As an avid AAO player, I have to agree on one very important point: this isn't Quake, Counterstrike or any other FPS you've played before. You must communicate and coordinate with your squad in order to stay alive, much less win.
A few points of difference in gameplay:
1. Bunny hopping does you no good. A true marksman aims for centre mass and soldiers in the game jump a cuople of feet, max. Result, no effect. Not that you need it, because the only explosives in the game are unimpressed with how far away you are, just whether they have LOS to you. Furthermore, you can't fire while you're jumping and running (just like real life where the kick of the rifle will knock you on your a33), and you give away your position by visual means and by the very audible 'uhn' when you land.
2. Running into the enemy is dumb. You will die (again, like real life). You're best bet is to move cautiously and in concert with covering fire from your team-mates. Crawling is good.
3. there is no such thing as 'camping' in this game. It's called defense if you're on defense. When you have a sniper rifle, it's called sniping. When you're on offense, have the Squad Auto Weapon (read heavy MG) and you have a time limit to achieve your objectives, it's called supporting the advance, unless you spend the entire time in hiding and not supporting your squad, where it's called cowering.
4. Patience is of utmost importance. Sometimes sitting and waiting for the enemy is the best plan, especially when you're on defense. Twitchy trigger fingers and a need to run around willy nilly can get your entire team killed by exposing their position and by a lack of numbers to defend an objective caused by your running off and getting your self killed.
5. If it doesn't work in real life, it won't work here. So don't run around firing a SAW and expect to hit anything with it. You aren't Rambo and Rambo isn't reality...
6. Killing teammates gets you kicked and sent to (virtual) prison. So you have to watch your fire, watch where you throw grenades and check targets. Teamwork and coordination can prevent the majority of 'freindly fire' incidents.
7. Rushing off without support gets you KIA, as all it takes is a few shots at most to take you out, unlike Quake or Counter strike, where you can take 20 rounds and find a medi-kit lying on the ground to auto heal you. There are no power-ups in AAO.
8. ROE, or rules of engagement, are important. Violating them can lose you a choice of weapons, command and lead to your being kicked from the game automatically, once they reach a certain level. Only the most trusted soldiers can use a sniper rifle or lead the team.
9. TEAMWORK, TEAMWORK, TEAMWORK!
I think that about sums up the apples and oranges difference between the two games. They are not even close.
I enjoy a thinking mans FPS, personally, and AAO is just that. If you're looking for run, gun, gore, and respawn, ad infinitum, you would probably be better off with something else, although you really should give it a try. It is completely free, and available on CD from your local Army recruiter...
A few points of difference in gameplay:
1. Bunny hopping does you no good. A true marksman aims for centre mass and soldiers in the game jump a cuople of feet, max. Result, no effect. Not that you need it, because the only explosives in the game are unimpressed with how far away you are, just whether they have LOS to you. Furthermore, you can't fire while you're jumping and running (just like real life where the kick of the rifle will knock you on your a33), and you give away your position by visual means and by the very audible 'uhn' when you land.
2. Running into the enemy is dumb. You will die (again, like real life). You're best bet is to move cautiously and in concert with covering fire from your team-mates. Crawling is good.
3. there is no such thing as 'camping' in this game. It's called defense if you're on defense. When you have a sniper rifle, it's called sniping. When you're on offense, have the Squad Auto Weapon (read heavy MG) and you have a time limit to achieve your objectives, it's called supporting the advance, unless you spend the entire time in hiding and not supporting your squad, where it's called cowering.
4. Patience is of utmost importance. Sometimes sitting and waiting for the enemy is the best plan, especially when you're on defense. Twitchy trigger fingers and a need to run around willy nilly can get your entire team killed by exposing their position and by a lack of numbers to defend an objective caused by your running off and getting your self killed.
5. If it doesn't work in real life, it won't work here. So don't run around firing a SAW and expect to hit anything with it. You aren't Rambo and Rambo isn't reality...
6. Killing teammates gets you kicked and sent to (virtual) prison. So you have to watch your fire, watch where you throw grenades and check targets. Teamwork and coordination can prevent the majority of 'freindly fire' incidents.
7. Rushing off without support gets you KIA, as all it takes is a few shots at most to take you out, unlike Quake or Counter strike, where you can take 20 rounds and find a medi-kit lying on the ground to auto heal you. There are no power-ups in AAO.
8. ROE, or rules of engagement, are important. Violating them can lose you a choice of weapons, command and lead to your being kicked from the game automatically, once they reach a certain level. Only the most trusted soldiers can use a sniper rifle or lead the team.
9. TEAMWORK, TEAMWORK, TEAMWORK!
I think that about sums up the apples and oranges difference between the two games. They are not even close.
I enjoy a thinking mans FPS, personally, and AAO is just that. If you're looking for run, gun, gore, and respawn, ad infinitum, you would probably be better off with something else, although you really should give it a try. It is completely free, and available on CD from your local Army recruiter...
