Camping (computer gaming)
Encyclopedia
In video gaming, camping is a tactic in which a player will obtain a strategic position anywhere on the map and wait for characters to arrive and be killed, or waiting for useful objects to appear in an area rather than actively seeking them out.
In most games, camping is a legitimate style of play. It often proves frustrating, particularly to newer players, as it rewards those who invest a considerable amount of time in the game (which allows them to know the layout of the maps and the best defensive positions); as well as those with accurate aim. Among some players, camping is considered tantamount to cheating
, especially in deathmatch
-type games. The most common reason for this is that if every player camps, there will be no opportunities for players to come into conflict, and thus there will be no game at all. In most deathmatch-type games that have both a time limit and a kill limit, Camping can be used to take advantage of the time limit rather than the kill limit. Capture the flag
and its variants provide an incentive to invade enemy territory, regardless of the risk, since scoring flags is more important than scoring frags
; conversely, this mode also encourages players to camp their own vulnerable flag to defend against the anticipated stream of attackers. However, even in such games, some players may choose to camp to give covering fire for other team members attempting to grab the flag and run back with it. It is comparable to turtling.
s when a player hides in a single location that serves as a tactical advantage over the opposing player(s) for long periods of time. The position chosen is normally secluded from casual view and maybe partially secured at least on one side by any object. The location is then used to ambush
or carry out sniper
attacks on opposing player(s). The period of time a camping player spends in the specific location may vary as the player reacts to game conditions. Some games will discourage camping by nagging players who remain stationary for a time to move on, or applying harsher penalties to alleged campers such as small amounts of periodic damage (which, if ignored, will eventually kill the player and force him to respawn elsewhere).
on the map. Although usually not expressly against the rules, spawn camping is frequently considered bad etiquette and some servers will officially enforce a no-spawn-camping rule. Exceptions may include pursuing a player who is carrying a critical objective into their own spawn for support, eg. during Capture the Flag.
Some games have spawn protection systems, giving newly spawned players invulnerability, or respawning them in an area considered "safe". Another mechanism employed in games is 'point spawning', in which a player is spawned near a teammate and not at a specific location. The Battlefield series uses such a scheme. This scheme is not without its disadvantages however because spawning next to a teammate who is in the middle of combat can be problematic.
Some objective-based games however, use fixed spawns defended by (e.g. automated turrets) to deter such an act.
and Battlefield, is called sniper camping, or simply sniping. A player or group of players each acquire a high-powered, long-range weapon with a scope such as a sniper rifle
. The camper(s) then proceed to a safe area to snipe. Depending on the spot, the camper will have view of a portion of the game field, as well as ample cover against opposing players.
Game balance can be preserved using a variety of methods specific to snipers.
Some use game mechanics:
or starting area) of one's own team in Capture the Flag
, Team Deathmatch and other types of games, a form of defensive "turtling". One would sit in one's team base and wait for the other team to come. Though hiding in one's own team base, especially if done by a large group, makes it easier to survive enemy attacks, it is sometimes criticized. The general acceptance of Base Camping mainly depends on the map, the kind of game played and the rules set by owners of the server. Games in which one team is to defend its base naturally encourage this tactic. In situations where both teams are simply supposed to kill each other, Base Camping is less well accepted. Sometimes Base Camping is also referred to as spawn camping, but this term usually implies camping at the opponent's spawn points. However, the rare occasion where the camper is compromised (e.g., a teammate or enemy takes their camping spot regardless of the camper noting otherwise previously) will throw the camper into killing him/herself willingly, possibly with the intention of killing and/or teamkilling the other player.
One situation in Last Man Standing types of games where camping is often used is when one team has a single player remaining while the other team has two or more players still alive. The single player will often camp for periods of play in a location that is easy to defend or has only one entry way, because this enhances their survivability when faced with superior opposition numbers. The other team will usually go into active hunting mode, expecting the single player to be hiding somewhere on the map. This type of camping is more accepted by gamers, because there is a valid reason for the outnumbered player to camp. By convention, when both teams are down to single players only, continued camping is frowned upon and both players are expected to come out and confront each other. To encourage this, some games such as the Battlefield (series) allow dead players to see the positions of remaining players on the map as well as allow dead players to speak. Thus when a team is down to a single player and the single player camps, team members may announce his location to the opposing team.
- disadvantaging their team. It can also cause conflicts between players on the same team. For example, if two players are waiting for a vehicle to spawn, one will miss out on at least the main 'driving seat', and may decide to team kill the vehicle or player with weapons to destroy and deny the other player the chance to use the vehicle, or to get rid of the player from the vehicle. An example of this is that jets and helicopter cockpits in Battlefield 2 are able to be penetrated by the 50 cal Sniper Rifle, and will cause a team kill if shot with them. This is a form of Griefing.
In non-team based games, item campers may camp with the intent of denying any other players access to the item, enabling them to use its unique properties to gain an advantage over other players. There is also a type of camping known as "body camping", whereby a player will try to hide themselves inside or behind a dead body, in the hope opponents will mistake them for part of the dead body. This is one form of camping that seems to be frowned upon by nearly every player, and is actually banned in the Call of Duty 2
ClanBase ladders. However, in many games a floating name tag above the player will reveal their real identity.
