New play through

[PZ]

Well, I'm happy to report that I deleted every saved game on my console, and started a brand new play through in FC2.  I must say that it is lots of fun after a long hiatus.

My first task was to do a couple of arms dealer missions to get my favorite weapon - the 6P9  >:D

[Art Blade]

 :) I might do that some day myself  :-X

[PZ]

It's kind of fun - although I clearly remember the game, it has been long enough so that I needed to familiarize myself with the controls.  I've forgotten most of the missions, so it is almost like playing fresh.

One of the missions I did was to get the big truck as it passed through PetroSahel - the only problem was that there was a big truck that a merc had jumped into, and now two of the trucks were driving around - of course I ended up shooting the wrong one  ????

[Art Blade]

That's called "finding a solution by process of elimination"   >:D

[PZ]

 ^+-+

[fragger]

 ^+-+

Never saw that happen, PZ :-X Already something new!

I think I may fire that game up myself. There's something I always wanted to have a go at - trying to get all diamond cases in Leboa before doing any missions at all, using only the initial and DL weapons and whatever I can snaggle off the dead guys. It's be a hell of a challenge on Infamous - getting the case at Mokuba, the one at the Railyard, the one at the Fort... :-\\

[PZ]

I've never retrieved the diamond at PetroSahel on the console because my skills were too poor to make the jump just right.  I may go for it just for fun.  :-()

[PZ]

When I compare FC2 to all the other games I've played, a single theme emerges as to my appreciation for a game - the resemblance to reality.  Looking at it another way, the further away from reality (zombies, monsters, aliens, etc.) the less appreciation I've had.  The mercs in FC2 look like normal humans, with contemporary clothing and weapons - the vehicles are reasonable facsimiles to what I've seen in real life.

Even though FC2 is one of my oldest games, I realize now that I play it again that these are among the reasons it is so good for me.  The take home lesson - if a game looks like it approaches reality, I'll probably have some kind of appreciation for it (as long as it is open world  :-())

[mandru]

 :-X

[Art Blade]

I like that too in a game. Details, real-looking stuff, believable stuff.. yet I don't mind weird stuff (monsters) as long as the general environment is great. Then it may be completely alien, for example sci-fi themes.  :)

[PZ]

As I was driving my red sun-faded Datsun on the road from the airport toward the river to the east, the sun was rising, highlighting the oxidized paint perfectly - reminding me of my own Datsun pickup I had when young - also red, and also just as oxidized.

The graphic detail still amazes me despite the fact that FC2 is an older game now - I almost felt like I was taken back in time to when I was driving that old rig - one I'd forgotten long ago until this graphic reminder.

[Art Blade]

what I always notice when driving a Datsun in FC2 is the sound it makes, as if some loose parts were about to fall off from somewhere around the engine or suspension. I hope your old rig didn't sound the same :)

[PZ]

 ^+-+ No, not quite - while the oxidation was not too pleasing on the eye, mechanically the truck was alright.

[PZ]

I recently did the nitrous gas mission during which you drive the big truck to the garage in Sefapane.  Andre was the buddy I was to meet there, and because I knew what was coming in a moment, I did a save just after I parked the truck in the garage.  Andre died during the mission, and no matter how many times I reloaded and played again, the mercs still managed to kill him, so on the last attempt, I did the mercs a favor, so they need not waste bullets  >:D

[Art Blade]

 ^+-+

"Oi, André, you goddamn moron! That's for what you'd be going to do! DIE!"
"AAaaaaaargh"

[fragger]

 ^+-+

Just guessing PZ, but I'm willing to bet your history with Andre was up to 20, or would have been with the end of that mission. The game won't let you build up any higher history than 20 with anyone, and when buddies reach that level they automatically become ant food no matter what you do.

It's as though your guy doesn't want anyone to get too friendly with him ;D

[Art Blade]

Sorry fragger, that's not correct. I had a level 34 history with a buddy. :)

27) Increase your rescue buddy's history - quickly.

[fragger]

Really? I stand corrected :)

I can never get them past 20. At that point they go down at the end of a mish and all the surrettes I can pump into them won't save them.

Must be just me, then. That's a bit of a confidence-shaker, the fact that my buddies apparently prefer death to hanging out with me for more than a few missions. Maybe my character's tropical B.O. has something to do with it :-[


EDIT: Art, I didn't spot that link you posted at first, so I just went there to have a look. I didn't see that tip before - so that's how you did it! Possibly you can't get a buddy history past 20 unless you go about it the way you did, i.e. not during the "normal" course of the game.

[Art Blade]

"Normal" is a term which has never appealed nor applied to me.  :-D

[fragger]

 ^+-+

[PZ]

I just started another play through this morning - this time as Warren.  When I left the hotel through the window, I went down a different way to get out of town and ended up at the Lumber Yard - I'd never been here before as a starting place.  The interesting thing is that even though the starting tasks are the same, the different routes you need to take make the game feel almost new.  In fact, setting the stage this way has allowed me to approach initial missions in a different way, using different routes as well.

[fragger]

That's interesting as I too started my current playthrough at a different location from what I'm used to, in my case the Slaughterhouse. Am I right in saying there are four start locations - Fresh Fish, Lumber Yard, Cockfights and Slaughterhouse? I mean, there are no others that I haven't discovered, are there?

It is cool when you start somewhere new, it puts a whole new slant on things :-X

[mandru]

Yes fragger those are the four start points chosen by where you are in Pala when you become unconscious as you are fleeing the hotel.  Each of the town's quarters NE, NW, SE or SW as shown in the Tutorial Missions in the FC2 drop down tabs above.

PZ as you noted it changes your approach to the missions in the tutorial but each of the four locations provides you with a different weapon for your Special Weapons slot which is also (if you depend on changes at all) going to radically affect your play in the tutorial and extend into the game until you can reequip with your preferred set up.

I like to mix up the start points as I rotate through game starts but really favor the SE sector (which is going back out the way the cab brought you in) to receive the cock fight arena.  It starts me out with the flame thrower which I often find more effective than a shot gun and allows me to make the very effective but inexpensive little makarov my tutorial required weapons purchase.

My FC2 gaming experience has made me want to acquire a Makarov for a personal carry in real life but sadly they've gone out of production and anyone that has an original here in the U.S. isn't selling.  The only thing in that caliber available is all pretty much unreliable after market copies.   :knockout

[PZ]

Yeah, I noticed that my weapons are different with each location.  I now have the RPG as my special weapon, but I can hardly wait for my dart  :-()

I also changed my avatar to Warren, in memory of my current play through  :-()

[mandru]

I also changed my avatar to Warren, in memory of my current play through  :-()

I'd noticed the swirling yin yang was missing, that explains it.   :ideas