Last week I discussed the irritating combat move known, somewhat curiously, as the bunny hop. In case you didn’t see it just click on the link here. I’ll wait.
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All ready then? Right, off we go.
The bunny hop, though, isn’t the only aggravating move that you will find when fighting the legions of online avatars. This next one, while being much more aggravating, is more limited to games like Halo or the Battlefield series due to their fairly small levels, and also because guns are readily at hand in the virtual environment. The move has been collectively dubbed “camping,” and it is simple in execution but more difficult to counteract. When you camp, you simply pick a spot where you will be concealed from the enemy-a boulder, a pillar, a relatively low wall-and just wait for the enemy to arrive so you can bring your wroth down upon him.
As I said it’s simple, but immensely aggravating. The ease of this move may win you a few kills at the end of the game, but it won’t win you many friends if done often. ‘All things in moderation’ works for the rest of the world, and indeed it does in this case. If you run around the corner, hide yourself, and then jump your opponent as s/he comes round the corner then few could object. That is good planning and good reflexes. But if you, in the manner of a trapdoor spider, plant yourself in one spot and kill everything that comes by then you will win points but not acclaim. Indeed, a flow of angry l33t may come pouring down on your head, and that is something that I think we could all do without.
So, now that we’ve discussed the mechanics of camping, how is one to go about deterring the persistent camper? Well, there’s really no set method, as camping requires little time and planning in order to be successful. Just the right spot, the right amount of patience, and the ability to type “LOL” 25 times in one second. There are some things you can do to make your chances of getting killed by a camper less likely so I’ll add them here.
1) Be careful going around corners- These are idle spots for a camp kill, mainly because there will be a moment when you’re not looking all around, and then can be taken down. For the patient, it will mean scoping things out a moment before proceeding, and for those that are less patient, it can mean just chucking a grenade and hoping to blow the bugger up.
2) Smoke them out- If you know of a point in a map where campers like to congregate, approach that spot with caution. The spots that campers pick are usually highly defensible, providing cover from several sides, and that limit the chance of the camper being sneaked up on. So, be creative in your approach. Come from the top and either shoot him outright or hit him with a grenade. Create a distraction, and rush him when he’s wondering where that noise came from. Let your imagination fly free.
3) Turn into a trigger happy, grenade chucking madman- This probably is the most basic anti-camper move. If you run through the map, firing away and hurling explosives left in right, whatever is in your path won’t be inclined to stick around. The comparison that comes most easily to hand is that of the forest creatures that run at a breakneck pace to escape the oncoming flames. Course, you may just get shot down by the “braver” species of camper, but nothing is without risk.
So, in conclusion, there’s no real set way to deal with a camper. You have to be creative and careful in dealing with them, but take the suggestions I’ve based here and work them into whatever game you play. If this leads to a more effective remedy of online gaming pest then please send those e-mails to feedback@thegamereviews.com. Good hunting, gamers.
