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\\Niv's Multiplayer Ghost Recon Guide//
Copyright Niv.UKi 2005 (nivnivniv@hotmail.co.uk)
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, Red Storm Entertainment and UBi along with their
respective logos are all subject to copyright. For more info visit their
respective websites.
v 1.0
Contents
1. Intro
2. Game Info
3. General Tactics
A) Movement
B) Cornering
C) Shooting
D) Injury
E) Stealth
F) The Map
G) Teamwork
H) Misc. Tactics
4. Individual Game Tactics
A) Solo (LMS, Sharpshooter, HH, C&M)
B) Team (LMS, Siege, HH, CTF)
C) Co-op (Defending, Assassinating, Capturing, Storming, Demo Charges,
Vehicles, Extraction)
5. The Kit Types
A) Rifleman
B) Demolitions
C) Support
D) Sniper
6. Non-Primary Weapons
A) Grenades
B) Under-Barrel Granada Launchers
C) Binoculars
D) Sensors
E) Claymores
F) Rocket Launchers
G) Pistols
7. Hosting
8. Seraph.UKi's Guide to Players
9. Credits and Other Stuff
1. Introduction:
Firstly I need to point out that this is my first full FAQ. I have no
experience in this field as such so please bear with me. Any glaring errors you
find as well as any (helpful) info or feedback can be emailed to me at
nivnivniv@hotmail.co.uk (no spam). And remember that all spelling errors are
intentional. I have yet to see a comprehensive multiplayer guide to this game
(if you have made one then apologies but don't hide it so well next time). As
a result I have decided to share my hard earned knowledge with the Ghost Recon
community as a whole. A a side-note I don't proclaim to be the best, I never
have been and I am pretty sure I never will be the best at this game, though I
have bee playing long enough to teach some of you n00bs a thing or too. Also I
am British, and as a result everything is spelt the British (correct) way
Hence mum not mom and pavement not sidewalk etc. I could go on but will
refrain. So, on with the FAQ............
2. The Game and general info:
This game came out in 2001, and at the time of writing the third in the series
is coming into production (in theory at least) so don't expect the system
specs to be that high. An 800mhz processor (remember those?) and 128mb of ram
with a half-decent graphics card will play this game fine. Obviously with
hardware upgrades come improved performance/graphics etc. but you didn't need
me to tell you that. Despite being pretty aged this is still a tremendously
engaging game, and at higher res settings the graphics even stack up (roughly)
with some of the modern day games. And it still has game-play to die for. It
also has a brilliant multi-player mode, which is why I'm here. In these days of
broad-band internet (cable to you accross the pond) pretty much anyone can
host a server, which is what makes this game so accessible. You can host a
half-decent server with 8-10 people with a 512kbs (down) connection. In it's
online format 3 ways to kill people, and so play the game, are available:
SOLO:
This is your every man for himself sort of play, no teams and no Ai enemies.
More info. on tactics for the individual solo game types can be found later in
this faq.
TEAM:
This is the classic game in which 2-4 teams try to achieve their objective, be
it capture the base, grab the flag or plant the demo charge. The key thing is
that it is done as a team. Seperate tactics for game types later.
CO-OP:
You, and your team, against the computer Ai doing anything from assassinating
the warlord to demo-charging the HQ. You want lots of baddies? better make sure
the host computer has got a pretty good set-up RAM and CPU-wise and a good
internet connection otherwise it's lag-city out there. Tactics later.
GENERAL TACTICS:
This section is split into sections for various tactics not specific to any
particular game-type.
A) Movement:
(The art of wondering around the field not getting shot)
1. Thought crouching was something you only did offline? think again. Obviously
you are a smaller target but is also reduces the noise you make and it means
you don't come up on the map of a nearby enemy until you are closer to him
(assuming he doesn't see you first).
2. Running is a good way of getting around, you shift pretty fast. However it
is not all smiles. You run, you can be heard further away (see above) giving
the map-wise opponent your location before you have his which is generally
lethal. It also makes your reticule (rets/sights) very inaccurate, so you can't
hit sh*t more than 3 feet away. Only run and shoot round a corner where you
known there is a bad guy less than a few feet from the corner apex (the angle).
Also don't do it with a half-empty mag, that's pretty suicidal as you can
guarentee you will miss with most of your shots so you need as many as you can
get. More on cornering later.
3. Walking. Shooting is easier as your rets are more accurate and move faster,
you are quieter and you are less likely to go wondering past the alcove in the
wall the bad-guy with the sensor is sat in. Bad points? it's painfully slow
(annoying and most games are timed), it is very hard to shock and awe someone
while walking round a corner (more on that later) and you are a damn easy
target. Use your common sense regarding when to run and when to walk, but if
your aren't doing one or the other at all then get more sense.
4. Don't run accross the open field. This is called Rambo Running and works in
films, but not here (see below for when you can use the Rambo Run) Legging it
from the top of ghost-town to the hill in the middle may look cool, for the 3
seconds before you get sniped but do resist the urge. Move around the sides,
behind cars, around rocks, through bushes and stop regularly to check the
all-important map.
5. Run accross the open field. BUT only do it when you are 100% sure that you
are being covered, (so that means tell your team what you are doing). Be sure
no one is in a position to shoot you, and the potential gains of making it
accross the field outweigh the time lost skirting around the out-side. You can
shock and awe people pretty well using this method but only at certain times
(like when they aren't expecting it at the start of the game etc.).
6. Doors are a pain in the arse, the enemy can see you opening them from the
other side, and they know exactly Where and when your are going to come out.
