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Taking down the cartel - playstyles?

Posted By: Lord Flashheart

Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/03/17 09:16 AM

About 6-7 provinces in, have now setting into a good rhythm for taking down the cartel

I'm taking provinces in difficulty order and rotating between the functions (security, smuggling)

First job on entering a new province - Intel! Intel !Intel! Find major story intel + intel on weapons, skills and rebel ops.

Then a plot a path to scoop up as many weapon parts, skills and Kingslayer files in as an efficient way as possible.

Lowest priority - the steal a plane missions as the horrendous controls means I complete only about 1 in 4 of these. Stop the convoy also I tend to ignore as not too difficult using an armed Littlebird - but I do end up losing it in the process...

Then - having scooped up as many upgrades as possible tackle the main story missions. Hard/difficult targets I may come back at night and try and do stealthy, but Im finding I'm getting increasingly aggressive and wiling to take on bad guys frontally.

For 'hold this position/defence the radio' type missions I'll prep likely approach routes with mines and C4 before calling in extra troops from the rebels.

DAy ops - MSR + MK17 and 5.7 suppressed
Night ops - Mk17 & Mp7
Breaching kit - SAIGA-12 & Mp7
Anti air - MGS121

Not sure if it is a placebo or not, but it 'feels' like the enemy cone of awareness is reduced in heavy rain/storms which is neat.

Latest patch gives you the option to turn off the radios (hurrah) - but I've left them on, since as you take down key members of the cartel there will be references to narcos getting kidnapped by what they think are rival factions, etc - which helps explain why you as a deniable asset haven't got 24/7 Predator UAV support, Cross-Cams and visual invisible cloaking gear from previous GR .


Pet peeves:

No AI team customisation
Chopper/plane controls (arragh)
Escort missions (why can't I knock El Pulpo out and put him in my car/chopper?)
QRF (Quick Reaction Force). Obviously understand why from a gameplay standpoint they teleport in almost instantly when alarm is raised - but that can ruin careful overwatch planning. Far better perhaps might be for the game to figure out likely bases/hideouts where they might come from, then calculate arrival times based on that (maybe lightly armed pair of sicarios are nearby and respond quicker - before the full QRF and chopper turn up). That at least would give you a window to break contact and run before the bad guys arrive.
On similar point smoke grenades?
Rocket launchers/RPGs would seem
Although there are more rebel patrols once you start reducing cartel influence, and the radio makes mention of your actions as you progress, would have been cool if your priorities (smuggling/security/influence/production) had some effect of the world. Eg prioritise taking down security - bases become more lightly guarded (or alternatively foreign mercs get called in). If snuggling is hit, then maybe convoys get bigger etc.


Anyway - enjoying my holiday with guns in Bolivia. How is everyone else taking down Santa Blanca?
Posted By: Jedi Master

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/03/17 02:57 PM

I've been able to land the planes and evade SAMs pretty reliably now.

However, flying those helos is like some kind of abomination got into the FBW and warped the fabric of reality itself. I thought Arma helo controls could be annoying until I flew in GRW. It's the worst I've seen since the Desert Combat mod for BF42!



The Jedi Master
Posted By: Sethos88

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/03/17 06:07 PM

I'm on my third character now, going through on extreme mode. Just hit level 30 on that one too.

I just take whatever area is closest to the one I've just finished, then I slowly just make my way around the map, pick up whatever's close; Intel, side-missions, main-missions etc. and then empty out the map and then move on.

Always carrying my HTI on the back. It one-shots vehicles and helicopters, plus it's a beast of a sniper. This thing makes you able to withstand a full-on Unidad assault, just blowing helicopters out of the sky left and right. My primary weapon is either the SR3M or the Vector, both fantastic weapons.

Though I have reached a point where I find the game a bit easy. Hopefully Ubisoft will be introducing another difficulty level or properly integrate the "No HUD" options, so you can still sync-shot, as that's pretty crucial in many missions.

While I agree the helicopter controls are odd, I do actually find them fun once you understand them. The initial forced hover mode is silly and the lack of rudder control can be hell, but once you're in full speed mode and can race under bridges and fly over the heads of SBs, then it becomes very addictive.
Posted By: Raw Kryptonite

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/03/17 06:18 PM

My favorite way thing is quietly running a mission in a base. Either using take downs to grab the guards in the way and walking them off to knock them out or taking them out at the right time. Shoot the antenna, set C4 on the generator, jammer, portable generators, vehicles...anything loud. Go in, interrogate or grab the intel. The role playing is in calling in a rebel diversion just before blowing the C4. Playing along with the storyline, it lets the rebels take credit and we slip out quietly unseen in the other direction while everything is going off behind us.