Another activity that goes by the same name, which is particularly common in Halo
is where the enemy team will hoard their vehicles and then drive them all in a rush into a chokepoint or the exterior of the enemy spawn and abandon the vehicles there. This is a good tactic in that if enough vehicles are utilised it is near impossible to break out until they are blasted away or are removed. In the meanwhile the other team will take advantage of this by using the vehicles as cover or manning mounted weapons to enhance the blocking effect and increase the time before the vehicle returns to its spawn point.
and Operation Flashpoint, camping is sometimes considered to be a part of the game itself. Some players also argue that camping is a premise of war - such as a sniper waiting for a target - and is thus essential in order to survive or defeat the opposite team. Spawn camping, however, is generally not regarded as acceptable in informal or public matches as it renders the game unplayable for some who do not take lightly being killed the instant they respawn; in Call of Duty 4, the game engine, in Team Death Match mode, respawns recently killed players far away from enemy players where possible, so there are no fixed spawn points to be camped on. This is in contrast with some tournament
play where it is viewed as part of the game—a consequence of the domination of the losing side. Camping certain locations also applies to games such as America's Army
and other tactical shooter
s where a critical objective or terrain must be guarded.
In round-based games such as Counter-Strike
or Call of Duty 2
there has been much debate on what is defending and what is camping. Some players argue that overlooking an area for more than 30 seconds is regarded as camping, while others claim that only the defending team are allowed to stay put as that is regarded as defending and not camping (see base camping, above).
Some class-based games encourage camping; for instance, in Team Fortress Classic
and Team Fortress 2
, the Engineer (who builds and tends automated, immobile sentry turrets) is suited to fighting from a fixed position. However, a second class, the Spy, has a weapon that exists solely to disable the engineer's buildings; other attacking players will still harass them (if only to clear out the defense they present); and both classes can be used for offensive purposes by canny players (who instead camp in enemy territory). Another class, the Pyro, uses a relatively short range flamethrower than can damage enemies over time with burn damage, and can stack damage due to the nature of the flame. Due to this, the Pyro is best suited as an ambush character, and is best used when hiding behind a corner or some cover where the enemy is likely to pass, flamethrower at the ready.
In Battlefield 2142
, camping is more acceptable, as a "Networked Battlefield" system exists that allows other players to "spot" enemies, highlighting their location on the minimap so that they can be flanked; it also features a range of portable and deployable sensors that likewise locate enemies.
In Unreal Tournament
there are several clans dedicated to camping. There are other rules in most (Team) Deathmatch-based games like no closekilling, no revenge and strict Camping behaviour (the last enforced by useful No-Run-Mods which subtract an amount of health from the runner).
and MUD
s, camping is commonly the practice where the camper stays in a location near where non-player character
s or monster
s spawn or otherwise enter the game world. In some games, these positions are easy to spot and once a player or group of players is capable of establishing their camp, they can gain more rewards with less risk to their player character
s. Generally, it is accepted that camping enemies is just the way some games are, and by convention this is respected. There is no official rule granting players exclusive rights to a camp.
As with valuable items in non-MMO games, often particularly significant monsters will be made "rare" via the game engine allowing a long period of time to pass between the monster being defeated by one group of players and it reappearing for another group to fight. Many players, rather than repeatedly returning to an area in the hope of meeting the monster, chose instead to wait in the monster's lair for it to respawn. Because of the long periods of time involved - frequently hours or days - this can give rise to absurd situations in which long queues of adventuring parties wait outside a monster's lair for the monster to respawn so they can kill it. Players can utilize the information gathered from various Internet sites to identify and wait around the areas of these spawns. Sometimes players sit on these camps for days, waiting for the monster or NPC of interest.
The MMORPG EverQuest
was the first game to truly make camping a common and widely accepted part of advancement in online RPGs. When first released, advancement through the game was painstakingly slow for most, requiring many hours of slaying NPCs to advance in level. As a result, players quickly realized that camping in one spot and having a single player, referred to as a "puller" because he or she would leave the group to "pull" a mob
back to the group, was the most efficient way to gain experience. In fact, the prevalence of camping became so strong in EverQuest that some of the game's playerbase and critics jokingly refer to the game as "EverCamp".
The practice of camping in MMORPGs is distasteful to many. While camping is still possible in this game, much more experience and rewards can be had by performing quests, allowing the player to focus on something other than what some consider to be the monotony of camping.
Critics of this system say that it is the long, drawn out camping sessions that have helped build such a strong community in games like EverQuest. With so much idle time, it is surmised that most players will strike up conversations with fellow group and guild members as a way to pass the time, a practice that helps develop bonds.
In some MMORPGs which have PVP (Player-versus-player) elements (such as Diablo II
and World of Warcraft
), "corpse camping" is used to refer to a practice by an enemy player character
(PC) kills another PC in player versus player
combat and then loiters in the area of the dead player's corpse. The mechanics for recovering one's body differ per game, but generally a PC must return to the area where he died to recover his body or face severe penalties. Those who corpse camp take advantage of these rules by waiting for the dead character to return to life, usually in a weakened state, and then killing him again when his defenses, mana
and hit points are not at full capacity.
Certain circumstances may occur in which combat takes place and a player is killed, while the opposing player has a legitimate reason for staying in the immediate area of combat, such as questing or other in game events. This is not considered to be corpse camping, and in most cases game designers have incorporated alternate avenues for players to retrieve their bodies such as resurrecting at a graveyard for a nominal fee.
The practice is generally frowned upon, and, with the exception of PvP (Player versus Player) servers which allow players from opposing factions to kill one another, is usually not allowed. Certain games, such as World of Warcraft
(WoW), seek to curb corpse camping by offering diminishing returns for killing the same character repeatedly. For example, WoW offers Honor Points, for a PvP kill of commensurate level, as a means to curb high level players from going into areas of lower level and killing low-level members of opposing factions, since such areas are usually far from the places where higher-level players would go to gain experience.
Another form of corpse camping is present in Starsiege: Tribes
, and possibly other online first-person shooters. A player will kill another player, then either place a mine or satchel charge
on the corpse, or take cover nearby. This sets up an ambush
when someone arrives to retrieve valuable items from the body or revive a teammate. This is seen as unfair on most servers.
