Hello Tanoa
I'm honestly not sure how to describe this bizarre cavalcade.
This had to be one of most bipolar mission experiences I have had for some time. I've just checked the crisis therapy session. Someone speaking with german accent was right behind me in waiting line.
Part I. Comedy of terrors.
I have to say I liked the milieu and scene. Chernarus summer is good map and mist at start was atmospheric. Usually I'm not the biggest fan of mercenary stuff/missions of this style but author had put lots of effort to mission in general, to (a bit chaotic) briefing, tasks, cool intros, etc. We also had regular comm's / etc issues at start, so it created certain mood for the mission. It would get much worse. Basically we had to steal a helicopter from one airfield, use it to steal a long range plane from a different airfield, and get out to Tanoa.
I was amedic, 'field medic'. I now know that FIELD medic is a different kind of a medic that has 3 betamags, rangefinder, and only few medikits. Loadout should have been first indication of what's coming.
Second suprise was that there was no radios. I can see author attempted to create a different mood for mission but it led to issues. I was just a lowlife (field!) medic ( I turned to Dolph Lungren of Expendables only at 2nd half of mission) but what I heard from local shouting.. I cant print some of those words here. It must have been a comms nightmare for the Varanon (A-actual). I was honestly more concerned of the leaders's blood pressure/sanity rather then wounds.
Putting it shortly, action near first airfield led to Alpha flanking airfield from east near railway track. We got to some firefights at outskirts of airfield, and mission moment was downing Huey (hey, it looked like Cobra at a distance) with small arms fire! There was plenty of ambient firefight, including a Cobra (this time real one) engaging targets on ground. US forces had clashed with insurgents. Delicious chaos, which didn't feel so much fun at a time.
Then my team flanked east-north, and during that transit some of my team got machinegunned down in the forest. Varanon was cut down in the hangar. For some reason I couldn't pick Varnons radio and I had no idea wtf is going on, who is alive, and wtf got us. I knew it was HMG of a sorts. I had to hide behind a crate, and when I put up some smokes and make a dash, it was my turn. I was wounded, and heard Den/Unnamed in local, somewhere close. I crawled at them and they got me up. Now it was Den, Manuel, Unnamed, Kah and me. Part I of the mission ended here.
Part II - Expendables IV
Now we had to get rid of the tank. Den score several (something between 6-9) hits with M136, possibly a SMAW, Javelin, pop gun and thrown rock and the thing didn't even flinch. Ok, Abrams tank is a tough beast, I understand lighter launchers being shrugged off but I'm pretty sure we threw anything at it we found from the crates. I observed it with rangefinder, I saw it had some damage decals, but it clearly was -not- destroyed. I also didn't see crew bodies outside. Bombarding it was surreal, but the thing just didn't flinch. I'm pretty sure crew was dead/or stuck in some FSM-loop as it did nothing to us shooting at it with multiple rockets. This incident might have led to potentially dangerous decision later on.
Unnamed in controls we set a course to northern airfield with a Seahawk. Less comrades alive = less money to split after our reward is complete. No, I really didn't think that way, but I was tired, annoyed at already marathon mission and I decided to get into mercenary mood to survive the end. We had already gotten this far, no point to give up now.
Our LZ was a bit to the east, and we started moving to norther end of airfield. We had several skirmishes with infantry on the way. I would be interested to see how many kills Den and Unnamed scored. We got to several firefights on the way, and when we had reached northeast corner of airfield, we were in for another 'surprise'.
More tanks. More vehicles. More..walking. C-130, our way out was there...but we couldn't take off until at least some of the opposition would be eliminated, especially the AAA.
We located cache of launchers in NW part of airfield, and Den started leading us there, flanking from north. At same time insurgents had decided to attack the airfield, so there was tracers of every color. Moody. The transit in open was one of most nerve cracking experiences with several skirmishes and I can't believe we made it to NW hangars. The feeling 'we've got already this far...come on..not NOW' got stronger and stronger.
