few words to say
Posted: 2019-04-05 09:12
Hi all
Just small intro. I have played PR a bit more than 10 years and saw a lot of stuff and had a fun. Before PR I played BF and it was also fun. I know that a lot of us have almost same values, and some of you maybe share my vision.
All good things must come to an end. Again and again I feel that time of PR in current state is not going to be long. Yes, I know, I know that this is 100500's post regardind 'dying PR', but in loving memory of Project Reality I just need to write this feedback. Some memories just need to be written, but in this text I just analysing and writing my thought for few things in game. From my perspective these things making the game itself, like some sort of building - four columns and the base.
1. COMMUNITY
Current number of players in PR which plays more or less regular is around 350 from my statistics. I don't have the exact stats for previous years, but almost sure that it was higher. The stats shows that we are shrinking and new players not choose PR as their game. There are a lot of reasons of that, but I don't want to make analysis of them.
In any way currently we are some sort of closed-community with all the consequences. The mod does not simulate reality, it tries to simulate teamwork by adding difficulties to common tasks. This is opposite to mainstream to simplify tasks and make world to be on-top-of-your-fingers.
This saves us from bunch of cheaters and hacks, but add problems with new players and lack of freshnes.
The influence of Community to the PR should not be underestimated. For example, the well known asset rule that squad should be named for taking asset so widely used, that there is no more than 4 tanks per map (as for time that I writing this) - because max players per squad is 8 and there is minimum tank crew is two.
2. REALITY (or similar)
The Project Reality start from adding some enhancements to vanilla BF2 to stop allowing jump-lie-shoot, adjusting damage, removing hud/hit indicator, adding some vehicles etc etc. Firstly it was called PRMM. Actually at start it was very nice mod and some time after he got an well-deserved award.
There are two points of view for "reality" in PR. From one perspective we see flying and jumping vehicles, legs from walls, tanks impossible to drive through little bush, etc. This poing of view is completely not supported, because everyone agree that this is some "assumption". At other point we see "reality" as good models of weapons and vehicles and this point of view prevail of any other. Also, some devs use the 'reality' to deny some suggestions that they don't want to see in mod or too lazy to implement.
The most important change PR from BF2 to step ahead of "reality" - disabling third person view in vehicles. Actually, there are a lot of differencies between BF and PR, but most important just restrict BF 'feature' or disabled it completely, which changes our third "column", called GAMEPLAY.
3. GAMEPLAY
The first thing that you think when start playing PR is "WHY ITS SO F%$#^K SLOW?". If hurts very hard, because sometimes you can go to the bathroom while your gun is reloading. This was also made because developers thought that fast work with weapon is "unreal".
The avatar can not overcome some little edging, and must jump it over. Stamina is so small that it seems that you are driving not high-trained soldier, but some old smokers who can not even jump and run for 200 meters.
Maps are suffer by lack of details, almost all buildings is not possible to enter.
Usual gameplay for newbie is watching the dead screen and countdown for respawn. The countdown, moreover is increased everytime you die which should make you more durable and not dying. You can not see where is the enemy which killed you, which making you learnings harder than ever (the only way is watching the after-match replay that is drastically unusable and may not be supported by the server).
At other perspective the sounds in game is very good quality, even over-worked. How we can explain that you can hear a tank in 2 km away in forest area? But developers think that this is good. The 'hearing' your opponents is cruical in the game, thats why the most top k/d players is just simple campers. Or smart campers, because game is provoking to do so - usually all pvp battles ends in first two shots. First see - first kill is the main formula of this game.
The unique gamemode in the PR is Insurgency - this mode allows you to simulate a unarmed man. You will see how your schoolmates with grandpas gun die in the unequal battle against modern highly equipped army and then you also die as martyr because someone with scoped rifle not see that you have no weapon.
Another not playable game mode is CnC where you can feel yourself as guest worker - you need to 'build and destroy' objectives. This game mode is so unplayable that almost all players forget about it.
