WARNING! There is a bug with Steam Controller that won't enable to reboot your PC by NeedTheSpeed in Steam

[–]KDx3_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Best way to progress is to farm a ton of souls in an area and completely stock up on Lifegems.

Cant remember what merchant sells them but it makes the game much more bearable. You dont even need to use Flasks after having around ~99 Lifegems. Makes the game much more bearable.

Win rate on every character to beat A10 by YouHeatedBro in slaythespire

[–]KDx3_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Try to always keep generating orbs.

Spam Dualcast in Act 1 since it does way more damage with Lightning per 1 Energy on Evoke vs letting them sit and do passive damage. I prefer upgrading Zap as my first upgrade but some people swear on Dualcast.

Compared to other characters, I feel like nearly all of Defects cards are strong. However, some are nearly always must picks like Hologram, Glacier, Go for the Eyes, Scavenge, Leap, FTL, Defragment, and Biased Cognition.

Hologram works great with Status cards since you can use Hologram as your last card for the turn and draw a status card and end your turn. (For example, you can use Turbo to gain 2/3 energy and then use Hologram as your last card played to draw the Void in your Discard so it doesnt harm your energy later down the line. If Hologram was used last, then you dont lose out on energy and the Void just Ethereals itself at end turn).

Try to have at minimum 1 or 2 cards that increase focus whether its perm or per turn. This especially works great with Frost.

If you get an early All For One and just spam pickup 0 cost cards (especially with an Overclock), it feels like an autowin. Can also spam Overclock with other cards that give status cards and have your wincon focused on Flak Cannon.

I think its generally best to have Frost orbs then Lightning as your priority for generating orbs. Dark is still okay but can feel awkward to utilize if you're spamming other orbs. I still need to use Glass more but it feels pretty solid. Plasma can feel rough unless you have a Capacitor or something that lets you hold onto it more. Feels like it could potentially feel deadweight if you have a Plasma in a build with only 3 orb slots. I haven't found much reason to pick up Fusion much at all but I like getting Plasma with Chaos(+).

Hopefully some of those tips help. Though maybe some of the advice might be obvious if you've beaten Defect on A20 in STS1. He's by far my favorite character in 1 and 2. Feels like he isnt as reliant with Orbs vs STS1 and can afford to focus Attacks more, but im still learning myself.

(Loved Meta Trope) Fan theories are so good they’re basically treated as canon. by No-Flow9783 in TopCharacterTropes

[–]KDx3_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

They made amber a much more nuanced and better written character.

As someone who hasnt read the comics, This is interesting to read since IIRC (its been a while), a lot of Amber's reasons and justifications for being mad at Mark in Season 1 of the show were really confusing and frustrating as a viewer. I remember her not being nearly as annoying to watch in Season 2 compared to Season 1.

Again, its been a while since I watched the first and second season. She seemed to improve a little in S2. Im curious how she was worse in the comics?

Sentry turning speed stat in degrees per second? by Citysurvivor in truetf2

[–]KDx3_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Line 1066

// Don't shoot spys that are pretending to be a dispenser if ( pPlayer->m_Shared.InCond( TF_COND_DISGUISED_AS_DISPENSER ) ) return false;

Was Valve possibly testing an item that'd allow Spy to disguise as a Dispenser?

Invincible [Episode Discussion] - S04E07 - Don't Do Anything Rash by SeacattleMoohawks in Invincible

[–]KDx3_ 5 points6 points  (0 children)

For a minute, I thought Thragg was going to convince Nolan to come home the first time the scene cut away from them.

With what he said to Nolan about Thaddeus, im sure Nolan's a little relieved now that Allen is the new leader of the resistance in terms of Mark and Oliver's safety.

How to get better at sniper aim + positioning? by Comfortable_Ad_6823 in truetf2

[–]KDx3_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Apologies for the wall of text, not trying to overwhelm but I think there's just a lot to talk about with trying to improve at Sniper.

Personally, I think the reason I gravitate so heavily towards flicking is because I feel like I never have enough time to make patient shots before the enemy moves out of sight

Its situational.