When you press "space" to open that door don't be stood right in the middle of
it, you are a damn easy target. My preferred method of opening doors is with an
underslung grenade launcher (M203 for instance) because you can do it at a safe
distance, and have your gun out for when the smoke clears. It also kills
idiots that stand too close (including you). Another little know trick is that
when the door-opening timer (the circle that does round in the middle of the
screen) is going, you can also reload at the same time. This can be handy when
time is short but don't get caught with your pants down (mag down) as it were.
7. Cover comes in two types, soft and hard. Both can conceal you from the enemy
but only hard cover stops bullets. Hard cover includes walls, cars and rocks;
soft includes bushes, long grass and some dark windows, though most people tend
to shoot windows for fun so not advised. Remember that just because the enemy
can't shoot you behind hard cover, if they know you're there they can pin you
for as long as they like unless you can get out of there or they come and kill
you. Using soft cover is frequently lethal. If there is no suppressor on your
gun (silencer/SD+) then as soon as you pull that trigger anyone looking in your
general direction knows where you are and will fill your bush with bullets (not
as much fun as it sounds). Think about what sort of cover you are going to move
to before you move and if possible work out how you are going to get out of
there if you are under overwhelming fire.
8. Moving inside buildings can be fun, it can also be very lethal. There are a
number of methods to doing this when against Ai or human opponents. The most
common is open the door and throw a nade (grenade) in. Then run to check they
are all dead. Works well with Ai because they come running out for you to kill.
A wise human opponent however will know that you have thrown a grenade and are
trying to change your weapon, and will run out, murder you when you are
changing weapons and miss the bang altogether. For more info. on this sort of
thing see the cornering section.
9. Diagonal running is helpful. You run at the same speed but at a 45 degree
angle. If you adjust for this then with you can learn to have a 180 degree
field of vision while running (diagonal left then diagonal right then back
again) in one direction.
B) Cornering:
(How to run around a corner like a nutter and not die)
1. Know what you're up against, if there is someone just around the apex of the
corner do the running technique described below, if they are further away use
the leaning or shuffling tactic.
2. The running technique (my personal favourite). Requires a gun with full-auto
and balls the size of coconuts. ONLY USE THIS WHEN THERE IS SOMEONE JUST AROUND
THE CORNER, if they are more than a few feet away you are relying on luck. The
principle of this is easy, run diagonally towards the corner, looking at the
wall the corner is on (if the corner is to your right, hold down "W" and "A").
Keep running and just before you round the corner squeeze that trigger. Keep
running diagonally, not straight down the wall from the corner. This ends in
one of three ways, if you did it right (with a little luck) you killed whatever
was round the corner and you look really cool. If you mis-timed or mis-aimed
then you run outta ammo and you look like an idiot trying to reload in front of
3 snarling bad guys, and you get wasted. Thirdly if you are unlucky and your
enemy knows what your doing and shoots you first, you get shot before you kill
anyone. you die and look like an idiot. Remember to make sure you have a full
magazine when doing this and don't chicken out mid-run.
3. The leaning technique, yes that classic peek round the corner with the
leaning buttons. Not quite as spectacular as the previous method to say the
least but some might say a little more safe (or more sane). Simply approach the
corner, head up against the wall. Lying down is the usual position and lean
left/right and shoot what moves. If they know what you're doing you're buggered
and if they saw you do it once don't do it again in the same place because
they will be watching!
4. The shuffling technique starts like the previous one but instaed of peeking
you shuffle slowly arount the corner with your rets trained. When you shuffle
in front of anything nasty shoot it. Normally done standing up. This method is
the most common but beware, if your opponent employs one of the other two
methods you are normally dead before you know what happened.
5. All of the above put you in the firing line, which means you can die. Not
good. If you have nades by all means bounce then around the corner but be
careful. If an enemy is close and sees this they can run around the corner
while you still have you nade's out, and shoot you while they are out of the
nade blast.
6. Another useful move combines (2) and (5) and requires a barrel mounted 'nade
launcher (M203 etc.). It is near suicidal without practice but looks cool and
can work well. Simply approach the corner as in (2) but while you are still a
safe distance away fire a nade at the floor a few feet past the corner. As soon
as the nade goes bang run around the corner through the smoke and murder
the(shocked looking/running away) bad guys. Use full mag, and common sense.
C) Shooting:
(Getting the bits of metal from your gun into the bad guys)
1. Shooting isn't as easy as "point gun, pull trigger", that worked with the
musket but not here.
2. The most accurate your rets can be is when you are lying still. If you
crouch your accuracy drops, if you stand it drops further. If you walk it
drops, if you run you can't hit sh*t. If you turn it drops, if you turn fast
you can't see bugger all let alone shoot it.
3. Use common sense, if you know you are likely to be dead before you can lie
down, shoot from standing.
4. Be extra careful shooting when your allies are about, no one likes a TK
(Team Kill).
5. Keep reloaded. Running out of ammo mid-firefight is not fun. However beware
of reloading syndrome in which you reload after every shot/burst. Alot of
people die from this addiction. Also be careful with your ammo, it is rarely
infinite.
6. Holding your finger on the trigger full-auto may well be damn satisfying,
but you wont hit much if your gun is not that accurate. Equally Single shot
mode sometimes isn't enough (that's why they have 3-Shot burst).
7. KNOW YOUR WEAPON! I can't stress this enough (though I will try). If you are
intending to use it alot play with it alot, know how long a reload takes, how
the rets behave when you are moving/full-autoing etc. know how good the zoom is
and how likely you are to kill from your current range. Many a n00b with an
OICW has been battered by an old pro with nothing more than an AK47.
