SAM and ghost mode discussion (realism) | Forums

[jpm01]

i'd really like to hear your thoughts about this. it's the third time i get shot down by SAM in ghost mode. this is a discussion about ghost mode. SAM are absolutely not a problem in normal mode.
what annoys me with these things, it's that ghost mode is about realism. so i played realistic. means never took any air vehicles. so i get up to lvl 17 which for a newcomer isn't that bad i think. but i made a side mission where i had to deliver a plane, and i got shot down. so i think there's obviously an issue here.
let's say, you are irl, and you send a commando troup into a country where everything has broken loose. and you have to deal with a narco faction, that became powerful enough to own its own SAM systems (this what actual game offers right now). except from dropping, and extraction, it's pretty much obvious that the use of helos, or small planes would be an heresy. so this is where i'm coming, i really think that with the new ghost mode implementation, SAMS should be deactivated when you are flying supply side missions. during my last save i was flying real low, and the f.. SAM got me. when you spent hours of very careful, and successful playing, this is uber frustrating.personnally i suggest 2 things for keeping realism in ghost mode. or when you enter a supply mission air vehicle, SAM are simply and purely deactivated until you land at the delivery airfield. or even more radical, supply missions air vehicles can be beaconized (idk how to say) like trucks. so you don't have to fly them. but you keep game realism!
your thoughts

[Virtual-Chris]

I use to get shot down by SAMs a lot as well... in the normal campaign, so when I played Ghost Mode, I was either Uber careful to study the SAM site locations and plot a flight path that didn’t put me in danger, or I just didn’t bother to fly. Why would you risk your (character) life this way. It’s reckless. You say you spent hours being careful but then do something very risky... Why?

Also, why not backup your save file periodically?

Map: https://www.reddit.com/r/GhostRecon/...pdated_repost/
(Note this may not be exhaustive... fly in Ghost Mode only after backing up your save).

[Slynx.Jewel]

first of all you don't need to fly aircraft in GRW even a single time to complete the game. even Boston's mission require you only to go into the plane, not fly it(you can get out and go to destination by car\foot).
so if you're hit by SAM - it was your own fault. you knew the risk.

second, if i recall correctly you can fly high enough that sams will not target you. it'll make most of the planes\helos side quests easier.

third... unless you steer your aircraft to the side during flight you can almost always press E to get out and parachute to safety.

[Bone_Frog]

i'd really like to hear your thoughts about this. it's the third time i get shot down by SAM in ghost mode. this is a discussion about ghost mode. SAM are absolutely not a problem in normal mode.
what annoys me with these things, it's that ghost mode is about realism. so i played realistic. means never took any air vehicles. so i get up to lvl 17 which for a newcomer isn't that bad i think. but i made a side mission where i had to deliver a plane, and i got shot down. so i think there's obviously an issue here.
let's say, you are irl, and you send a commando troup into a country where everything has broken loose. and you have to deal with a narco faction, that became powerful enough to own its own SAM systems (this what actual game offers right now). except from dropping, and extraction, it's pretty much obvious that the use of helos, or small planes would be an heresy. so this is where i'm coming, i really think that with the new ghost mode implementation, SAMS should be deactivated when you are flying supply side missions. during my last save i was flying real low, and the f.. SAM got me. when you spent hours of very careful, and successful playing, this is uber frustrating.personnally i suggest 2 things for keeping realism in ghost mode. or when you enter a supply mission air vehicle, SAM are simply and purely deactivated until you land at the delivery airfield. or even more radical, supply missions air vehicles can be beaconized (idk how to say) like trucks. so you don't have to fly them. but you keep game realism!
your thoughts

First tip don't fly low. 1000m AGL or more will keep you out of most effective SAM range. Second, have parachute skill unlocked and bail at missile launch. You may have to redo your side mission, but that is better than dying and trying to dodge incoming SAMs is better reserved for main campaign.

Realism is whenever you go up in an air vehicle you run the risk of getting shot down. Whether it is an African Warlord who has been playing around with turning RPGs into man portable SAMs, Taliban fighters firing firing stingers that your government sold them from 10,000ft mountain peaks, or local governments(Unidad for example) using dedicated air defense systems(or insurgants that have stolen them from the govt, like SBC). DevGru's Gold Squadron lost 15 men in one go on Aug 6, 2011. I know it is frustrating to loose a character save that way, but that is realism. Having them not shoot at you because you are on a mission is the opposite of realism.

[Jedimindtrxx]

I vividly recall being Tier 3 in Ghost Mode and being shot down flying one of those Resource choppers, in Media Luna, being cocky, delayed explosion, killed in Mid Air, hit the mountain, and had a long fall on the way down to the canyon, exploded as it hit ground.

Playing this game multiple times. I realized that for ALL aircraft missions, (1) you DO NOT HAVE to fly in a straight line from A to B and (2) that ALL SAMS are avoidable via a very minor detour such as around the mountain instead of over the mountain OR fly really high and drop down in an area that is safe. Of course, map knowledge was in my favor.

