goddamit i hate the cone!
Roughly in the middle of 0.52 I got really good at sniping, now in 0.54 all that has gone down the drain...
I hope Ben changes the rifle back to it's old lovable self.

@Flame: I cannot help but agree with you. :/

If you're really pressed to kill someone from afar, take body shots.

No. You may hate to miss, I do, everybody does, but gameplay-wise this is the most intelligent thing Ben has done so far.

The semi having a small cone of fire is equivalent to shrinking the player's head, something I've seen suggested a few times. Choosing where to aim now involves actual decision-making. Structures such as bunkers and foxholes become useful, whereas before they wouldn't make you any safer at all-- you'd always aim for the head anyway, which you could hit with 100% certainty.

Plus, it gives way for an actual sniper weapon to be introduced later.

Not only that but the SMG now has a chance to get in a little closer to enter the 60 block range so it can actually hit some one reliably.

Yeah, I miss old sniping.

@hompy:
That said, trenchwars (two people at the same level, only head showing), or water fights can be extremely difficult. SMG is completely hopeless at anything low down or concealed..

lol my name is ninjapro69 and i still hit 80% of my headshots

I told you guys, we've reached level red.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aGDCE6Nrz0

@ Flame, I used to be really good at sniping too. I was like a medusa because if you poked your head out enough to see me, your face would get partially turned into lead.

Still, I wasn't as good as this guy.

Ninjapro? I met him. He is beast.

@MegaDeuce - Holy shit.

hats off to that deuce. holy crap, dude.

@Hompy: So you approve of a "mainstream shooter" method over something that might, for once, resemble real life rifle combat?

I seriously haven't even noticed a different. I can get headshots from far away jsut as easily as I always could.

Probably because you were a shit sniper to begin with.

So, instead of making the heads smaller, and allowing players to hone their sniping skills even further, Ben decided to nerf the rifle. I'm sure most of the idiots in this thread can't see the problem with that, so here it is.

Having a smaller head means that an enemy would have to be particularly good at aiming to get a headshot. Having the rifle spray in random patterns (and with the onset of "server-side hit verification", it's even worse) regardless of the actual skill of the sniper means that it is based on luck, which (in case you are a little slow) is not a good thing.

Even simpler:

Having a smaller head = takes skill to land a headshot (player controlled)

Having bullets spray in random directions regardless of aim = takes luck to land a headshot (not player controlled)

Unless of course, Ben is forcefully trying to turn this into another mainstream shooter.

BUT REJOICE!!!!

Ben has already admitted to his mistake and specifically said that the cone of fire for both weapons will be lowered in future updates. Whether or not the rifle is going to get its original accuracy back is still uncertain though.

Yeah, it's terrible. Arbitrarily degraded accuracy doesn't require skill to deal with, just makes things frustrating and unfun. I don't know to what degree it's the cone or server-side detection, but I really really hope Ben reverts those changes. Why does every game have to be call of duty?

@Galaxy
No sir, I think it's the other way around. :)

Just about anyone who was actually an above-average sniper notices the difference between 0.52 and 0.54. If you haven't, you were most likely garbage to begin with.

And I think I've slaughtered you before anyway, if "artificialbox" is your in-game name.

While I can't compare the rifle's accuracy to before, seeing as I started playing AoS not long ago, I do agree that the server side hit detection sucks. Really. Badly. I've headshotted people as many as three times (and SEEN the bullet hit them in their forehead, not just thinking I did because that's where my crosshairs were.) without them dying, only to have them one shot me in my trench.

And I do also agree with 2 things: 1. The rifle should have a cone of fire. 2. It should not be NEARLY as big as it is now. I've shot with my crosshairs on one dude only to hit their buddy a block or two away. While quite amusing the first time, it gets really annoying after a while. Especially when they don't have a buddy with them.

@artificialbox: I'm with Galaxy on this one. For those of us that have good aim, the new system sucks.

It's all luck now. Skill and a steady hand helps, but no matter how good you are, you are never guaranteed to hit anymore. It's bullshit.

Well then. I have done barely any sniping since the new update so maybe I haven't noticed.

Also..
"And I think I've slaughtered you before anyway, if "artificialbox" is your in-game name."

Your point? "0mGzzz i'm a bEtt3r sn1p3r den U cuz I kill3d u aLo7 of t1m3z b4"

Since we have the cone can we increase the player size yet?

"Your point? "0mGzzz i'm a bEtt3r sn1p3r den U cuz I kill3d u aLo7 of t1m3z b4" "

Yeah, sorry about that (and the rest of the harshness in my post). That was a pretty stupid and irresponsible thing to say. I was in a prickish mood yesterday because SOMEONE (I WONDER WHO IT COULD HAVE BEEN??!?!?!?!!11) decided to remove my custom title.

@VFB1210

I completely agree with what you've said about the whole server-side BS (the same exact thing has happened to me regarding unregistered headshots).

I don't know about you...but I'm the mood for an icecream cone right about now...

btw: GOD DANGIT RIFLE CONE YOU MADE MY SNIPER 1337 SKILLS HIT THE FLOOR!!1!!!111!

@Hompy: I didn't say that it wasn't a good move though, just expressing how much I miss my perfect accuracy. ;_;

@Kaede: Not really, if you're aiming from really far (say the fog almost swallows up your target), take body shots. At least it'll make things easier. :P

P.S. The nerf isn't THAT bad, I can still rack up lotsa kills but not as fast as I used to. :/

Looks like I'll have to adapt again, and I got so used to the perfect accuracy thing too. :P

how much are SMG body shots and head shots worth again? :D

Rifle - 1

SMG - 2 - (3?)

It's like a pyramid, only rounder.

Welp, can't wait to get my 1337 skills back, or kinda. It' still going to be a cone, albeit reduced.

Once you get used to the firing cone, it's not so bad. ;/

I still miss my perfect accuracy though.

@Spengbab: I could've sworn I saw a few guys head-shotting me with a SMG. Only took them one shot. :/ (I had full health if I recall right.)

I love/hate the thing. It adds realism and some fun to it (makes it more of a real rifle, not a sniper rifle) but its almost too accurate for a normal rifle at ranfe of the Fog of war. It should be more innacurate to be a "real" rifle, and Ben adds a sniper rifle (99% accuracy, slightly slower Rate of fire, 50hp damage anywhere, 100 for the head)