YMRA EHT NIOJ... YMRA EHT NIOJ...

So, how many of you out there are/already have downloaded the new America's Army: Operation Recon game that the US Army is releasing for free?

Yeah. it's a big piece of propoganda, but who cares? It's based on the new(er) Unreal engine, and is supposed to offer realistic tactics, gameplay, etc. Also, despite the fact that it's designed to boost recruitment rates, it's been made freely available no matter where you are in the world. The only catch (that I'm aware of) is that you'll have to download it. In order to get the game on CD, you'll have to be in America and be of recruitment age (17-34??? something like that).

From what I've seen of the screenshots, the game looks really good. It's off to a rough start so far; the multiplayer implementation having been botched in Diablo2-like proportions. Get this... In order to play anything other than a training mission, you must play online. In order to do this, you have to (GASP) install GameSpy Arcade! WTF... Then, and get this, you have to qualify at certain levels before you can proceed onto other areas of the game (and other servers). In order to do that, you have to perform a mission on something called the Mout Mckenna servers. Here's the kicker... At launch, there was something like 5 Mout Mckenna servers with a 16 player max on each! Hahahahahaha... They had like 2500-3000 people on line, log jammed on these servers trying to qualify. No one could move onto the empty servers because those were reserved for other post-qualifying missions. And to top it all off, people were getting horrible pings and dropping out because all the 2000+ people who couldn't get in a game were overloading the servers with their bitching in the chatrooms! And because of the excellent quality of GameSpy Arcade, people's computers were crashing after they got disconnected! Beautiful!

Well, hopefully they get things smoothed out. This is not the full game, mind you. That's going to be released towards the end of summer (again, for free). If I read correctly, this is basically Sniper Training, and maybe some other shit.

Already they (HomeLAN) are increasing the servers, there's plans for the final release to have an in-game browser so people could host their own games, and the contract for game support is slated to run until 2007. This means (hopefully) add-ons, patches, and all around swell stuff continually being added to the game, courtesy of the American Tax Payer.

 

I haven't downloaded it, but the excess propaganda flood from those who have has already washed down here into Australia. I can feel the love (the platonic brotherly love), the comradeship, the uniform and the gun...

The propaganda is swishing all around inside me, and a new feeling is arising...it's called patriotism, or so I hear...I...I...

I WANT TO JOIN THE ARMY!

 

I hope you know that ECHELON heard that, and that you're now on our international watchlist.

Anyway, I'm back with some links:

Here's the homepage for America's Army: Operation Recon
http://www.americasarmy.com/

There's a bunch of mirrors there were you can download the game, as well as register an account for online play. Considering the whole game is basically online, you'll have to do this.

Here's a short review with some nice screenshots:
http://www.game-revolution.com/previews/featured/pc/americas_army.htm

Another (better) review and more screens:
http://pc.ign.com/articles/361/361145p1.html

 

<-- Best smilie ever...

(This one was a close second: )

 

They have found the best way then. I em sure that the gouverment has no problem with to much violence in these games. I wonder if you are thought how to tortu...interogate prisoners on these games.

 

So that's what it's all about. I've seen references to America's Army all over the place, and just avoided following them up on general principle.

It sounds like a good game if they iron out the idiocies, but Iim not sure whether I'll be playing it. Propoganda is insidious. I don't feel immune to it. My assumption is that if I play the game my perception of the world will be subtly (or possibly unsubtly) manipulated. I know it sounds lame, but I'd rather play a more fiction-based game of violent killing.

Damn I'm a boring, preachy bugger.

 

Must .... kill ..... Commies ....

*ahem* .. i mean , it'll be a nice game ! yeah !

 

It's got some nifty features, Fatman. Everyone sees themself as an Ultimate Freedom Fighterâ„¢ (AKA American Army soldier) and the other side an Evil Purveyor of Terrorismâ„¢. What's also cool is that everyone essentially starts off with the same sort of stuff (like M-16's) but when they kill the 'terrorists', they drop terrorist weapons, like AK's, which they can then pick up and use.

When are people going to learn that subliminal advertising/propaganda is far more effective, even if it is illegal?

 

I am worse than you. So much worse that Boring is my real name.
Anyway the brain washing is so constant and overwhelming that an explicit game like this will be easy to deal (although not easy to swallow).
I couple of times out of boredom I turned on CNN to analyze the edition; looking for “hidden� messages, the implicit associations made by the order the news are broadcast. It cured my boredom but made me sick. (do you remember my comments on Starship Troopers?)
Anyway I probably won’t play this game just because I suck so much at FPS and my aesthetic love lies in fantasy and sci-fi, and not on war thingies.

 

Well said. Down with the war thingies, up with the sci-fi and fantasy.

I dunno about it being a FPS, though. Ghost Recon and those types are quite the same as typical FPS, due to the tactical element. Kids with God machines, ultra-fast connections and durable mice (or claws) aren't at such an advantage.

 

Those kids will regret their many playing hours later in life though...my index finger is kind of sore these days...probably RSI or something like that...then again, it could just be the many times I've cracked my knuckles (I'm trying to stop!) and the cold weather...I should probably give up the games for a little while though, give my finger a chance to recover...

 

Nah, you would loose the opportunity of having stronger, longer, more agile, more dexterous more everything fingers. Fingers that would cost 6 million dollars to produce +insert stupid 70’s music here+ fingers that would make you capable of jumping… I think you already got what I meant.