Camping in video games means finding a place in the video game world to hide and ambush an opponent player. It’s especially used in a first-person shooter game. It can be used both in single-player or multiplayer games. However, camping in multiplayer online games yields better results.
In video game camping, you will find a suitable spot and wait where others will fail to see you. Then when an opposing player approaches you, you finish them.
Camping in a multiplayer online game is more effective than in a single-player game because, generally, the AI-controlled opponent is aware of your position in single-player games.
Camping in video games is generally frowned upon. Many players consider it as cheating, especially in those games where it’s basically a death match. By camping, a player can avoid all the challenges and wait for an opportune moment to finish the game.
Spawn Camping
Spawn camping is the method where a gamer camps near the opponent’s spawn location. In this method, a player hides near the spawn location, waits for the opponent to enter the game, and kills them whenever they set foot into the game.
However, many gamers severely dislike spawn camping and consider it unethical game tactics. This camping method doesn’t allow the opponent player a fair chance to fight. Those already in the game prevent a new player from coming into the game.
Modern online gaming platforms, however, nowadays try to implement many tactics to protect newly spawned players. Sometimes, new players will spawn at a random location. Sometimes they also could be respawned near their teammates.
Spawn Trapping
Games with fixed spawn locations sometimes implement good NPCs to protect newly spawned players. In this method, the NPCs will kill the gamer who is camping near the spawn location.
However, in order to avoid this, a player can camp outside the spawn perimeter. As soon as the newly entered player leaves the spawn perimeter, he is eliminated by the opposing player camping nearby.
Base Camping
In spawn camping, an opponent player comes to the spawn location to kill the newly spawned player. However, in the Base camping technique, players of the same group who are spawned wait at their spawn location. Therefore, when opposing players come to their spawn location, they get eliminated. It gives two benefits. One, newly spawned players are safe. Two, you get to stop your opponent without leaving your spawn location.
Vehicle Camping
If a game has an armored vehicle, players can camp inside the vehicle. The armor of the vehicle protects the player and supplies unlimited ammunition. This way, instead of spending one’s ammunition, one gets to use unlimited ammunition from the armored vehicle.
Bunny Hopping
Video game players sometimes use erratic walking or running to avoid snipers or campers. It’s known as bunny hopping. Even though this method doesn’t work consistently, it’s practical to protect oneself from amateur campers and snipers.
However, camping is not always the best idea. If the opposition party can find out the camper’s position, they can inform the camper position to their teammates via text or voice message. Thus, the opposing players can come to the camper’s position from a different angle and eliminate him.
Camping is frowned upon in the gaming industry. Because a game is played for fun and is enjoyable only when there’s a conflict between parties, it’s not fun anymore when someone is hiding in a single spot and not contributing to the game.
Moreover, if multiple people in the same team are camping, it effectively cripples the team because no one participates in the game.