8. There are various parts of the body, and shooting people in different parts
has different effects. Be aware of these and shoot them where it hurts! In the
head is best, followed by the torso then the leg, finally the arm. This leads
nicely on to the next section...
D) Injury:
(Being a cripple)
1. Get shot in the head and 99.9% of the time you are dead. In all the time I
have played I have only seen two non-lethal head shots. If you are lucky enough
to survive though it wont matter much, because your aim is appalling as is
your movement and you will get shot pretty sharpish.
2. Being hit in the torso is often lethal, but as it's where most people aim it
can happen quite alot. Not to worry though because it makes very little
difference to your play, it makes you a little more vulnerable to further
injury (as do all injuries) and it slows down your running speed a little but
that's about all.
3. The most annoying place to be shot is in the legs. You can't run, you walk
slowly and look like an idiot to anyone watching you dragging your leg behind
you. The best thing to do is lie down if you get hit in the leg (although see
the lying bus tactic below) and play from there. If you need to move to a
better place (slowly) you may as well crouch as you will be moving just as fast
as being fully stood up. Don't even think about storming buildings or running
around corners because it's not worth it. IF you are miles from the action and
have spawns left suicide or asking someone to TK you is sometimes advisable to
get you back into the fight. Also note that if you fall off a high enough
ledge (about one player height) you can injure your legs which is very annoying
as you can't blame the enemy.
4. The arm is another annoying place to be shot, your movement is unaffected
but your rets move in slower so your aim suffers. This is annoying for those
reaction-speed moments because you have to wait for your rets longer than your
opponent. If you have an arm injury I would advise against building storming or
running around corners as with leg injuries.
5. Multiple injuries may look funny but they are damn annoying. If you've been
hit in both legs you can barely move, leg and an arm and you're virtually
useless. Unless you're in a good position already or you are on your last spawn
suicide or asking someone to TK you is normally wise.
E) Stealth:
(Moving around the field, not being shot at because they don't know you're
there)
1. If you want to be a stealthy player, practice. The Ai may not be that
life-like, but on elite recon mode offline it can be enough of a challenge,
particularly if you try it without shooting or only with a silenced pistol.
2. Soft cover as described above is your friend, if you goal is to move to a
better place not just to kill.
3. As in the movement section, stay crouched. You make less noise (which is
essential because noise=you on enemy map).
4. Take an SD+ weapon. This has more effects than you may think. It means that
the enemy can't identify your location with the red arrow that appears when you
fire at the bottom of the screen. It also means that when you are in your bush
or wherever you are hidden they can't see your muzzle flash and blow you away.
5. Stop and check that map regularly, the map will often pick up on things that
you wont (noise etc.) and stick some little red dots on your map. More on map
tactics in the map section.
6. Wookie outfits are more effective than you think. (By wookie outfits I mean
the ghillie suits worn by snipers). They help to break up your outline,
especially when hidden in a bush. Sadly you can only get them with sniper kits
which is a bummer.
7. Talking of outlines, notice that you normally wear camo roughly the same
colour as your surroundings. This helps you blend in with them, not the sky. As
a result don't go prancing along the top of a ridge, where you stand out
against the sky, you will get shot. Which is extra painful if you've just spent
7 minutes of a 10 minute game stealthing very carefully around a map.
F) The Map:
(Looking where you are going)
1. It's there for a reason, use it. Alot.
2. The "M" key is brilliant as you can move and look at your map at the same
time. If you use WASD for moving though it is a bit out of the way so re-map
it. ("G" is good if you don't have 8 inch fingers).
3. Some mods (notably the infamous and superb HX5 by Harntrox) have command map
grids. These are good as they allow you to relay the position of an enemy
using a grid-ref (saying "D-7" for instance rather than "by that building under
the tree next to the corner having a dump").
4. If you or someone on you team dies, look at the map if you can. The position
of their killer is sometimes relayed on the map for a short period of time if
there were close.
5. It is highly recommended that you map one of your hot-keys (0-9) to "MAP MAP
MAP" or something similar so that you can inform your team that you have
spotted someone on the map. This can save your team, which is handy really as
it's hard to win without them.
6. Map aiming is an underused tactic involving the map. Imagine the scene,
you're on a map with lots of soft cover/bushes etc. and you are under sporadic
fire. Hitting the deck you see a red dot on your map, oh good you think, I
know where he is. You let go of the map key and he is nowhere to be seen. Here
is the trick: hold down the map key while turning with the mouse and you will
see the little square on your symbol on the map move. Point this as accurately
as you can at the red dot and let go of the map-key. Look carefully without
moving you mouse and fill the bushes directly in front of you with bullets.
This is surprisingly effective at hitting a well hidden wookie (sniper).
G) Teamwork:
(Yea those other guys shooting the same direction as you)
1. There are three factors in deciding who wins a team match: Spawn location
(luck), Player skill (practice) and Teamwork (practice and restraint).
2. Spawn location is down to luck and a great player only becomes one with
practice, so that leaves teamwork as the one factor that you can change at
will. Beware it can work both for and against you.
3. If you have a clan that play together regularly, get a teamspeak server
running, so you can talk to each other without taking your hand off the
keyboard. If not, learn how to type quick and map your hotkeys with useful
stuff.
4. The "essential" hotkeys are "MAP", "Sensor Down" (if you use sensors), "MOVE
IN/ADVANCE" and "SORRY". The first two are obvious, the third allows you to
control the motion of all of your team if you have a view of their line of
advance. For instance if you are besieging a building and you have just nailed
the sniper in the window clearing the way to the door, bang this key so as not
to lose the element of surprise while typing. "SORRY" is an underused yet
essential hotkey, a TK is bad enough without someone not saying sorry. Not
great for team morale.
