Comments on Above 49: Far Cry 2: Memento Mori

@Gerard Certainly. But the implementation of the b...

2009-07-06T09:16:54.332-07:00

@Gerard Certainly. But the implementation of the buddy system makes it quite easy to parse and utilize, and thus, more tenable than other games. In contrast, Jorge over at Experience Points tried a permadeath Mirror's Edge run that lasted about 20 minutes. Of course, that might in and of itself make that also something interesting to look at.

@Rob Heh, while proselytization wasn't my intent with this endeavour, I'm perfectly happy with it as an side effect. Enjoy!

Like has been said before, the best thing about Fa...

2009-07-06T05:54:52.623-07:00

Like has been said before, the best thing about Far Cry 2 is the anecdotes and I loved having Paul as my main rescue buddy, when I witnessed him being fatally shot and helped him onto the next life peacefully, via painkillers it was a touching moment.

I have not touched Far Cry 2 in months and now I can see me dusting off the copy of that game tonight.

I found this experiment very cool and found the re...

2009-07-05T19:21:08.426-07:00

I found this experiment very cool and found the reliance on the buddy rescues the most interesting part. I noticed that you mentioned that it is the presence of this part of the game that makes the one death play a more viable option. This is true but I think only because of your awareness of the rules and limitations of the buddy concept in the game. I feel that it would be similarly possible if your understanding of the rules behind the enemy tactics were acutely developed. Indeed the death you experienced was from a momentary lack of awareness of the possible instant death rules in FC2 as well as the rules that govern what is needed to keep buddies happy. I think as a result that any game might be possible to attempt at a one death play it is merely an awareness of the rules in place that might make it seem less viable

Yes, the tactics are realistic. In open spaces, t...

2009-07-02T17:10:18.234-07:00

Yes, the tactics are realistic. In open spaces, the AI does what I expect a well trained fireteam to do when engaging the enemy. Flank, cover, fire. However, the AI is noticeably stupid when engaging vehicles or fighting in closed spaces. Vehicle combat is comical. (I'm going to ram a truck with a mounted .50 caliber machine gun that that can rip me and my car to pieces with my Datsun, or I'm going to abandon my pinto mounted machine gun that is the most powerful weapon available to me for the driver's position because the driver has been shot). Despite these weaknesses, FC2 is a huge leap over other videogames out there in terms of AI quality. I chuckle with admiration at the times when the AI outflanks me.

@Khoa Wow, very interesting how closely FC2 maps t...

2009-07-02T11:30:42.117-07:00

@Khoa Wow, very interesting how closely FC2 maps to real engagements.

And glad you hear you enjoyed the posts. I really wasn't sure what to expecting going into this, either for me or when writing about it. But I must say, I've been very pleasantly surprised at the outcomes on both fronts.

If you are a gamer looking for something more subs...

2009-07-02T09:29:31.365-07:00

If you are a gamer looking for something more substantial in a FPS, by all means check out FC2. It's one of the few FPS which actually require real combat tactics. Contrary to most FPS conventions, circle strafing or bunny hopping are not combat tactics. In FC2, however, you will need to fire and maneouver, use cover, aim precisely, etc. to survive engagements with the AI. It is a difficult game to get into because it defies tried and true corridor shooter conventions, and it is unrelenting intense (esp. on hardcore and infamous difficulty levels). You will be bewildered and frustrated and dead if you use typical FPS tactics.

I'm on my third playing and it is a different game each time. The AI reacts dynamically to your tactics so the combat experience is unique to each encounter. For instance, the first time around, I was a sniper whore. This time playing, I'm a shotgun freak. Both types of playstyles require different tactics, and have their own advantages and disadvantages.

The gunplay is extremely well done and realistic for a videogame. I speak from experience as a former Marine officer.

FC2 is a good testbed for "sudden death" experimenting because almost everything in the gameworld is randomized. Even if you played it through before, you will not be able to predict enemy behavior (i.e., avoid that flak jacket because X monsters will spawn as soon as I pick it up). That means each and every time you play, you have to be alert and on top of your game. Otherwise, you will be humiliated by a gunman manning a checkpoint who you wounded but didn't kill and who popped your last bit of health with his pistol.

Nels, thanks for sharing your experience. It's not easy to produce quality writing on a consistent basis, especially if you have no idea if anyone would read it.

@M. Durand Pierre Thanks for that comment, I'm...

2009-07-01T10:22:01.890-07:00

@M. Durand Pierre Thanks for that comment, I'm glad I was able to communicate the experience's effect. I honestly wasn't sure what to expect going in and certainly wasn't expecting what happened.

Should FC2 show up on a Steam sale or something, I'd highly recommend it. You know, in case that wasn't obvious ;)

I have to admit that for a long time I never reall...

2009-06-30T22:24:32.217-07:00

I have to admit that for a long time I never really "got" this experiment. So you're trying to play through the game without dying? Well, isn't that the point? No one is ever trying to die in a game, so all this imaginary rule set does is make you play extra cautious. Which may make for an interesting experience, but could be true of just about any game- you can just imagine permanent and have a unique experience (admittedly, I have yet to play Far Cry 2, so I'm not sure what other reasons Ben had for choosing it).

But then I got to the bit about your death and it got to me about how unfair it is. I probably would have been in denial, cheated, and reloaded and lied 'til my dying day that I'd never died at such a lackluster event. So the regretful realization that this is truly what happened was rather harrowing and made the experiment all worthwhile. Now I kind of regret not partaking in it myself. Maybe I'll try it whenever I get around to playing FC2.

@Khoa It's interesting how that need to always...

2009-06-30T14:29:46.418-07:00

@Khoa It's interesting how that need to always be alert causes mental exhaustion that ultimately proves fatal. There's probably something of a modern parable in there, eh?

Yes, death always comes in the most unexpected sit...

2009-06-30T10:18:24.844-07:00

Yes, death always comes in the most unexpected situation in FC2. On main missions, when I'm on top of my game, I usually do fine. I mostly die or need to be buddy rescued when I take on the checkpoints. I tend to be more sloppy and less organized when dealing with a checkpoint, which inevitably leads to death because something crazy always happens that I wasn't mentally prepared for. This is the genious of FC2.