4. BALANCE
The balance is the other word (in addition to 'reality') which DEVs use to deny something which is not fit in their vision of the game. You might think that they are care of balancing, but this is wrong point. Many DEVs care about they 'beloved' fractions and just don't want something to be stronger or interesting against their side.
So we have some 'loved' fractions at which devs pays attention, update/upgrade it, and 'unloved' - fractions with no updates at all or may downgrade their power in terms of 'balance'.
Previously the most advanced and powered fraction was GB. However, looks like some developers left the team and fraction staying without updates too long and its power slightly decreased. Other fractions like insurgents was not upgraded since they are introduced and continuosly downgraded - because nobody love them, except retired DEVs
Frankly speaking, since creation PR uses some other sort of balance, like asymmetrical balance. Its mean that sides not get the same powers, but wisely using their assets they are more or less identical. But meaning 'wisely' is different for all people and practically it makes that assets at one side is easy to use to get full power, and on other side another asset is imposible to use because require a lot of skill or more people or both. In ideal balance I see (and perhaps some others) that win require mastery in iteraction different assets together, but now we have some wunderwaffe at one side and underpowered fractions at others.
THE BASE: BF2 ENGINE
You may think that all above was written to clear the point that PR is not suitable for playing, but this is absolutely wrong. BF2 core engine is very old - almost 15 years for now, but it still usable and even played. Alot of stuff is hardcoded and nobody know how it works - but because of that we have some 'features' like unreal engine
A lot of limitations in the code was workarounded by DEVs, which is pretty amasing. At current time this is most stable and featured game for team vs team playing. Developers added several game modes - which is underestimated atm, but these modes are great. Hell, DEVs should have gold medal for supporting and developing this game in such circumstances. In some future newest games will kick PR from the scene, but currently I love it very much.
and conclusion.
In the beginning I said that I think that in current state PR should end very soon. I hope that it will not be truth and something will change, because changes is that we are loving - when things are frozen, we have no motivation to play.
Just small intro. I have played PR a bit more than 10 years and saw a lot of stuff and had a fun. Before PR I played BF and it was also fun. I know that a lot of us have almost same values, and some of you maybe share my vision.
All good things must come to an end. Again and again I feel that time of PR in current state is not going to be long. Yes, I know, I know that this is 100500's post regardind 'dying PR', but in loving memory of Project Reality I just need to write this feedback. Some memories just need to be written, but in this text I just analysing and writing my thought for few things in game. From my perspective these things making the game itself, like some sort of building - four columns and the base.
1. COMMUNITY
Current number of players in PR which plays more or less regular is around 350 from my statistics. I don't have the exact stats for previous years, but almost sure that it was higher. The stats shows that we are shrinking and new players not choose PR as their game. There are a lot of reasons of that, but I don't want to make analysis of them.
In any way currently we are some sort of closed-community with all the consequences. The mod does not simulate reality, it tries to simulate teamwork by adding difficulties to common tasks. This is opposite to mainstream to simplify tasks and make world to be on-top-of-your-fingers.
This saves us from bunch of cheaters and hacks, but add problems with new players and lack of freshnes.
The influence of Community to the PR should not be underestimated. For example, the well known asset rule that squad should be named for taking asset so widely used, that there is no more than 4 tanks per map (as for time that I writing this) - because max players per squad is 8 and there is minimum tank crew is two.
2. REALITY (or similar)
The Project Reality start from adding some enhancements to vanilla BF2 to stop allowing jump-lie-shoot, adjusting damage, removing hud/hit indicator, adding some vehicles etc etc. Firstly it was called PRMM. Actually at start it was very nice mod and some time after he got an well-deserved award.
There are two points of view for "reality" in PR. From one perspective we see flying and jumping vehicles, legs from walls, tanks impossible to drive through little bush, etc. This poing of view is completely not supported, because everyone agree that this is some "assumption". At other point we see "reality" as good models of weapons and vehicles and this point of view prevail of any other. Also, some devs use the 'reality' to deny some suggestions that they don't want to see in mod or too lazy to implement.