5. On the subject of team kills, even if someone doesn't say sorry, don't start
an argument or even worse shoot them back out of spite. This doesn't benefit
the team whatsoever!
6. If you are deep behind enemy lines you are in prime position to be shot by
the newbie player on your team shooting everything that moves on the enemy side
of the map. It is wise to type/hotkey "LOOK AT ME ON MAP" or something similar
so they don’t (or are a bit less likely to) shoot you during your Rambo Run to
the Flag.
7. Keep talking to your team, tell them what you are doing and when. If you
need help tell them, they just might. Also don't be afraid to help them out, it
can win the game for you.
8. Be aware that Ghost Recon is played the world over, and in many different
languages. Don't expect everyone to understand what you say (and try not to get
annoyed if they don't understand). Also of note is that most people speak
limited English (the Dutch speak better English than me) so this is the usual
form of communication on open servers, and most Americans don't bother to learn
much of another language anyway so this is for the best.
H) Other Random Tactics and Advice:
(That which fits in no other section)
1. Night vision, use it. Obviously use it at night but it can be used elsewhere
too. If you suspect and enemy to be somewhere on the horizon yet out of visual
range due to fog, flick on the night vis and you may see a silhouette of the
bad guys on the horizon. NOTE OF CAUTION: When doing this the IFF (names) of
your allies won't appear on the silhouette so be careful and check the map.
Another good place to use night vis in the infamous embassy garage. Do be
careful that you don't turn it on to go through the garage and forget to turn
it off before you go round the corner to the doorway. You will only see white
(green) and not the guy stood in the doorway waiting for you!
2. Your reticule (rets) work fine, however one problem you may come accross is
that the IFF turns the rets white when pointing it at your allies. This isn't
too different from the normal pale yellow and it can't be seen against a pale
background (like the sky). To change both ret colours first find the file
Options.XML in your ghost recon folder. (Back this up as you’ll be editing it)
and open it in notepad. Find 255, there
are three lines (one for red, one for green one for blue) for both the normal
rets and the IFF rets. Have a play around with the colour combinations (all 3
can go from 0 to 255, so 255,0,0 is plain red.) or alternatively have a
Google(C) for an RGB colour chart.
3. Remember the training thing you did before the single player campaign? The
first thing you did was lie down and shuffle under some barbed wire. Most GR
players seem to forget about this and assume that if your can't run through
something then it is impassable. This is not the case, for instance in the
Ghost Town map some of the huts allow you through an entry only while crouched,
and others while lying down. Do be careful doing this though, although you
maybe able to surprise your enemy by crawling under a log, you can only move
slowly. Slow-moving players are dead players if they are seen.
4. Talking of lying town many players use the tactic of lying down behind a
bus/train carriage and shooting under it. What most people forget however is
that this works the other way round. If you are having a bit of a fire-fight
and your opponent gets behind a bus, hit the deck. It is normally possible to
shoot him in the foot a few times. Shoot him enough times an he'll die, though
normally if you shoot someone in the leg they lie down straight away so you
can shoot him in the head when you see it.
5. By all means wit for someone to run round a corner and shoot them in the
back, not very honourable but safe and entertaining. However don't stand to
close to the corner, especially if you have a large gun. It will stick out and
although a gun cannot be shot, it gives away your position. Equally, if you are
running around and you think there may be bad guys about keep an eye out for a
stray gun-barrel poking round a corner.
6. The "B" key is brilliant, it tells you who's dead, how dead they are, who is
winning and who is injured. Shoot someone at long range but not sure if you
got them? Hit the B key, if a name just turned yellow you injured them. Also
keep an eye on the time remaining. If you got 12 more seconds to capture the
base, don't lie about on your arse.
7. Suppression fire works here as well as it does in real life. If you know
someone to be hiding behind a rock and you want them to stay there while your
team mate runs round the side of him, just shoot the rock and ground around it
every now and again. He'll keep his head down. Alternatively stop shooting and
wait for him to poke his head out, then nail him.
4. GAME SPECIFIC TACTICS:
Split into solo, team and coop sections, covers tactics for the more common
game types.
A) SOLO
Last Man Standing-
Or LMS, is pretty self explanatory. The last man standing wins. This shouldn't
be mistaken for sharpshooter, in which he who has the most kills wins
regardless of death, in this case individual kills only matter if there is more
than one person still standing at the end.
Tactics: Anything goes really but bear in mind that you do really need to be
alive at the end of it so always be aware how many spawns you have left and be
careful with the last one or two. A common tactic is to hide in a corner and
shoot whoever runs past (this is called camping), but the problem is then that
you only get a number of kills equal to however many people run past you when
you're lying there. At the other end of the spectrum you get the so-called
have-a-go-hero who will run around aimlessly firing full-auto at anything that
moves. Both this and camping yield similar chances of winning (though the
camper will be alive at the end, with not enough kills to win the game and the
HAGH will be dead 2 minutes in). Both styles yield alot of waiting around
(the HAGA after he is dead and the camper waiting for a target) so the trick is
to keep moving and keep yourself alert. Move around alot so no-one knows for
sure where you are but not so recklessly that you miss the camper off to your
left until it's too late.
Sharpshooter-
Often confused with LMS, the idea of this is to get the most kills, regardless
of whether you end up dead at the end.
Tactics: Basically the same above but there is less emphasis on staying alive
(but of course if you are dead 2 minutes in you will have 8 minutes in which
you can't kill anyone). The have-a-go-hero will fare slightly better in this
one but apart from that just treat it like LMS.