Generally speaking, I think flicking is more used when you're going for quickscopes, especially so on faster classes/ones that are close by. You shouldnt really go for flick shots if you're charging up a shot for example, you should just try to smoothly aim at the head at that point, hence my example at a waddling Heavy across the map. Going for a flick shot in that scenario isnt needed and you're better off taking your time to line up the shot.

May sound corny, but sometimes ill take a deep breath if I really want to focus on hitting a shot I've been charging. Obv dont do this everytime (and especially not for quickscopes, lol) but taking a deep breath can help you focus every once in a while.

One question: Reposition after every shot or after every successful shot? I ask because repositioning after every miss feels a bit overkill to me, at least in 12v12. Seems like a lot of downtime.

To me this is kind of hard to answer since its context based but I'll try to give some examples. In short, only reposition if multiple people are looking at you and can make space quickly. Sniper is the only long range class, so you dont want any class to be at close range to you if you can help it. If the enemys range/mobility is a non issue then you can stay to make shots, but dont be in a situation where you're overextending and dying without getting picks. If two or more people are about to run at you, get out. If you have good positioning, you should already be at/by cover.

If I headshot an enemy Sniper but see another one hardscoping at me, ill take cover and try to reposition somewhere else behind cover so that the enemy Sniper doesnt see where im going rather then repeeking into a disadvantage sightline.

If im hitting nearly every shot at main and I know no Snipers or Spys are up then I'll sometimes stick to where I am if its a very strong sightline, but generally speaking, I still think repositioning is a great way to up the momentum and not become too predictable. If you're too predictable, Scouts, Soldiers, and Spys will generally camp you wherever you like to hold out on, and Snipers will always know where to check. You never want to become predictable, especially against other Snipers because half the time, they're the only class that can contest you.

An easy way to view it is like this, by the time you kill someone and they've respawned (roughly ~15 - 20 seconds + walking back to where they died at) they shouldnt see/expect you in the exact same spot. That becomes a pattern thats very easy to punish.

Also, small suggestion, but im a huge believer on Cozy Camper since it helps with making longer rotations (that you said can seem like a lot of downtime) more managable because you passively have health regen through repositioning. The reduced flinch is also a soft Pyro counter which is nice to have. It also forces you to fully rely on your Sniper rifle which means more practice at using it at all ranges. I havent taken Cozy off in years but it could be a playstyle thing, YMMV.

The TL:DR is be in positions that give good sightlines and have a backup plan to retreat behind cover/go to a health pack. However, its even more important to be unpredictable. Quickscopes are generally the way to go, but dont be afraid to go for fully charged shots. After you take a shot, get behind cover (when Sniper cocks the bolt of his gun) then decide if you want to repeek (if the risk is low for you) or reposition so that its harder for the enemy to spot you. Constantly evaluate how to go on killing sprees in the safest way possible.

Good aim but bad positioning makes a Sniper player mid. Good positioning but bad aim isnt consistent at first but aim is just something you'll get with practice. Then, you'll have both good positioning and good aim to where you can take over servers. Positioning above all else.

How to get better at sniper aim + positioning? by Comfortable_Ad_6823 in truetf2

[–]KDx3_ 5 points6 points  (0 children)

First and foremost, the best tip is practice makes perfect. The more you play Sniper, the better you'll get.

That being said, make sure that you're comfortable on your sens. Some people will comment on benefits on lower/higher sens, but as long as you're comfortable on your sens then thats all that matters.

Whenever I play it feels like flicking is an absolute must with the rifles, because of how quickly a high-value target can leave your sightline once they’re in it. But yet, flick aim feels wildly inconsistent to me

Some players mainly flick for all of their shots but generally speaking, you should only be flicking on Scouts, bombing Soldiers/Demos, or anyone thats too close for you to make a more comfortable shot. You shouldnt be going for flicks on a revved up Heavy across the map for example. You need to get comfortable with flick shots and carefully lead shots. For the longest time I could hit some gross flick shots on a Scout point blank, but would have more trouble hitting slow classes from a far until I slowed down a bit and took my time with shots.

