| Tracers |
| Tracers Tracers I suspect will be the most controversial issue in DF (as controversial as issues get in DF anyway...) for a long time. As realistic as it is without tracers, I hate to say it but I do prefer tracers. The reason is simply one of gameplay. Without tracers, even snipers with half a brain can remain virtually undetectable on most boards, and SAW players become dog meat. I've played multiple times on both ends, and it's pretty apparent that "realism" in this sense sucks ass. Then what you get is SAW players that just run around like headless chickens because there's not much else to do. A good sniper without the hindrance of tracers is just too hard to overcome. Anyhow, enough with the philosophical debating. I'll also skip the obvious tactics; if you see tracers coming from somewhere, track down the source and gun the person down. What you do need to know about tracers is that when you are firing with an automatic or semi-automatic weapon (e.g. the SAW or single-shot M4), you need to make the span of time you fire as short as possible, but at the same time, fire as much as possible in the short span of time. That way you inflict maximum damage with the least amount of attraction. I laugh when people try to make themselves less visible by shooting small bursts at longer intervals of time. Anyone in the general area will see even one tracer that you fire, so the point is to unload as rapidly as possible. There's no use in trying to hide your tracers once you fire with the SAW by firing "slower." It's like guerilla warfare; you want to strike as rapidly and fiercely as possible, but cease and withdraw as soon as you can. Know when hiding yourself is pointless. Worrying about tracer fire coming out of your gun at your respawn point is virtually pointless. Your enemy knows to look for you there, so you accomplish nothing by trying to trick your enemy into thinking you aren't there. In hotspots (i.e. where assault grunts typically clash, like on the west sides of the big mountains in the Mesas terrain), you might as well let loose as well. Tracers can be used in another totally different fashion. With the advent of Battlefield Communicator and Roger Wilco, we're getting to the point where we just MIGHT be able to communicate without a hassle if everyone decided to try. But we're not there yet. In the meanwhile, tracers are an excellent way of communicating positions... What I mean is that you can use tracers to show your teammates where your enemies are, especially snipers. Lets consider the following scenario: A SAW player fires wildly, as usual. This attract the attention of an enemy sniper, well-lodged in a distant mountain. He naturally tries to take out the SAW player. The SAW grunt sees where the fire is coming from but it's too far away. He hides behind cover and indicates to a team sniper that he wants the sniper taken out. He pops out of the cover and unloads 10 rounds into the mountain housing the enemy sniper. The team sniper follows the trail and locates the enemy sniper and dispatches him. Everyone cheers and gets drunk. Anyhow, most people haven't wised up enough yet to implement this, but the time will come... � Copyright 1998 Stanley Lin. Duplication without author's consent is prohibited. |