From level 25 to level 200, the most efficient way to level(without ripping your hair out) is with slaves. You don't have to be any class to use slaves well.

This is not a shopping list: this is a "guide man" to help advise you through sniper. Some tactics may not work on some AI. I'm not responsible for your actions.

At level 200, you just picked sniper from Lyceum. What to do now? As a sniper, your focus is to outrange your target and provide plenty of firepower, all the while being about to stop firing and slip back into the darkness. This is completely different from seer as you are far away.

So, Stats to look for: Range, Damage, Shields, Elect, Tracking, Firing Rate.

Range: You won't be getting much range from your class skills, so look for longer range weapons with decent damage.
Damage: An obvious stat. Many AI have Resists or Regeneration you must fight through. Lots of damage will help dearly.
Shields: You aren't mister super tank. You'll need some shields to survive getting shot because of your level.
Elect: Nothing is more frustrating than running out of power when the target is almost dead. Also, most energies at the lower techs have poor elect or are higher vis.
Tracking: Not absolutely needed, but helps a lot when unable to face the target the way you want to.
Firing Rate: Sniper skills lower your firing rate, which bites into your damage per second, and making it harder to kill enemies(though at the same time making you use less elect).


Ship: Sniper is a class under Combat Focus, which is dedicated to Heavy Fighters. It is suggested you use a Heavy Fighter, since you'll rely on the Focus bonus of +3% Shields, +1% Damage, and -1% Space used by items per level for Heavy Fighters.

Sniper ships tend to have three to five weapon slots and are generally low vis. Anything over 30 Vis is pretty high vis for a Heavy Fighter, and would probably make your life hell when escaping to safety.

Suggested Ships of the Tech 10 area for Snipers:
Absolution
Ragnarock
Space Blue Beta


Shields: For PvAI, or Player versus AI/NPC ships, a low vis shield is a must. Bank isn't as much needed, but you should strive for a decent amount of bank anyways. Regeneration, however, is key. You'll need a medium amount of regen to survive for longer periods away from a healer or safe zone. The Deimos/Lunar Blockade and Pearly/Heavenly gate series are extremely useful.

If you can get more bank for roughly the same regen, do it. You'll survive longer.


Energy: Low Vis is good, but most if not all low vis energies at your level probably won't power your weapons, which is key for a budding new sniper. Your cloak will prevent you from being seen as much.


Radar: Always need to have a radar, hook up with a passive radar for best results.

Cloaks: Fit a decent cloak. Look for the better detection and visibility cloaking, all the while still being able to fit and power it.

You've said yourself that in its current version, Sniper is better played visibly. I know you don't like it that way, but maybe include a bit on how a visible Sniper should level?

I haven't made a visible sniper for this level range. Need to remake cash. Spent 10b on my stealth sniper, a bit excessive imo.

But, for a level 225, the sniper is decent. I fought a SD that put a decent amount into his setup. He couldn't kill me, and I couldn't kill him. However, he was level 400 running a T19 ship. I used a T16 ship.

AI have insane radars, forget stealth. Run a setup on electrical tempering and damage, and forget about range augs, that is what the Sniper skill is about. Get EE17/18 as soon as you can, and then roam W2/W3 for lone AI, and pew pew them.

Or OBA into MF Rs and sodomize em from a distance.

If you think differently, then make up your own guides. Otherwise, fuck off.

There is a different between making a statement, and thinking differently. He is right, in any case.

Another thing, catapults can be extremely useful for killing AI with, since they have really good range and DPE initially. once you get a catapult, you can use it to kite higher level AI, even ones that go faster than you, using the knockback to boost yourself to higher speeds.

At lower levels, stealth sniper should NOT stay still. Pretty much no matter what. Just dont do it, or you're going to end up dead XD

My guide; make up your own. While I did find Catapult type weapons superb for elect issues, they took a backseat to my other weapons at the 700 mark, which really isn't what this guide is about.

This guide for getting them on the right track after they choose sniper at level 200. Tested catapults on all the AI that a new sniper would fight for leveling. It fucking sucks. The balance sheet really fucked catapults up. They're backup weapons, that are either way bigger than your primary weapons, or do so pathetic damage that they're really not worth using.

I'm getting way more life out of my Urqa'ka than my Constable Catapult on my level 250. I won't took Catapults until the test server changes are done, thats how bad they are. Used a Dps, medium range setup, and a Dph, high range setup. Both sucked with it. Was not funny. A seer that was leveling with me laughed at the dps and dph that came off the catapult.

Great guide, thanks!

I leveled on rosies at a very nice pace with my catapult, and that was before the sniper beef. I'd think that catapults would be even more powerful now, not to mention extremely powerable. Your guide, though.