In Eve Online
PVP fleets will often station themselves around the star gates which link the Eve universe together enabling some control over who may pass, in particular alliances use this technique to enforce controls on who can enter alliance Sovereign space. Eve provides a number of in game technologies to help enforce a blockade (warp jammers and bubbles) and to evade such blockades (cloaking devices and warp core stabilizers). Occasionally, hostile fleets may camp outposts and stations to keep an enemy bottled up, during the Goonswarm invasion of the Delve region the Goons scored a massive strategic victory by camping KenZoku (formerly known as BOB) fleet into a single station for an entire month. The battle to break the camp was one of the largest in Eve's history involving over 1000 players.
and turn-based strategy
games, where it is also referred to as turtling
. It is the opposite of a rush. Instead of attacking, players put most or all efforts into fortifying defensive and critical positions. Any attempt at attack against these positions is usually unsuccessful; any damage done to the defenses is often repaired or rebuilt before the other player can attack again. The obvious disadvantage is that turtling players often have no resources to invest in an effective offensive force, so they are not as mobile as rushers. As in first-person shooters, this is looked down upon as a rude practice due to the stalemate that often results, with neither side able to gain a victory over the other.
Many strategy games attempt to prevent such camping by forcing players to collect resources outside their starting position. Because campers, whose "economy" supports fortifications instead of armies, are usually unable to defend these areas, opposing players can cut off their funding and eventually win through sheer numbers and attrition. For instance, in Warhammer 40K-based game Dawn of War, all resources are taken from strategic and critical points located around the map, and turtling results in being massively outnumbered. (Relic Entertainment
have underscored this viewpoint by establishing a "Territory Control" victory condition, wherein a player wins if they control more-than-50% of all Control Points for a certain length of time.) Thus, turtling offers great short-term defensive advantage but cedes the initiative; it can be seen as a suicidal or desperation tactic, or a hallmark of an inexperienced player. There are also some units in turn-based strategy games that are capable of helping to spike
on the turtle's guards, such as the MB-5 Rabbit in Nectaris
and the Mech in Game Boy Wars 3 or most of the long-range artillery that is able to sweep fortified position either clear of enemies or weaken their defences before crucial assault.
Another common game mechanism to prevent camping is the existence of superweapons, powerful attacks which can be unleashed on any part of the map and cannot be defended against. This usually requires construction of a superweapon structure, which forces campers to seek out and destroy the structure. Many games also have artillery units which have longer range than defensive structures, forcing the camper to deal with the threat.
Turtling is not always futile though, especially in games with numerous opponents. A turtling player is unlikely to initiate attacks until mid to late game, normally focusing on advancing up the tech tree
and either a) having such powerful defenses as to render themselves essentially invulnerable, or b) having a force of top-level units to (finally) attack with. An aggressive player attacking a turtler uses resources and units that, in most cases, would be better used against a player who is more likely to retaliate and, as such, constitutes a larger threat. In a hostile environment like this, turtling can be a viable strategy; there is potential for unhampered research and limited growth while the other players battle amongst themselves, with the turtler eventually emerging to dominate the weakened opponents. However, as with any form of turtling, this strategy tends to be frowned upon. A good example of this strategy can be seen in THQ
's game Dawn of War, where Space marines
have powerful top-of-the-tech-tree superunits that are able to teleport in to the enemy base, and destroying the aggressive player's vital structures (with aggressive player likely having majority of the army located near defending player's base).
for Xbox Live Arcade.
In online play for Pro Evolution Soccer 6
, at the team selection screen, some players will highlight but not select a weak team to persuade their opponent to select a weak team as well. The player will not select the team, and instead wait for the timer to count down, and suddenly select one of the best teams at the last second. This strategy often results in the player gaining a large advantage against their unsuspecting opponent.
features many locations where users avatars may "camp" in order to earn "Linden dollars", the currency of the virtual world. Usually set up by other users, camping locations might involve the avatar doing an activity, or simply sitting and doing nothing; a certain number of Linden dollars (which vary from place to place) are paid out based upon how long an avatar camps.
In most games, camping is a legitimate style of play. It often proves frustrating, particularly to newer players, as it rewards those who invest a considerable amount of time in the game (which allows them to know the layout of the maps and the best defensive positions); as well as those with accurate aim. Among some players, camping is considered tantamount to cheating
Cheating
Cheating refers to the breaking of rules to gain advantage in a competitive situation. The rules infringed may be explicit, or they may be from an unwritten code of conduct based on morality, ethics or custom, making the identification of cheating a subjective process. Cheating can refer...
, especially in deathmatch
Deathmatch (gaming)
Deathmatch or Player vs All is a widely-used gameplay mode integrated into many shooter and real-time strategy computer games...
-type games. The most common reason for this is that if every player camps, there will be no opportunities for players to come into conflict, and thus there will be no game at all. In most deathmatch-type games that have both a time limit and a kill limit, Camping can be used to take advantage of the time limit rather than the kill limit. Capture the flag
Capture the flag
Capture the Flag is a traditional outdoor sport generally played by children, where two teams each have a flag and the objective is to capture the other team's flag, located at the team's "base," and bring it safely back to their own base...
and its variants provide an incentive to invade enemy territory, regardless of the risk, since scoring flags is more important than scoring frags
Frag (video gaming)
Frag is a computer and video game term originating from the word fragging, a term indicating to kill an unpopular superior officer with a fragmentation grenade. A frag is roughly equivalent to "kill", with the typical main difference that the player being "fragged" can instantly respawn in most...
; conversely, this mode also encourages players to camp their own vulnerable flag to defend against the anticipated stream of attackers. However, even in such games, some players may choose to camp to give covering fire for other team members attempting to grab the flag and run back with it. It is comparable to turtling.
