Original Ghost Recon /w Expansions

[Spartan0536]

Ok Spartans this one is an old game but won Game Of The Year in 2001-2002 as well as Best Tactical Shooter Ever by Gamespot.

This is NOT Advanced Warfighter, this is the original ghost recon, it is old and the graphics show it, however the gameplay and teamwork required is still something that most games today strive for and greatly fall short of. This game can be purchased through Amazon or Steam and try to get the "gold" pack as it contains tons of new stuff and missions as well as equipment.

While this game is over a Decade old it is still played on XFire, Hamachi, and Internally! Perishantovich (AL) and myself played Co-Op today and one mission took 1 hour and 48 minutes and we failed, a hostage got killed, Co-Op can be played with up to 16 yes 16 players, and my ping to AL was 299+ and I had 0 LAG, I saw everything as he did and my bullets registered almost the same time as AL's, there were a few bugs but its an old game and its still immensely fun.

There really is no excuse why you could not pick up Ghost Recon with the expansion packs.
1. Too Expensive? - NO, you can get the gold edition for around 3-10 USD on Amazon using the Ubi.com Buy link.

2.System cant handle it! - Ok, if your PC can not handle a game from 2001-2002 you probably are not able to play BF2 and thus probably not even a member of =SWF=.

I encourage all other Spartans to at least shell out a few bucks for this game as it is still easily worth it, and GhostRecon.net has some mod packs that I have been looking at and one reviewed I will instruct on how to install them as it is pretty easy to begin with (game has a built in mod manager). One of the prospect mods adds in 200+ real weapons and 200+ maps/missions so there is always something new for us to do with this game.

So 1 last question, which of you Spartans (aside from AL and myself) is up to the Ghost Recon challenge, maybe if we get enough support this game will become an =SWF= game.

BTW... when playing GR with AL earlier we had 4 people who we have never met before join our game, it really still is played today, this game has really withstood the test of time!

[Spartan0536]

Ok Spartans, this is supposed to be the best GR mod ever made and on multiple GR sites and MODDB it has gotten a 10/10 or 5/5. Most people say the name should be Ghost Recon: Perfected!

This mod is over 1.12GB and for a game whose patches were 40-50mb THIS MOD IS HUGE!!

Its all authentic and realistic with NOTHING game breaking, this is a true mod/overhaul, I suggest that this mod be used during "testing", mods can be switched on/off in game by going to options and then the appropriate selection screen.

Links to Mod:

Moddb v1.00b6 FULL INSTALLER (latest) for PC: www.moddb.com/downloads/heroes-unleashed-v100b6-full-install-for-pc

Be advised that you do need the official expansions (Island Thunder and Desert Siege) to run this mod as well as the official Ubisoft 1.4 patch.

[pershainovitsh]

I was going to create this thread, but it seems that you beat me to it.
Anyway, the match we had yesterday was amazing. It was a nighttime operation where we had to rescue two pilots who had crash landed and had been captured. An optional objective was to destroy the crashed plane with an explosive charge.

Here I start telling about our game last night

Since it is a Tom Clancy game, it has night-vision goggles. And the AI enemy didn't. We crawled along the ditches, positioned ourselves in the opposite sides of a field (fear not, there was no possibility that we would have shot each other) and waited for about 10 minutes for the two enemy groups guarding the jet wreck to go into good positions. And then we finally opened fire on the same second. It took about two seconds and 8-12 bullets, and the enemy had been taken out extremely smoothly.

Spartan then set the charge (which never explodes, so maybe they blow it up after they leave the mission, not during it. Having a jet exploding surely brings some attention, so I guess it's pretty reasonable) and we went to the next ditch and hid there. We knew a third group had every once in a while gone near the plane, and they were next ones to die. It took a while before they got close enough for us to fire, and they went down really smoothly too.

Then it was time to go save the pilots. We started going to the nearest one, when we saw one single hostile walking on a road. The road was lit with lamp posts. We smelt something fishy, and left him be, while we snuck to the forest across the road. And we were right: in the farmhouse there was a marksman in the window, two enemies circled around the house, one was walking quite close to us, and two more were behind the house. I had a silenced M9, so I waited for about five minutes for the lone guy who was walking near us, to get in a good position. I got a nice haedshot on him, and no one got alerted.