I went out and found the weapons I wanted, then I'm working the zones from low to high. About to finish up the influence areas, then I'll go to the next subject in the next difficulty level up.
Normally I've got the MP5, sometimes P90, but the MP5 is quiet and gets the job done.
TAR21 with grenade launcher if it's going to get loud.
SRSA1 sniper normally, since it's quiet, HT1 when the shots are really long or I need to punch through cover or vehicles.
Choppers I usually take out with the drone on explosive or EMP. Grenade launcher if I need to.

I'm fine with the flying now, but it really is sloppy that you have to be far into the game before you get that way.
In general, the AI is pretty good, but with some weird and glaring exceptions. Why are the other team members invisible to the enemy until they fire? It's weird. Like this screenshot, it's night, but could've just as easily been in the day. Walking right by them.

[Linked Image]

Otherwise, what I'd like to see added to the next game is the use of some safe houses and camps. Like in FC2, you could capture a hut from the enemy and use it for weapon crates, grab a vehicle, there was a cot so you could pass the time...and you had a WATCH and could simply wait if you didn't want to sleep. Let us capture little huts around the map to set up for ammo, food, water, meds DROPS. Add a health system using meds and quick first aid like in Far Cry instead of the timer. Get rid of the ammo crates everywhere, let us carry what we need from our bases. Make the backpacks functional for carrying extra, let us drop it to come back to it later. Give us some basic camping equipment in there too, as a portable temp camp for using meds, eating/drink, sleep, maintain weapons. I don't want to be handicapped for not keeping up with these things, I want bonuses for playing along. I don't want anything like Day Z and those games, I don't want inventory management to be such a pain, just make use of the backpacks. Let us have a campfire if we set up in a safe enough area or risk being raided over night if it isn't safe. More bonuses for being able to eat hot food and sleep warmer. That would change being on the run tremendously. Obviously, let us wait/sleep to time our missions for day or night.
The rebels set them up, why not us?

[Linked Image]

One more thing: put a gps in the vehicles so we can have directions where we want to go. That's all I want the minimap for, but I don't have the option to turn it off when on foot and to turn off the enemy blooms on it. I can't help but use them with them showing.

The good news: Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 adds some of these things, like having bases to set up with a workbench etc.
Posted By: Raw Kryptonite

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/03/17 06:29 PM

On Sniper GW3, it adds some interesting things to basically a solo 1st person version of GRW:

Posted By: Jedi Master

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/03/17 07:31 PM

Originally Posted by Sethos88


While I agree the helicopter controls are odd, I do actually find them fun once you understand them. The initial forced hover mode is silly and the lack of rudder control can be hell, but once you're in full speed mode and can race under bridges and fly over the heads of SBs, then it becomes very addictive.



I do not see how that is possible. Either I am drifting along at walking pace, or the helo dives to the ground. Or I can make it just plummet to the ground or go straight up. I cannot make it go forward quickly. I cannot make it climb while going forward, because pressing forward + climb = dive??!?!? eek



The Jedi Master
Posted By: Sethos88

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/03/17 08:35 PM

Originally Posted by Jedi Master
Originally Posted by Sethos88


While I agree the helicopter controls are odd, I do actually find them fun once you understand them. The initial forced hover mode is silly and the lack of rudder control can be hell, but once you're in full speed mode and can race under bridges and fly over the heads of SBs, then it becomes very addictive.



I do not see how that is possible. Either I am drifting along at walking pace, or the helo dives to the ground. Or I can make it just plummet to the ground or go straight up. I cannot make it go forward quickly. I cannot make it climb while going forward, because pressing forward + climb = dive??!?!? eek



The Jedi Master


They are very peculiar, to say the least. Don't think of them as ordinary helicopter controls, then you'll have a bad time. You work in two modes; Hover and forward / flight mode. As you take off, you're in hover mode, that's when it's very controllable and swings about easily, plus it snails around. If you keep holding down the power button and you push it forward, it slowly moves into flight mode. Then your power / throttle button becomes the primary forward momentum -- Not the act of pointing the helicopter down. Then nose direction becomes your movement direction.

The second you let go of the throttle or hit the brake button, it quickly transitions back into hover mode. So keep holding down the throttle button.


Just made a quick and dirty flight, to show it's very possible to get some speed going. Once you've mastered them it becomes great fun.



Posted By: Jedi Master

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/04/17 12:51 PM

So basically once you start moving fast there's no slowing down or holding speed, only speeding up, unless you want to come to a stop?

The airplane controls are touchy but work as expected. NO ONE has made a helo fly like this before, not even Ubi itself flying the gyrocopters in Far Cry 4 (which were very intuitive and fun).

Why didn't they just copy that instead of trying to reinvent the wheel? I really hope whoever came up with this idea got fired.





