No problem, man. I got through the first mission just around 10:30, and I had to go take a leak and get a beer. By the time I got back, I saw you and Neck were both on, and it didn't take a psychic to know you had dissed me! J/K seriously, it's no big deal at all. I just jumped back into more single player.pk500 wrote:P.S. to Zeppo: Sorry, man. I sent you two invites. Hopefully we can hook up soon.
Take care,
PK
I will say that a lot of the stuff I had thought was going to make this game unique and special, is not here. Like Grantofan, I was stunned to find you do not need to secure the weapons of downed enemies. This was one of the features that really set this game apart in my mind; it was a sign that it would be relentlessly realistic, dare I say boring for the average gamer. Also, whatever happened to the seamless integration of XBL and single-player play? That was a bucket load of hooey, I guess. I mean, did someone at gamespot or IGN just make that stuff up, or what?
Also, this game is NOT pretty. It's not really nasty looking, I mean it is on the Xbox. But compared to other games, it's not up to snuff in terms of the vids. Take a look at the cut scenes from SC:PT to see how good cut scenes can look (and not just in terms of the vids, but also the camera work and editing in those SC:PT cut scenes are superb IMO). And the in-game vids are not as slick as one might hope.
BUT, they may not be all that pretty, the graphics, but they are extremely functional. I mean, it's 10 times better looking than GR:IT, for example, and that's a game that looks like garbage and who the hell cares?
FSW is different than I expected (games are always better before I play them, you know how that goes), yet it is also different than any game I've played before. The characteriztions are excellent; those intros in the first level really had me laughing. And I love when you hit the B button when there is no order, and the leader yells at you. I had some really bad commander moments, running my guys back and forth, or in circles, and I could hear some barely audible mumblings that I don't think I wanted to hear any more clearly! There really is a sense that these creatures are alive and thinking and reacting to the world; pretty cool.
I played through the first 2 levels on the easy difficulty. Knowing there are 2 harder levels of difficulty (how MUCH harder are they? And does 'harder' just mean the soldiers are easier to kill and the tangos harder to kill, or are there more tangos and tougher obstacles?), as well as this hidden "Army version," certainly adds to the shine on this thing.
No matter what, this is a unique title, and I for one am very glad it was released. It's not perfect, but it is mighty engrossing. And I can only imagine what the sequel could be like if they can get a serious budget to really polish it up. Sometimes it makes me feel a little creepy, playing this game and enjoying it when I know what's going on half-way around the world. There is a creepy sense of propagnda, that peaks for me whenever I hear that "HUA!" It's almost too glorifying. But then again, 2 things stand out: casulaties are NOT tolerated (an ideal that must be held, even though it's by definition impossible with military action, and it's something unique about western armies, as opposed to the "values" of, say, the Imperial Japanes Army that used to exist once upon a time until 60 or so years ago, or the current, shall we say, enemies of stability) and the discipline under fire. I mean, the Army just issued a loss-hold or whatever they call it, and so here I am bent out of shape imagining soldiers and officers having to go through this for real for longer than they had expected (12 months is a loooong tour of duty), and here I am 'enjoying' the virtual version of the experience.
One thing that constantly strikes me is the immobility of the camera. You are tied to the squad, you can't zoom out, or crane up to get a better view. It is frustrating, similar to the SC style, but for some reason more frustrating. I LOVE it. What I don't like is that little 'fly-over' from one squad to the other. I guess it give you a good idea of the relative position of the 2 teams, but it takes too long and can be disorienting. I guess i see it's purpose, and I just need to get used to it. I love giving one team a move order, and then switching to the other team and watching that first team from a distance. And I also love how you can't just get a quick look at the map, as you can in GR for example. It takes a moment for him to flip it open and so forth. Very cool! Forces you to use that little brain to conceive in 3D the space you are in.
This thing really is like "The Sims: Welcome to the Caucasus," but these are some seriously disciplined Sims. If only we could be so discipined in our GR:IT adventures, those missions would be a walk in the park every time! "Heads up Alpha! MOVE!"
