ApexMods Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 SimHQ has a feature article on "Ten reasons why Ghost Recon is still the greatest tactical shooter ever!"... I am drunk right now. I am emotional. I love Ghost Recon! :'( Many many thanks to SimHQ's Magnum for this write-up! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammer Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Maybe someone should send the devs at UBI the link Not just the ease of modding, but the ease of mod adding and activation. With out having to unbundle stuff or edit XML files Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 That's a good write up, and I would like to see how that list could be expanded. Post up your own reason as to why YOU think Ghost Recon is still the best. Make sure you read Magnum's great article first though! Please post concise reasons and let's keep the chat down so we can see a nice list growing... Here's my first one... The Enemy AI The way they run for appropriate cover when underfire to this day is still convincing and personally I have not seen another game mimic it quite so well. Sometimes they will hide so well you have to keep your eye on more than one location to pick them off when they eventually break cover. It's very convincing and well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeealex Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 (edited) i'm beginning to think praise to the old game engineering might give UBI/RSE a kick up the backside instead of people shouting at them, and this is exactly the praise they need. My favorite part, was OSOK, one shot one kill. not one shot get behind cover and regenrate health. AND wounds were visible, they didn't disappear, unless you started a new mission, to which they were still wounded for another 3 missions AND LIMPING!!!!! and other movements like crawling (or whatever you want to call it. something you dont see added these days Edited May 26, 2011 by Zeealex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ApexMods Posted May 26, 2011 Author Share Posted May 26, 2011 You want more reasons? From the top of my (drunken) head... Realistic Backstory So ######ing realistic that it actually came to pass 7 years after Ghost Recon's release - the exact year the game predicted. Easy to Learn - Hard to Master Two advantages. Easy for new players, and increasingly hard (and thereby tactical) if you want to really beat the game. No ######ing Bullcrap No neon lights on soldiers' gear, no invisibility cloaks, no robotic legs, no x-ray vision. Just blood, sweat, and tears! First-Person View ONLY You know? Like the point of view every one of us uses all the ######ing time of our lives! Act Like a Fool - Die Like One Wanna run around like Rambo on a killing spree? Go ahead! Enjoy your two minutes of gameplay! Immersion, Immersion, Immersion... Did I Mention IMMERSION? Nothing else on your computer will ever make you jump out of your seat like this, promise! No Bunny Hopping Unlike most other virtual battlegrounds, Ghost Recon is not about rabbits. Wanna Drive Vehicles? Play a Racer! A handful of tip-of-the-spear SpecOps in max stealth deep behind enemy lines. Would they bring a ######ing tank? Medic? Suck it Up or Die, ######! You're not supposed to get shot at! Your mistake! Patience Required 2-hour realtime missions are an excellent console-kiddie repellent. Full-Auto is for Suppression, Kids 1,200 rounds per minute of 7.62mm from a man-portable gun aren't supposed to hit a dime-sized target a mile away. 12 Keys + Mouse = Perfect Control No need for for a quick reference or keyboard overlay. GR's controls are in your bloodstream in 10 seconds flat. Best Netcode EVAR 56K modem is all it takes. Ping 400? Not a problem! To be continued... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 Sober up first dude all those hashes are spoiling the quality Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krise madsen Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 I can't remember where I read it (some review, I think) but credit goes to whomever noted this: Send a squad across a stream and their trousers will get wet. In a ten year old game. How awesome is that?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BS PALADIN Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 This was only on the Xbox version of Ghost Recon as far as I remember but the dossier was years ahead of its time. Basically you were given 50 objectives ( ie complete mission 4 on Elite with only a sniper ) which unlocked various things in the game. Brilliant addition that added at least 20 hours to the campaign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OSO Posted May 26, 2011 Share Posted May 26, 2011 It's ironic how I was just chatting with Rocky about this very subject the other day. It's true that the gameplay is superb, but for me it was always about the ease of access to modding as my favorite aspect. The limitations (of the engine) taught me how to think outside of the box and learn more about the PC than any other game before or since. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
