Newbie with a few questions

[Dedodido]

Hello everyone,

I've been going on a bit of a bender for FPSs recently, after having started watching the new season of 24. So I've been here and there looking for a half-decent realistic shooter. I was with Far Cry 2 for a while, but the online isn't at all like the single player where tactics are concerned. So then I got back into battlefield yesterday, but soon became irritated with all the immature gamers, lack of teamwork, and total absense of any decernable strategy. I sometimes wonder if I'm approaching middle age prematurely, being only 19 myself, but anyway, I digress.

So I came accross a link to PR on the official battlefield website, and started to read into it. After having read the manual and watched some gameplay videos, I've got to say I'm majorly impressed with what you guys have got going on over here. I've longed to find a decent mature community of gamers playing a decent realistic online shooter for some time, and I can't wait to get stuck in (once the levels have downloaded). Just got a couple of questions though:

1) I know that most people use their mics to be able to communicate properly, but on the average online game with random people, how many people do you reckon use their mics?
2) In your opinion to get the most out of PR do you need to play in games that have been organised in advanced here on the forums?
3) I'm guessing PR uses the same gamespy browser to find servers, however I'm going back to university in a few weeks, and although I can play, the gamespy browser isn't supported by the university's proxy network. Is there somewhere I can find a list of online servers so I can connect to games directly by IP?
4) Lastly, how long does a typical game take, from start to finish? I realise there are different modes that likely take different amounts of time, so let's say, what's the shortest game you've played, and what's the longest?

Thanks for any answers you can give

[nick20404]

TBH

If you don't have a mic everyone is going to think you are a noob and treat you like one FACT. Just buy one I did after playing PR for a year with no mic I forced my self to, trust me you will enjoy the game allot more and the people you are playing with will enjoy you more.

Someone posted this the other day if you need to find servers try it out.

https://www.realitymod.com/forum/f358-s ... acker.html

I have been playing PR since the first releases and have never played in any of the organized matches and have enjoyed it. You just need to find the right squad and the right server.

A game can take anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours, it depends on how it goes, if one team sucks and the other is leet it will be over soon, if its match evenly which is rare it will be a long and fun game.

Try out the training servers for a day or two and test out the guns and vehicles and learn the mechanics of the game, or you are going to be totally lost if you just jump in and expect to be the grand master of *** whoopin.

[krekc]

in answer to 3, hope this helps - Servers playing BattleField 2 | Server / Player Search | Game-Monitor.com :: Server Search, Monitoring, Stats and more

[Scandicci]

1) I know that most people use their mics to be able to communicate properly, but on the average online game with random people, how many people do you reckon use their mics?
2) In your opinion to get the most out of PR do you need to play in games that have been organised in advanced here on the forums?
3) I'm guessing PR uses the same gamespy browser to find servers, however I'm going back to university in a few weeks, and although I can play, the gamespy browser isn't supported by the university's proxy network. Is there somewhere I can find a list of online servers so I can connect to games directly by IP?
4) Lastly, how long does a typical game take, from start to finish? I realise there are different modes that likely take different amounts of time, so let's say, what's the shortest game you've played, and what's the longest?

Thanks for any answers you can give

Welcome to PR!

to address your questions above...

1! You will find more people using mics than you would on a BF2 server. If you want to be in a squad that uses mics try joining one and then present yourself to the squad. If there is no reply just say good-bye and move to another squad. I have no idea what percentage of folks use mics on a typical public server... how about 40%, maybe 50%. I always play on random servers with random people and I always use my mic with at least a few squad members if not all of them.

2! Probably, but you can have lots of fun on a random public server. Good servers for you would be TnT, IGI, Tactical Gamer. If they are full just keep trying and you will eventually get on. When you join a squad tell the squad leader that you are new to PR and he will tell you what to do. You should stick with basic kits, like rifleman. The community frowns on sniper kits in infantry squads, etc.

3! I cannot help you here.

4! You need to calculate about 1 hour per round. Many are shorter than this but some will drag on for an eternity, skewing the average. PR rounds require quite a bit of staging at the beginning before engagements take place. You will find you are waiting on a ride, or are in transit, or are building something in the first part of a round.

and finally some tips...

Do not form your own squad.

Stick with a basic kit: rifleman.

Tell your squad leader that you are new to PR.

Stay close to your squad leader.

Rinse and repeat.

[cyberzomby]

Yeap all has pretty much been answered but just to prove its true here I go:

In a random game pretty much everyone uses a mic. Sometimes you join a squad where no one uses it, and if your not shy you can start using your's and than the rest might fall in. If not, tough luck.