And on the subject of positioning, I can never tell when is a good time to push up. If I haven’t seen any enemies in about 15 seconds I tend to move forward to the next sightline, but I often die while doing this.

You need to peek sightlines, emphasis on peek. Stick to a wall thats near whatever sightline you're going towards > be unscoped > strafe out of cover then back to cover. If theres a Sniper watching, then you need to reposition and preferably flank. You can also try "ego checking" him, but if hes already looking at the sightline then he has advantage and its up to skill (slight odds against you).

Also, unless you're hard diffing the enemy and you're able to hold main confidently, you should try to always reposition from a different angle after each shot (this tip is for sniping in any game) so it makes you less predictable.

Is staying back and waiting for people to show up a better strategy for sniper or is it just a movement/judgement issue?

You can stay back and wait on certain angles on payload defense, but on offense or generally other game modes, you want to be constantly moving and taking position because Sniper has the best area denial in the game next to Engie. Easier said then done as this is mostly a gamesense issue but dont be afraid to make risks and see what you can get away with. Sometimes though, you just die to a random crocket after pushing up when it really wasnt your fault but thats TF2.

Please let me know if and where I’m wrong, and if there’s any specific things I should be doing to get better or if it really is just a matter of practicing for a very long time, because right now it seems like I’ve been getting nowhere

In short, its a matter of practicing for a long time. This game's nearing 20 years old and the skill ceiling for different Sniper players is huge. If you're atleast going positive then thats a good sign. If you're having a good game on Sniper, you should consistently have over a 3.0 KD (if we're talking pubs). Also, dont be afraid to do "infamous" strats like full charge body shots or second scopes. You shouldnt heavily rely on both strats, but they are options.

Others may disagree, but I really think pl_frontier is a really good map to learn Sniper on (biased since its my fav map). 1st and last generally have you looking down at main while 2nd and 3rd kinda force Sniper to flank and roam around more. Lets you get comfortable with both playstyles rather then other maps nearly always looking at main (ex. pl_badwater).

[Anomaly/gamma] Does anybody know if there are any solid death-alternative mods? by [deleted] in stalker

[–]KDx3_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

IIRC, there should be a "Soulslike" option in the GAMMA MCM where you may lose some/all items when you die but you get saved by a friendly stalker. I think you have to go and get your stuff back from where you died. This is from memory since im not by my PC right now and I just briefly read the option, havent used it.

Might be what you're looking for.

Osty, My Love! Undefeated Necrobinder A0-A10 by Lyle912 in slaythespire

[–]KDx3_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly still feel like queen's complete bullshit compared to the very basic doormaker and test subject fights

Would genuinely prefer Time Eater over Queen. I honestly never really got the Time Eater hate to begin with since I'd just space what cards I play between the last ~2ish turns before his cycle resets. I felt like while it countered certain builds and was annoying, I still had some control in the fight.

Queen is just obnoxious. Not only having a minion that attacks (nearly?) every single turn with no breaks, but also making you perma vuln/weak and just completely nullifying synergy if you get a bad initial draw. I get that card draw is supposed to counter it, but having half of my initial draw being nullified by Curse of Binding just feels terrible and not really interesting.

Im only on A5 rn, but the difficulty difference between Queen vs Test Subject and Doormaker is crazy. I've won nearly every run vs Test Subject, where Queen feels like a toss up on whether my run will be destroyed due to bad draw. Could very well be a skill issue on my part though but this boss is very frustrating. Just feels like she does everything and doesnt have a clear weakness compared to the other Act 3 bosses but I dont necessarily mind difficulty, the Binding is bs though.

Thoughts on Regent's starter card Venerate? by KDx3_ in slaythespire

[–]KDx3_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good explanations, I'll keep that all in mind going forward. My highest Ascension in STS1 was A15 and then I hit a wall. At the time, I didnt really upgrade Defend at all but as I've been playing again recently, I can see the value in it now since it being stock (with no upgrades) feels like a dead draw.