[30+]Retlaw Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 You guys are making me want to reinstall the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Operative Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 (edited) I shed a tear The GameCube version had some cinematic for pre-mission (how I wish someone could put them in the PC version!), but that's all about you could get from the consoles. Ghost Recon shine comes from the PC. Easy to mod (well, if UBI could help us supporting some freeware modeling tool, it would be even easier), easy to understand. It's possible to play in a reckless fashion, but the stealth aspect is really appealing. After completing the three campaigns, I started it all again, just to try to be stealth (I could finish the Mission 01 killing only who is supposed to be killed, with 5 AI teammates). Man, if your AI teammates are set to Recon, it's just, I have no words how to describe that, don't know, realistic (?) to see them move caustiously, using hand signals to issue orders (yeah, most people never saw those, I identified halt, advance, change direction), taking cover when they see hostiles. That's plain awesome and immersive. You know why most people don't like Ghost Recon? It's because the game awesomeness simply overheat their brains "Enemies spotted" ; "Taking cover!" Edited May 27, 2011 by Operative Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cpl Ledanek Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 6 DVDsssssssss of mods .... with the exception of Christmas Mod .... everything is tactical even the Monolith's Babes Retlaw' ]You guys are making me want to reinstall the game. Ban Hammer for uninstalling GR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrueGiga Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Clan Battles - Vs - Grudge Matches - Modding ( -Clan Battles- ) Years have passed by where a real clan war has yet to catch my eye and cause excitement. The games of today can’t compare how the Battles were won when playing on Ghost Recon. Remembering how our clan's "Because I had many" Would Practice 2 Hours a day? To beat the best and become the best. you don’t find that in the games that are out today because you can’t organize your members like you could back in the day. Most important they are made to RUN LIKE CHIKENS WITH HEADS CUT OFF Taking no skills to play the NOW Games.. ( -Vs- ) In Ghost Recon a -Vs- was always a fight between you and the other player taking tactical to the chest. Never having to worry that the other player had SUPER ARMOR on The –Vs- Came down to Who took the time to master all the Keys and how to attack the map in the right way. Using the map to your advantage for a Win. ( - Grudge Matches - ) The Ultimate Game experience came from knowing you were going to Fight a Rival player that knew his Game And you Both Wanted the Same MAP The Embassy! The whole Map is a Minefield of Corners, Gangways, Cars That with two skilled Players the Game Could become an EPIC BATTLE till the last round to Break the tie and Brag on your website to everyone how you won MR –AWESOME! ( - Modding- ) Yes a lot of us Modified games and know it takes time and a lot of learning. But one thing I must give RSE A lot of Credit for is they made Modding This Game Easy and fun to learn. I couldn’t imagine this Gaming having the life span it did without the modding community Smart move by RSE. I’m a TvT Player and that side of GR is what I enjoyed the most from the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CR6 Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Great article. Cheers to Magnum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
remix79 Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 Yes! Completely agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ApexMods Posted May 27, 2011 Author Share Posted May 27, 2011 Uhh... I posted this?!? Sorry about the drunken rant, folks. While the wording might be a tad off, the arguments stand! Want me to edit the censored stuff? Although it is somewhat of a rare 'treat' to see my unfiltered anger like this. I kinda like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 I shed a tear The GameCube version had some cinematic for pre-mission (how I wish someone could put them in the PC version!), Like This? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KRP 56 Posted May 27, 2011 Share Posted May 27, 2011 It is one of the few things that made being stuck in the house during the cold winter months a pure pleasure. Replayability is a top GR feature for me. I could play the same mission over and over using different tactics and it was a blast each time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
migryder Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Modding... I've only tried modding one other game with any earnestness and that was Delta Force:Black Hawk Down which had a nice easy map modding tool and relatively easy script writing, but lost interest fast...to this day I sometimes feel a pang to script a mission for GR...if it were not for IGOR I doubt I would have ever learned any modding...it and all you great modelers, artists, story tellers and so forth made me want to learn about these things myself. I think this about what I consider two of the best games ever - Ghost Recon and Half Life 2....wonderfully talented modding community! That makes the games greater and it was the greatness of the game that fostered that...so hats off to RSE for having - What It Takes! AI reaction indeed Rocky! I have spent "many many wonderful" hours testing parts of scripts and just marveling at times how the AI play this game! Sometimes they are even smart when you are invisible...and no, not in some uber way so much...but how they react to being fired upon...THEY WILL HUNT...how many AI have you seen in other games that can pull that off smartly??? if any spelling is incorrect I seem to have issues with ispell for some reason..undetected though I'm certain it was installed... mig Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Operative Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Like This? Those are nice, but I mean the RSE originals. I couldn't find it anymore, but it was either for the XBox or the GameCube, i'm sure. This is I've watched some DS cinematics too, couldn't find them. Will keep searching. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 Good Article, Reason`s a lot more than 10. It brought people together from all over the world. It gave laughter and some very happy hours to thousands of people My daughter could shoot me in the back when on the same side and I could not ground her It founded team play like no other This site is here and still talks about it It has taght people about creation, companionship, winning, losing, the list could go on and I expect will. The mantle for this game will continue maybe in another place but it will come to life again like before, this day I look forward to. Yes it is a great game. The game Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
