Going stealthy or guns a'blazing?

[Bloodex]

Many games give us the option of either being sneaky or being bold. What's your preferred pick? Do you hide in the shadows and strike without the enemy seeing, or do you march right into the battlefield and hope to come out of the scuffle alive?

Personally, I'm a little bit of both, though I lean to gun a'blazing more, simply cause I suck at being perfectly stealthy. Then again, the feeling of being a hidden threat and successfully being stealthy can be quite good.

[LilJz1234]

It really depends with the game and the character I'm playing. Like in TF2, I prefer marching right into the battlefield and killing people because I'm horribly bad with the Spy which requires stealth.

But in other games like in CS or multiplayer L4D2, I prefer being stealthy making the opponents' think I'm far from them when I'm actually right beside them waiting for the right time to strike.

[Elendil]

Depends on which game I'm playing. If its CoD4 or Blop2 I am king of the sniper, but if its something more arcadey like TF2 or LFD2 I go straight up guns blazing. Everyone else is, so yeah.

[machomuu]

Depends on the game. If the game allows one to go through it without killing anyone (Metal Gear Solid, Deus Ex, Dishonored) then that's probably how I'll end up playing it. Generally, if a game has stealth options then I'll take advantage of them.

If it's some type of FPS online then I usually won't particularly care- unless it's Story Mode, in which case it's situational. Though, there are some games where I do stealth depending on the mode.

[Khawill]

There is no variation in my playsyle, stealth is a waste of time, and is very boring for me.

Now charging in, that's awesome. Especially if it works (80%. Of the time, deaths are funny). Sometimes I just ignore enemies in general, sprinting from destination to destination (borderlands is a prime example), though it is never stealthy.

I won't say I can't be stealthy, because times were I must be, I'm very patient and good. Though if I can rev my gun without ending the objective/game then I will. (Spec ops Mission in MW2 where you had to sneak around, my favorite, I'd either sprint through, or kill everything with a loud gun)

[Morkula]

I am awful at stealth. I usually wind up failing miserably when I attempt to be stealthy and have to shoot my way through waves of enemies. It doesn't stop me from trying to be sneaky, but I just know that in the end I'll probably be doing a lot of shooting.

The only series I'm decent at being stealthy is Assassin's Creed - I much prefer stalking my target and performing a clean kill than just chopping through guards or having to go through an annoying extended chase.

[twocows]

Stealth's usually more fun. There are plenty of games where you just charge in anyway, stealth's a fun option when it's presented. If it wasn't for the boss fights in DXHR, the stealth in that game would have been really, really fun.

[KriegStein]

Depends. Usualy I try to be as stealthy as posssible. In hitman and mgs I try to make things as stealthy and proffessionaly as I can. But somehow it goes to the point that Im surrounded by 50 guard corpses. Yeah Im not so good at sneaking games.

[Sweets Witch]

Stealth, usually. I don't like being a giant obvious target for the enemy team, and I don't have the skills to fight myself out of a difficult situation. Stealth is easy. You just stay off to the side and keep moving. It's even easier when there are skills that you can use to make yourself undetectable on radar or something.

[Cassino]

I often seek to initiate from stealth; I mainly do it just for the extra damage or surprise element that comes along with it, and thereafter enter open combat, although only for as long as that suits me. Really, I would like to think that my course of action is determined by my circumstances — that I am discretionate enough to make tactical decisions with due course. So, ultimately, the speed of these decisions is important, but it does take many hours of experience to build up a sufficient intuition. I seem to work best with an escape mechanism and means of recovery; those things granted, I would like to think of myself as a balanced adversary in terms of stealth versus combat, though I do favour a somewhat reserved approach.

Examples of my playstyle:
Thief in Guild Wars 2
S&S in Monster Hunter
Slark in DotA 2

[Khawill]

Originally Posted by Sweets Witch

Stealth, usually. I don't like being a giant obvious target for the enemy team, and I don't have the skills to fight myself out of a difficult situation. Stealth is easy. You just stay off to the side and keep moving. It's even easier when there are skills that you can use to make yourself undetectable on radar or something.

But if you don't make yourself the target, how are you supposed to prove that you are the biggest, baddest, main characterest, person in the game? I personally want those stupid AIs to know who's controlling the field!

[St33lDr4g0n]

It all depends on the situation. I've been playing a lot of CoD online lately and have found that different techniques work with different maps. It's also up to how the other players play the game.

I'm kind of a balance between a ninja/commando when it comes to FPS. I have strengths and weaknesses in both.

[AzaleaLightning]

Going with the crowd saying that it all really depends on the game, situation, and even who I'm playing against. Typically though, I think I have more fun with stealth because I like the element of surprise.

[TwilightBlade]

I'm terrible at stealth. Regardless if I'm playing a shooter or something like Assassin's Creed, I would charge into the fray rather than sneak around and pick off enemies. Some games are liberal with checkpoints or have an easy mode. Sure, I die a lot. Dying makes me feel alive. In co-op games like Borderlands, the AI often targets other players instead of me. I'll survive, right? I'll take those odds.

[Xulek]

I move like a ghost so stealth isn't an issue for me. My preferred playstyle though is to do a mixture of both stealth and aggro when the opportunity presents itself since at that point I have no difficulty whatsoever controlling the map lol. Gotta love Halo.

[Jirachi504]

Originally Posted by Xulek

I move like a ghost so stealth isn't an issue for me. My preferred playstyle though is to do a mixture of both stealth and aggro when the opportunity presents itself since at that point I have no difficulty whatsoever controlling the map lol. Gotta love Halo.

I gotta agree with you, it is not an issue for me.

[WarriorCat]

I kinda do both at the same time, like in Vanquish, I start by going behind something and hide and wait for the perfect moment to strike, then after I strike, they start shooting at me and I charge in. That's the way I play all shooters.
As for games like Assassin's Creed, I hide if I'm in a crowded area and kill secretly and nobody sees me, but if I'm in an open area with only like 2 people, then I'll just come up and kill them.

[Iqid Loopz]

Like what everybody says, depends on the game.

Assassins Creed 3, LoL (Jungling/ganking/hiding in a bush) CoD (Knife only) Halo (Camo mode and attempted assassinations) Skyrim (pickpocketing and other ninja stuff) I'm on total stealth mode for all. But when everything goes to hell. It's guns blazing till I go down like a G.

[Kura]

Guns ablaze all the way. I hate stealth.. it makes me SO nervous @___@ I can't do stealth hahaha! I prefer to hack and slash >:3

[Pave Low]

If I can, I try to do what my character I am playing would do in that situation. Frankly, I sometimes go all out just because I feel like it or I know that I can come out victorious without having to waste time sneaking. Although, yes, if it is a bit of a tricky situation where I am outnumbered and going all out has too many flaws, then I sneak. In Far Cry 3 I had a tendency to sneak into camps or I would just get obliterated by bullet being fired towards me non-stop.

[Shadow-L]

With me, it's usually trying to sneak, failing, and then going kamikaze. On harder difficulties, I practice and utilize stealth much more often, although it usually depends on the game.

Needless to say, trying to get the "best" ending for Dishonored was quite the challenge.

[krazzikk]

Simple.

Spy: Stealth it up and then dream of thousands of backs

Heavy: Grab a medic and dominate the entire enemy team

[Curious.]

I try and be a bit of both -- sometimes I feel like rapid firing enemies into oblivion (mainly when I'm frustrated at the game haha), and sometimes I like to take the smarter, more logical approach. Depends on the situation I suppose, too!