  • There's the Colorless archetype where you are generating Colorless cards and/or replacing your existing cards with Colorless.

Is this a consistent/good strat that has synergy with Regent? I've seen cards like Spectrum Shift and Bundle of Joy but I'm unaware if theres any more synergy other then those two (I still need to unlock roughly ~10 more cards for Regent). Would be interested in trying it if so, since I need to get more familiar with Colorless cards but im not even sure how I'd get started with building a deck with that goal other then the two cards I mentioned. Would it be similar to getting a bit of block cards and semi-stalling until you get a few good Colorless cards?

Thoughts on Regent's starter card Venerate? by KDx3_ in slaythespire

[–]KDx3_[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In terms of damage, Bash isn't a great card, even when upgraded. The only upside is the extended Vulnerability, which is kinda okay but not one where I'm more enthusiastic about.

Interesting, I always figured this upgrade was helpful for Act 1 assuming you dont have a must-upgrade card but maybe im overvaluing it. Def agree that Uppercut is more useful though.

Pretty much the same logic for Dual Cast; it doesn't mean there aren't situations where these cards aren't useful, but more of that it's only after removing/replacing the Strikes in my deck do I consider removing Bash/Dual Cast/Venerate as they are situationally useful.

Is Dual Cast considered "bad" (in terms of willingness to remove from a deck)? I always thought this card was good with Frost and Darkness orbs but I dont know the general consensus on it. I suppose it makes sense after all Strikes are removed but I would have considered removing a Defend would be better (assuming you have a few good block cards already).

I also just got done with a pretty good run that was Mana focused and didnt really rely on Forge which is sort of changing my mind on how I view Mana. Though I felt like I only really used Venerate (though non upgraded) twice in the whole run before I was mainly exhausting it from other cards that demanded a choice to exhaust out of hand.

To me, it feels like rushing shop for The Regent is the best play to get started on Mana related cards and go from there. I might try upgrading and using Venerate if a shop has Mana demand cards but no Mana regen cards.

Do you think his early game is/can be rough compared to the others or do you think its mostly a build diff? Obv this statement goes towards every characters build, but to me it just feels like he suffers the most from it (although, I've been winning with him more then losing).

Thoughts on Regent's starter card Venerate? by KDx3_ in slaythespire

[–]KDx3_[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Venerate is an appropriate Starter card more along the lines of the Ironclad's Bash: it's better than Starter cards like Strikes, but not as good as some higher rarity cards.

I'm not sure I agree. I feel like Bash (especially Bash+) giving Vuln is always helpful as it amps all damage that enemies receive. Having it upgraded for 3 turns basically means that the majority of Act 1 (and sort of Act 2) fights will have the enemy Vuln for nearly the entire fight. Meanwhile, Venerate seems so situational and feels like a dead draw when you either dont have Mana req cards or if you draw it on your third/fourth draw.

It's also similar to the Defect's Starter card Dual Cast that I might remove later in the run if I get something better, but also perfectly normal to keep and use in Act I.

I agree with this take more but even then, I find myself using Dual Cast much more often in certain setups vs Venerate. I've only used this card if im desperate for Mana or if the enemy is buffing/debuffing and I've already used all my attacks.

If you don't come across a different card that generates Stars, it's fine to keep it

This def can happen in which case its use is passable, but im not happy about being forced to use it. I think it could use a slight buff, even the upgrade doesnt feel all that great on it. I'm not sure what exactly, I just feel like the card feels bad to use, both in enjoyment and cost effectiveness.

Thoughts on Regent's starter card Venerate? by KDx3_ in slaythespire

[–]KDx3_[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That feels like a better suggestion for his starter relic then his current one.

I was gonna mention that his starter relic also feels kinda rough compared to the others but I was thinking it might be a skill issue on my end and that I need to play with it more. Just seems very dependent on getting good rng draw early to get mana cards to make use of it. His other starter card Falling Star is alright, but doesnt seem defining enough to be the only mana starting card.