101459 Posted May 31, 2011 Share Posted May 31, 2011 (edited) It's only my opinion, but I feel the over arching reason Ghost Recon is, and perhaps always will be 'The Greatest Tactical Shooter' is because it's such a 'High Concept' game design. By High concept I mean not merely something greater then the sum of individual (and appealing) parts and features, but that those parts and features that appeal to so many are the consequence of over arching design concepts that transcend 'let's have feature x'... From interviews, press releases, and reviews; it clear a good part of this is by design, but some some certainly may also by dint of luck -- by RSE just being there first with the ideas, the right influences and resources to make it all happen. But here's what I observe as some of the concept that contribute to making Ghost Recon unsurpassed: Design Over Execution Concept vs Content... Though every aspect of Ghost Recon features excellent execution, not only for it's time but to this day, the excellence and longevity of execution is I believe down to design that places ideas, and design concepts over execution. This can be seen in many aspects of Ghost Recon where design choices were made that may not have been popular or even common, but all serve over-arching form that follows function design goals in delivering a definitive Tactical Realism gaming experience. Since Ghost Recon it seems games merely deliver Tactical Realism features or what can be called a 'Tactical Realism Paint Job' even when referring game design and not just art assets... Military Professionalism Professionalism Over Personality... I believe that Military Professionalism at its best, not its worst, or even most typical is more appealing to the largest audience. Elite, disciplined, well-trained men; the heroic self-contained self-controlled Operator, or even the Professional Grunt that does his job like a Pro is what's portrayed in Ghost Recon. Contrast this concept with the exclusive and excluding emphasis we see in many newer games on: personality, persona, sub-culture, ethnicity, and even a state-of-mind. Not everyone wants to be portrayed as, ideated, or even pretend to be: an illiterate Redneck, someone troubled with their sexuality, spiteful of the Military organization they're serving in, as a racial or ethnic stereotype, or as someone with the wheels coming off their psyche under the pressure of combat. While we certainly do live in amidst issues of cultural and moral quandary in Civil and Miltary life and with respect to the use of Military force, I believe most Fans of Tactical Realism don't play games to be steeped in yet another dimension of moral ambiguity, the melodrama of marginal personalities, or to be immersed in some sort of dramatic emotional melt down... Neither does Ghost Recon portray the opposition as ridiculous cartoon caricatures of evil; you're pitted against well armed and trained military professionals that believe in their cause however misguided that may appear Inclusive No Man Left Out... Anyone interested in Tactical Realism, at any level, will find that Ghost Recon offers features and means to include them... Extensive Game-modes, mod support, environments, mission designs, player customization and configuration, and general game configuration capability; make for a game that exists and is seen in terms of it's possibilities rather then limitations. Consistency Congruence, Scale, Coherence... While time has certainly put the Ghost Recon under the microscope; everything in it looks like it was done by the same Artist, with the same paint brush or camera; not just the models and textures but the Music, the Foley, the atmosphere of the settings -- all have a coherence that even decades later is convincing and immersive. By contrast many modern games may have assets that while obviously impressivly rendered with the current state-of-the-art, suffer overall game quality in terms of being as seamless as what's portrayed Ghost Recon. The 'Sensory Fatigue' that simulator science has revealed may play a part in what makes the discontinuities in some of these games such stomach churning migrane material, and may also be what keeps Ghost Recon's experience on the level and helps sustain its appeal. I know these aren't 'reasons per se' that Ghost Recon sets such a high watermark, there are oodles of those and GRN is a gigantic dossier of evidence of just how many of those there are and the longevity they serve; but my impression is that it's ideas that by intention or chance that played the largest role in what makes Ghost Recon so appealing and has given it such impressive longevity. Edited June 3, 2011 by 101459 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROCO*AFZ* Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 TrueGiga Yeah the clan battles were fierce. TCZ was a rockin place for matching Back then there was CDN, SOTO, AFZ(our clan of course), XCAL, Phantom Force, BOTA, Clone, Core and many more. I can't remember Giga back then... did you play for another clan? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ApexMods Posted June 1, 2011 Author Share Posted June 1, 2011 Great contributions, folks! Meanwhile, the SimHQ article and it's feedback topic in the SimHQ forum have also been picked up elsewhere on the interwebs: Codemasters Operation Flashpoint: Red River Forums BlackFoot Studios Forum Nice to see how many people agree that Ghost Recon is still the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Parabellum Posted June 4, 2011 Share Posted June 4, 2011 Great article. I'm glad that the dumbing down of the series was mentioned. GRAW was bad enough. GRAW 2 was an abortion, and FS looks worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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