But then our downfall started. I crawled into a position where I could see the sniper, but he couldn't see me (it was dark, I was laying prone and didn't move). Spartan crawled behind a truck. He was only about ten metres from the farmhouse door. I was aiming at the sniper with my M16 the best I could, when suddenly the man started aiming. Immediately I realized Spartan had been found. The sniper got Spartan just before I got him. And my unsilenced shot had alerted some of the enemies. While Spartan respawned (we had five respawns each) and ran back to my position, I had to shoot a couple more enemies that were closing to my location.
Then the same thing that happened with the sniper happened with two patrolling guards. Spartan died again, and I shot the bad guys. (now I just remembered something: when we weren't even near the truck and my awesome position, we saw two enemies walking towards along the road we had just crossed. We left them be, it was too risky to try to take them out. Now I just wonder what happened to them? Were they the guys that were patrolling near our spawn once when Spartan had just respawned? They could have blown our plan easily if they had heard the gunshots and approached us from the behind... )

So, once the entire yard had been cleaned of enemies, even one that went hysterical and ran around, we approached the farmhouse itself. Spartan acted a bit too fast, opened the front door, shot one guy, but he got killed once again, even if he had just shot about six MP5 bullets into the guy who shot him. We discovered a side entrance, and I snuck around to see if there were any enemies left. I was at the opposite side of the wall with the door. As I walked slowly towards the door, I saw Spartan's gun and I realized there was a chance of friendly fire so I shouted "Don't shoot". He shot me once, and the next shot hit the ground in front of me, because he quickly pulled the gun away from me. I was wounded to the chest and I had to listen to my soldier panting the rest of the match...
We managed to clear the house without further casualities, and we managed to rescue the pilot who looked like Keanu Reeves. The rest of the game he would follow me, crawl when I crawled, walk when I walked.

So, we only had one more pilot left to rescue. He was being kept in a barn. We managed to kill the guards outside, and then we prepared to go in. I got a quick peek inside and saw there were at least two hostiles, and the pilot was sitting on a chair in the middle of the room. Me and Spartn entered from the opposite sides of the barn, and Spartan got killed immediately when he entered. The enemies' backs were turned to me so I had a good shot and got them both. Without thinking much, I entered the barn (previously I had only been at the door, outside) and I saw that there was one enemy remaining in the corner to my left. He shot me, I died, and then he shot the pilot.

Finally I stop telling about the game

We were so close... But you have to bear in mind that there was just the two of us against all of the enemies. In the single player you have five AI Ghosts with you. If we had a third player (and if it wasn't 2 in the morning...), we could have succeeded.

So I hope at least a couple of you get interested (so my lenghty propganda story wasn't for naught), it's an excellent game that has aged pretty well (of course it doesn't look as good as BF3 and the aiming isn't very smooth for some reason, but the core gameplay is so solid you won't care), and it's sold very cheap everywhere.

Quite interestingly, the demo contains a level (a prequel mission to the storyline) that does not appear in the full version, but somehow you can upload the demo level in to the game.
www.fileplanet.com/81431/80000/fileinfo/Ghost-Recon-Demo-(English)
I haven't plaayed the demo yet, so I don't know how well does it represent the full game. The two patches that are available (1.3 and 1.4) made the game a bit better.

BTW, "Perishantovich" has to be best version of my nickname so far. ;D

[Spartan0536]

Ghost Recon: Heroes Unleashed
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
===================



Heroes Unleashed raises the hardware requirements to play Ghost Recon considerably, and although you could try to run the mod on hardware that barely fulfills the original game's minimum system requirements, the results would range from unacceptably slow performance to the game crashing to the desktop. Therefor, to really enjoy Heroes Unleashed, please make sure your system meets or exceeds these requirements:



MINIMUM
-------

- Mac OS 9.2.2, Mac OS X 10.2.8 or later, Windows 9X/ME/2k/XP/Vista/7
- 1.0 GHz processor
- 512 MB RAM
- 64 MB video card
- 6 GB hard disk space (up to 8 GB during installation)
- Stereo sound
- 56 kbps TCP/IP connection (for network play)
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon updated to version 1.4
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Desert Siege expansion pack
- Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Island Thunder expansion pack

PLEASE NOTE: The Island Thunder expansion pack was never officially released for Mac, but you can purchase a PC version of this expansion and convert it to be Mac-compatible. For details about installing Island Thunder for Mac, please visit www.DamnR6.com, which features a tutorial article with full conversion instructions, and where you can download an easy-to-use automation patch.