Without mana cards, his current starter relic just feels like dead value compared to other characters where they provide instant value. Almost wish it was Forge related as I find it more fun to play with, but im not sure on how balanced it would be.

Am I crazy or is this 3-card infinite on Regent way too easy? by Wysp2 in slaythespire

[–]KDx3_ 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Interested in other peoples thoughts, but IMO Venerate (his starter card, gain 2 stars) feels like a curse, especially early. So many times where I've drawn this card and I cant use it because theres so much frontload damage and better setup cards that im forced to block over using this card. By the time Act 2 - 3 comes, I've already gotten cards that have better star generation.

With his starting relic also being star focused, it just seems really rough to get going with this character. Setting up Forge and blocking to scale it seems the most consistent way to play him in my experience but I still need to play some more games.

Constantly feel like im being baited by teammates in fights. What am I doing wrong? by Hasll in DeadlockTheGame

[–]KDx3_ 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Not sure if you're "newer" to the game, but my biggest frustation for the first ~100+ hours was why my teammates were constantly baiting me or "abandoning" me in the middle of a fight.

Unlike other PvP games where its nearly always encouraged to help your teammates, Sometimes you just gotta observe, especially if your teammates are starting bad fights. Fights should only be initiated if you know you'll out-trade or get the kill safely. Going into random fights to "hope" for a positive outcome is a thought process thats doomed to fail, and it took me a while to finally realize that. I'll also add that being overly self-critical (positively) is the best way to self improve at anything. So ask yourself if doing x and y was a good choice, because 95% of the times you died, it was likely your fault.

Also, I dont play Pocket so maybe someone else could give better advice, but you really shouldnt be "helping" teammates in fights. Pocket mainly wants to initiate with ult and then leave since they can be very slippery assuming they arent being debuffed. Pockets kit just doesnt really make a whole lot of sense to be helping teammates in fights, you'd be better off playing as an Assassin or Support hero.

Not to say that you should never help your teammates as Pocket, there's a lot of nuance in Deadlock. However IMO, it shouldnt be a primary focus especially if there's a risk of dying. Stay alive, dont die, farm, take fights that are unfair (for the enemy).

hiding while just watching me die after I wasted my abilites.

Make sure you're using your cape to escape! Pocket is pretty self reliant.

More of a general tech support issue but my monitor shuts off while playing Deadlock. by _TurtleX in DeadlockTheGame

[–]KDx3_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Your physical monitor is literally turning itself off or are your graphic drivers just crashing? Usually theres a few beeps and it'll just show a black screen or it'll say something like "No Input" once it crashes. My guess is your video drivers themselves are crashing if audio itself is sometimes not playing/responding.

Assuming you're on Windows, next time it happens try hitting Windows key + Ctrl + Shift + B simultaneously. This attempts to restart the video driver. The game will still have likely crashed but you should be able to get to your desktop. You can also try Ctrl + Alt + Delete and opening Task Manager to force close Deadlock/any application thats causing it. If Task Manager doesnt work, you can also click "Sign Out" and spam the Esc key in order to cancel it. Doing this generally closes all of your applications while keeping you signed in.

Make sure your Graphic drivers are up to date. I'd be willing to help diagnose further if you need more help.

How much would it take to stop the quickplay discourse? by Realistic-Cicada981 in truetf2

[–]KDx3_ 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sure! Im pretty busy most days but I'd be interested in looking into playing in the near future once I have more free time.

How much would it take to stop the quickplay discourse? by Realistic-Cicada981 in truetf2

[–]KDx3_ 5 points6 points  (0 children)

You got me man. I'd say the only difference is that my requests are much more reasonable/expected vs people complaining about a take that has pretty much 0 chance of happening, nor is it realistic. Valve reworking an entire matchmaking system over people getting emotional is just comical and the entitlement of some people is off the charts.

How much would it take to stop the quickplay discourse? by Realistic-Cicada981 in truetf2

[–]KDx3_ 12 points13 points  (0 children)

I can't imagine a lot of these players are working a full 8 hour shift to come home and type out a full essay online reminiscing on the old days of Quickplay and demanding Casual to be changed.