Camping in first-person shooters
Camping is most common in first-person shooterFirst-person shooter
First-person shooter is a video game genre that centers the gameplay on gun and projectile weapon-based combat through first-person perspective; i.e., the player experiences the action through the eyes of a protagonist. Generally speaking, the first-person shooter shares common traits with other...
s when a player hides in a single location that serves as a tactical advantage over the opposing player(s) for long periods of time. The position chosen is normally secluded from casual view and maybe partially secured at least on one side by any object. The location is then used to ambush
Ambush
An ambush is a long-established military tactic, in which the aggressors take advantage of concealment and the element of surprise to attack an unsuspecting enemy from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind hilltops...
or carry out sniper
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
attacks on opposing player(s). The period of time a camping player spends in the specific location may vary as the player reacts to game conditions. Some games will discourage camping by nagging players who remain stationary for a time to move on, or applying harsher penalties to alleged campers such as small amounts of periodic damage (which, if ignored, will eventually kill the player and force him to respawn elsewhere).
Spawn camping
Spawn camping involves guarding the position an opposing player spawnsSpawning (computer gaming)
In video games, spawning is the live creation of a character or item. Respawning is the recreation of an entity after its death or destruction....
on the map. Although usually not expressly against the rules, spawn camping is frequently considered bad etiquette and some servers will officially enforce a no-spawn-camping rule. Exceptions may include pursuing a player who is carrying a critical objective into their own spawn for support, eg. during Capture the Flag.
Some games have spawn protection systems, giving newly spawned players invulnerability, or respawning them in an area considered "safe". Another mechanism employed in games is 'point spawning', in which a player is spawned near a teammate and not at a specific location. The Battlefield series uses such a scheme. This scheme is not without its disadvantages however because spawning next to a teammate who is in the middle of combat can be problematic.
Some objective-based games however, use fixed spawns defended by (e.g. automated turrets) to deter such an act.
Sniper
Another form of camping, typically found in large-scale deathmatch games with large open maps such as HaloHalo (series)
Halo is a multi-million dollar science fiction video game franchise created by Bungie and now managed by 343 Industries and owned by Microsoft Studios. The series centers on an interstellar war between humanity and a theocratic alliance of aliens known as the Covenant...
and Battlefield, is called sniper camping, or simply sniping. A player or group of players each acquire a high-powered, long-range weapon with a scope such as a sniper rifle
Sniper rifle
In military and law enforcement terminology, a sniper rifle is a precision-rifle used to ensure more accurate placement of bullets at longer ranges than other small arms. A typical sniper rifle is built for optimal levels of accuracy, fitted with a telescopic sight and chambered for a military...
. The camper(s) then proceed to a safe area to snipe. Depending on the spot, the camper will have view of a portion of the game field, as well as ample cover against opposing players.
Game balance can be preserved using a variety of methods specific to snipers.
- In the HaloHalo (series)Halo is a multi-million dollar science fiction video game franchise created by Bungie and now managed by 343 Industries and owned by Microsoft Studios. The series centers on an interstellar war between humanity and a theocratic alliance of aliens known as the Covenant...
series, a shot from the sniper rifle leaves a thick white contrailContrailContrails or vapour trails are artificial clouds that are the visible trails of condensed water vapour made by the exhaust of aircraft engines...
emanating from the Rifle's barrel that streaks its path through the air, making it easy to see where the shot came from. Alien equivalents are even worse, either having a brighter contrail or a bright continuous beam. - The Unreal Tournament 2003/2004 Lightning Rifle's high-voltage electric arc is clearly visible and possess a long reload time.
- The Unreal Tournament 2003/2004 Sniper Rifle emits a cloud of smoke with each shot, obscuring vision and revealing the sniper's position.
- In the Call of DutyCall of DutyCall of Duty is a first-person shooter video game developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision in 2003. It is the first game in a series with the same name. The game simulates the infantry and combined arms warfare of World War II. The game is based on the Quake III: Team Arena engine...
series, snipers must hold their breath to shoot accurately, and if done for too long, the aim shoots wildly for a couple of seconds. - In Team Fortress 2Team Fortress 2Team Fortress 2 is a free-to-play team-based first-person shooter multiplayer video game developed by Valve Corporation. A sequel to the original mod Team Fortress based on the Quake engine, it was first released as part of the video game compilation The Orange Box on October 10, 2007 for Windows...
, the sniper rifle must be allowed to "charge" by staying in the scope view for a few seconds before the shot does full damage. Additionally, when in scope view, a visible laser dot can be seen where the sniper is aiming. When a player is killed, a "kill cam" also shows the location of the killer. - Some games require snipers to leave the scope to cycle the bolt (thus losing the target, preventing the sniper from simply waiting in-scope to fire on his victim again if a kill is not attained). Semi-auto snipers are intentionally slightly underpowered compared to bolt-action and have firecap to compensate for this.
- In Battlefield 3Battlefield 3Battlefield 3 is a first-person shooter video game developed by EA Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts. The game was released in North America on October 25, 2011 and in Europe on October 28, 2011 for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and EA Mobile confirmed a port for...
, the sun glint from a sniper scope can show up when the sniper rifle is equipped and can be seen from anywhere on the map.
Some use game mechanics:
- In some first-person shooters, when a sniper is damaged they lose the zoom from the rifle.
- Some first-person shooters include a "killcam" that shows either the position of the camper or the kill from his/her perspective.
- Careful map design is often undertaken to ensure that sniping positions - and even the ammunition - are not too plentiful.