I was dumbfounded, like I could've been Tier 1 in Ghost Mode so long ago... if I had just done this mission that way instead of being cocky.

[SmoovejAGs]

I’m a bit of a completionist so actually did complete every side mission & all the normal missions on ghost mode, predator, watchmen etc.
Took a while & I knew all the areas for Sam sites... end of the day it’s a risk I took but got it done & I actually finished ghost mode before the normal campaign.
Keep at it but yea, gotta know the regions for sams or fly high & such as suggested.

jAG

[jpm01]

Having them not shoot at you because you are on a mission is the opposite of realism.

if i'm a commando leader into a narco land populated with SAM, and i catch a plane full of supply. i'd call the resistance for a truck, or a mules or lamas convoy, and quickly vanish from enemy radar. this is realism.
what you are refering to with devgru is a warzone op, which is not exactly the same thing. in war conflicts planes are being shot down. this is part of the thing. wildland is more stealth ops. which means not seen, not caught
during stealth ops into enemy territory, there's nothing worst than being caught. being caught can have desastrous propaganda effects. this is actually why the Commanche program has been stopped
if it's a narco faction that rules the land, and they can own SAM, it's pretty much obvious they'll own the cheapest ones which are mobile (Stinger, Strela..). so last thing to do it's to take the air
how do i know wildlands ghosts are most reco team, than assault team. coz there are only 4.. for me it's an infiltration game, not a combat game. then you have the action gameplay of course. but as i said. your teammates are the only americans you see during the game. there's no Abram, no F-15.. for me the game goal is to never be seen
in term of gameplay yeah, of course i can check fan made maps. but this is not realistic much. this what i'm actually pointing out in that hread

[Hugo-FOU]

The only problem I have with SAMS is the speed of repair. I took out several in Media Luna before stealing a supply plane, but by the time I took out the last, the first was back operating.

But as Jedi says, plan your route.

[Bone_Frog]

if i'm a commando leader into a narco land populated with SAM, and i catch a plane full of supply. i'd call the resistance for a truck, or a mules or lamas convoy, and quickly vanish from enemy radar. this is realism.
what you are refering to with devgru is a warzone op, which is not exactly the same thing. in war conflicts planes are being shot down. this is part of the thing. wildland is more stealth ops. which means not seen, not caught
during stealth ops into enemy territory, there's nothing worst than being caught. being caught can have desastrous propaganda effects. this is actually why the Commanche program has been stopped
if it's a narco faction that rules the land, and they can own SAM, it's pretty much obvious they'll own the cheapest ones which are mobile (Stinger, Strela..). so last thing to do it's to take the air
how do i know wildlands ghosts are most reco team, than assault team. coz there are only 4.. for me it's an infiltration game, not a combat game. then you have the action gameplay of course. but as i said. your teammates are the only americans you see during the game. there's no Abram, no F-15.. for me the game goal is to never be seen
in term of gameplay yeah, of course i can check fan made maps. but this is not realistic much. this what i'm actually pointing out in that hread

Not the only Americans in country. Bowman... DEA apparently has a presence somewhere, and the CIA's Special Activities Division is referenced numerous times, though what exactly they are doing I haven't been able to figure out, as they are tier 1 unit of their own. You straight out tell Carzita that you are working for the US Govt, and have a phone conversation with Sueno to the same effect. Their are wanted posters in spanish all over Bolivia for your guys... So stealth in regards to propaganda is gone. That's OK, Denny Chalker said in his entire career he was only able to pull off one op where no one knew they were ever there.

There are supply crates and convoys that give you the type of "call in the rebels to pick this up" sort of mission. The planes and choppers, well apparently for whatever reason that isn't mission feasible. Maybe the rebels just don't want to show up... Who knows, wouldn't be the craziest thing I've ever seen in the field. So you have to fly it out or leave it there.

You have two options, you can either do your own intel to figure out where SAM sites are located, or you can fly high to get above their effective range. Like I said, SAMs in game have an effective range of 1000m(a stinger by the way has an effective range of 4,800m).

As far as what sort of air defense system you would be up against, there is UNIDAD which is essentially the Bolivian army. Also you aren't dealing with some little gang, you are dealing with a well entrenched Cartel in a Narco-State. US intervention, to date, has helped keep any nation from becoming a Narco-State so what resources would be available to such a cartel is largely theoretical.

I know of instances where 2 SF operators were sent out to be an assault team. It is part of what proved the effectiveness of the mk262 round for SOCOM, 77 rounds fired 75 kills. It doesn't get more direct action than that.

[jpm01]

ok, i made a quick search. and i came to the conclusion that the game is actually realistic

possible small country close to chaos G2A systems (in general. not talking of any country in particular here):

9K35. range: ~5 km
9K31. range: ~4.2 km
igla. range: ~4.2 km
stinger: 4.8 km


counterparts to in game planes:

MD-500. ceiling ~4.8 km
UH-60. ceiling: ~5.7 km
C185. ceiling ~5.2 km

so, what we see in game is totally realistic