This workshop is from my post "Five More Things Good Players do More Often Than Average Players". For more tips and workshops visit that post, or either of my other two tips posts:
- Five Things Good Players do More Often Than Average Players
- Another Five Things Good Players do More Often Than Average Players
Natural
Many players find it hard to get out of sniper mode. The ability to see an enemy tank, closer up, is appealing. Especially if they're partially in cover or you want to hit a weak spot. So it's natural to see an enemy and focus them. The problem with that is that you lose situational awareness.
"Staring down the straw" is an apt description because when you're hyper focused on one enemy you lose that peripheral vision for what else is happening around you.
So busy staring at the tank in front of you, that you lose the ability to see other enemies that might be better shots for you...or worse, have better shots AT you.
If you've had the experience of being shot, and even killed, by an enemy tank that was spotted but that you didn't even realize was there...you've probably been staring down the straw.
Look around...
When you watch good players play you'll notice that they often pull back out of sniper mode, into 3rd party view, and look around between shots. They may be specifically looking at another spotted enemy to see what that enemy is doing or if they might have a better shot on them.
Sometimes they pull back their camera even if they're just going to glance at the minimap. Sniper view can be mezmerizing; it can be hard to take your eyes off the enemy right in front of you...but it's important to do so.
Here's a video of Skill4LTU playing the Type 59. Watch a few minutes of his gameplay, and pay particular attention to his camera work. Notice that he almost always pulls the camera back after every shot.
You'll also notice that when he pulls back and looks around, he keeps his gun pointed towards the enemy he was already shooting at, unless he chooses a different target. He does that by holding the right mouse button down as he pulls back and looks around.
We mentioned that habit in Another five things good players do more often than average players (wotguy.blogspot.com) and we'll have a workshop coming for it soon.
Build this habit - Exercise 1
This habit is easiest to build when you have a tank with a long reload. So deliberately pick one of your tanks that takes a while to reload. (This exercise is tougher with autoloaders or a fast reload tank like an E 25 because you tend to get caught up in the fire-fire-fire and don't have as much time to consciously pull the camera back to look around).
So...in your next battle pick a tank with a long reload and focus on pulling the camera back between each shot, then zooming back to sniper mode if you like. Keep it simple to build the habit...just pull back...then go back in.
Shoot, pull back, zoom back in. Repeat.
Check the map - Exercise 2
Once you're feeling comfortable just pulling back, then going back in, add the next step: Pull the camera back, glance at the minimap, then zoom back in if you have a next shot. Pull back, glance at the minimap, go back in.
Shoot, pull back, check the map, zoom back in for your next shot. Repeat.
We talked about using the minimap in the second workshop of this series: Tankers Workshop #2: The Minimap (wotguy.blogspot.com)
Looking around - Exercise 3
Once you're comfortable with pulling back, check the minimap, zoom back in, add the 3rd element: Looking around.In your next battle consciously work on take your shot, pull back, check the minimap, then press the right-mouse button and pan the camera left or right to see what's there and maybe check for a better shot (or even just to confirm you're still in cover behind the rock or building you're sheltering behind).
Shoot, pull back, check the map, look around, zoom back in as your reload completes. Repeat.
Let us know in the comments below how this goes for you!
GLHF!
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