Hamburger Hill (HH)-
Every second you spend alive in the central zone, you gain one point. If there
is only one person left before time runs out they win automatically.
Tactics: There are a number of ways of playing this game, the main ones being
the timer and the killer. The timer player will spend a fair few seconds in the
smoke, usually up to about 30 so as not to risk being shot (when you are in the
smoke it changes colour on the map so everyone knows you're there). They then
proceed to camp out the smoke to prevent anyone from getting any score, then
staying alive long enough to win. This is better suited to the camper player.
The second method is the killer, who will try to kill everyone off before the
time is up, maybe wandering through the central zone now and again. They should
be aware of the map, it will tell you if someone is in the zone, a good place
to kill people. Also be aware of respawns. If there are 10x respawns in a 5
minute game, then this tactic won't work because you can't possibly have
everyone dead that quick. This strategy is better suited to the more mobile
players with big balls.
Cat and Mouse (C&M)-
I seem to spend most of my hosting life explaining how to play this so here we
go again. At the start the first player to make a kill, becomes the MOUSE.
This means everyone else is a CAT. The MOUSE will appear on the map and will be
on fire. He will also be equipped with a crap weapon (normally an MP5 SD+).
The MOUSE scores points for becoming the mouse (2 points) and killing CATS (5
points per kill). To become the MOUSE, a CAT must kill the MOUSE. When you are
a CAT, DO NOT KILL THE OTHER CATS, you will lose points. They don't come up as
allies on the map or on IFF (ret colour) but DON'T kill them. It is very
annoying and loses you points.
Tactics: Obviously kill the mouse. Simple really, he is the white dot on the
map, normally found hiding in a building (so grenade him). When you are become
the mouse you are invulnerable for 5 seconds, use this to kill everyone else
around you that was trying to kill the original mouse. Don't engage in long
range firefights with your crap gun and hiding in a room is advisable though be
careful of grenades. Another dirty tactic that you can use when you are the
cat is to gimp (shoot in the leg) the other cats. This is often frowned upon on
most servers (including mine) as it is not very fair and is very annoying for
the other cat.
B) TEAM
Last Man Standing (LMS)-
LMS, the same as the SOLO version, whichever team has men left standing at the
end wins. If more than one team have men left it is decided on who has the
most kills.
Tactics: However tempting it may seem DO NOT fire your gun into the air at the
start of a game (unless you are a redneck and you can't help it, in which case
you are forgiven). This gives your position to the enemy or at least your rough
direction (with the little red arrows at the bottom of the screen). This
applies to all TEAM games but this one in particular because the enemy don't
know your position to start with. Assuming your opponent/s don't give away
their position immediately then spread out. Send some people left and right,
some in the middle and some covering from longer range. Keep talking to each
other and if you think you know where the enemy is spawning, tell your team
mates straight away, it is an invaluable piece of info. Also of note (and this
applies to most TEAM games) is that once killed a player will often go right
back to where he died to try and find his killer. This has two effects: it
allows you to move around a bit and ambush him for an easy kill or two and it
also means that if you do the same you spend most of the game having a war of
attrition with just one or two members of the enemy team (this is a mixed
blessing).
Siege-
Attackers must get into the smoke zone and stay there for 5 seconds, the
defenders must stop them.
Tactics: Attackers have very little choice, just try and get to that smoke
(split up and attack through as many channels as possible at once for best
effect this requires communication). Stealth is great here too, as this is a
game that you can win without firing a shot which is more satisfying than you
might think. The defenders have the real choice here though. They can be
offensive (taking the attackers by surprise and turning the tables), though be
careful it only takes one stealthy attacker to slip through and you've lost.
They can mount a standard defence and keep guns trained at the access points
(sensors are a god-send here) but after a few kills the attackers will know
where you are and you may soon run out of hiding places. A third and underused
option is the sneaky approach. This involves hiding behind things, not moving
and not looking round. You then wait for an unsuspecting attacker to pass and
shoot him in the back, this works especially well away from you base where you
are least expected (though do move after a kill or two). Overall the best
defence strategy here is a shock and awe at the start taking the attackers by
surprise, then a quick withdrawal before the attackers can take advantage.
Leave a couple of sneaky people behind rocks/crates when you withdraw to harass
the attackers then mount a point-defence and counter-attack when you feel the
attackers are weak (after losing two or three people at once who still on their
way back to your base area).
Hamburger Hill (HH)-
Just like the SOLO version but with teams not individually (there's a surprise,
then).
Tactics: Again just like the SOLO version. Have a few people as killers to help
reduce enemy numbers (this is often sufficient, completely wiping the enemy
out is not always needed here), and a few people as time-players. When you have
a guy in the smoke it is often advisable to have a couple more cover him if
possible.
Capture the Flag (CTF)-
This isn't a standard issue game type with the game but it comes with alot of
mods and can also be had as a server-side mod so only the host needs to have it
installed. The aim is to get the enemy flag from their base, and return it to
yours. You are invulnerable for 10 seconds after capturing the flag, though you
can be shot after that. You can't shoot when carrying the flag. If you are
shot with it, you drop it. Another member of your team can pick it up and carry
on, or the enemy can reach it first which automatically returns it to their
base. If no-one has captured the enemy flag by the end of the game, the team
with the most kills wins. If you eliminate the other team before the time runs
out you win.