- In Call of Duty and other games, the players will have a mini-map of the field. When an opposing player fires, they will appear on the map as a small dot for several seconds, thus giving away a player's position. Players can sometimes use suppressors on their weapons to prevent this, although the suppressor will reduce the weapon's effective range.
- Games which offer destructible environments enable players to either flush camping snipers out of their position or to destroy their cover completely, exposing them to enemy fire.
Base
The term Base Camping refers to camping at the base (spawning areaSpawning (computer gaming)
In video games, spawning is the live creation of a character or item. Respawning is the recreation of an entity after its death or destruction....
or starting area) of one's own team in Capture the Flag
Capture the flag
Capture the Flag is a traditional outdoor sport generally played by children, where two teams each have a flag and the objective is to capture the other team's flag, located at the team's "base," and bring it safely back to their own base...
, Team Deathmatch and other types of games, a form of defensive "turtling". One would sit in one's team base and wait for the other team to come. Though hiding in one's own team base, especially if done by a large group, makes it easier to survive enemy attacks, it is sometimes criticized. The general acceptance of Base Camping mainly depends on the map, the kind of game played and the rules set by owners of the server. Games in which one team is to defend its base naturally encourage this tactic. In situations where both teams are simply supposed to kill each other, Base Camping is less well accepted. Sometimes Base Camping is also referred to as spawn camping, but this term usually implies camping at the opponent's spawn points. However, the rare occasion where the camper is compromised (e.g., a teammate or enemy takes their camping spot regardless of the camper noting otherwise previously) will throw the camper into killing him/herself willingly, possibly with the intention of killing and/or teamkilling the other player.
One situation in Last Man Standing types of games where camping is often used is when one team has a single player remaining while the other team has two or more players still alive. The single player will often camp for periods of play in a location that is easy to defend or has only one entry way, because this enhances their survivability when faced with superior opposition numbers. The other team will usually go into active hunting mode, expecting the single player to be hiding somewhere on the map. This type of camping is more accepted by gamers, because there is a valid reason for the outnumbered player to camp. By convention, when both teams are down to single players only, continued camping is frowned upon and both players are expected to come out and confront each other. To encourage this, some games such as the Battlefield (series) allow dead players to see the positions of remaining players on the map as well as allow dead players to speak. Thus when a team is down to a single player and the single player camps, team members may announce his location to the opposing team.
Miscellaneous
First-person shooters may experience other forms of camping, such as "vehicle camping", "armor camping", or "weapon camping". In many such games, the rarity of particularly valuable equipment (such as tanks, aircraft, or especially powerful guns) is enforced by the game engine imposing a time delay between the time which such an item is taken or used, and the time at which it reappears for other players to use. Campers wait at places where such an item is due to spawn in order to guarantee that they, rather than some other players, are the ones who get to make use of it. This causes a problem because, while they are waiting, they are not participating in the rest of the game, thus making it harder for other players to find conflicts or - in a team-based game such as Battlefield 1942Battlefield 1942
Battlefield 1942 is a 3D World War II first-person shooter computer game developed by Swedish company Digital Illusions CE and published by Electronic Arts for Microsoft Windows and Apple Macintosh . The game can be played in singleplayer mode against the computer game AI or in multiplayer mode...
- disadvantaging their team. It can also cause conflicts between players on the same team. For example, if two players are waiting for a vehicle to spawn, one will miss out on at least the main 'driving seat', and may decide to team kill the vehicle or player with weapons to destroy and deny the other player the chance to use the vehicle, or to get rid of the player from the vehicle. An example of this is that jets and helicopter cockpits in Battlefield 2 are able to be penetrated by the 50 cal Sniper Rifle, and will cause a team kill if shot with them. This is a form of Griefing.
In non-team based games, item campers may camp with the intent of denying any other players access to the item, enabling them to use its unique properties to gain an advantage over other players. There is also a type of camping known as "body camping", whereby a player will try to hide themselves inside or behind a dead body, in the hope opponents will mistake them for part of the dead body. This is one form of camping that seems to be frowned upon by nearly every player, and is actually banned in the Call of Duty 2
Call of Duty 2
Call of Duty 2 is a first-person shooter video game and the second installment in the critically acclaimed Call of Duty series. It was developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It was released on October 25, 2005 for Microsoft Windows and on November 22, 2005 as a launch game for the...
ClanBase ladders. However, in many games a floating name tag above the player will reveal their real identity.
Another activity that goes by the same name, which is particularly common in Halo
Halo (series)
Halo is a multi-million dollar science fiction video game franchise created by Bungie and now managed by 343 Industries and owned by Microsoft Studios. The series centers on an interstellar war between humanity and a theocratic alliance of aliens known as the Covenant...
is where the enemy team will hoard their vehicles and then drive them all in a rush into a chokepoint or the exterior of the enemy spawn and abandon the vehicles there. This is a good tactic in that if enough vehicles are utilised it is near impossible to break out until they are blasted away or are removed. In the meanwhile the other team will take advantage of this by using the vehicles as cover or manning mounted weapons to enhance the blocking effect and increase the time before the vehicle returns to its spawn point.
Acceptability
In some more realistic games, such as Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45
Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45 is a tactical first-person shooter computer game based on its predecessor Red Orchestra Mod. After winning the Make Something Unreal contest, the team behind the original Red Orchestra started the game studio Tripwire Interactive...
and Operation Flashpoint, camping is sometimes considered to be a part of the game itself. Some players also argue that camping is a premise of war - such as a sniper waiting for a target - and is thus essential in order to survive or defeat the opposite team. Spawn camping, however, is generally not regarded as acceptable in informal or public matches as it renders the game unplayable for some who do not take lightly being killed the instant they respawn; in Call of Duty 4, the game engine, in Team Death Match mode, respawns recently killed players far away from enemy players where possible, so there are no fixed spawn points to be camped on. This is in contrast with some tournament
Tournament
A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...
play where it is viewed as part of the game—a consequence of the domination of the losing side. Camping certain locations also applies to games such as America's Army
America's Army
America's Army is a series of video games and other media developed by the United States Army and released as a global public relations initiative to help with recruitment. America's Army was conceived by Colonel Casey Wardynski and is managed by the U.S...
and other tactical shooter
Tactical shooter
A tactical shooter is a subgenre of shooter game that includes both first-person shooters and third-person shooters. These games typically simulate realistic combat, thus making tactics and caution more important than quick reflexes in other action games...
s where a critical objective or terrain must be guarded.