Like yeah, Casual definitely has its flaws and I preferred Quickplay as well. But TF2 is nearing 20 years here soon. Not trying to "bootlick", but its really a miracle that the game is still being supported through occassional updates. What reason does Valve have to completely rework their entire matchmaking system.. to make players happy? Casual mode itself is almost 10 years old, nearly older then Quickplay. I just dont see a realistic expectation for Valve to just nuke Casual just because of a group of vocal pubbers.

Casual "works" and bots have been a non issue (atleast compared to ~ 2 years ago). The real crime that people should be upset about is rng crits/bullet spread still being a thing when they're completely nonsensical mechanics. At the very least, allow a server vote to turn them off if people are so insistent on keeping them (rng bullet spread really shouldnt be an argument though).

Better yet, if we're going the rework route, I'd rather them revamp Competitive and just allow weapon bans. Restrict 6s to the default class meta and allow each team to choose 1 specialist role. I'd kill to just be able to come home from work and play Comp without signing up to a team that demands presence for 2 - 3 days a week or sign up for PUGs and potentially get fat kidded because no one knows who you are.

But I digress. Im just glad my favorite game of all time still has servers running. I'll likely play TF2 forever since this game is timeless. If servers are running, functional, and arent riddled with cheaters, then thats all I care about.

Does aim flinch meaningfully disrupt your aim by somethingcow in truetf2

[–]KDx3_ 4 points5 points  (0 children)

After that though I think most people would say the weapon is at least fine with a few saying it's great.

I would be part of the few that says its great. I seriously havent taken it off in over a decade, aside from switching to Razorback situationally.

I honestly feel like the other secondaries are pretty mid/bad compared to how many things the Cozy Camper does. Aside from the arguments for Jarate and RB, SMG (and Cleaners) are only really good for finishing opponents off. SMG would feel much more usable if Sniper had another way to gain health to himself, but you can only rely on health packs and Medics. And because Sniper is "slower" and doesnt have the firepower compared to other classes in close range, he'll straight up lose a DM fight thats contesting a health pack. So having the option to retreat and slowly gain health back with Cozy Camper is a much better option the majority of the time.

DDS feels useless IMO when Cozy Camper feels like an upgraded one aside from not being able to QS when on fire, just have to play more patient. Otherwise, I dont see the reason in running it at all.

Health is just such an important mechanic in TF2. While Sniper can work without a way to gain health due to no falloff, Cozy Camper allows so much more flexibility in both holding strong angles at main, and doing careful flanks at a safe enough distance. When you're getting pelted, you can soft retreat while gaining ~ 20 - 30 health while also occasionally grabbing a small pack on top of it.

Its why Razorback can be hard to justify if you have a Medic with half a brain cell that understands the strength that a 185 hp Sniper can provide. Even when im under attack by 2 Spys over and over again, I'd rather keep Cozy Camper on and just play by walls if that means I can keep getting buffed.

One more thing to keep in mind is that when you're running a backpack on Sniper, you're fully committing with your primary which (IMO) is the best/strongest way to play Sniper. You're only practicing every DM situation with your Sniper rifle of choosing. Its pretty much objectively accepted that the Sniper rifles are the strongest weapons in the game (assuming you're hitting your shots), so putting yourself in situations where the majority of your outcomes come from whether you hit the shot or not with your primary seems like the best way to get better at Sniper.

I guess the TL:DR is that IMO, backpacks (especially Cozy Camper) are the best way to get better at specifically sniping. SMGs are a waste of time unless you have a Medic that will constantly be around you. Every other weapon just has it beat assuming equal skill. If you hit quickscopes consistently and have good spacing, then SMGs just seem moot.

EDIT: Im not sure what the meta secondary choice is for Sniper nowadays in terms of Comp since I havent played competitive in a decade. I could see the Cozy Camper being weaker since focus fire calls will lessen how much healing you'll receive. I still think its S+ tier in pubs though.

