End of Act 1 [SPOILERS]

[B33 ENN]

Well,

Somehow, I survived through the carnage and got a call from Reuban. He explained the impending threat to the gang at Mike's and the church. It was a tough choice. On the one hand, I had collected several buddies, all of whom could take care of themselves, so should I join them? Or should I help the father and his flock at the church, defenseless and vulnerable?

Wasn't particularly impressed by Reuban, he seemed to have arranged a ticket outta town to save his own arse, without a thought for anyone else. Surely he could squeeze a couple of extra passengers into his ride South?

Well, Mike's was right next door the lumbar yard and I had just crammed my Datsun over some logs trying to get to Reuban's rendezvous. So I was walking, by intending to head to the Church in Pala, when I hear machine guns fire at Mike's... Whatever I had thought about doing the right thing, Michele was there, and that crazy kid Warren. Couldn't give two grenades about the rest, especially Josip, but I felt compelled to try to help.

I cleared Mike's from a distance using the M79 and tidied up the loose ends with the MP5 I happened to be test driving.  Didn't seem so hard, I thought, but I had a suspicion things couldn't be this easy and would get a whole lot uglier soon enough. I dived into the armoury for some "moral support": flame thrower and a SPAS-12 with everything, to go.

Warren and I move the fridge, and the nightmare begins. Josip was the first to go down, took a head shot and re-decorated the wall. Guess he was lucky it was over quick. We lasted a while, I musta barbacued 20 mercs just for my share, but it all went Young Guns pretty fast after that. The guy with the turban kept getting in the way and got caught in a crossfire, then things went blurry. Last thng I remember seeing, was my heart breaking when I saw Michelle and Warren down along with most of the others. Seem to have a hazy image of being on a meatwagon... and whaddaya know? Jackal boy practising his bedside manner, and it's deja vu Pala 12 days ago... ???

Cut! Cut! Reload! ;D

So I'm walking past Mike's, hear them mercs opening up on the bar... The kids can take car of themselves, and Warren's come a long way, if any of them can rally the troops, he can. They'll be okay. Pala's deserted, eirily so. It's coming. I better make pace for the church.

Surprise, surprise, it's not just that journo that's a few discs shy of a back bone, the holy father and his choir boys are leaving me to it. Guess they musta booked their seat with the Reuban Express in advance. Next thing I know, I'm on the menu and there is some hungry mendeho's at the door, and they wanna skip to the main course! Come and get it, I yell as I light up the place with the flamer, Ripley from Aliens style!

Erm... okay, I'm on a meatwagon in the middle of nowhere. :o

Cut! Cut! Pause! :D

Okay, I get it, but each time, all my buddies at Mike's were toast anyway, no matter how I played it! I lost ALL 5 of them!

Well, I kept going, got as far as the barge fiasco, key to that was sniping the two rocket guys on the far mountains across the bay first, then introducing everybody else to my friend M79... After that, took in the sights of the South, but then realised I have unfinished business in the North... Sure I ain't got all the Jackal tapes, only one predecessor tape, but least I cleaned up for diamonds. Only good thing about this curve ball is I finally got another dealer mission and unlocked some new hardware. How did I ever live without that MGL-140? And the CG launcher might take a little longer to load than the RPG but the sight makes BVR w@&k a trip. ;D

So, the questions are:

Is there a way to save even one or two of your buddies from the North to continue with operations in the South? Or are they only for the Northern operations?

Can I return to the North and continue my quest, or do I have to roll back to pre-bar fight at Mike's?

[PZ]

Ahhh.... I remember those adventures well  ;)

Unfortunately you cannot keep buddies from the north, but you can return any time to do the tapes.  Try driving a GL (grenade launching) AT (assault truck) back north for some real carnage.  ;D

[spaceboy]

just about to reply PZ!

I was reliving B33 ENN's adventure as if it were my own.  Very well written!

No matter what you do, you all go down at the bar and the church as well.  It's always meatwagon.  But as PZ said, now you can go back and forth between Leboa and Bowa as you wish.

[JRD]

... and you can always make new friends at the new neighborhood, son...
...
...
...
... or not... ;D ;D ;D

[Art Blade]

a few discs shy of a back bone

LOL, good one  ;D

Rather entertaining read, old chap  :-X

You'll be surprised to find some of your Northern buddies who apparently died at Mike's doing an impression of Alien Resurrection, but you'll have to wait until the end of the game. Any unfinished (respectively, not started) buddy missions they had to offer before you got to the southern part are lost; so if you want to do them, do them before you leave Leboa. Other side missions however, namely those cell tower assessination missions and the predecessor "missions" will remain available to you after you went to Bowa.

