>Does backstab assist in sniping?

Yes.

---

Weapons for Sale:
http://www.elanthipedia.org/wiki/User:Caraamon#Wares
Hunta Talna Kortok, built by Gor'Togs, for Gor'Togs
http://www.angelfire.com/rpg2/caraamon/home.html
Combat Balance List:
http://tinyurl.com/DRBalance

Sorry, that was not meant to be confusing, that was meant to be "yes it does... but I don't know most of the details."

>- So, if backstabbing is a factor in sniping how does this work for rangers and necromancers?

I can't seem to find the post, but I'm 90% snipe factors either Backstabbing or Scouting into it's calcs, depending on the guild. I do not know how Vivisecton works or whether it involves Thanatology.

>- Is it then just backstabbing vs perception or a combination of hiding/backstabbing vs perception?

From what I understand, there is a strange contest of backstab vs. perception, success of which causes bypassing of shield and applying of a bonus, but then runs otherwise a more or less standard attack (thus how you can successfully snipe, but whiff the attack). I don't know if the stealth skills are factored in, but I suspect they play a part, though it may solely be in the contest to avoid being seen.

http://elanthipedia.org/w/index.php/Post:Primary_Skillset_for_damage_-_5/27/2009_-_18:31:15
http://elanthipedia.org/w/index.php/Post:SNIPE_Updates_-_8/14/2009_-_12:15:56

---

Weapons for Sale:
http://www.elanthipedia.org/wiki/User:Caraamon#Wares
Hunta Talna Kortok, built by Gor'Togs, for Gor'Togs
http://www.angelfire.com/rpg2/caraamon/home.html
Combat Balance List:
http://tinyurl.com/DRBalance

- So, if backstabbing is a factor in sniping how does this work for rangers and necromancers?

rangers use scouting ranks rather than backstab as a factor in sniping.

necromancers don't snipe with mundane weapons. They have a "magical" "sniping" spell, vivisection, which operates off of TM ranks, and hiding/stalking to determine if they are seen.




/---
Oh and last one, DR at any given time has a population of weenies that will criticize at the drop of a hat, don't take things personally it happens to everyone.
Leucius