Tactics: Where to begin...... all of the above. This game has elements of
Siege, LMS and Hamburger Hill. I'll give you a few thinking points. If you
stealth to their base, how are you going to get out? (they know when you take
their flag) is you 10 seconds on invulnerability going to be enough? Is the man
with the flag being properly guarded when he gets it? If time is running out
have you got enough kills to win? Is your flag being guarded while you are off
killing and stealing flags? If you are the last guy left is it going to help
you capturing their flag? they know where you're going and you aren't armed. If
a guy got shot carrying the flag, is the guy who shot him waiting for you to
go and pick it up again? (a common and wise tactic). This is just a few things
to think about, but remember to communicate and make sure you can respond to
whatever the opposition do, be it attack, steal your flag or try to eliminate
you all.
C) CO-OP (Humans Vs. the Ai)
I won’t go into individual co-op game types here as they are many and varied
and almost all offline missions (including mod-missions) can be played
multiplayer online so there is an almost infinite number of things you could
do. Instead I will go over some of the common actions that occur during a COOP
match. An essential part of COOP is communication, so read that section above
as well.
DEFENDING an area is common. In most games the enemy will come in waves. The
trick here is to have every route into your base secure. You needn't worry so
much about moving after a kill, though if you are being shot at and you haven't
yet killed whoever is shooting at you move to another place, they will be
covering your last location. Also of note is that the Ai often won't notice
claymores, deploy these just outside the main entrance to your base at the
start of the game, and when there are plenty of bad guys there waiting to storm
the main entrance, make 'em go bang. Sensors are also very useful in
defending.
ASSASSINATING a leader can happen quite alot, either in particular game types
or as part of a mission. The trick to this depends on where the boss-man is. If
he is out in the open get a sniper to nail him from a range. However if he is
indoors, you have little choice but to storm the building as you would any
other.
CAPTURING people, be they hostages or enemy leaders can be hard. This is
because they are often in buildings, which you can't grenade as you will kill
the target, and they are usually surrounded by angry looking guys with AK47's
that you have to kill without shooting the hostage/boss. The trick here is to
take care, turn off full-auto and pick your shots. Stealth is also useful as
you can get into a position where you can see exactly who needs to die without
them shooting at you.
STORMING a building. Similar to in TEAM mode but can be easier or harder
depending on what you brought with you. If you have grenades this is very easy,
lob one into a room, sometimes the bad guys run out so you can gun them down
if not they die anyway. Be careful of large rooms in which the grenade blast
won't have reached one side where there may be an enemy. Use sensors to
determine exact numbers and if everyone in there is dead. If you haven't got
nades to storm a building, you're an idiot. You have 2 ways of clearing a room
now. Rambo style (don't do it with more than 2-3 bad guys in a room) or shuffle
style (hard because the Ai is normally looking at the door and will get you
first).
Placing a DEMO CHARGE, easy in theory, not in practise. The demo guy needs to
be escorted, and covered from range by a sniper if possible. He must be well
guarded while placing the charge because he has to put his gun away for a few
seconds. The problem is that the target is almost always well guarded, and you
need to fight your way in and hold off attacks while the charge is going in
then avoid dying on the way out (see extraction).
VEHICLES are unique to the COOP game. All a tank takes is a rocket and it's bye
bye tank. THIS IS NOT AS EASY AS IT SOUNDS. First you need to get into a
position where you can hit the tank, you need to be close because rockets
aren't that accurate. Don't shoot from a window because the rocket always hits
the wall next to you and kills you. Also note that tanks have guns too, big
ones. If they see you run very fast to the closest hard cover and wait for
someone else to deal with it. If you have the only rocket launcher get someone
else to distract it then shoot it when it turns round. Tanks also have machine
guns, these hurt. Thankfully they normally only face forward although some have
turret mounted ones. These are often more deadly than the big guns so watch
out. Smaller vehicles are easier to deal with, you can shoot the driver/tyres
to stop it, or you can hit it with a rocket. They often have people in/on the
back shooting at you but they can be shot easily enough. NOTE: Vehicles become
hard cover when you blow them up and can be handy (they are also hard cover
before you blow them up but be careful when hiding behind friendly tanks as
when they go bang so do you).
EXTRACTING is a requirement of alot of missions. It seems easy, run like idiots
towards the smoke. Don't, you will die and respawn on the other side of the
map and have to cross the map again while everyone else waits/dies. Move as a
group and make sure the smoke is clear, as is all the area around it. Check for
snipers watching the zone and always have someone looking backwards as you
often get chased to an extraction. Try and enter the smoke together, so no-one
is waiting in the open field to get shot while you all faf about like arses.
5. THE KIT TYPES
Choosing the right kit for the right job is essential. If you are playing team
or coop games your team may need a selection of kits. Also make sure to suit
your kit type to the map you are playing. Snipers aren't very useful on the
Training Map.
A) Rifleman
The rifleman is the bread-and-butter core part of a team. He leads the way,
does alot of the fighting and storming buildings and is the only team member
that carries sensors and under-barrel grenade launchers. As a rifleman you need
to be ready to do anything; have a long range firefight or storm a bunker,
place sensors well (more on that later) or use that ever-so-handy under-barrel
launcher you may have brought. The Rifleman is a jack-of-all-trades but master
of none so he can fill in the support role or that of a sniper but will never
be the best.
B) Demolitions
The Demo expert is the only guy with access to a range of goodies. He can take
rockets, always good for blowing up those damn Ai vehicles or clearing a
bunker (I use them for opening doors too). He can take claymores (more handy
than most people think) and kill people without looking at them. He can also
take demo charges which are essential for some coop missions (and even some
team games). Also of note is that if you are playing with no mods installed,
only the demo guy gets access to the SA80, generally considered one of the best
no-mods guns you can get.
