Sword Art Online

[Kraco]

Well, in GGO, if you can see the sniper and his aim lines, you can just dodge everything, so it would be terrible. Also, there would be no cover to use to get away after making your shot.

The first shot of a sniper doesn't have the line, only the subsequent shots during the same fight. A sniper should always hit with the first shot anyway. The rate of fire of a sniper rifle is too slow for an extended exchange of fire.

When we are talking about an open plain, it doesn't mean the sniper would sit in the middle of it. The sniper would hide somewhere around the edges and monitor the plain. Not that anybody should be stupid enough to cross the open area, but considering even Kirito and Sinon do just that, walking almost hand in hand to boot, and they are the main characters, I guess that's not an issue in this story. Though I'd assume Death Gun necessarily wouldn't. Like I said earlier, he seems far more prepared than anybody else here.

[David75]

I was just asking myself:
What would happen if instead of shooting DG, Sinon shot Pale Rider?
I wonder if DG's death trick works on people with a dead avatar. Hard to tell if DG wasn't interrested in killing Dyne, or wasn't able to.
It's important to know, as Sinon might have had an opportunity to save someone and Kirito made the wrong choice.

[Buffalobiian]

I was just asking myself:
What would happen if instead of shooting DG, Sinon shot Pale Rider?
I wonder if DG's death trick works on people with a dead avatar. Hard to tell if DG wasn't interrested in killing Dyne, or wasn't able to.
It's important to know, as Sinon might have had an opportunity to save someone and Kirito made the wrong choice.

That's what I thought as well, but I suppose "pre-killing" every single one of Death Gun's targets isn't the way this story wants to head.

[David75]

Of course, it's mandatory for the plot that Sinon gets the idea she's really in danger.

Also, I hate it when only choosen ones can still move when they should even be able to open their eyes...

[MFauli]

Well, that´s it for Sinon. She´s dead.

Can´t believe they´re forcing a coincidence like the death gun being the same gun that was part of Sinon´s trauma. SO forced.

And while it admittedly looks super cool how Kirito is dodging and blocking bullets with his word, it really makes no sense whatsoever at all. You simply cannot move fast enough to react to a bullet. The reason jedis can do it is because the force allows them to predict stuff within a certain limit. Jedis do not see a stromtrooper´s laser beam coming at them and then move. They move in anticipation. Kirito explained in detail that he´s reacting to the incoming bullet. Ugh.

I kinda hated how quickly Kirito shrugged of Pale Rider´s death. First he´s like "Sinon, shoot him. Hurry!" all nervously. Then after the fact, he´s back to his normal, composed self. A guy just died. Was murdered. Even if you didn´t know him, show some more emotion :/

[Kraco]

The reason jedis can do it is because the force allows them to predict stuff within a certain limit. Jedis do not see a stromtrooper´s laser beam coming at them and then move. They move in anticipation. Kirito explained in detail that he´s reacting to the incoming bullet. Ugh.

Jedis also boost their speed with the Force.I would imagine a gun based game like GGO wouldn't allow players to get fast enough to actually dodge (or deflect) bullets, but apparently it does. Dunno why everybody doesn't do that. It would have been better if Kirito had taken Yui with him and had her hack a bit more speed to his avatar.

I kinda hated how quickly Kirito shrugged of Pale Rider´s death. First he´s like "Sinon, shoot him. Hurry!" all nervously. Then after the fact, he´s back to his normal, composed self. A guy just died. Was murdered. Even if you didn´t know him, show some more emotion :/

He's been emo enough of late as it is. Any more, and he would have quit the game, not gone after Death Gun. He can seek counseling later (from Asuna's boobs) when DG isn't anymore around increasing the body count.

A thing that caught my attention numerous times in this episode was Kirito touching Sinon all the time. He must have become bloody used to hanging around with girls (who all love her) to develop such a habit even in the company of a practically stranger girl whom he should actually be pushing away and who only says she wants to fight him again fair and square.

[MFauli]

A thing that caught my attention numerous times in this episode was Kirito touching Sinon all the time. He must have become bloody used to hanging around with girls (who all love her) to develop such a habit even in the company of a practically stranger girl whom he should actually be pushing away and who only says she wants to fight him again fair and square.

LOL, glad I´m not the only one to have noticed that. At times it felt totally forced and unnecessary for him to touch Sinon, almost making Kirito look like some virgin creep who´s using every occuring chance to get a little touch of a girl. Which makes no sense, considering his background.

[David75]

Some people need to touch and be touched.
It just shows they are very compatible, at least in that VR environment. She let's him in her privacy sphere, accepts physical contact, all of that when she's a sniper who needs a huge security sphere/distance.
It's also in stark contrast to the friend that brought her to GGO.

[DarthEnderX]

So...is there any reason Sinon can't just log out? I mean, they aren't in SAO, so they aren't locked into the game. Other people wouldn't log out because they don't realize he can kill them for real. She does, so shouldn't she just disconnect?

The silenced rifle and now a chameleon cloak.

That's assuming the game has chameleon cloaks. Nobody ever seemed to entertain that it was a possibility that he was cloaked, so it's possible he's just cheating again.

Actually it's kind of funny the ministry dude did absolutely nothing to help Kirito. Maybe he's the fricking Death Gun

That's possible. Though Death Gun didn't seem to be expecting Kirito to show up in this game. Whereas he should be if he's the ministry dude that sent him in there in the first place.

If he was though, that would mean Asuna would end up being the hero, since she's going to confront that guy right now.

It's important to know, as Sinon might have had an opportunity to save someone and Kirito made the wrong choice.

It would have made zero sense for her to do that. If you have an active enemy and a paralyzed one, why would you shoot the paralyzed one, leaving yourself exposed to the other one.