The Jedi Master
Posted By: Bill_Grant

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/04/17 01:37 PM

Originally Posted by Jedi Master
NO ONE has made a helo fly like this before, not even Ubi itself flying the gyrocopters in Far Cry 4 (which were very intuitive and fun).

Why didn't they just copy that instead of trying to reinvent the wheel? I really hope whoever came up with this idea got fired.


The Jedi Master


Yes! Conkris and I said that very thing... did they not play their own game before this?

And another gripe is why oh why do they always have to make the UI so difficult to use and counter intuitive? (Looking at you RB6!)
Everytime they try to reinvent the experience, making it more difficult then before. (Seriously, SHIFT-F2 to join a game?)
Although I have to say the UI for GRW seems to work pretty good!
Posted By: Jedi Master

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/04/17 06:46 PM

I've had a thought...has anyone tried using a gamepad with the helos? I wonder if they set them up to work with the XB/PS gamepads and never paid a 2nd thought to how it flew with kb/mouse.



The Jedi Master
Posted By: wormfood

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/04/17 07:30 PM

Originally Posted by Jedi Master
I've had a thought...has anyone tried using a gamepad with the helos? I wonder if they set them up to work with the XB/PS gamepads and never paid a 2nd thought to how it flew with kb/mouse.



The Jedi Master

Yes, it's the only way I control any vehicles in that game. Works much better than a mouse and keyboard. The aircraft still don't have a yaw, and the helos don't fly like helos, but it's at least controllable.
Posted By: Raw Kryptonite

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/04/17 07:58 PM

I play the whole game with either a 360 or X1 controller. Trying to fly with a keyboard is like trying to type with a flight stick. LOL
Posted By: Jedi Master

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/05/17 02:34 PM

I did it for years, starting with Gunship and F-19. smile I'm actually pretty decent using it in Arma/OFP, BF, and even the planes in GRW. I've even flown entire mission in SF2 using kb/mouse when I didn't want to bother hooking up my HOTAS and I was just testing some things out. biggrin

I guess I'll hook up my gamepad tonight (collecting dust in a cabinet since I finished Lego Indiana Jones, the last game I played on PC that NEEDED it because the kb controls made no sense) and see how that works out. Maybe I will be able to use the helo offensively finally.



The Jedi Master
Posted By: Raw Kryptonite

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/05/17 04:54 PM

It will still suck, but you can get used to it.
Posted By: wormfood

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/05/17 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by Jedi Master
Maybe I will be able to use the helo offensively finally.



The Jedi Master


Maybe if you're in a cobra an have a gunner. Otherwise it's a quick easy way to get across the map. I don't thing I've ever hit a single thing with the pilots guns or rockets on any of the helos.
Posted By: Jedi Master

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/06/17 01:27 PM

Well, I spent a good 30 minutes last night flying around. No Cobras, but plenty of Little Birds and Black Hawks. Definitely easier to control. I even flew an LB thru Unidad territory multiple times and evaded a good 10 missiles. I did finally get hit by one, but by then I was less than half a click to my destination so it was fine.
Helps that you usually will survive the crash. smile



The Jedi Master
Posted By: Bill_Grant

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/07/17 03:41 PM

Deacon, Conkris and I were terrorizing the Cartel last night.

Conky can put the helicopter where ever we need it. He has got it down. Also helps that he can call one up anytime. "He knows a guy..."

Deacon gives you the aw shucks ok I'll fly routine on the planes. But wowsers can he stick the landing! Coming in hot, to the 4 o'clock, and on a mountain top. Bam! 2500 XP points in the bag.

I am meh at best. I did the driving, and was doing well until the other two backseaters started yelling about wrong turn wrong way blah blah blah.
So I took the 3 cyl Mommy Wagon off road a bit. Made it most of the way there. The creek crossing into a boulder move didn't help the resale value, according to Backseater #2; Deacon. wink

The game changes dynamics with 3 people. Lots more 'aim for the head... fire' routines. And when my guy starts yelling "S**tballs!" it is not that bad.

Did have an issue with training Deacon to realize that incoming fire is to be avoided, and has the right-of-way. ar15
Posted By: Bill_Grant

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/07/17 03:45 PM

Flashheart, the game changes with 3 people, in that the 3rd can pull Overwatch and really support the other two from the higher ground.

We were very effective against the Uni's this way. And when it went pear-shaped we were able to deal with the mission and the reinforcements at the same time.
Although our exfil was a RACE to the waiting helicopter. Note to self. Before doing the 3 Stooges routine, decide who is going to fly ahead of time. Hahha.
Posted By: Jedi Master

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/07/17 07:26 PM

I've gotten pretty adept at the power slide for those 135+ degree turns at speed. I've also done a pretty good job driving Ford Excursions on dirt paths 3ft wide on the sides of mountains. Only occasionally do we have to bail and watch it careen down the side of the canyon. smile

Since I reversed the pitch controls on the planes I can also fly it very unrealistically and dodge SAMs with -4g pushovers and then land it in about 2 plane lengths. Before that, I crashed just trying to fly level over the water. biggrin

Helos I'm still learning, but it's 100% better with the Logi dual gamepad I've got.