C) Support
Just like it says on the tin. This guy is used to support the riflemen at the
front with some serious firepower. These guys take big guns that fire alot of
big bullets very quickly. Great for making a mess of large piles of Ai bad guys
or pinning a few enemies down in TEAM mode. They are also good at clearing
buildings because those big guns allow them to fill a room with bullets pretty
quickly and they often carry grenades too. A word of warning, support weapons
are banned on many servers because of the lag the high rates of fire create.
They are also fairly poor in TEAM games anyway because of the poor zoom and
crap accuracy over range.
D) Sniper
Generally over rated by newer players who use it because they think they are
real snipers and can't be arsed with running around, but in the right hands it
can work well. Obviously you need to be at a fair range to gain all the
advantages of a sniper rifle. At long range you can often kill an enemy before
they know you are there. Though do be wary because if they get in close enough
to see you in your wookie suit you are often dead pretty quick. A note about
the wookie suit (ghillie suit) is that it can actually work well if you are
careful about where you hide. Snipers are great use in COOP missions especially
for assassinating people and shooting sentries. Ensure that you are a good
shot before you choose a sniper kit, if you aren't you won't last long.
6. NON-MAIN WEAPONS
This covers things like binoculars and sensors, as well as pistols and rocket
launchers.
A) Grenades
Description: Lump of explosive stuff that is thrown. It's on a timer fuse so
you can bounce it off things. Kills things within about 3-5M, and can wound a
little further away.
Usage: One of the most common secondary weapons you will see. Great because
they can be thrown over things at hiding bad guys. They can also be bounced
round corners/through doorways which is invaluable in clearing buildings
safely. They blow up doors too. Be careful where you throw them and it is
normally wise to tell your team mates you are lobbing one into a room, before
they go running in and get blown to bits.
B) Under-Barrel Grenade Launchers (Underslungs)
Description: Launches point impact grenades that don't bounce, are fired from
gun and have a range of 200+ M if you fire them mortar style. Same kill-radius
as a normal grenade.
Usage: One of my personal favourites because they are very versatile. Can be
shot at the floor just beyond a corner/doorway to clear the corner/room (be
careful doing this, don't stand too close). Also great for opening doors, it
kills everything around the door, is very accurate at closer ranges and you can
switch instantly back to your primary weapon. With some practice with your
chosen launcher you can learn to be very accurate at using the launcher like a
mortar to fire over things blind, or through a door at 100M which can be handy.
To get good at mortaring, you need to be aware of ranges. Luckily, ranges can
be found using your.....
C) Binoculars
Description: Allow you to zoom in and give you range to whatever you're looking
at. Not a piece of kit as anyone can use them and they don't need to be
equipped.
Usage: Press "L" to switch to and from binoculars (most people don't know this
because most people don't use them at all). They are an underused piece of kit.
They are essential when "mortaring" with a grenade launcher as described above.
If your gun has a poor zoom they can be used to scout out dodgy looking bushes
at a distance (arguably the most useful application of them). Snipers often use
them after making a long range kill to see how far away a kill was, and then
brag about it later.
D) Sensors
Description: Placed on floor, appear as little black box. Allow your team to
see any enemy coming close to where it was placed. Can be destroyed with
explosives or shot.
Usage: Very handy for locating those hard-to-find snipers. Also of great use in
smaller maps/buildings for seeing who's inside or if anyone is coming towards
you. Tend to be less useful on large open maps as the range of them is limited.
Be careful where you lay them because if you leave them sticking out in the
middle of an alley, they will be seen and destroyed rendering you blind so hide
them a bit. They work well combined with...
E) Claymores
Description: Placed like a sensor can them remotely detonated by wire (press
the fire button again). Make a big bang (larger than a grenade, will kill
anything 5-8M away) but can be seen/removed like a sensor by the enemy.
Usage: Another underused item. Combined with a sensor you can watch an
entrance, and kill anything that comes through it without being there at all!
Careful where you put it though as you don't want it to blow the sensor
up. Also of use in games where you are trying to deny your enemy a smoke zone
(in siege or HH for instance) as they can be placed in the smoke (most people
won't look at the smoke that much) and detonated when you see the enemies score
start to rise (very handy as you can be on the other side of the map). More
mundane uses include opening multiple doors in a room (big bang and done from
safe distance) and placing by a gateway for easy clearing before you leave
through it.
F) Rocket Launchers
Description: Tube that fires lumps of explosive stuff. Won't let you fire until
the rets are quite well closed but not very accurate even then. Has a
claymore-sized kill radius (5-8M) and is the only thing that can take out a
tank.
Usage: Obviously used for blowing up vehicles. Can be used at long range to
clear a bunker if shot through a window. Great door opener because of the huge
blast-radius and accuracy (though make sure you are quite a long way away when
you do this). Can be used for anything you might use an under-barrel launcher
for except mortaring as the trajectory is too flat.
Warning: Missiles leave a smoke trail so for a few seconds everyone knows where
you are.
Warning: Don't fire it through a window/door you are standing next to because
it always hits the window/door frame and kills you.
Warning: Kneel down to fire them. You can't lie down with them and they are
very inaccurate stood up.
G) Pistols
Description: The classic side-arm. Small semi-automatic gun shoots large
bullets slowly and isn't very lethal.
Usage: This should be used in only three circumstances:
1) You have run out of ammo for your main gun. Be careful as the range/zoom is
non-existent usually and go for the head as anywhere else isn't lethal enough.
