How to improve my aiming with Nova (simple shotgun)

[Dax]

Me my friends like playing demolition, but we all have problems hitting something when we get to the Nova (shotgun) weapon.
Close range shots that look like hits from the players point of view turn out to be misses very often.

What is our mistake?
How can we improve?
How much should one try to aim ahead?

[Luissen]

just pretend it's a close range 1 shot weapon, and don't 'spray' or shoot while moving. the way shotgun randomization works means that it first picks a 'line' from your normal 'cone of fire' like a normal gun, then makes a cone of hitscan pellets centered on that line. this means that while moving, you need to account for your motion, the enemy's motion, and the random movement factor. Tap shift or let go of the movement for a split second before you shoot.

[Johari]

Originally posted by Peppermink:

just pretend it's a close range 1 shot weapon, and don't 'spray' or shoot while moving. the way shotgun randomization works means that it first picks a 'line' from your normal 'cone of fire' like a normal gun, then makes a cone of hitscan pellets centered on that line. this means that while moving, you need to account for your motion, the enemy's motion, and the random movement factor. Tap shift or let go of the movement for a split second before you shoot.

So it works like grenade physics does?
Does it apply to all shotguns or just the nova?

[Luissen]

Originally posted by ownomics:

Originally posted by Peppermink:

just pretend it's a close range 1 shot weapon, and don't 'spray' or shoot while moving. the way shotgun randomization works means that it first picks a 'line' from your normal 'cone of fire' like a normal gun, then makes a cone of hitscan pellets centered on that line. this means that while moving, you need to account for your motion, the enemy's motion, and the random movement factor. Tap shift or let go of the movement for a split second before you shoot.

So it works like grenade physics does?

no, not quite. relative motion means that you either place your crosshairs on someone then fire immediately, or let them walk into it, then fire. Since all 'guns' are hitscan weapons, the second you fire, they get hit.

Grenades inhert physics of your motion, and are a different topic entirely.

That being said, a lot of players in the lower ranks (silvers up to about MG, and some of those who get carried up there) have issues with relative motion and shooting, so that's a very likely problem you may be having.

After that, there's the 'movement inaccuracy' which is pretty bad on shotguns due to the mechanics I discussed in my previous post.

[Habits]

People make the mistake of jumping off of ledges and using itlike they're Rambo.

Nova has the smallest spread and longest range for a shotgun, so you have to treat it more or less like a rifle. Sit still and aim for head or stomach (second most damaging area if you can't reach the head). The accuracy can go to ♥♥♥♥ if you start moving.

[Dezerved]

It is always nice to check to see how your spread is going to be, kinda like knowing your spray patterns with different guns. Check to see how your spread is a different ranges and how the cone expands with the distances

[STITCH]

Aim for the head and just stand.

[BullDoser]

I don't use nova, you often do 90+ dmg with it, but not enough to 1shot. If I were you, I'd try learning mag-7 and sawed-off, they are quite a bit stronger than nova.

[BullDoser]

To be clear: nova 1shots when enemy does eco, but you can actually keep mag-7 even when they already buy rifles. It's THAT strong. :P

[Sugoi]

Only up close. Nova is more versatile than the mag7 and sawed off.

[BullDoser]

It does not deal enough damage to be useful any round except eco

[Dax]

Originally posted by BullDoser:

I don't use nova, you often do 90+ dmg with it, but not enough to 1shot. If I were you, I'd try learning mag-7 and sawed-off, they are quite a bit stronger than nova.

I do not have a choice, I have to use Nova or Knife, or grenades if I earned any in the previous round.

Getting better with the Nova would help in Casual in Competitve as well

[Sugoi]

If you can consistently land chest/head shots, Nova has more utility due to the price than mag7 and sawed off, which are exclusively ambush weapons useful only in a few areas of some maps. They're both very powerful in those locations, but effectively useless elsewhere.

Shotguns are always situational, but the nova is less situational than the others.

[BullDoser]

Originally posted by Sugoi:

If you can consistently land chest/head shots, Nova has more utility due to the price than mag7 and sawed off, which are exclusively ambush weapons useful only in a few areas of some maps. They're both very powerful in those locations, but effectively useless elsewhere.

Shotguns are always situational, but the nova is less situational than the others.

With shotguns you either 1shot kill or die. You use them to rush or camp the corners. Nova on the other hand often does not do enough damage to oneshot enemy (with armor). So nova is actually even more situational than other 2 shotguns: God bless you trying to kill an enemy with full armor. (Don't get me wrong, I like nova, I often do nova eco as CT if I believe I can take out one enemy, but mag-7 is usually worth the extra money if you can afford to lose it). Though I never buy nova as T, Sawed-off is simply much more useful weapon if you can come close to the enemies. And if you can't, then you shouldn't be using a shotgun anyway.

[Dax]

Originally posted by BullDoser:

And if you can't, then you shouldn't be using a shotgun anyway.

So what do you recommend one could do to actually learn and be able to hit.
I can do 5 shots at the enemy close range, as in about 5 meters, and not land a hit, while it looks like on my screen it should have been a hit.

[BullDoser]

Originally posted by danielcw:

Originally posted by BullDoser:

And if you can't, then you shouldn't be using a shotgun anyway.

So what do you recommend one could do to actually learn and be able to hit.
I can do 5 shots at the enemy close range, as in about 5 meters, and not land a hit, while it looks like on my screen it should have been a hit.

Aim for the neck/chest, rather than the head.

Try to fight at close range, like, you might want a shotgun while watching Ramp/B in DD2, but you really don't want to use it if you are watching long.

If you are playin demolition, then try to stay inside the house, and just focus on peeking close corners and such. I could actually show that ingame, but it's 2AM here, so maybe another day if you'll still need any help.