It's not like the contest is on points, it's last person standing. So there's no reason to go for kills on people that are already beat. You can always just finish off the 2nd guy with your next shot after taking out the one that can actually fight back.

I would imagine a gun based game like GGO wouldn't allow players to get fast enough to actually dodge (or deflect) bullets, but apparently it does. Dunno why everybody doesn't do that.

They did. That's why at the beginning of the series they talked about how agility builds dominated the metagame at that point.

The reason jedis can do it is because the force allows them to predict stuff within a certain limit. Jedis do not see a stromtrooper´s laser beam coming at them and then move. They move in anticipation.

Kirito doesn't wait for the bullet to be in the air before he moves either. The beams show him where the bullet is going to go BEFORE they fire. And at close range, he uses their eyes to determine where they're aiming. Again, before they actually shoot.

At times it felt totally forced and unnecessary for him to touch Sinon, almost making Kirito look like some virgin creep who´s using every occuring chance to get a little touch of a girl. Which makes no sense, considering his background.

I think you're bringing an outside cultural hangup into it. It's not really that uncommon in some cultures as it is in others.

[Munsu]

It would have made zero sense for her to do that. If you have an active enemy and a paralyzed one, why would you shoot the paralyzed one, leaving yourself exposed to the other one.

It's not like the contest is on points, it's last person standing. So there's no reason to go for kills on people that are already beat. You can always just finish off the 2nd guy with your next shot after taking out the one that can actually fight back.

Other than it wasn't her decision that was questioned, but Kirito's and Kirito is not here to win a game, but to save lives and figure out what's the deal with Death Gun.

[David75]

I'm sorry I didn't write this better, but it was intended as Munsu said.

[MFauli]

I think you're bringing an outside cultural hangup into it. It's not really that uncommon in some cultures as it is in others.

In Japan?

[shinta|hikari]

Kirito's been with his harem for a while now. I'm pretty sure touching girls is as easy as breathing air to him.

Other than it wasn't her decision that was questioned, but Kirito's and Kirito is not here to win a game, but to save lives and figure out what's the deal with Death Gun.

I think shooting the killer instead of the victim is usually the logical course of action, especially since they didn't know Death Gun would dodge it.

[David75]

That's why I thought at that moment that maybe Kirito should have asked to shoot PR instead of DG.
But maybe the game's dead state does not protect you at all, just an idea. It might be you need to be fully disconnected.

[Kraco]

I think shooting the killer instead of the victim is usually the logical course of action, especially since they didn't know Death Gun would dodge it.

They should have suspected DG knew they were there, and knowing that, would be cautious. They had been there for a good long while, even talking much of the time. It's just another of their assumptions, just like assuming DG will be in the city and thus that the only person there, whom Sinon didn't know, would be DG. Add to that assuming their plan to corner the target would work. That's such a long row of assumptions in a deadly situation that it's not going to be any good unless some of them weren't, and Kirito's using Sinon as a bait, like I said before.

But then again, I suppose Kirito is the kind of naive guy who's always running forward without thinking, steadfastly believing the fortune will always favour the just cause.

[shinta|hikari]

It is a far larger assumption to think that shooting the victim will save them.

[DarthEnderX]

In Japan?

No idea. I know it's considered normal in Korea.

I think shooting the killer instead of the victim is usually the logical course of action, especially since they didn't know Death Gun would dodge it.

This.

[Kraco]

It is a far larger assumption to think that shooting the victim will save them.

I agree on that. Better to shoot at DG. What I don't agree on is wondering why Sinon didn't hit. In the first place Kirito himself has been shot at by Sinon, yet he's still standing there, among the remaining members in the contest. You'd think a person agile enough to dodge and deflect bullets wouldn't be surprised and left helpless if somebody else does the same. So, why didn't Kirito jump up and start running the moment Sinon pulled the trigger? DG would still have had enough time to shoot the Pale dude, but perhaps he wouldn't have, seeing Kirito running down the hill. Either way, Kirito would have actually tried to do something even if he had failed.

He's clearly not taking this seriously at all. I have to say I don't wonder why DG plans to bring back the Kirito who does take things seriously by slaying Sinon. Though someone here suspects DG is nothing but a cheater, but based on his behavior and performance in this battle alone, he's more professional than Kirito and Sinon combined. He might actually be looking forward to having a tough duel with the legendary figure from SAO. That doesn't mean he wouldn't be a cheater, but perhaps he's also a beater.

[shinta|hikari]

I don't think Kirito running down to save Pale Rider would have made much of a difference. He was too far away. Death Gun had his gun aimed at the guy. He was being all theatrical, but who knows if that is even necessary. He could shoot Pale Rider the moment he sees Kirito running down, then shoot Kirito or run away afterwards. Kirito himself said in this episode that they should avoid getting hit at all costs. Wantonly raiding the guy while he is holding his weapon is the complete opposite of that.

[DarthEnderX]

What I don't agree on is wondering why Sinon didn't hit. In the first place Kirito himself has been shot at by Sinon, yet he's still standing there, among the remaining members in the contest.

The difference there is that Kirito was aware of Sinon and knew the shot was coming.

Realistically at least, there's no reason they should have thought Death Gun knew they were there. And if he didn't know they were there, it should have been impossible for him to dodge that shot.

Of course, if Death Gun IS cheating, it either allowed him to know they were there, or it allowed him to dodge a shot he had no idea was coming.

Wantonly raiding the guy while he is holding his weapon is the complete opposite of that.

That's actually probably the best way to deal with Death Gun.

Kirito can deflect fully automatic weapons. The Death Gun seems to just be a pistol, so Kirito should be able to EASILY charge Death Gun, deflecting any incoming shots.

Of course, that's assuming that the gun that can kill people through TV screens can't also kill someone through a light saber. But then, the intro kinda already spoils the fact that that's not the case.