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Camping (Computer Gaming)Camping is computer gaming jargon for the practice of a player staying in one area of the game world waiting for enemies or useful objects to appear or to come to the player rather than actively seeking them out. Players camp in order to gain an advantage over their opponents. Camping is generally considered a negative trait and is often frowned upon, and among some players is considered tantamount to cheating. Inflammatory language often results after the accusation that someone has camped. People look down on camping because of the often unfair advantage a camper has to an arena in the form of unfairly accumulated resources or a benefitial position on a multiplayer map. First-person shooters Camping is most common in first-person shooters when a player finds and hides in a location that gives them a clear advantage over other players. The position is normally hidden from casual view and is used to ambush or carry out sniper attacks on other players. The position chosen is typically a high point that is not easily accessible so that the camper has the advantage of being out of the line of sight of other players and therefore has the time to take careful shots. In fast-paced games like Quake or Unreal Tournament, this is often regarded as an annoying and unsporting practice. In more tactical team-based games (for example, Counter-Strike) this might not apply, because ambushing is often a vital or necessary part of the game. In games where a certain amount of kills needed to win the match are used, camping in considered the most efficent, if not the fairest, way to win. One form of camping, considered by many to be especially reprehensible, is spawn camping, also known as respawn or refresh camping. A spawn camping player guards the positions where players are brought into the map when they are just entering the game or when they are revived after being killed ("respawn"). In fast-paced games, the camper has the advantage in that they are able to kill players before they have a chance to collect their starting weaponry or even before they get their bearings. First-person shooters may experience other forms of camping, such as "vehicle camping", "armor camping", or "weapon camping". Such people wait in games at places where items such as unique weapons, vehicles, or armor upgrades appear. They then either take said item, or deny access to all other players as best they can. In the case of the former, it is merely considered rude to stand around not participating, especially in team-based games that depend on vehicles heavily, for example Battlefield 1942, but the latter is usually considered worse. People who deny the item to others usually make use of its properties to gain an advantage over other players. In some games, such as Day of Defeat camping is sometimes considered to be a part of the game itself. Some also argue that camping is a premise of war, and is thus essential in order to survive or defeat the opposite team. Spawn camping is however not regarded as acceptable, as it renders the game unplayable for some who does not take light-heartedly at being killed the instant you respawn. Online role-playing games In massively multiplayer online role-playing games and MUDs that lack player vs. player combat, camping is commonly the practice where the camper stays in a location near where non-player characters or monsters 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 characters. 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. A long camp is an extended camping session for a rare or infrequently spawning non-player character that sometimes or often carries powerful or valuable items. Rare creatures tend to follow a certain pattern of spawning, be it killing a placeholder monster or a certain time or phase where the creature will spawn. Players utilize the information gathered from various internet sites to wait around the areas of these spawns and wait for them. Sometimes players sit on these camps for days, waiting for the monster or NPC of interest. In some games, such as Final Fantasy XI, the player-run economy is dependant on the rarity of enemy-dropped items and the need for these items by certain classes. Specialized class-specific items tend to be worth more in the currency of the game. Strategy games Camping can also be applied to real-time 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 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 positions to build and repair. Because campers are usually unable to defend these areas, opposing players can cut off their source of funds and gradually wear down the defenses without the camper being able to rebuild.
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