In round-based games such as Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike
Counter-Strike is a tactical first-person shooter video game developed by Valve Corporation which originated from a Half-Life modification by Minh "Gooseman" Le and Jess "Cliffe" Cliffe...
or Call of Duty 2
Call of Duty 2
Call of Duty 2 is a first-person shooter video game and the second installment in the critically acclaimed Call of Duty series. It was developed by Infinity Ward and published by Activision. It was released on October 25, 2005 for Microsoft Windows and on November 22, 2005 as a launch game for the...
there has been much debate on what is defending and what is camping. Some players argue that overlooking an area for more than 30 seconds is regarded as camping, while others claim that only the defending team are allowed to stay put as that is regarded as defending and not camping (see base camping, above).
Some class-based games encourage camping; for instance, in Team Fortress Classic
Team Fortress Classic
Team Fortress Classic, also known as Team Fortress 1.5 or simply TFC, is a team-based multiplayer first-person shooter video game developed by Valve Corporation. It is a remake of the Team Fortress modification for Quake. Team Fortress Classic was originally released for Windows on April 7, 1999 as...
and Team Fortress 2
Team Fortress 2
Team Fortress 2 is a free-to-play team-based first-person shooter multiplayer video game developed by Valve Corporation. A sequel to the original mod Team Fortress based on the Quake engine, it was first released as part of the video game compilation The Orange Box on October 10, 2007 for Windows...
, the Engineer (who builds and tends automated, immobile sentry turrets) is suited to fighting from a fixed position. However, a second class, the Spy, has a weapon that exists solely to disable the engineer's buildings; other attacking players will still harass them (if only to clear out the defense they present); and both classes can be used for offensive purposes by canny players (who instead camp in enemy territory). Another class, the Pyro, uses a relatively short range flamethrower than can damage enemies over time with burn damage, and can stack damage due to the nature of the flame. Due to this, the Pyro is best suited as an ambush character, and is best used when hiding behind a corner or some cover where the enemy is likely to pass, flamethrower at the ready.
In Battlefield 2142
Battlefield 2142
Battlefield 2142 is a first-person shooter video game developed by Digital Illusions CE and produced by Electronic Arts . It is the fourth game in the Battlefield series...
, camping is more acceptable, as a "Networked Battlefield" system exists that allows other players to "spot" enemies, highlighting their location on the minimap so that they can be flanked; it also features a range of portable and deployable sensors that likewise locate enemies.
In Unreal Tournament
Unreal Tournament
Unreal Tournament is a futuristic first-person shooter video game co-developed by Epic Games and Digital Extremes. It was published in 1999 by GT Interactive. Retrospectively, the game has also been referred to as UT99 or UT Classic to differentiate it from its numbered sequels...
there are several clans dedicated to camping. There are other rules in most (Team) Deathmatch-based games like no closekilling, no revenge and strict Camping behaviour (the last enforced by useful No-Run-Mods which subtract an amount of health from the runner).
Online role-playing games
In massively multiplayer online role-playing gamesMMORPG
Massively multiplayer online role-playing game is a genre of role-playing video games in which a very large number of players interact with one another within a virtual game world....
and MUD
MUD
A MUD , pronounced , is a multiplayer real-time virtual world, with the term usually referring to text-based instances of these. MUDs combine elements of role-playing games, hack and slash, player versus player, interactive fiction, and online chat...
s, camping is commonly the practice where the camper stays in a location near where non-player character
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
s or monster
Monster
A monster is any fictional creature, usually found in legends or horror fiction, that is somewhat hideous and may produce physical harm or mental fear by either its appearance or its actions...
s spawn or otherwise enter the game world. In some games, these positions are easy to spot and once a player or group of players is capable of establishing their camp, they can gain more rewards with less risk to their player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
s. Generally, it is accepted that camping enemies is just the way some games are, and by convention this is respected. There is no official rule granting players exclusive rights to a camp.
As with valuable items in non-MMO games, often particularly significant monsters will be made "rare" via the game engine allowing a long period of time to pass between the monster being defeated by one group of players and it reappearing for another group to fight. Many players, rather than repeatedly returning to an area in the hope of meeting the monster, chose instead to wait in the monster's lair for it to respawn. Because of the long periods of time involved - frequently hours or days - this can give rise to absurd situations in which long queues of adventuring parties wait outside a monster's lair for the monster to respawn so they can kill it. Players can utilize the information gathered from various Internet sites to identify and wait around the areas of these spawns. Sometimes players sit on these camps for days, waiting for the monster or NPC of interest.
The MMORPG EverQuest
EverQuest
EverQuest, often shortened to EQ, is a 3D fantasy-themed massively multiplayer online role-playing game that was released on the 16th of March, 1999. The original design is credited to Brad McQuaid, Steve Clover, and Bill Trost...
was the first game to truly make camping a common and widely accepted part of advancement in online RPGs. When first released, advancement through the game was painstakingly slow for most, requiring many hours of slaying NPCs to advance in level. As a result, players quickly realized that camping in one spot and having a single player, referred to as a "puller" because he or she would leave the group to "pull" a mob
Mob (computer gaming)
A mob, mobile or monster is a computer-controlled non-player character in a computer game such as an MMORPG or MUD. Depending on context, all such characters in a game may be considered "mobs", or usage may be limited to hostile NPCs and/or NPCs vulnerable to attack.-Purpose of mobs:Defeating...
back to the group, was the most efficient way to gain experience. In fact, the prevalence of camping became so strong in EverQuest that some of the game's playerbase and critics jokingly refer to the game as "EverCamp".
