Alderei

We do not need any sniper rifles that act like rapid fire shotguns.

+1. Honestly, Some of us remember Desert Strike...which was essentially a "Somalia" type game. Rocky, sandy, warlords, etc. Decent enough, and very similar to [GR] (I mean, its a mission pack, but the missions were similar). I DO NOT CARE WHERE THE GHOSTS OPERATE....just please let them be ghosts.

This is the exact type of tool I would like to see added to GR Multiplayer. A tactical map tool that would enable a team leader to give plans to his squad. I like the functionality of this map interface, but I'm not sure how to make it work in game with a 360 controller. Using a PC makes it easy. VERY WELL DONE.

I'm not sure I can envision voice-commands working in MP, unless you have your AI squad moving with you and an intercom trigger to send messages to live players. I still like the idea of an interactive map. I'm not sure how you could do it, but it would be really cool to be able to draw out basic plans for squads on the map. Some of the best games I've ever played in GRAW have been games where communication and coordinated moves led to successful completion of objectives. The worst games are the ones where the map loads and 5 guys take off at full sprint without a word. A cool feature to help a team leader communicate would be to enable an interactive map and a pencil tool. I'm envisioning being able to draw lines, arrows, circles and such on the game map, so that another player opens the map, it has the added notes draw on. Maybe it could be as simple as one thumbstick moves the cursor, pulling left trigger and moving the thumbstick draws on the map? Add to that some of the squad assignment capabilities of AA, and you might have something really cool in MP...

I can't wait to play the new super-hero action adventure military 3rd person shooter game! Just like [GR]!!!!!!! **cough cough**

I don't have the weapon specs at work, but I think that the ZEUS in single player campaign mode is a different launcher than the ZEUS in multiplayer (if the ZEUS is even a ZEUS in single player...). Point being, the gun available in single player mode is guidable, but the one in multiplayer is not. And I think its actually a different gun, not just programming differences. That said, if they did leave it off of Multiplayer, its not terrible. That is a poweful weapon that might unbalance the game a little...

Both the British SAS and the American Delta Force are groups that perform both roles (military special ops and counter-terror hostage rescue). In Clancy-Universe, Rainbow was created to cut through the red-tape of conducting missions in the Northern Hemisphere (imagine what it would take to get a Polish elite CT/HR force deployed in NYC to disarm terrorists...) and to pool money and talent resources from all NATO countries into one unit. Its why Rainbow always had internationals from many countries. Personally, urban combat like we see in movies like Black Hawk Down is something I would like to see in a game like Ghost Recon. The GRAW games were designed to have some of that feel. But the initial assault in that movie is completely a Rainbow type action. The trick to not making most of us frustrated is to the GR games off the rails and give us freedom of movement. The multiplayer, for all its faults, at least gives us more of that feeling of "choose your own fate."

Advanced Warfighter was an attempt to keep the Ghosts on the leading edge of combat and technology. The concept it self wasn't horrible, and the increased versatility of cross-com 2.0 in Graw2 was a welcome adjustment. But controlling Helicopters and Abrams and Bradley's was never part of the Ghost Recon concept in the orginial game and I personally found maintaing excellent control on my sqaud, the little bird, and the tank a bit overbearing at times. I would prefer a tighter control on a more versatile team. Give me a team of 6 or 8 soldiers to position strategically and let me perform the various jobs of an elite special forces squad. Hang the machinery....that stuff can provide support but I don't want to control them. Ditch the "platform" style episodic combat and utilize the better aspects of the sandbox ideal, big maps, with multiple objectives and the ability to move into position from multiple angles. I don't mind the advancement, but the linear structure of set battles needs to be revamped. No more missions on rails!!! Finally, the Ghost and team Rainbow perform a very different service of the international community. One is an elite US military special forces group, capable of completing complex missions behind enemy lines without detection. Rainbow is a counter-terrorist strike force operating within the boundaries of the NATO alliance responding specifically to hostage situations to prevent loss of life. Their expertise is in quick, silent entry and disarming. Were the two to meet in the open streets or some other battlefield, the sheer firepower of the Ghosts would likely win the day.