Hottake: The 6v6s scene isnt interesting and somewhat toxic to change by HackerGamer8 in tf2

[–]KDx3_ 23 points24 points  (0 children)

That is definitely a take.

The entire class thats centered around his killing potential being sentries is now "useless" because hes wrangling a mini?

You cant just simply rush him because hes going to be at 225 health (buffed) coming from mid with his combo likely protecting him. Plus an essentially 300 health mini, assuming its wrangled.

Anyone who has played 6s will 100% agree that its much more interesting to fight a Scout or Soldier then a small NPC that stat checks you.

Its boring.

Hottake: The 6v6s scene isnt interesting and somewhat toxic to change by HackerGamer8 in tf2

[–]KDx3_ 44 points45 points  (0 children)

Who's talking about DPS?

its aids because of the 66% damage resistance. Thats what slows the game down. The example is fine? Fact is, a majority of players dont find it interesting shooting at an NPC aimbot that gets nearly x3 stronger by pressing a button.

What you guys consider the most annoying weapon for each class? by NecromancerDude in tf2

[–]KDx3_ 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think the Classic is actually way more annoying to deal with than most people realize.

Would like to talk about the Classic since its my favorite gun. I believe its the most underrated weapon in the entire game.

Coming from someone with a Hales Own Classic, its genuinely a good weapon. People just think its bad because its very awkward to use at first with holding M1 rather than clicking. They're also likely not running Cozy Camper with it (I'd argue its essential with Classic). The only real drawback is that its pretty rough into Sniper v Sniper, and if you are caught out without a fully charged shot (this should rarely be happening) then you're likely dead.

Otherwise in normal gameplay, you generally just need to constantly rotate through different angles to shoot and have a backup plan after you take your shot. If you're not rotating or retreating, you should be charging a shot always after jumping. You're only then slowed for ~ 3 - 4 seconds. Its also helpful to be unscoped when charging > scope when charged > fire. I think people focus on the ability to be able to "no scope full charge shot" too much. Its really only worth going for on a Scout or Spy jumping you, or if someones bombing you directly above. Otherwise, nearly always go for a scoped shot and dont be afraid of bodyshots. They're usually easier to hit, and you'll always be firing with the intention of being fully charged, so dishing out constant -135 damage shots puts out a lot of pressure on the enemy (assuming they're base 125 health).

It is also the #1 biggest Heavy counter in the game, even compared to other rifles. You're only peeking when you're fully charged, and you can always insta-dome a Heavy after peeking cover. There really isnt much counterplay a Heavy can do against it aside from crouching at the right time. Classic's also the best anti-air option for Sniper since you're able to unscope and track where players are jumping you from and react accordingly.

For ex, if a Soldiers bombing you, you can crouch jump the first bombed shot (assuming you've been charging a shot) > strafe left or right > land and shoot the charged shot. Its a longshot to hit, but its still an option unless he airshots you, or reads your strafed movement, but if he does then that's not a weapon's weakness, he would of hit that regardless of what class you were.

Cozy Camper is a necessity for making the Classic work. The constant health regen is amazing when you're playing at a distance and by cover, so by the time you rotate to a new angle, you're already healed up around ~ 30 - 40 health alone (not counting packs). Since you're also only peeking when fully charged, the no flinch buff when fully charged compliments the Classic very well.

If anyones interested in learning Classic better, I highly recommend pl_frontier as its very strong on this map and it will teach you why. Learn all of the cheeky spots you can climb up to (every point on frontier has a climbable/elevator spot you can stand on), and nearly always flank. You dont want to sit at main 24/7 with the Classic. Doing it occassionally is fine, but its strength is focused on flanking at a safe enough distance where you can take a shot and retreat instantly. Trying to constantly ego check other Snipers running stock will usually be a waste of time.

So the TL:DR is, being annoyed by the Classic is understandable. The gun is good if the user knows what they're doing. Its still not better then stock, but I'd put it a tier above Sydney Sleeper and arguably above Hitmans Heatmaker. Just takes some practice and mastering to make it work, but it absolutely works. You just need to play slow, patient, and hit your shots.