The practice of camping in MMORPGs is distasteful to many. While camping is still possible in this game, much more experience and rewards can be had by performing quests, allowing the player to focus on something other than what some consider to be the monotony of camping.
Critics of this system say that it is the long, drawn out camping sessions that have helped build such a strong community in games like EverQuest. With so much idle time, it is surmised that most players will strike up conversations with fellow group and guild members as a way to pass the time, a practice that helps develop bonds.
In some MMORPGs which have PVP (Player-versus-player) elements (such as Diablo II
Diablo II
Diablo II is a dark fantasy/horror-themed hack and slash, with elements of the role playing game and dungeon crawl genres. It was released for Windows and Mac OS in 2000 by Blizzard Entertainment, and was developed by Blizzard North. It is a direct sequel to the 1996 hit PC game, Diablo.Diablo II...
and World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
), "corpse camping" is used to refer to a practice by an enemy player character
Player character
A player character or playable character is a character in a video game or role playing game who is controlled or controllable by a player, and is typically a protagonist of the story told in the course of the game. A player character is a persona of the player who controls it. Player characters...
(PC) kills another PC in player versus player
Player versus player
Player versus player, or PvP, is a type of multiplayer interactive conflict within a game between two or more live participants. This is in contrast to games where players compete against computer controlled opponents, which is correspondingly referred to as player versus environment...
combat and then loiters in the area of the dead player's corpse. The mechanics for recovering one's body differ per game, but generally a PC must return to the area where he died to recover his body or face severe penalties. Those who corpse camp take advantage of these rules by waiting for the dead character to return to life, usually in a weakened state, and then killing him again when his defenses, mana
Mana
Mana is an indigenous Pacific islander concept of an impersonal force or quality that resides in people, animals, and inanimate objects. The word is a cognate in many Oceanic languages, including Melanesian, Polynesian, and Micronesian....
and hit points are not at full capacity.
Certain circumstances may occur in which combat takes place and a player is killed, while the opposing player has a legitimate reason for staying in the immediate area of combat, such as questing or other in game events. This is not considered to be corpse camping, and in most cases game designers have incorporated alternate avenues for players to retrieve their bodies such as resurrecting at a graveyard for a nominal fee.
The practice is generally frowned upon, and, with the exception of PvP (Player versus Player) servers which allow players from opposing factions to kill one another, is usually not allowed. Certain games, such as World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game by Blizzard Entertainment. It is the fourth released game set in the fantasy Warcraft universe, which was first introduced by Warcraft: Orcs & Humans in 1994...
(WoW), seek to curb corpse camping by offering diminishing returns for killing the same character repeatedly. For example, WoW offers Honor Points, for a PvP kill of commensurate level, as a means to curb high level players from going into areas of lower level and killing low-level members of opposing factions, since such areas are usually far from the places where higher-level players would go to gain experience.
Another form of corpse camping is present in Starsiege: Tribes
Starsiege: Tribes
Starsiege: Tribes is a sci-fi first-person shooter video game. It is the first of the Tribes video game series and follows the story from Earthsiege and Starsiege. It was developed by Dynamix and published by the company now known as Sierra Entertainment in 1998.-History:A sequel, Tribes 2, was...
, and possibly other online first-person shooters. A player will kill another player, then either place a mine or satchel charge
Satchel charge
thumb|right|250px|Weapons used in [[Winter War]]. The original Finnish satchel charge at left.A satchel charge is a demolition device, primarily intended for combat, whose primary components are a charge of dynamite or a more potent explosive such as C-4 plastic explosive, a carrying device...
on the corpse, or take cover nearby. This sets up an ambush
Ambush
An ambush is a long-established military tactic, in which the aggressors take advantage of concealment and the element of surprise to attack an unsuspecting enemy from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind hilltops...
when someone arrives to retrieve valuable items from the body or revive a teammate. This is seen as unfair on most servers.
In Eve Online
EVE Online
Eve Online is a video game by CCP Games. It is a player-driven, persistent-world MMORPG set in a science fiction space setting. Characters pilot customizable ships through a galaxy of over 7,500 star systems. Most star systems are connected to one or more other star systems by means of stargates...
PVP fleets will often station themselves around the star gates which link the Eve universe together enabling some control over who may pass, in particular alliances use this technique to enforce controls on who can enter alliance Sovereign space. Eve provides a number of in game technologies to help enforce a blockade (warp jammers and bubbles) and to evade such blockades (cloaking devices and warp core stabilizers). Occasionally, hostile fleets may camp outposts and stations to keep an enemy bottled up, during the Goonswarm invasion of the Delve region the Goons scored a massive strategic victory by camping KenZoku (formerly known as BOB) fleet into a single station for an entire month. The battle to break the camp was one of the largest in Eve's history involving over 1000 players.
Strategy games
Camping can also be applied to real-timeReal-time strategy
Real-time strategy is a sub-genre of strategy video game which does not progress incrementally in turns. Brett Sperry is credited with coining the term to market Dune II....
and turn-based strategy
Turn-based strategy
A turn-based strategy game is a strategy game where players take turns when playing...
games, where it is also referred to as turtling
Turtle (game term)
Turtling is a gameplay strategy that emphasizes heavy defense. Ostensibly, turtling minimizes risk to the turtling player while baiting opponents to take risks in trying to overcome the defenses. In practice, however, games are often designed to punish turtling through various game mechanics...
