My long moan about Project Reality Options

[MonkeyFiend]

read this if you can be arsed, I only wrote this to justify my thoughts on PR, while waiting for a fat program to compile...

Basically I downloaded it again after briefly playing an older version. My first impressions are that it has quite a bit of potential. The new training servers were handy for getting me use to various kits/vehicles without people bitching and moaning or insiting they fly because it's their server etc.,

However I've found relatively few servers playing, a lot of the servers I've been on have featured people TK'ing for vehicles, abuse of assets, childish behaviour and racism (often with no kick vote or players that just dont care, lack of admin etc.,) and the impact of cheats which I've seen a few is greater than bf2.

Spending 20 minutes getting to a point only to have someone crash the server was not fun.

I've no issues with the new weapons and vehicles as such, to be honest I quite like them. However I did find the medic system unintuitive.

I base my opinions on a couple of games with some from R6, a few hours of random squads and probably about 20 hours of games with EB staff (who knew all the levels like the back of their hands)

I have to admit I like the teamwork elements, however I did find the spawn times excessive. While making assets like helicopters more valuable, the long spawn times mean you're often left waiting, especially when someone sharks an asset then totals it within 20 seconds. This would be avoided if everyone were truely working together, however this just doesn't happen on public servers; players work as squads because they have to, but not as a team as a whole.

Now I don't want jumping on rockets insta-respawn a la UT, however the pace of PR is too slow for my liking, even with rally points near the fight. In probably the 20-30 games I've played, regardless of being superior to the enemy or getting our asses kicked, I've never found the battles to be intense, more a series of disjointed skirmishes.

Now even after all of this I've still not given up on the game - perhaps it will grow on me, so I'll play some more of it.

However please don't dismiss my opinions as lacking in knowledge - although I don't have as many hours as some I would like to think my knowledge of games dating backs from wolfenstein3d, encompassing many strategic games (hell even a HNC in military tactics... don't ask ), 'realisitic' fps games like americas army etc., and a working knowledge of bf2 along with the hours I've put into PR would stand me in good stead to make comment. I know it's a different game and I have spent time learning it (ok I may not be a master of PR, but I at least know what's going on)

I've also found the 'community' of sorts to contain a high propertion of wankers - many people are just retards (tk'ers/general flamers), while others have the truly vile arrogant and aloof cliquey type mentality. Often people are quick to blame others or condescend for 'lack of game knowledge' - even on training servers. (although I have met quite a few cool individuals too) - impact of people TKing is also higher since you don't just respawn in 15 seconds back into the action.

I suspect this is inherant of the game type - making a more realitisitc more hardcore FPS attracts the more 'hardcore' crowd, who often think that by making the game more hardcore (complex/difficult etc.,)means they are possess 'skillz' etc., that players of other games couldn't possibly have, which makes them better than players of other games. There's a surprising number of PR players that have told me BF2 is for noobs. None of which have managed to justify this statement.

Overall, the game is good on a technical, reailistic levels.. however I've not found it particularily fun.

Now Flame away....

[MonkeyFiend]

yeah, I've long been in the market for a realistic yet fun modern era FPS.

BF2 was good, but its dated now, less players and has been ruined by the glitches, bugs and cheats. I would have preferred more realism than BF2, but as you say BF2 was the best game of its genre in its day..

L4D is a very different style of play, its not realistic but its fun. It satisfies my wants for teamwork but not realism. In the same way that playing GTA IV satisfies my urges to drive like Tess (e.g. at high speed and precariously)

What I need is someone to remake Joint Ops, but make it good

[MonkeyFiend]

have you looked at operation flashpoint 2? (i believe that was the name, never played the original and Sam was telling me about it)[

yep - I played the original op flashpoint - that game was realisitc assuming you believe all soldiers are veteran snipers (so many times I could make out a spec in the distance before said speck ripped me apart with rifle fire )

Nova (who made flashpoint and delta force (shit that that was)) also made Joint Ops later, this presented a balance of realism (better aim than BF2, lethal heli's) and mixed in some fun e.g. dirtbikes for transport capable of wheelies and road kills - not realistic but damn good fun. This game (while very very dated now) was great in its day. It also had flag by flag and co-op mission game modes which was nice. The AAS (flag by flag) was really good at concentrating battles in larger maps, while still allowing the freedom to roam (thereby negating nade spam of choke points).

It also featured 64v64 maps, even the attack heli's (think little birds from bf2) could carry troops, there was even a massive helicopeter that could transport troops and a jeep so the beginning of a game was truely epic - 128 people hurtling towards each other in choppers, tank, trucks, apcs, bikes, boats, quad-bikes etc., - think apocalypse now, ride of the valkyrie's (I believe they stopped these 128 players servers though)

The maps were also realatively open - so there was little point in nadespamming a locations, since people could make their way via several routes.

Co-incidentally the choppers were lethal, however the levels (set in jungles mostly) provided plenty of cover, you could get a squad approaching you and manage to hide in the bushes if you were quiet and lucky

As with all old games, support dropped (just before bf2 was released we'd been waiting for a patch for over a year, sound familiar?? ) and the cheats took over