Honestly, what kept us going was probably developing various violent fantasies of what to do tomission makers contractors who sends us to missions like this. I also speculated who are cast to play our parts when they make this a comedy action movie. Varanon=Arnold, but my further speculations were stopped as I saw infantry in forest behind to our left. Few mg bursts cuts them down. I didn't know who it was? Rebel scum? Imperials? Doesn't matter. Several firefights had erupted at airfield and insurgents probably saved our skins by distracting the US forces. Problem was, they didn't like us either.
We got positions at back of a hangar. We had taken launchers from southern airbase, and before we could take off we just had to eliminate the tank. However we also had infantry contacts behind our backs and we had to constantly return to infantry fire.
Sometime at this point we lost Den who told us to keep still as he was attempting to take a shot to the tank.
I never like losing comrade in field but this was more than usual.
Den had gotten us this far, and now the man is gone. It isn't fair! However we still had to worry about the M1 tank. We spotted it at 300m and most of us had M136's. Unnamed and I scored a hit at 300m, which is pretty much max range of light disposable launchers, but it wasn't enough to destroy it.
At this time I was seriously concerned if we have another indestructable tank on our hands. It would have made the mission impossible to complete. Question was, what next?
Unnamed: I have news. The tank is there, and its turret is pointing straight at us.
Stag: And the good news?
Unnamed: There are no good news.Â
Roger that. Out of launchers, soon out of ammo, and we've got a tank in one end, pissed off infantry of unknown numbers in one end, and our exit plane somewhere between. Again, the feeling 'shit, we've gotten this far.. it isnt fair!!'
I had spotted another cache in opposite side of airfield, next to C-130, but these were in hangar, in cover. The other launcher crate, the ones we were hoping to use, were in too open location, and tank was aiming at us. I also had no idea none so ever how much opposition is left, and as we had taken constant infantry fire, there weren't many options. I briefly considered making a dash to the plane and taking off and just taking our chances.
Ok. Four of us have to get back to where we came from. More nerve wrecking transits in open. When we were somewhat 150m away from our objective, someone opens fire at close. I had absolutely no idea where it came from, but the crack shots of my team takes them down. Another dash to forest, and we hit the dirt to catch stamina. Only time ever I've been glad that Chernarus has tall grass.
I scan behind us. A full squad just comes to view from a gap in the wall. I report contact, and we cut them down in a lightshow of tracers. Unnamed reports last can of ammo. We stack up behind hangar.
Democracy in action. I ask my team whether we take our chances and just make a mad dash to plane and try to take off, or risk using launchers on potentially indestructable tank and getting us killed. Team says fight. Smart. We smoke entrance, and make dash to hangars. No cover, but the crates. Four big ugly men stack up behind a poor crate. I grab Javelin, Unnamed and others grabs SMAWs. I shoot first, and as soon missile my leaves tube, others will fire a salvo.
I get a tone.
Missile away! I see a hit, and almost immediately SMAWs splash at the target. Smoke..and FLAMES! Tank is destroyed...but we're now taking hit from right! Close! Not fair! We take 'em down, and Unnamed makes a dash to the plane. Others follow. I drop my launcher, MG and only grab a pistol. I feel small arms fire whistling by me as I make the dash. Shit. I can't enter from this side! I have to go around! I hear small arms projectiles hitting the fuselage. Hands reaches out and pulls me to plane.Â
Unnamed (guy with a cool black beret) starts to taxi, but we aren't out of there yet. Manuel notices task of eliminating AAA isn't ticked. Yeah. To get this far and to be shot down like a turkey...but..no choice.
Unnamed hits the throttle. Slowly. Way too slowly old junk C-130 gets revolutions and gains speed.
V1-rotate!
We're airborne. Unnamed announces flaps up and asks a bearing to exfil. Almost there. I declare that if there is some sadistic surprise at exfil I will gather hit squad to eliminate the mission author. Several people says they are with me.
