Darth Wong wrote:As I said, it depends on the game engine, level design, etc. Ideally, camping won't be so effective that it becomes a serious problem. But when a game which was intended for fairly kinetic play starts getting bogged down by excessive camping, there's nothing wrong with kicking the campers.
I'd generally agree that camping becomes a problem when it affects the intended gameplay, which is a bit related to the lack of variety in these areas; a strategic FPS map meant for sneaking, sniping, and out-smarting would probably have a handful of various sniping weapons, anti-camping features and tools, and dozens of good camping/sniping spots that still provide cover and work-arounds to stop the camper. A map meant for head-on, brutal fights might only have one good sniping weapon, one or two thinsg that can 'sorta' be used aganst campers, and maybe two or three spots to camp that are usually exploitive. The first game's camping has variety and balance. The Second game's camping is a repetivie exploit of hiding spots and certain weapons.
That being said, I should also mention that I consider there to be a difference between camping for 'sniping/ambushing' and camping for 'hiding'. I still think that as long as it's not some 'perfect littl hole in the wall' type of exploit, and they're actually being sucessfull without being unbalanced, I don't have a problem with it.
If you're crouching on the right side of a box against a wall of a main hallway that runs left to right, and in a typical game people run by from left to right every 10-40 seconds, you're busy getting kills from people who don't bother turning to check a spot in a major area. If you were sitting on top of a ledge on the far end of a hall, you'd be getting kills from people who don't bother to look up as they go by. This is basically sniping and ambushing, and you should be aware that people are waiting behing/above places like this just as much as you should watch your back so people don't sneak up on you.
On the other hand, if you're hiding behind a box in a tinly little room, and nobody has come by in the last minute or so, you've got no reason to be there except to
hide. Unless someone's going to run into your little spot (at least quicker than you'd find them by runnig around), or both that and you're the last guy on your team and have to lie in wait, then you are just hiding from enemies and you're not being productive. Find a more effective and active spot or get moving.
Of course, it really sucks when everyone is camping, especially when it's down to the last two guys and they're hoping the other will stumble past their view.

But like Mike said, that's what admins are for. The good CS servers I've been on will tell the last two people to both get moving if they're both just lying in wait. Or they'll kick someone who simply keeps hiding uand waiting untill their team kills all but the last enemy to come out.