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It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Soldier sim . () |
A tactical shooter is a video game of the first-person shooter (FPS) and third-person shooter genres that generally simulate realistic, squad-based or man-to-man skirmishes. This may come in the form of police fighting terrorists or other criminals, military combat in the recent past or hypothetical near future, and so on. The emphasis is on realistic modeling of weapon effects, terrain, and character capabilities, which lead to the possibility of other tactics, such as stealth, being used in play than the more conventional FPS "shoot everything that moves" game style. Popular and/or influential tactical shooters include: America's Army, SOCOM: US Navy SEALs series, Brothers in Arms series, Delta Force series, Hidden & Dangerous, Red Orchestra: Ostfront 41-45, SWAT series, Rainbow Six series, Ghost Recon series, Operation Flashpoint: Cold War Crisis, Vietcong series, Deadly Dozen series, etc. In multiplayer games, the term can have a different meaning. A multiplayer tactical shooter focuses on team cooperation to achieve objectives, rather than simply eliminating the enemy (as in traditional deathmatch games). The tactical emphasis is thus on joint goals and assisting team members, rather than on overcoming realistic individual limitations, for example, in games such as Counter-Strike or Wolfenstein: Enemy Territory. Bolo and Tank Mania are examples of 2D, top-down perspective shooters with similar gameplay and objectives. Tactical shooters involving military combat are sometimes known as soldier sims.
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Tactical realism community
A strong community has emerged around tactical shooters with the goal of encouraging realistic play. This community is centered around games and modifications with a high degree of realism. Games, modifications, and game servers enforce and encourage realistic gameplay through rules the players on a server must follow, as well as restrictions within the game itself. Typical rules and restrictions on a tactical realism game server may restrict the following:
Movement
- Bunny hopping - Some games have completely removed jumping.
- Run and gun (RNG) - (a similar term is spray and pray) When one runs towards the enemy while using the spray and pray technique, with no regard for one's (virtual) life.
- Suicide runs - Synonymous with RNG, except this also includes crashing a vehicle into an enemy, which usually results in the destruction of both the vehicle and the enemy.
- Snaking/Worming - When one adopts the prone position in an open area with no cover and immediately fires at an enemy. Also when one repeatedly switches between two different stances (ie. prone and standing) without lapse of time.
- Map exploits - When one travels to places on the map where a soldier in real life would not be able to reach.
- Ledging - When a player stands on a windowsill or a shelf that is less than 6 inches in width.
Weapons
- Weapon spam - Also known as spray and pray. This should not be confused with suppressive fire, which is long controlled bursts of fire.
- Grenade spam - Limits the amount of grenades a single player can throw within a certain period of time.
- Jumping before throwing a grenade - Unrealistically extends the distance thrown.
- Number of weapons carried - A typical soldier carries one primary weapon and one sidearm.
Head-Up Display
- Crosshairs - The player is expected to use the iron sights or telescopic sights on their weapon.
- Ammunition counters - The player must check the magazine itself to be sure of the number of rounds left.
- Weapon status indicators - Such as the temperature of the barrel.
- Health indicators - Health is not based on 100 hit point systems.
- A compass or map which is displayed permanently on the HUD - The player must press a button to display the compass or map.
- In-game maps that show the locations of friendly or enemy players
- Killcams - A term coined from Call of Duty, when one is able to see the location of one's opponent after being killed. This term has been extended to cover any vision of the battlefield after dying.
Related genres
Tactical shooters are first- or third-person shooters, but are distinguished by being emphasising realism and team tactics over action and one-player-one-unit. Realistic military simulators where individual soldiers or units are not directly controlled by the player are often real-time tactics games.
External links
- Specforce, a competing tactical shooter review site
- Dslyecxi: Best of tactical, a complete and very technical test site with videos