The Jedi Master
Posted By: Raw Kryptonite

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/07/17 09:03 PM

That's great, you'll enjoy the game a lot more now.
Posted By: Lord Flashheart

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/08/17 11:22 AM

I'm getting a little better at the chopper now. Having done the province with the 'disappeared' I realised I'd missed a tasty-looking sniper rifle in the base in the canyon. Having done a night infiltration mission before quietly and stealthily and taking bloody ages, this time I thought sod it, took a Littlebird in daylight, and landed on the roof of the armoury with the weapon case.

Chaos obviously ensued but managed to hop out, grab weapon and jump back in the chopper (which somehow had fallen off the roof at a 45deg angle) and take off again in around 10 seconds flat. Fun!

I'm on M/K here for controls so still don't get the forward/hover modes of the heli. Sometimes I release pitch (W) and it goes into 'high-speed' mode - other times it just rears up. Its an abomination.
Posted By: Jedi Master

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/10/17 03:11 PM

I've been doing all the intel raids I can to find out where everything is in every province so as not to miss any good guns or other upgrade-worthy items.



The Jedi Master
Posted By: Sethos88

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/10/17 08:27 PM

Anyone else been going a little overboard? :P

[Linked Image]
Posted By: Raw Kryptonite

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/10/17 11:54 PM

Tom Clancy's Ghost ReconĀ® Wildlands
24.1 hrs last two weeks / 94 hrs on record

It's been YEARS since I've put time anything like this in a game. Maybe my Assassins Creed addiction, but still.
If Sniper Ghost Warrior 3 is as good, I'll be set for shooters for a few years. LOL
Posted By: PanzerMeyer

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/11/17 11:33 AM

I have over 2,000 hours each in both TW: Attila and TW: Rome 2. biggrin
Posted By: Bahger

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/18/17 06:11 AM

Noob q: what is it that drives up the anti-cartel (smuggling/security/influence/production, as I understand this) percentage value for the individual regions? Is it as crude as stopping at every enemy roadside encampment and killing everyone, or is it to do with taking a bunch of enemy bases, killing everyone and blowing stuff up, like AD systems, antennae, etc.? I've just done all the story missions and a lot of the side missions in one particular region but my "Influence" percentage is at 24%, so I must be missing something. In a related question, I am not sure what to do with "discovered" cartel safe houses, etc. that do not appear to be locations for story or side missions. I know these are very basic questions but my excuse is that I've been AFK for almost three weeks, having played the game for about five days after release. Thanks, gents!
Posted By: Lord Flashheart

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/18/17 09:13 AM

Quote
what is it that drives up the anti-cartel (smuggling/security/influence/production, as I understand this) percentage value for the individual regions


Could be wrong here - but I always thought it was a global (ie entire Bolivia) % that was calculated. (so if you take down 2 x security regions than it will show cartel security decreased by X%.

On the undiscovered safe houses I think most are there just to fill out the terrain/map, others might be outposts with a helicopter worth nicking, or some might be for weapon parts/skills that you haven't accessed yet. Quite possible that future DLCs or the PvP MP might use them as well.
Posted By: Raw Kryptonite

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/21/17 02:14 PM

Posted in the screenshot forum, but figured it's appropriate here too. Really liked this mission set so I went back to cap it. Details in my GR thread in the screenshot forum.
This is pretty much how I like to play the game solo. If I need a vehicle, I go get one. That's the next mission. I avoid spawning in a truck or chopper from rebel support and I don't carjack civilians driving by. It slows the game down significantly, but makes it a lot more fun. I also kind of role play it, often calling in rebels to take credit for the hit and blowing up anything of value. Just adds to the tension some.

Posted By: Bahger

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/21/17 05:03 PM

RK, how do you replay a mission? Solo-ing it in coop? I actually like working with the AI (I find there to be a way you can adapt to them and use them with reasonable tactical verisimilitude) so I'm also wondering if it's ever possible to repeat missions with the AI (probably not, I reckon...)
Posted By: Raw Kryptonite

Re: Taking down the cartel - playstyles? - 04/21/17 05:23 PM

Go to the zone with the mission, pull up the map. On the left there is a prompt to see the story missions. Hit Y on the controller, or right click with mouse. You can see it at 4 seconds into the video.
You can choose any completed mission reactivate it. You can't start it while in the immediate area, so be in a near by town but in the same zone.
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