From my experience, it mostly boils down to map layout. The more I think about it, the more maps come up that are somewhat sniper friendly. The major problem is that most areas are built to make nesting impossible due to several entrances. The other is making most high places are risk/reward with being more exposed.

I think my main gripe though is that instead of feeling like a more slow/tactical class, it feels just a bit more towards sluggish/luck.

Here's another example; was testing out the wager game today and there's the gun game where with each kill you get a new (better) gun. And for a while, it really felt like the more you killed, the better it went because you got better guns. Until I got a Sniper rifle and I felt like I took three steps back and had to work around the gun rather than with it.

In a way I am still undecided. But right now, it's easier to 'snipe' with an assult rifle sporting an acog than an actual sniper rifle. But Iam realizing I am having to re-learn things in a slightly different way now.

" @Rockdalf I'm not disagreeing with you and I prefer to crouch or prone when sniping but the map design mostly prohibits that. And the same could be said about most of the guns in the game. "

In my opinion, the developers at Treyarch noticed the constant quick-scoping sniping kills that were taking place in Modern Warfare 2, and they wanted to make it so that you had to actually look down the scope and look for that next kill instead of getting cheap kills (like the AWP spam you see on Counter-Strike: Source on the CS_Office Level). I was never a big fan of sniping online (no fun camping out waiting for your prey), so it does not bother me at all. It was annoying in MW2 how it happened all of the time, but at least in Black Ops, the number of snipers to me seems lower than other classes.

It seems to me that it's just fine.  People are just ticked because snipers can't get that perfect crow's nest.  They actually have to watch their backs, just like the rest of the players.  They can actually be shot back just like the rest of the players.... I dunno... The problem was getting to be that in the previous CoD games, once someone got their sniper nest going, they were unstoppable - and that's simply ridiculous.  As for an entire class being rendered useless.... yer doin it wrong then.  I have seen plenty of maps, all CtF's, where sniping works just fine as long as you're doing it right.  Shoot, displace, shoot displace.  Don't expect to stay in one fucking spot and own the entire map.

" @mason_pat

The PSG with no attachments is a semi-automatic 1 hit kill from the chest or above.  That is retarded.  

Disagree, upper chest, head , and neck should be a 1 shot kill period. If a sniper bullet hit you there IRL, you'd likely bleed out before the guy next to you could scream "MEDIC!" "

This shit generally falls under the  "Good job, you fucked it.." category. At first sniping in Modern warfare 2 was pretty good, you shot people from a safe vantage point like any other man with long ranged weaponry. But then children and SUPER HARDCORE MLG LEET happened and the game was ruined forever.

omg it's not getting easier for me at all to snipe in this game . It has a totally different feeling than what I'm used to in MW2 . That said, I think I might get better at it when I play with the sniper (L96A1) more. 
For those who say snipers should be like real life . I don't want a real life in gaming . I bought this game to have fun , to break the monotony of "real life" . A good player is a good player no matter how "unbalanced" a game is . They always find their way around...I'm talking about mw2 here . I think black ops should have been the same as mw2 only with further improvement from mw2 as their example .

Quickscopers are serious jerks and I really hate that the words 360 ladder pause no scope mean something to me. 

Sniper Rifles have no place in a game like COD why they brought them back is beyond me!

" Because sniping is for cunts, exclusively. "

I am completely happy that they toned down the sniper rifles. Sniper rifles were the worst part of Modern Warfare 2 for me, and that stupid 360 thing is ridiculous.

Yeah have to say I've never regularly a sniper in black ops, most rifles are just as accurate and do almost as much damage. When you have to put two rounds into someone and then they just go into second chance...you leave yourself waay to open to counter attack. I'm liking black ops but it has the same problem as with World at War, crazy spawns, too often you get put right beside 3 enemies, I don't remember call of duty 4 having this issue. 

If they are so bothered with Quick Scoping, just do it the TF2 way.  Give extra damage if a guy stays scoped in with an increased accuracy.

I'm sorry.  I think what you really meant to say was "why does Black Ops hate quick-sniping cocksuckers so much?".  The answer is "because being a quick-sniping cocksucker does not mean you have any skill". 
 
I love how all the bitches complain about Black Ops.  At work, all day long, kids complain that they can't use their cheap ass bullshit from Modern Warfare 2 anymore, and then I laugh at them and say "then go play an inferior game!" and point at Modern Warfare 2. 
 
Seriously, Black Ops is the tightest game that has released under the Call of Duty banner since CoD2.  Love it every time I pop it in.

" @GhostlyEnigma said:

" Black Ops >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Modern Warfare 2 
 
That's all I'm going say on this subject. Now if you excuse me, I'll be playing B:BC2. 
 

SPOILER WARNING: Click here to reveal hidden content.

I'm not in the anti-Call of Duty union. Both the Call of Duty and Battlefield franchise are good. You hear me? They're both great franchises!

"

The spoiler is a lie. "

" Black Ops >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Modern Warfare 2 
 
That's all I'm going say on this subject. Now if you excuse me, I'll be playing B:BC2. 
 

SPOILER WARNING: Click here to reveal hidden content.

I'm not in the anti-Call of Duty union. Both the Call of Duty and Battlefield franchise are good. You hear me? They're both great franchises!

"

Because sniping is for cunts, exclusively.

Black Ops >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Modern Warfare 2 
 
That's all I'm going say on this subject. Now if you excuse me, I'll be playing B:BC2. 
 

" @Infininja: Sorry, L96A1. And I'm pretty sure the Variable Scope adds some green to the range bar, or it at least did at one point. "

i agree with most of what you are saying 
 
however pythons are a snipers best friends especially dual wielding them with slight of hand it makes you feel like the real john wayne and most people are not expecting them

" @mason_pat

The PSG with no attachments is a semi-automatic 1 hit kill from the chest or above.  That is retarded.  

