Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Is Camping a legitimate form of game play?


: Rants & Raves : Eric H. :


My scope showing my target area close up.  My cross hairs showing precisely where the round will travel.  I see the moving shadows of my impending prey dance across the cave walls, I hold my breath, cross hairs cease to move, there is no sound now only the vision of the target in my sights.... I pull the trigger.

The report of the .50 caliber sniper rifle within the confined recesses of the cave is much louder.  A split second later, through my sights, I see my target take the large round center mast and blood splatters against the wall behind him as he falls.  Kill confirmed.  A short minute later, I receive a message.

"You camping p****."

Isn't that what a sniper is?  A camper?




Ahhhh, great moments in gaming, aren't they?  That little piece of my gaming past was brought to us by Call of Duty 4:Modern Warfare from the map called "Creek".


Camping, or as I like to call it, a Hardcore Defensive Lock Down is often the "reason" a "good" or "great" player gets killed..... in their eyes.  Either way you get yelled, cursed at or simply have your gaming skills mocked and called into question.  Why?  Does a gamer who stays in one spot as long as he/she can really a lesser player?  Personally, I don't think so.

There are, in my eyes, several reasons to camp.  Number one.  To rack up as many kills as you can on unsuspecting victims turning that "innocent corner" and earning that sweet killstreak.  Number two.  Your actually guarding something or someone.  A domination point for example.  A friend who is sniping.... would you call that a campground?  Number three.  Your having an awful round and you want to try and slow things and the bleeding down.  My friends and I like to call this, "just going prone".  Besides, if you ain't helping your team, it's not going to hurt if you take your rising death toll out of the game for a moment or two, right?




"Camping is just as viable as is rolling and wall bouncing. That's the point of *cover*. Also, always check your corners and your six!"

That was a Tweet from Cliff B. some months back.  He is the Design Director at Epic Games based out of North Carolina for those not familiar.  I couldn't agree more.  If everyone was skilled at or enjoyed, "running and gunning", we wouldn't be having this conversation.

There are some days, if I'm feeling it, I will grab the UMP with Rapid Fire, Quick Draw Pro, Slight of Hand and Dead Silence and you will all be my bitches.  Other times, for whatever reason, that just doesn't work.  So I will resort to my next play type, I call it the "Stop and Pop", it's a combo platter of running and gunning, and camping.  I'll run to a spot, stop for 30 seconds or so, take the kill if presented and then run to another spot.  If all else fails or I just want to piss the other players off... I will bust out my tent and lantern and make a night of it.

Some of you may ask, "Don't you hate getting killed by campers though?".  My response would be something like... "You bet your ass I do.".  I bet you'd even hear me yell, "Camping bitch!!".  I figure I have two choices.  I can either keep going back to that spot, kill or be killed, or just avoid that spot altogether.  I'm guessing those options are available to everyone else as well.

In closing, I do think that camping has it's place in gaming.  While it's hated by some, it's loved by some as well.  It's a good tactic depending on the class you may be playing at the moment or the way your round is going.  Besides, variety is the spice of life... and video games.

Peace,
Eric


Do you have a favorite play style?  Have any funny stories about camping or killing that annoying camper?  Leave a comment.  Tell us.  We would love to hear from you!













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