Unnamed reports of tracers/ AAA fire.Â
I knew it.
Then mission ends.
A success.
A very..thorough spectrum of various sensations during this mission..but feeling when we made it..'yeehaas' from the others in lobby.. this time, very very genuine.
That's why I play Arma with CiA.
I'm honestly not sure how to describe this bizarre cavalcade.
This had to be one of most bipolar mission experiences I have had for some time. I've just checked the crisis therapy session. Someone speaking with german accent was right behind me in waiting line.
Part I. Comedy of terrors.
I have to say I liked the milieu and scene. Chernarus summer is good map and mist at start was atmospheric. Usually I'm not the biggest fan of mercenary stuff/missions of this style but author had put lots of effort to mission in general, to (a bit chaotic) briefing, tasks, cool intros, etc. We also had regular comm's / etc issues at start, so it created certain mood for the mission. It would get much worse. Basically we had to steal a helicopter from one airfield, use it to steal a long range plane from a different airfield, and get out to Tanoa.
I was a
Second suprise was that there was no radios. I can see author attempted to create a different mood for mission but it led to issues. I was just a lowlife (field!) medic ( I turned to Dolph Lungren of Expendables only at 2nd half of mission) but what I heard from local shouting.. I cant print some of those words here. It must have been a comms nightmare for the Varanon (A-actual). I was honestly more concerned of the leaders's blood pressure/sanity rather then wounds.
Putting it shortly, action near first airfield led to Alpha flanking airfield from east near railway track. We got to some firefights at outskirts of airfield, and mission moment was downing Huey (hey, it looked like Cobra at a distance) with small arms fire! There was plenty of ambient firefight, including a Cobra (this time real one) engaging targets on ground. US forces had clashed with insurgents. Delicious chaos, which didn't feel so much fun at a time.
Then my team flanked east-north, and during that transit some of my team got machinegunned down in the forest. Varanon was cut down in the hangar. For some reason I couldn't pick Varnons radio and I had no idea wtf is going on, who is alive, and wtf got us. I knew it was HMG of a sorts. I had to hide behind a crate, and when I put up some smokes and make a dash, it was my turn. I was wounded, and heard Den/Unnamed in local, somewhere close. I crawled at them and they got me up. Now it was Den, Manuel, Unnamed, Kah and me. Part I of the mission ended here.
Part II - Expendables IV
Now we had to get rid of the tank. Den score several (something between 6-9) hits with M136, possibly a SMAW, Javelin, pop gun and thrown rock and the thing didn't even flinch. Ok, Abrams tank is a tough beast, I understand lighter launchers being shrugged off but I'm pretty sure we threw anything at it we found from the crates. I observed it with rangefinder, I saw it had some damage decals, but it clearly was -not- destroyed. I also didn't see crew bodies outside. Bombarding it was surreal, but the thing just didn't flinch. I'm pretty sure crew was dead/or stuck in some FSM-loop as it did nothing to us shooting at it with multiple rockets. This incident might have led to potentially dangerous decision later on.
Unnamed in controls we set a course to northern airfield with a Seahawk. Less comrades alive = less money to split after our reward is complete. No, I really didn't think that way, but I was tired, annoyed at already marathon mission and I decided to get into mercenary mood to survive the end. We had already gotten this far, no point to give up now.
Our LZ was a bit to the east, and we started moving to norther end of airfield. We had several skirmishes with infantry on the way. I would be interested to see how many kills Den and Unnamed scored. We got to several firefights on the way, and when we had reached northeast corner of airfield, we were in for another 'surprise'.
More tanks. More vehicles. More..walking. C-130, our way out was there...but we couldn't take off until at least some of the opposition would be eliminated, especially the AAA.
We located cache of launchers in NW part of airfield, and Den started leading us there, flanking from north. At same time insurgents had decided to attack the airfield, so there was tracers of every color. Moody. The transit in open was one of most nerve cracking experiences with several skirmishes and I can't believe we made it to NW hangars. The feeling 'we've got already this far...come on..not NOW' got stronger and stronger.
