Description
Sniper locations are one of the most common patterns. A character in a sniper location can attack other characters with long-range weapons while remaining protected. Any elevated position that overlooks some portion of the level is potentially a sniper location. They may be intended for use by either players, NPCs, or both.
Creating a sniper location for use by an enemy rather than the player requires additional consideration. Enemies positioned in the sniper location may require special scripting to create the desired behavior; they should remain in place, using cover if available, and engage the player with long range weapons.
Affordances
- The difference in height between the sniper location and the part of the level it overlooks
- How large of an area is available for the sniper
- The amount of cover available for the sniper
- The size of the area that the sniper can cover from the sniper location
- How accessible the sniper location is from the area overlooked
Consequences
When confronted with an enemy sniper location, the player is forced to make careful use of cover or seek alternate routes to avoid being exposed to fire. This can increase the tension and slow the pace of a level while creating a challenge for the player.
A player sniper location generally slows the pace of a level while lowering tension as the player is able to engage enemy NPCs without being exposed to enemy fire. However, if the sniper location is not isolated from the rest of the level, the player will have to defend the access point as well, increasing tension.
Relationships
Sniper locations interact with many other patterns. They may be placed to cover an arena or a choke point. Most stationary turrets are also sniper locations. A shooting gallery is a specialized type of sniper location.
Examples
| Description | Screenshot |
|---|---|
| In the level “Route Kanal” of Half-Life 2, the player encounters an enemy sniper location. It is high above the player’s position, but has very little cover. The player can engage the enemy NPCs, but is exposed and needs to be cautious. |  |
| There is a sniper location in the level “Corinth River” of Killzone 2. The player is on an elevated walkway overlooking a medium-sized area containing enemy NPCs. Both the player and enemy NPCs have cover, but by looking down from above, the player is able to locate the enemy NPCs and engage them. | No screenshot available |
| The first part of the level “Sierra-117” of Halo 3 contains many player sniper locations. The player moves through a narrow valley with steep sides, encountering groups of stationary enemy NPCs at regular intervals. The sides of the canyon contain numerous small outcropping that the player can jump up to and shot at the enemy NPCs before they are alerted. Rocks and trees provide cover. |  |
| In the level “Crow's Nest” from Halo 3, the player is able to use a ledge overlooking an arena as a sniper location to pick off a few weaker enemy types. |  |
| A sniper position used by the enemy in Half-Life 2: Episode 2. This location requires you to strategically maneuver around the the environmental objects (such as cars and rubble) as cover so that you do not get shot. |  |