2) You have an unsilenced gun and need to make a silent kill with an SD+
pistol. Get as close as possible without being seen and go for the head. If you
get shot at change guns straight away, you are no longer stealthy and you can't
win a firefight with a pistol.
3) You are playing a pistols-only match. Great fun but still pick your shots
and go for the head (or body if you have to shoot at longer ranges).
7. HOSTING
This is not as simple as it may seem, particularly on a public server. Alot of
thought/work is required to make a good successful server that people keep
coming back to.
1. Be fair. Don't kick people off without a reason, and certainly don't do it
just because you think they are better than you (unless of course it is a n00b
server). A fair host is a good host.
2. Listen to what people want. If everyone wants to play ghost town but you
don't, go on obs and eat a sandwich while they play for a game, you probably
need a rest anyway and it'll keep people on your server.
3. If you think someone is cheating go on obs and watch for the signs (this
takes practice). Don't boot them if you aren't sure, check. If you need to take
replays, and remember they are ruining the game for everyone else on your
server. There are programs out there that are designed to stop
cheaters/hackers, if you think you are attracting too many of these
undesirables then install one.
4. Although what you play is of course up to you and your players, throwing in
a light-hearted fun game of pistols only or something every now and again is
always fun to keep people happy. Don't do this too often mind, as people may
take your server for a joke and move on.
5. Set your maximum limit to something reasonable. If you have a 256Kbps
connection, don't set the maximum to 36 players. It will lag and crash well
before that point.
6. Nothing empties a server like bad lag. Remember the host wont experience lag
so you have to rely on the players to tell you. If you are lagging badly, turn
off explosives and make sure people aren't using support weapons. Reduce your
server numbers as a last resort, no-one likes to be booted for having a crap
connection.
7. Take a break now and again, hosting can be hard work. Go on obs every now
and again, or get a clan mate to run the server for a game or two (turn on
remote hosting to do this).
8. Serverside mods are great. Download as many cool maps and interesting
gametypes as you can, there are some great ones out there and they keep the
games interesting.
9. REMEMBER: Hosting can be more fun and rewarding than joining someone else’s
server, but this is only the case when the people on your server are having fun
too.
8. SERAPH.UKi's GUIDE TO PLAYERS
There are five kinds of people that play Ghost Recon, which one are you?
-- The Newbie - Commonly known as a 'noob' these players are not familiar, or
simply downright ignorant, in how GR is supposed to be played. This results in
mindless wandering across maps, often in the opposite direction to the action.
This means that they are often the last people on the team standing, which is
especially annoying to dead team mates, who are forced to watch as the other
team strolls away with the flag or sits in the smoke, while the noob is often
wandering staring at scenery, or wondering just where the hell everyone is.
Other symptoms may include camping in stupid places, because 'just like a real
sniper, if they stay very still, no one will shoot at them', or because they
believe respect will be earned by being the last alive. Noobs will eventually
evolve to be addicts too, in many cases, will also turn out to be pretty good.
Weapon of choice: OICW/GL or MMI, as they can get kills with things that go
bang. Many noobs get kicked for using support or MMI.
-- The Common Camper - Very annoying, especially to those who have the guts to
go out and fight. The camper can be found guarding the base, or lying (in
rare cases 'glitching') in vantage points with good views over the battlefield.
They must not be complicated with noobs, as they do actually have some kind of a
plan, and some can be pretty good. Notably, this is often a good strategy for
'siege' based games, but is only recommended when a position which is difficult
to shoot at is found. Campers often last longer than the average
'have-a-go-hero', but once they are killed, will usually get spawn-raped, as
they cannot find another position quick enough.
Weapon of choice: SVD or OICW.
-- The Serial Rapist - Most will agree, these guys are annoying as hell. They
spend the game creeping around the sides of the map, hoping to avoid detection
and reach the opposite team's spawn. Once the position is obtained, they will
evolve into campers and resume to rape any enemies that respawn. These players
can be combated by introducing respawn times, which is bloody annoying if you
are a rapist. Players will argue that rape is ruining the game, although many
will agree that rape is all part of the game, and protecting your spawn is key.
-- Have a go Hero - These players are basically noobs with some idea of the
game and how it is supposed to be played. Yet, they insist on putting
themselves in stupid and dangerous situations, like running around corners that
are clearly hot on the map, pumping full auto as they run. In most cases, this
will not pay off, and they become mercilessly slaughtered mid-run. However, a
healthy balance between have-a-go and pro can make them pay off regularly.
Weapon of choice: Anything with full auto (SA80). These players are often found
dead after a few minutes play... and wonder why.
-- The Pro - Stone cold killing machines at the top of their game. Merciless in
their game-play, these players are old-skool. They know all the good places,
and can plan exactly where the enemy will appear. Often, they are a cool blend
of all the above, making them a force to reckon with. These players have been
playing since you were in nappies (diapers), and can read your mind through
your computer. They are often found with 3-4 letter tags on their names, which
the noob will not have.
Weapon of choice: Anything goes.
By Seraph.UKi
9. Credits
With thanks to the UKi clan (visit www.teamuki.tk for more info) in particular
Seraph.UKi for help and advice with the FAQ.
Thanks to Redstorm Entertainment and UBi for making such a great game.
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon, Red Storm Entertainment and UBi along with their
respective logos are all subject to copyright. For more info visit their
respective websites.
Any helpful comments/questions not covered by the FAQ send to
nivnivniv@hotmail.co.uk
I am no modder so don't ask me modding questions, there are plenty of forums
around to do that.
At some point I hope to add a dedicated sniper section too so check back some
time.
FAQ by Niv.UKi 18/07/2005