Honestly, what kept us going was probably developing various violent fantasies of what to do to
We got positions at back of a hangar. We had taken launchers from southern airbase, and before we could take off we just had to eliminate the tank. However we also had infantry contacts behind our backs and we had to constantly return to infantry fire.
Sometime at this point we lost Den who told us to keep still as he was attempting to take a shot to the tank.
I never like losing comrade in field but this was more than usual.
Den had gotten us this far, and now the man is gone. It isn't fair! However we still had to worry about the M1 tank. We spotted it at 300m and most of us had M136's. Unnamed and I scored a hit at 300m, which is pretty much max range of light disposable launchers, but it wasn't enough to destroy it.
At this time I was seriously concerned if we have another indestructable tank on our hands. It would have made the mission impossible to complete. Question was, what next?
Unnamed: I have news. The tank is there, and its turret is pointing straight at us.
Stag: And the good news?
Unnamed: There are no good news.Â
Roger that. Out of launchers, soon out of ammo, and we've got a tank in one end, pissed off infantry of unknown numbers in one end, and our exit plane somewhere between. Again, the feeling 'shit, we've gotten this far.. it isnt fair!!'
I had spotted another cache in opposite side of airfield, next to C-130, but these were in hangar, in cover. The other launcher crate, the ones we were hoping to use, were in too open location, and tank was aiming at us. I also had no idea none so ever how much opposition is left, and as we had taken constant infantry fire, there weren't many options. I briefly considered making a dash to the plane and taking off and just taking our chances.
Ok. Four of us have to get back to where we came from. More nerve wrecking transits in open. When we were somewhat 150m away from our objective, someone opens fire at close. I had absolutely no idea where it came from, but the crack shots of my team takes them down. Another dash to forest, and we hit the dirt to catch stamina. Only time ever I've been glad that Chernarus has tall grass.
I scan behind us. A full squad just comes to view from a gap in the wall. I report contact, and we cut them down in a lightshow of tracers. Unnamed reports last can of ammo. We stack up behind hangar.
Democracy in action. I ask my team whether we take our chances and just make a mad dash to plane and try to take off, or risk using launchers on potentially indestructable tank and getting us killed. Team says fight. Smart. We smoke entrance, and make dash to hangars. No cover, but the crates. Four big ugly men stack up behind a poor crate. I grab Javelin, Unnamed and others grabs SMAWs. I shoot first, and as soon missile my leaves tube, others will fire a salvo.
I get a tone.
Missile away! I see a hit, and almost immediately SMAWs splash at the target. Smoke..and FLAMES! Tank is destroyed...but we're now taking hit from right! Close! Not fair! We take 'em down, and Unnamed makes a dash to the plane. Others follow. I drop my launcher, MG and only grab a pistol. I feel small arms fire whistling by me as I make the dash. Shit. I can't enter from this side! I have to go around! I hear small arms projectiles hitting the fuselage. Hands reaches out and pulls me to plane.Â
Unnamed (guy with a cool black beret) starts to taxi, but we aren't out of there yet. Manuel notices task of eliminating AAA isn't ticked. Yeah. To get this far and to be shot down like a turkey...but..no choice.
Unnamed hits the throttle. Slowly. Way too slowly old junk C-130 gets revolutions and gains speed.
V1-rotate!
We're airborne. Unnamed announces flaps up and asks a bearing to exfil. Almost there. I declare that if there is some sadistic surprise at exfil I will gather hit squad to eliminate the mission author. Several people says they are with me.
Unnamed reports of tracers/ AAA fire.Â
I knew it.
Then mission ends.
A success.
A very..thorough spectrum of various sensations during this mission..but feeling when we made it..'yeehaas' from the others in lobby.. this time, very very genuine.
That's why I play Arma with CiA.