RECOMMENDED
-----------

- 2.0 GHz processor or faster
- 2.0 GB RAM or more
- 256 MB video card or better
- High-quality stereo or surround sound system
- Broadband Internet access (for online games)
- U.S. English version of the game (they are U.S. soldiers, remember?)






INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS
=========================



QUICK INSTALL
-------------

1. Locate your Ghost Recon application folder - normally found here:

Mac: "Macintosh HD\Applications\Ghost Recon"
PC: "C:\Program Files\Red Storm Entertainment\Ghost Recon"

2. Move the "Heroes Unleashed" folder into the "Mods" folder:

Mac: "Ghost Recon\Ghost Recon Data\Mods"
PC: "Ghost Recon\Mods"

3. Launch Ghost Recon and click on OPTIONS in the MAIN MENU.

4. Click on MODS in the OPTIONS menu.

5. In the OPTIONS - MODS tab, set up the ACTIVE MODS list to the right
in the following order (from top to bottom), then click on ACCEPT:

Desert Siege
Island Thunder
Heroes Unleashed

6. Quit the Ghost Recon application.

7. Relaunch Ghost Recon and enjoy Ghost Recon: Heroes Unleashed!


PLEASE NOTE: It is necessary to quit and restart the game once initial activation of the mod and options setup is complete, so new content can load properly. Mac OS 9 users need to increase the Ghost Recon application's memory partition to at least twice the size of factory default values before launching the game with the mod enabled.

[Spartan0536]

OK so I have now tested Heroes Unleashed Mod for Ghost Recon and OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG, this is one of the most EPIC mods ever and its super easy to install, just follow the instructions above. I clicked through all the kits and now my fingers hurt, there are at least 80 choices per Soldier Kit (Demolition, Sniper, Assault, Support), there is literally a firearm for every scenario and every personal taste, and its all realistic. There are more game modes and harder difficulty settings as the AI is ramped up a little bit more, Ghost Recon just got more real, it really is insane, this mod is a MUST HAVE!

BTW I still have not clicked through all the maps in the game with this mod running, I got to 173 and stopped.

[psyco6]

I have it for PS2 and like the expansions.
I have the 80 gig PS3 with Playback and still play this game.
Might have to get it for my Stone-Age laptop that I play BF2 on.

[pershainovitsh]

You do that and I can guarantee a lot of fun!

[Spartan0536]

Psycho and Al, just get the expansion packs with it, and download this mod, it is freaking awesome, you will bust a nut in your pants when you see all of the options and the graphics tweaks.

[pershainovitsh]

I'm looking for a place where I could get them.

A little correction: you can play Ghost Recon with up to 36 players, although I don't know how many players is the maximum on the co-op. 16 may be the maximum, but it could be more.


Edit: ooooh, I could get the Ghost Recon Complete Exclusive pack, which includes the game I already have, plus both expansions, Desert Siege and Jungle Storm, for 2,96 €!
The postal charge almost doubles the price here, not sure if I can afford it... ;D

[pershainovitsh]

All right, you can get Ghost Recon from ebay, amazon, play.com and steam for pretty cheap.

www.amazon.com/Tom-Clancys-Ghost-Recon-Pc/dp/B00005QB9N/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1326647281&sr=8-13
www.amazon.com/Ghost-Recon-Revival-Pc/dp/B00005NUNX/ref=sr_1_78?ie=UTF8&qid=1326647387&sr=8-78#replacementWidget
It says it's "Ghost Recon revival", and that's the version I have. I don't know if there are any differences between the versions.
store.steampowered.com/app/15300/
www.ebay.com/ctg/Tom-Clancys-Ghost-Recon-PC-2001-/70846578?_dmpt=Video_Games_Games&_pcategid=139973&_pcatid=2&_refkw=ghost+recon&_trkparms=65%253A12%257C66%253A2%257C39%253A1%257C72%253A5841&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
www.play.com/Games/PC/4-/116837/Tom-Clancy-Ghost-Recon/Product.html?searchtype=allproducts&searchsource=0&searchstring=ghost+recon&urlrefer=search


So if you have a fiver to spare, you should definitely buy it.

[Spartan0536]

OK pershainovitsh <---- ridiculously long name, perhaps used for hacking so people can't report you, lol

Just need to get together some time again, let me know when you can usually play, I will help you get setup with the Heroes Unleashed Mod and trust me, we are gonna have some serious fun!