The most important change PR from BF2 to step ahead of "reality" - disabling third person view in vehicles. Actually, there are a lot of differencies between BF and PR, but most important just restrict BF 'feature' or disabled it completely, which changes our third "column", called GAMEPLAY.
3. GAMEPLAY
The first thing that you think when start playing PR is "WHY ITS SO F%$#^K SLOW?". If hurts very hard, because sometimes you can go to the bathroom while your gun is reloading. This was also made because developers thought that fast work with weapon is "unreal".
The avatar can not overcome some little edging, and must jump it over. Stamina is so small that it seems that you are driving not high-trained soldier, but some old smokers who can not even jump and run for 200 meters.
Maps are suffer by lack of details, almost all buildings is not possible to enter.
Usual gameplay for newbie is watching the dead screen and countdown for respawn. The countdown, moreover is increased everytime you die which should make you more durable and not dying. You can not see where is the enemy which killed you, which making you learnings harder than ever (the only way is watching the after-match replay that is drastically unusable and may not be supported by the server).
At other perspective the sounds in game is very good quality, even over-worked. How we can explain that you can hear a tank in 2 km away in forest area? But developers think that this is good. The 'hearing' your opponents is cruical in the game, thats why the most top k/d players is just simple campers. Or smart campers, because game is provoking to do so - usually all pvp battles ends in first two shots. First see - first kill is the main formula of this game.
The unique gamemode in the PR is Insurgency - this mode allows you to simulate a unarmed man. You will see how your schoolmates with grandpas gun die in the unequal battle against modern highly equipped army and then you also die as martyr because someone with scoped rifle not see that you have no weapon.
Another not playable game mode is CnC where you can feel yourself as guest worker - you need to 'build and destroy' objectives. This game mode is so unplayable that almost all players forget about it.
4. BALANCE
The balance is the other word (in addition to 'reality') which DEVs use to deny something which is not fit in their vision of the game. You might think that they are care of balancing, but this is wrong point. Many DEVs care about they 'beloved' fractions and just don't want something to be stronger or interesting against their side.
So we have some 'loved' fractions at which devs pays attention, update/upgrade it, and 'unloved' - fractions with no updates at all or may downgrade their power in terms of 'balance'.
Previously the most advanced and powered fraction was GB. However, looks like some developers left the team and fraction staying without updates too long and its power slightly decreased. Other fractions like insurgents was not upgraded since they are introduced and continuosly downgraded - because nobody love them, except retired DEVs
Frankly speaking, since creation PR uses some other sort of balance, like asymmetrical balance. Its mean that sides not get the same powers, but wisely using their assets they are more or less identical. But meaning 'wisely' is different for all people and practically it makes that assets at one side is easy to use to get full power, and on other side another asset is imposible to use because require a lot of skill or more people or both. In ideal balance I see (and perhaps some others) that win require mastery in iteraction different assets together, but now we have some wunderwaffe at one side and underpowered fractions at others.
THE BASE: BF2 ENGINE
You may think that all above was written to clear the point that PR is not suitable for playing, but this is absolutely wrong. BF2 core engine is very old - almost 15 years for now, but it still usable and even played. Alot of stuff is hardcoded and nobody know how it works - but because of that we have some 'features' like unreal engine
A lot of limitations in the code was workarounded by DEVs, which is pretty amasing. At current time this is most stable and featured game for team vs team playing. Developers added several game modes - which is underestimated atm, but these modes are great. Hell, DEVs should have gold medal for supporting and developing this game in such circumstances. In some future newest games will kick PR from the scene, but currently I love it very much.
and conclusion.
In the beginning I said that I think that in current state PR should end very soon. I hope that it will not be truth and something will change, because changes is that we are loving - when things are frozen, we have no motivation to play.