2) In your opinion to get the most out of PR do you need to play in games that have been organised in advanced here on the forums?

Last weekend I played my first community match (played PR for about a year) and altough it was great fun! no random game needs organisation. You just join a squad and start playing.

3) I'm guessing PR uses the same gamespy browser to find servers, however I'm going back to university in a few weeks, and although I can play, the gamespy browser isn't supported by the university's proxy network. Is there somewhere I can find a list of online servers so I can connect to games directly by IP?

Yeap you can. Takes a little bit longer but you certainly can.

4) Lastly, how long does a typical game take, from start to finish? I realise there are different modes that likely take different amounts of time, so let's say, what's the shortest game you've played, and what's the longest?

Well now theres 2 modes, regular flag capture and command and control (more open). Rounds take 1 hour (small maps) or up to 3 (bigger ones)

EDIT: Ninja'ed by scandicci but hes right. Theres a few servers out there (3 fine examples right there) that almost force teamwork. Thats not a bad thing with admins watching your back constantly, but it means that theres rules enforcing it. So if a person steals a tank or uses it like bf2 vanilla you can call an admin and deal with the guy. Also, the people on those servers tend to play a bit more teamwork like than on other servers that do not enforce teamplay in such a way.

[Tartantyco]

Is there somewhere I can find a list of online servers so I can connect to games directly by IP?

Here you go.

[Snazz]

1) I know that most people use their mics to be able to communicate properly, but on the average online game with random people, how many people do you reckon use their mics?

Couldn't give you a figure but many do, basically anyone who's really into the game and recognises the benefits of having one.

Unlike nick's forementioned "FACT" you won't be treated like a noob by everyone for not using a mic, you will just be at a disadvantage. If someone does treat you poorly or act like a jerk just ignore them or change squad/server. It unfortunately does happen but if you stick with it you'll realise it's a diverse community with some very friendly and patient players who will guide you if you're willing to listen and learn.

2) In your opinion to get the most out of PR do you need to play in games that have been organised in advanced here on the forums?

I've only played in one pre-organised match myself but I would say yes, simply because the experience in public matches varies a lot more. So not neccesarily better or worse, just not as consistent or organised.

3) I'm guessing PR uses the same gamespy browser to find servers, however I'm going back to university in a few weeks, and although I can play, the gamespy browser isn't supported by the university's proxy network. Is there somewhere I can find a list of online servers so I can connect to games directly by IP?

Game-monitor, see krekc's reply.

4) Lastly, how long does a typical game take, from start to finish? I realise there are different modes that likely take different amounts of time, so let's say, what's the shortest game you've played, and what's the longest?

I can't recall the length of the shortest match i've played but generally skirmish matches are shortest, insurgency can also be short if the coalition seek and destroy all the caches quickly. Longest matches go for a few hours.

[Dedodido]

Thanks for all the replies, a lot of useful stuff there. Typical that my net went down just as I started downloading the maps.

Luckily I've already got a decent mic, I was just wondering if I'm going to be left hanging a lot of the time. Good to know I'm more likely to find newb friendly squad leaders than in most online games, I'll be sure to let them know I'm new to it all.

Anyways, thanks again for the help.

[cyberzomby]

Dont get surprised when some guys kick you for that. Frankly some people get to be arses in random servers. They only like there clan-members and people they know. Keep in mind that thats only a few people

[Roulette]

You will enjoy PR if it's realism, teamwork and the fact that tactics DO work and combined arms must be utilized into a strategy to get the most out of it.
No offence, but lately there seems to be a lot of new guys and the quality has gone down slightly, but I reckon once they learn to play (in a month or two) it will be back up again.

1) Most people have and use mics, I would say 1 in 10, you are probably getting 0.5% of PR goodness when you play without a mic. Most people understand this, those that don't use mics generally get kicked from squads, if you dont have a mic, use squad chat, let your SL know and tell him you will follow orders. I'm usually cool with that and find most others are too.

2) In my opinion, to get the most out of PR you have to be organized on some level, be it coordinating with random guys in a squad, coordinating with a random guy in a tank. Joining the organized games or by being in a serious clan. The more organized the better you will find it. Though many guys just like to pub, they usually still organize and coordinate with a Squad at the lowest level possible.

3) Personally can't help you with this, but many guys have done so already.

4) It does depend on the game mode, but I agree 1 hour is average. But I really love the 3 hour games with 2 evenly matched teams, when it gets my adrenlin pumping and it's a real challenge, using tactics, team cooperation and cohesion. When the outside world fades away and I'm not a guy playing a game, I'm a soldier on a battlefield.

[$pyker]

3) DOWNLOAD PRSP!