

Peaking is already covered by leaning imo.

 

[Holy.Death]

Cover system is very useful, but not always.

- Good to from the side of the wall if you have to cover someone else's approach. Cover beats normal movement in such situations. It is also good to throw grenades quickly.

- Good to scan the area from nearly any cover, but you need to make it quick because looking over the wall or out of the window is not smart at all (it is far better to stand in some distance from the window and shoot from the side of anything rather that over it in order to be less visible).

 

[Rumpullpus]

like using it for windows and turenches and stuff (basicly only up and down movement) but i cant use it on alot of static stuff not because i dont want to but because its so glitchy and odd that i cant.

wish blind fire worked a little better ive only gotten 1 kill so far and i use it fairly often.

 

[Stareht]

windows dorrway elbow high obstacle and trenches i use the cover system becaus it hides me more

 

[luciferintears]

The game is a bit too fast paced to effectively utilize the cover system.

It becomes a liability because it can be difficult to detach from cover on a moments notice, especially if you're caught off guard.

 

[Dee0342]

It really depends on the situation but overall the cover system is too sticky and its not always clear if your completely covered behind something ( how many times I have seen the top of someone's head stick out ).

Cover systems work the best from a third person perspective, leaning works great for first person.

 

[Shoelip]

The cover system is really useful in certain situations. Not so much in others. It all depends. Just like everything else in the game you have to learn how to use it effectively.

 

[Switchblade]

I really like it,
and use it if needed, totally depending on the situation, but I am always aware of it

 

[Icey_Pain]

The cover system is something that still needs work. It has some very annoying bugs that restrict it's usage.

1. The cover system tends to point your gun up when moving behind a wall, this is simply stupid as the enemy can just see where you're moving to and shoot you as soon as you popup.

2. You can in some situations peek to the side as well?, but on many locations this is simply bugged and it does not allow you to peek around a corner. Whether peeking around the corner is a feature or not, it needs to be in and fully working.

3. moving around corners does not work, a feature that needs to be in.

4. It's too snappy for it's own good, it needs to be much more fluent to simply get detached again.

Now as a suggestion they really need to add functionality to the cover system. What I would suggest is:

1. Seperate the use key from the cover key, this allows for more functionality to be assigned to the cover key.

2. There needs to be a way to adjust how much you peek out at once. For example: Holding down the cover key and using the scroll wheel would allow you to dynamically choose how much you expose of yourself.

3. This could also be a function that's not tied to the cover system, the "Hold your head down" function, as currently there's no way to prevent getting shot when you hide behind a wall and you're facing an enemy on the other side who is on a higher floor.

 

[Derpus]

I use it half the time, often with good results. I like it over lean because it's quicker; i.e. you don't have to adjust it the way you do sometimes with leaning.

 

[Nipper]

When I first started playing I used the cover system all of the time, but found I was dying all of the time.

Now, I never use the cover system and have a healthy kill sheet with a hell of a lot less deaths.

 

[riZZo]

I don't think it's a clear cut as most people are making out. I use it when it's beneficial, usually when defending or stuck in a place for whatever reason or behind something which is the wrong height for normal play.

I'd say I don't use it as much as I do use it, it's not game breaking to either use it or not, it just depends on how you want to play.