[pershainovitsh]

I can play from 1900 UTC to 0000 UTC on Fridays and Saturdays, and on the other days from 1900 to 2100 UTC (although weekends fit a lot better). I haven't got the expansion packs yet, but I will get them soon enough. I'll let you know when I get them.

But right now I'm busy with school, I have to read a book (Stephen King's Carrie, chose it myself from a list) and study for some exams. So if you see me online past midnight (2200 UTC) from 27th January and onwards, tell me to go to sleep (at this point scriv should come and joke about beauty sleeps). I should not be tired on the exam week.

But this weekend, at the previously mentioned times, I can probably play. Anyone can join us if they want/can.

[Spartan0536]

LOL at the Beauty Sleep comment, heard that tons of times, I sleep for 12-14 hours sometimes and i still look like Quasimodo. Look forward to playing GR with you again and yes, please if anyone else has or gets this game, get in with us, fun times are guaranteed!

[pershainovitsh]

All right, Ghost Recon Complete arrived on the mailbox today. I installed the expansion packs and tested them (they give about 20 new weapons to all classes, plus a dozen new missions). Right now I'm downloading the Heroes Unleashed mod.

Do you think you can play on Saturday at the usual time? We could give the new missions and weapons a go.

You really have to have a human on your side in Ghost Recon. I tested an island map on the game mode "defend". I started on the beach, and there was a lot of tall grass to give us cover. It didn't take long before an enemy killed half of my team with a grenade launcher shot. After unsuccesfully retrying a few times I went and tested a prison map on the game mode "firefight". Every character I didn't control died really fast. For some reason the insurgents have much better reflexes than the highly trained members of the Ghost Recon team. Sure, they did kill some enemies, but the friendly AI definitely is a lot worse than a human player. If you leave them unguarded, they just stand there and get themselves killed somehow.

Edit: OK, I'm having troubles with the mod. I did as told, I moved the "Heroes Unleashed" folder to ...\GhostRecon\Mods but it does not even appear on the mod list so I can't set them in the right order (Desert Siege on top, Island Thunder in the middle and Heroes Unleashed on the bottom).
Additional information: When I first downloaded the mod, I saved it in my mod folder where I usually put my mods. Then I moved it to the previously mentioned Ghost Recon mod folder.

Edit: now it's working! It seems that the files were zipped to a 7Z format, which cannot be unzipped by Filzip, but can be with Winrar. But I couldn't figure that one out myself, I needed Spartan's help with it.

[pershainovitsh]

When we played on Saturday 11th February, I took some nice pictures with XFire. See them here: beta.xfire.com/users/pershainovitsh/screenshots The two outdoor pictures are from the map where we were sniping (see below for more details) and the two indoor ones were from "Downtown NYC".

Spartan also took some screenshots, but hasn't uploaded them yet (he didn't take them with XFire so it isn't as quick to upload).

In short, we had a really great experience; we beat the night mission we tried earlier. In the end there was a funny moment: after Spartan had killed the headlights of a parked truck, a pop-up message appeared saying we had eliminated all enemy resistance in the mission area. I guess lamps count as enemies...? Are they a threat to us?

Then we tried a custom map that came with the mod: it was an enormous map with lots of hills, a small town and an airport. We were supposed to rescue two hostages and bring them back to the extraction zone. Spartan was equipped with a 50 cal sniper, and I had an assault rifle with a long-range scope. We sniped most of the enemies about 100-200 meters away from them. They didn't stand a chance with their AK's. We didn't even go to the small town, since we found the hostages between it and the airport. In the end, we got really good stats, as none of us died even once.

Then we thought we could give a huge urban city map a try. The mission was to kill all the enemies. We ran basically the same kits as before. The map consisted of a crossroads, and four multi-storey buildings (they had about 20 floors each, but only four were accessible). It was challenging and boring. But still we had some great experiences there: I got shot about six times, but I didn't die. Normally in Ghost Recon you die from one shot. I guess there was so much distance and windows in the way, so the bullets didn't make that much damage. So I was a walking corpse, limping slowly around the map. We had fun taking pictures of each other and the stuff we saw. In the end Spartan had used all his respawns, and there were only a couple of enemies to kill. I almost failed, but we completed the mission.

Looking forward to play again!