I don't have the thing in front of me, so that makes it tough, but there are a couple of things to notice: Green Squares on the tactical map are objectives to complete. Yellow Squares on the tactical map are alternate objectives to complete. White Squares on the tactical map are ammo crates. (or is it white ovals?) Blue Diamonds represent teammates. Red Diamonds represent enemies. Orange Triangles represent waypoints indicated by yourself or teammates. Good luck. Good teams are hard to find.

Interesting Question. I think the the units (Ghosts vs Rainbow) would behave very differently when it comes to mission planning because their missions would likely be so very different. For one thing, Rainbow would almost be responding to hostage situations, and their missions would be very time-critical. To maximize efficiency, Rainbow would hit multiple entry-points and stay on prescribed routes to ensure safety for themselves and mission success. Flash and entry, Frag and entry, room-clearing...you don't want a bunch of blue on blue so stay out of the way. The Ghost on the other hand would more typcially have a broader set of ROE and more fluid objectives. Planning direct routes would not make a ton of sense because so many variable could change in the field. Timing becomes less critical, so in-mission planning increases flexibility and effectivness. While it is a game-play type decision, I think it is rooted in real-life, too. As far as kits go, I'm not sure why kits were so restricted in Ghost Recon, but part of it is an effort by the Devs to keep "classes" separate. If you wanted to stretch a real-life reason over it, maybe you call it weight restrictions? That each Ghost can only carry so much weight, so different kits are set to standard?

For a gameplay changeup while we wait for the next best thing, try setting this up: Exfiltration Co-Op Mode, Evasion (1 Officer, Vehicles On) Difficulty - Default Kit Restrictions: Pistols / MP5 IFF - Off Drone - On (2 minute or greater respawn) Allow Weapon Pickup In Game: Locate Drone. Destroy it. If it respawns before you're at extraction, kill it again. Only use drone at extraction. Situation: You are a downed chopper crew behind enemy lines. Enemy is alerted and patrolling the area. Weapons and Ammunition were not salvagable. Fight your way to extraction using only sidearms. Mission Control is getting drone to your position, but it will take 4 minutes minimum. Protect yourself and your crew. Good luck. By yourself, try it in an urban map like Ghost Village. You get more corners to use for cover. Keeping that "officer" alive is brutal. If you have a team, I would recommend using 1 MP5 and the rest pistols. Teams should be able to more easily tackle the wide-open maps.

Back to your original topic: Hiding is a good tactic to employ if done well. There are some spots that are typically used, making them poor hiding spots. But hiding in an unexpected location could work very well. Don't plan on staying there the entire game unless you are VERY quick on the trigger. Communication is key in the team setting, both on Co-Op and Adversarial game types. The two most valuable tools in assisting communication are: Waypoints Cardinal Directions Using Map Coordinates can work, but is a bit harder to figure, unless the team knows the map well. If you brief your team ahead of time with coordinates (I will need fire support from E5, aiming East), perhaps they can follow that up with "E5 secure, in position" when they've locked it down. Really it can be a fun way to play, but its rare to find guys that organize teams and objectives like that. Overall, the most important communication is in regards to your position, the enemies position, and where you're going. Using waypoints combined with the compass directions is the quickest and most complete way of getting those bits of information across. Finally, the best team-tactic that is rarely employed is to provide backup to a position. If 3 guys are attempting to hold an area, two should be in position to cover the angles/flanks, and the third should be ready to take position when one falls. Usually in the kill-hungry TSS game, people will not stay back and risk finishing with no kills. But that type of teamwork would really assist a win.

Honestly, the problem is that most hosts remove explosives and so the only way to combat a well defended position is removed. There is no way to sneak up on them because of the draw distance on the grass, so crawling doesn't work. Smoke works if appropriately applied, but the best defended positions are not susceptible to smoke due to defenders covering multiple angles. Its not your tactics.

I didn't think Jeff's comment about the Modders was necessarily a slap in the face. He was just pointing out that developers have to make money on a game, and that means making something shiny enough to get people to buy it. Video games are now a large industry, and selling a game means a lot more than satisfying a consumer that will likely buy another game anyway. Ghost Recon 1 had me certainly raised my heart-rate, alone, in the dark, more than once...

Thanks Tinker. We'll give it a try and see what happens. Really, the bloke should just buy the game [gold edition] and give me back my disk! =)