[PZ]

Whenever I'm at the northwest armory of Bowa (the southern map) I have to resist the temptation to drive north to reminisce about the good 'ol days.  ;D

I may be doing something wrong, but I've never been able to return to do the cell tower missions once I leave Leboa (the north)

[Art Blade]

I did return to do them, a couple of times, and I still like to drive back to Leboa and wreak havoc there with my shiny southern toys  ;D

[Dweller_Benthos]

Like I said in the other thread, it doesn't matter which choice you make, but it should........

[PZ]

I did return to do them, a couple of times, and I still like to drive back to Leboa and wreak havoc there with my shiny southern toys  ;D

I'd like to be able to return to do the missions - did you not start them at all in Leboa and get it to w@&k that way?

[Art Blade]

At least once I didn't start any of them, yes. Then I think I did one predecessor but no cell tower, both worked. And I am quite sure that I once did at least one or two cell towers (easy money) and returned. In other words, it always worked for me.

[B33 ENN]

Well, I made my way back... buddyless in the North now...

Decided to change my loadout, since I bought everything available in the armoury now  ;D AR-16/M79/Dart. Figured I'd get that last Predecessor tape from the back of the Fort. Wanted to go in at night, but I woke up late in the safehouse. Stuck to my plan though, sneak in, don't get seen, don't kill anyone.

Didn't w@&k out like that, sun was too high, I reckon... but then things started badly. Got ambushed by mercs soon as I opened the door, caught me off guard while I had my map out, rammed their Land Rover into mine. I fumbled for the right piece, took a few rounds before I finally got my AR out, but once I did, had em for breakfast with a few short bursts. I'm liking this gun. Weird sight though, prefer a cross hair to this yellow dot.

Made my way up to the fort, but got lost among the rocks and didn't find the path leading up to the back. Instead, wound up at the foot near some mercs. Didn't see me, but I popped one anyway to test the range. It's no sniper like the Dragunov, but good for all occasions, I think - and besides, that's why I keep the Dart handy. Never need to get up-close and personal with that, not that they'd hear it anyway.

Okay, back tracked and got to the hut behind the fort unseen, nabbed the tape player.. Guard on the fort walking around near the edge, got him in my sights, but he won't see me, I'm concealed behind the hut in the shadows.... Eh? what's this, he's looking straight at my scope, is he going to reach for it? Don't do it matey, don't be a hero.

Too late, he's going for something, bang... he's not down, shoulda used the dart. Another burst before he moves away, okay, down now. Damn, they heard the shots...

High tailed it outta there, got out without anyone in my way, all the way back to the safehouse. Think I'll hit the hay till the afternoon sun drops - too hot here - then make make my way to the new target. I'll take the scenic route, pick on a few patrols and checkpoints just to give this AR a proper welcome to the neighbourhood.  :)

[PZ]

I like your stories, Nick - I've played FC2 enough to know exactly where you are in the game by your descriptions.  :-X

My usual method of attacking the Fort is to go to the northeast bus stop and take the rusty Datsun diagonally off-road to avoid the GP to the east of the stop and then w@&k my way toward the Fort.  Along the way is the safe house where I'll pick up a dart if I'm not carrying one (bub usually am).  Then park the Datsun on the footpath by the wrecked bus and walk the rest of the way to a tree just around the bend (when the Fort is in sight).

Hiding behind the tree, I'll take out both tower snipers and then w@&k my way up the eastern trail toward the back of the Fort where I'll kill the roving merc, then stand in the stone entry way and shoot anyone that approaches.  They'll usually get around to throwing a grenade, but I'll step back to let it explode, then move back in for more of the turkey shoot.  Usually, I can clean out a good portion of the eastern side of the fort with this method.

[fragger]

That's my usual approach too PZ, though when I get up to the Fort I occasionally like to spice things up a bit by running in through that entryway near the rock and if the coast is clear, I go up the steps to the right, then around to the left at the top and up into the tower where the highest sniper was. Great view from up there, and there's a small explosives pack to be had. I often need that because I've usually chucked a grenade or two over the fort wall before I go in. A good throw from near the rocks outside will go right over the battlement path and go off in the courtyard inside, on your level. I nearly always get at least one merc that way, sometimes I luck out and get two or three. Once up in the tower, if you face the main entrance down at ground level, it's possible to throw a Molotov all the way down into the entry archway and start a fire in there to keep any outside mercs from gaining entry for a bit - sometimes you can even get lucky and barbecue one or two of them in the archway itself.