. It is the opposite of a rush. Instead of attacking, players put most or all efforts into fortifying defensive and critical positions. Any attempt at attack against these positions is usually unsuccessful; any damage done to the defenses is often repaired or rebuilt before the other player can attack again. The obvious disadvantage is that turtling players often have no resources to invest in an effective offensive force, so they are not as mobile as rushers. As in first-person shooters, this is looked down upon as a rude practice due to the stalemate that often results, with neither side able to gain a victory over the other.
Many strategy games attempt to prevent such camping by forcing players to collect resources outside their starting position. Because campers, whose "economy" supports fortifications instead of armies, are usually unable to defend these areas, opposing players can cut off their funding and eventually win through sheer numbers and attrition. For instance, in Warhammer 40K-based game Dawn of War, all resources are taken from strategic and critical points located around the map, and turtling results in being massively outnumbered. (Relic Entertainment
Relic Entertainment
Relic Entertainment is a Canadian game development company that specializes in 3D real-time strategy games and has released a number of unique PC games. Relic specializes in creative, visually appealing, and combat intense RTS games.-History:...
have underscored this viewpoint by establishing a "Territory Control" victory condition, wherein a player wins if they control more-than-50% of all Control Points for a certain length of time.) Thus, turtling offers great short-term defensive advantage but cedes the initiative; it can be seen as a suicidal or desperation tactic, or a hallmark of an inexperienced player. There are also some units in turn-based strategy games that are capable of helping to spike
Spike (computer gaming)
In online video games , the term spike is generally used to describe a tactic in which a player or group of players deals a large amount of damage to a target simultaneously. This term is derived from "damage spike", which is an abrupt, sharp increase in damage.The goal is to overwhelm the...
on the turtle's guards, such as the MB-5 Rabbit in Nectaris
Nectaris
Nectaris, occasionally released as Military Madness, is a series of sci-fi-themed, hex map turn-based strategy games for a variety of systems...
and the Mech in Game Boy Wars 3 or most of the long-range artillery that is able to sweep fortified position either clear of enemies or weaken their defences before crucial assault.
Another common game mechanism to prevent camping is the existence of superweapons, powerful attacks which can be unleashed on any part of the map and cannot be defended against. This usually requires construction of a superweapon structure, which forces campers to seek out and destroy the structure. Many games also have artillery units which have longer range than defensive structures, forcing the camper to deal with the threat.
Turtling is not always futile though, especially in games with numerous opponents. A turtling player is unlikely to initiate attacks until mid to late game, normally focusing on advancing up the tech tree
Tech tree
In strategy computer games, the technology tree or tech tree is a hierarchical visual representation of the possible sequences of upgrades a player can take, by means of research. The diagram is tree-shaped in the sense that it branches at certain intervals, allowing the player to choose one...
and either a) having such powerful defenses as to render themselves essentially invulnerable, or b) having a force of top-level units to (finally) attack with. An aggressive player attacking a turtler uses resources and units that, in most cases, would be better used against a player who is more likely to retaliate and, as such, constitutes a larger threat. In a hostile environment like this, turtling can be a viable strategy; there is potential for unhampered research and limited growth while the other players battle amongst themselves, with the turtler eventually emerging to dominate the weakened opponents. However, as with any form of turtling, this strategy tends to be frowned upon. A good example of this strategy can be seen in THQ
THQ
THQ Inc. is an American developer and publisher of video games. Founded in 1989 in the United States, the company develops products for video game consoles, handheld game systems, as well as for personal computers and wireless devices...
's game Dawn of War, where Space marines
Space Marines
Space Marines is a science fiction miniatures wargame created by A. Mark Ratner. There were two editions. The first was published by FanTac Games and the second by Fantasy Games Unlimited . Both versions include artwork by David C. Sutherland III.The FanTac version of the game included conversion...
have powerful top-of-the-tech-tree superunits that are able to teleport in to the enemy base, and destroying the aggressive player's vital structures (with aggressive player likely having majority of the army located near defending player's base).
Waiting screen
This type of camping is frequent in ranked games which require all players to be at the same time on certain screen (character selection, weapon selection, etc.). In games where a time limit in such screens is not included, campers can take advantage of the situation and stop playing, leaving their opponents also waiting with no other choice than to wait indefinitely or quit from the game, the last option resulting in an absolute win for the camper. An example of such camping takes place frequently in the character selection of Street Fighter IIStreet Fighter II
is a competitive fighting game originally released for the arcades in . It is the arcade sequel to the original Street Fighter released in and was Capcom's fourteenth title that ran on the CP System arcade hardware...
for Xbox Live Arcade.
In online play for Pro Evolution Soccer 6
Pro Evolution Soccer 6
Pro Evolution Soccer 6 is one of Konami's highly successful Pro Evolution Soccer franchise...
, at the team selection screen, some players will highlight but not select a weak team to persuade their opponent to select a weak team as well. The player will not select the team, and instead wait for the timer to count down, and suddenly select one of the best teams at the last second. This strategy often results in the player gaining a large advantage against their unsuspecting opponent.
Virtual worlds
The virtual world simulator Second LifeSecond Life
Second Life is an online virtual world developed by Linden Lab. It was launched on June 23, 2003. A number of free client programs, or Viewers, enable Second Life users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars...
features many locations where users avatars may "camp" in order to earn "Linden dollars", the currency of the virtual world. Usually set up by other users, camping locations might involve the avatar doing an activity, or simply sitting and doing nothing; a certain number of Linden dollars (which vary from place to place) are paid out based upon how long an avatar camps.