Camping, or Ambushing?

Currently, I am still deployed to Afghanistan, so I haven't been able to play the new Modern Warfare 3 online yet. But some fellow gamers and myself were able to set up a network, and connect several XBOX 360s together to play over LAN.

While we were playing, I was accused of the unpardonable sin. Someone called me a "camper".

I had been sitting in a building, and made 5 kills without dying. All in that same building. Because of this, they said that I was camping.

Scenario: Someone was in the building. I went upstairs and killed him. I saw a firefight outside and knew that they would be coming upstairs. I killed two people coming upstairs, then knew that they'd be coming for me. So I placed a bouncing betty, moved into a corner, and killed them again when they came up. I then moved on to play regularly.

Basically, the purpose of this post is to explain the difference between bad camping, good camping, and ambushing. To start, I'll explain the term "camping".  When someone calls someone else a "camper", it is used generically to describe someone who doesn't run and gun. It is used negatively of anyone who doesn't play the game like others think it should be played.

There is a time to camp, and a time not too. It's actually a very good strategy in Free for All deathmatch types. Hide, and kill people passing by. The misuse of camping is actually damaging in team deathmatch modes, though. A single person camping somewhere where no one passes by hurts the team in overall kills. In objective based games, camping can be used to great effect.

So, bad camping: this is when someone sets up somewhere in hopes that some random person will pass by so that they can get some easy kills. They don't want to be found. They just wait until someone randomly passes by to get the kill. Snipers are often accused of this, and in fact many people who claim to be snipers are simply campers.

Good camping is setting up where you can do one of two things. Either setting up where you can see the objective clearly, and are keeping the enemy from the objective. Or, setting up in a high traffic area where you know the enemy will be passing by. Both of these help your team in the long run. Snipers who really know how to be snipers are utilizing this type of camping.

Ambushing is closely related to good camping, but instead of setting up where you know people will be passing by, you are actually waiting for a specific person. Maybe someone is following you, and you step around a corner and hide, waiting for him to pass by. Or, you know that someone is using "Sit-Rep", so they can see where enemy equipment is. So you set out a bouncing betty or claymore, and wait for him to show up to destroy it.

Ambushing and good camping are actually very valid strategies in FPSs. Even though the term "camping" has a negative connotation to it, due to all the bad campers. But, just let the numbers show for themselves. If you are winning, keep playing like you want. Let the others call you what they will.

My next planned FPS strategy post will be on how to set up a well-rounded Capture the Flag team.

   - Woody