Disagree, upper chest, head , and neck should be a 1 shot kill period. If a sniper bullet hit you there IRL, you'd likely bleed out before the guy next to you could scream "MEDIC!" "

M40, Variable Scope (this adds range so you get more one-shot kills)   

" @mason_pat

The PSG with no attachments is a semi-automatic 1 hit kill from the chest or above.  That is retarded.  

Disagree, upper chest, head , and neck should be a 1 shot kill period. If a sniper bullet hit you there IRL, you'd likely bleed out before the guy next to you could scream "MEDIC!" "

They played Halo: Reach and realized that sniping ruins multiplayer.

The PSG with no attachments is a semi-automatic 1 hit kill from the chest or above.  That is retarded.  

The PSG with no attachments is a semi-automatic 1 hit kill from the chest or above.  That is retarded.  

i think it's because they wanted the game more balanced. people use to quick scope all the time. if people actually did do that in real life they would miss because they can't aim. 
 
they should upgrade it a little bit because now they are under powered. it makes sniping bad. my friend snipes all the time and i have to hear him complain about how the sniper didn't kill that guy.

Sniping is definitely harder in Black Ops than previous Call of Dutys, but I have actually been able to get pretty good with it. I never really played as a sniper since COD2, and once I got bored in Black Ops I decided to try it out. At first, it definitely seemed like it was useless, but you eventually get a feel for it. I think my K:D with the L96A1 is something like 3.7, though admittedly I often die at close range after switching to my pistols (something like a .7 K:D ratio). I've been using the SR-71, Chopper Gunner, and Attack Dogs killstreaks and have gotten them a fair number of times. 
 
I don't mean to simply be bragging, just saying that it is possible to do well once you adjust your playstyle. 
 
My sniper loadout: 
 
L96A1, Variable Scope
Dual Pythons (using dual pistols allows for a new, fully-loaded pistol in Last Stand)  
Tomahawk 
Claymore 
Ghost Pro 
Scout Pro (once you get this, fighting at close range is much easier) 
Last Stand Pro 
 
One other tip is to always switch out your secondary as soon as you walk over a new weapon. I'm almost always carrying a sniper rifle and an AR/SMG. Also, I should mentioned that I play primarily CTF and I mostly stay on defense, though I do sometimes capture the enemy flag and I'm not a bitch who won't chase a flag carrier out into the middle of the map.

It's hard to begrudge treyarch for trying to create a level playing field for everyone. In games like COD3 the snipers made the larger maps their own play-ground, and to a similar extent World at War. The problem is they've nerfed the weapon class back so much that, for me at least, I feel as if I need to use the ACOG to get a decent aim in the tighter corridors. My favorite maps are those that cater to both types: tighter, multi-opened corridors for close-mid range, and the larger sections for snipers to have their own fun. 

" It's not that they hate sniper rifles it's that for the longest time sniper rifles in call of duty games have been fucking jacked. 
 
Under no circumstances should a person be able to instantly bring up a rifle and have perfect accuracy or be able to do four 360 spins and manage to pull off a perfectly accurate shot. What these people were doing was a known issue with the game were simply tapping the left trigger was enough to register you as "fully scoped" which allowed you full accuracy. It was dumb bullshit that needed to go away and as a result sniping is definitely harder but i'd argue it's more rewarding now when you manage to do it well. 
 
I mean look at stupid shit like this:
 
  

  
That's dumb.
 
This is what should happen and I'm glad that it does...
 
  

  
...all the time now.
 
  

   The maps not being geared towards sniping however I can't really say to much on. From the time I've spent playing the game they feel about the same as the range of maps in MW2. There is the one huge map, the one tiny map, the mid range maps, the meat grinder, and the straight map. To each their own though.  Bottom line though they definitely did something good cause eliminating 360 quick scope nonsense needed to happen.   Also worth noting that they did release a patch recently that raises the chances you'll get a headshot with every rifle so you may want to give them a try again. Headshots are much easier to get now but still requires a bit of skill. "

It's not that they hate sniper rifles it's that for the longest time sniper rifles in call of duty games have been fucking jacked. 
 
Under no circumstances should a person be able to instantly bring up a rifle and have perfect accuracy or be able to do four 360 spins and manage to pull off a perfectly accurate shot. What these people were doing was a known issue with the game were simply tapping the left trigger was enough to register you as "fully scoped" which allowed you full accuracy. It was dumb bullshit that needed to go away and as a result sniping is definitely harder but i'd argue it's more rewarding now when you manage to do it well. 
 
I mean look at stupid shit like this:
 
  

Using a sniper for close - medium range isn't the intended purpose of a sniper rifle, that's why.

Because they wanted to make a game that revolved around mid-range combat. Also, being sniped is no fun.

Also the fact that every rifle / smg is ultra accurate with little to no recoil, and every shot messes up the snipers aim more than any other gun 
 
Really hate to say this but I think mw2 had better balance than Black ops. Everything was so crazy unbalanced yet because of that almost every playstyle was good. Fuck even the lmg's were good in mw2

Cod 4 and 6 were just bad for sniping. Cod 4 everyone just ran around like idiots with acogs 360 no scoping and stupid stuff like that. MW2 I just went around spraying my barret not worrying about having to get my secondary out ever. Fair enough the games meant to be fun. But the sense of realism should be there and reward you for playing like a sniper actually would. I find it fun when snipers are a niche class and play the support role. Ive got UAV, counter UAV and napalm strike just because it feels the sort of job a sniper would do. I run around with pistol out when I change spots, something I would never bother doing in the last couple of games.