I like the Fort - sometimes, if I'm up that way, I'll go in there for no other reason than to get into a good scrap :-*

[Art Blade]

I enjoyed your story, Nick  :)

[mir24]

*click*
Dear Nick, travelling through the great swathes of plains and jungles in this muck-filled chaotic mess of a miserable excuse for an anarchic state, I received - "received" being a good substitute; "requisitioned" more-like - a small package which contained your writings.

There is not much in this desolate backwater that brings a smile to my face but I must admit your writing certainly amused me not a little! Well done, please keep up the good w@&k!

I look forward to reading more from you soon!

*click*

*click*
And by the way, as much as I hated the thought of losing those stuck-up, low paying, scruffy-looking scoundrels at Mike's; I always consoled myself by putting on my favourite song in these parts. I include a recording for your entertainment...

*song intro plays*

"Young man, there's no need to feel down.
I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground.
I said, young man, 'cause you're in a new town
There's no need to be unhappy.

"Young man, there's a place you can go.
I said, young man, when you're short on your dough.
You can stay there, and I'm sure you will find
Many ways to have a good time.

"It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A.
It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A.

"They have everything that you need to enjoy,
You can hang out with all the boys ...

"It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A.
It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A.

"You can get yourself clean, you can have a good meal
You can do whatever you feel ...

"Young man, I was once in your shoes.
I said, I was down and out with the blues.
I felt no man cared if I were alive.
I felt the whole world was so jive ...

No man does it all by himself.
I said, young man, put your pride on the shelf,
And just go there, to the Y.M.C.A.
I'm sure they can help you today.

It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A.
It's fun to stay at the Y-M-C-A.

Etc
Etc
Etc
*click*

*click*
It must be old age, but what the hey's a BVR???
*click*

[Art Blade]

It must be old age, but what the hey's a BVR???

No idea, either, so I tried this:

http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/BVR

Acronym   / Definition
BVR   Beyond Visual Range
BVR   Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation
BVR   Biliverdin Reductase
BVR   Bundesverband der Volks- und Raiffeisenbanken (German Cooperatives Head)
BVR   Bulletin de Versement (French)
BVR   Boycott Vulnerability Ratio
BVR   Business Valuation Review (journal)
BVR   Broadcast Video Rentals, Ltd
BVR   Business Valuation Resources, LLC
BVR   Benefits Valuation Report
BVR   Big Vin Records
BVR   Biventricular Repair
BVR   Breadboard Voltage Regulator
BVR   Best Value Revue
BVR   Battery Voltage Relay
BVR   Beyond Visual Recognition
BVR   Big Virtual Router
BVR   Bao Varakhii Rattery (Grand Rapids, MI)

The orange one is the best one I think ;D

[mir24]

No idea, either, so I tried this:

http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/BVR

Acronym   / Definition
BVR   Beyond Visual Range
BVR   Bureau of Vocational Rehabilitation
BVR   Biliverdin Reductase
BVR   Bundesverband der Volks- und Raiffeisenbanken (German Cooperatives Head)
BVR   Bulletin de Versement (French)
BVR   Boycott Vulnerability Ratio
BVR   Business Valuation Review (journal)
BVR   Broadcast Video Rentals, Ltd
BVR   Business Valuation Resources, LLC
BVR   Benefits Valuation Report
BVR   Big Vin Records
BVR   Biventricular Repair
BVR   Breadboard Voltage Regulator
BVR   Best Value Revue
BVR   Battery Voltage Relay
BVR   Beyond Visual Recognition
BVR   Big Virtual Router
BVR   Bao Varakhii Rattery (Grand Rapids, MI)

The orange one is the best one I think ;D

Or the one right at the top: Beyond Visual Range...  :)

[Art Blade]

Hehe, I was figuring a situation where I'd tell a merc something like "Oi, mate, get outa my way or I'll slap ya stupid excuse of a face BVR."  ;D

[fragger]

Lol ;D ;D

[mir24]

Hehe, I was figuring a situation where I'd tell a merc something like "Oi, mate, get outa my way or I'll slap ya stupid excuse of a face BVR."  ;D

Nice one!  :-X

I'd settle for a situation where, with a Reputation of 5, I can approach a merc with my Uzi and go "Do you feel lucky today, punk? Well, do ya?!!" and see him s**t in his pants, grovel then faint...  :P

On the other hand, the option of actually grabbing someone with my bare hands a la Crysis and slapping him silly (BVR optional  ;)) would also be welcome!

[Art Blade]

Hahaha! Slap someone silly, good expression  :-X

I always liked the old Assassin's Creed (1) line of one of those thugs I once "met" near a fricking huge cathedral (the tallest one in that game). He said "Go away, or I'll make ya" with a proper London/cockney accent  ;D