Since I'm nearing the end of MGS3

[Adrian Laguna]

I always used CQC. It was very useful in conserving rounds, and the interrogating of that one grunt so as to get into the R&D centre was fun. I took on whole squads with my hands until they got a good shot in.

CQC is lodes of fun. Grab guard, drag to cliff, drop. Grab guard, drag to electric fence, throw. Grab guard, drag to bottomless mud-pit, throw. Lots of fun over and over again!

I hope they flesh it out more in MGS4, because being able to use a knife when your Colt is empty (and 7 fucking rounds ain't enough) is a godsend.

Say what? Shit, here I've beaten the game three or four times and never known that you could do that. Probably because reloading in MGS is pitifully easy, just tap-tap the R2 button and you're done. Very much like the light-gun games in arcades, I typically do a kill, reload, kill, reload, sequence and the clip is never empty. I think it would have been much better if when you taped the CQC button while using the gun-knife combo Snake would slash with his knife hand instead of punching.

Fighting The Boss isn't random though. You need to time it right, because if you grab her then don't immediately floor her, she'll simply reverse the hold and get out of it, then probably clobber you. It's possible to get her with just CQC, but it takes bloody ages.

I can never grab her, but if I let her grab me I can counter the move and floor her 3/4 times. It's all about the timing.

[Vympel]

It was more useful against Volgin. Throw him to the floor then shoot him in the ass with the shotgun whilst he gets up. I believe I used the same strategy against The Boss. Attacking at range just took too long, blasting a floored opponent at point blank took big meaty chunks out of their health.

Volgin was easy- all you need to do is run up behind him while he's charging up an attack and hit him with the shotgun. Repeat about 3 times and you're done. The most I ever got hurt was that big globe-bullet attack in the second part of the fight.

As it is, shooting the Boss on the ground doesn't seem to do the damage that nailing her when she's standing up seems to do. The worst I hit her was with a shotgun blast at close range, where by some miracle she couldn't see me crouching down right in front of her.

I always used CQC. It was very useful in conserving rounds

You needed to conserve rounds?

and the interrogating of that one grunt so as to get into the R&D centre was fun.

Interrogate the who what to get into the where now? I never interrogated anyone *shrug* I mean, I knew you could do it- but why risk the annoyance of getting caught?

I took on whole squads with my hands until they got a good shot in. I hope they flesh it out more in MGS4, because being able to use a knife when your Colt is empty (and 7 fucking rounds ain't enough) is a godsend. Fighting The Boss isn't random though. You need to time it right, because if you grab her then don't immediately floor her, she'll simply reverse the hold and get out of it, then probably clobber you. It's possible to get her with just CQC, but it takes bloody ages.

I never floored her- I just got behind her and then kicked her in the head a few times till she fell over. Really, my CQC technique is terrible. I remember now I only used it once- to kill the guards in the rope bridge map in Operation Snake Eater (not Virtuous Mission)- since I didn't have my M1911A1, I just cut his throat and then dropped his body into the gorge.

Which reminds me- when Ocelot has Eva caught in that bit in Rassvet, and then he tries to shoot Snake with that fancy engraved gun, nothing happens, and Snake reminds him he's only got six shots- I don't remember Ocelot firing prior?

I forgot to mention how fucking awesome the chase against Shagohod and then the chase after was- very Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. I hear people liked to use the RPG, but the M63 was where it's at for me.

And another Metal Gear gripe- why isn't there a load option? I'm sick of throwing myself off a cliff to die, go back to main menu, load, everytime I get caught in an alert. This has been going for three games now. (I never use continue, takes your stats down).

[Vympel]

Well, he's not very smart then. And neither is Raiden.

You're forgetting Raiden's uber-Katana-of-doom!

I can't tell you how many times in MGS2 I wished I could have just stolen the damn knife the terrorists used on the Marines at the beginning of the Tanker level...

... the "terrorists"? Those are Colonel Gurlukovich's Spetsnaz, you capitalist dog.

[Adrian Laguna]

You needed to conserve rounds?

On hard difficulty with special house rules (only using the M1911A1, XM-16E, and Skorpion) you definitely do.

The idea being that Snake shouldn't be able to carry so many weapons, so I don't use that many weapons. Trust me, it was a pain in the ass to hit the C4 charges on the bridge without the Sniper Rifle.

Which reminds me- when Ocelot has Eva caught in that bit in Rassvet, and then he tries to shoot Snake with that fancy engraved gun, nothing happens, and Snake reminds him he's only got six shots- I don't remember Ocelot firing prior?

He fired six times to get Snake's attention, you can hear it. Ocelot thought he had two bullets left because he forgot he wasn't using a Makarov anymore. Snake's, "You don't have what it takes to kill me." is such a great one-liner in that situation.

And another Metal Gear gripe- why isn't there a load option? I'm sick of throwing myself off a cliff to die, go back to main menu, load, everytime I get caught in an alert. This has been going for three games now. (I never use continue, takes your stats down).

There is no load option because Kojima doesn't like people doing the "save & reload" trick.

BTW - Real men set TNT charges then throw themselves on them before detonating.

[Vympel]

On hard difficulty with special house rules (only using the M1911A1, XM-16E, and Skorpion) you definitely do.

The idea being that Snake shouldn't be able to carry so many weapons, so I don't use that many weapons. Trust me, it was a pain in the ass to hit the C4 charges on the bridge without the Sniper Rifle.

Dude- you're playing Metal Gear Solid. Easily one of the most selectively absurd games in the history of time.

He fired six times to get Snake's attention, you can hear it. Ocelot thought he had two bullets left because he forgot he wasn't using a Makarov anymore. Snake's, "You don't have what it takes to kill me." is such a great one-liner in that situation.

Ah k, didn't pay attention.

There is no load option because Kojima doesn't like people doing the "save & reload" trick.

That trick wouldn't work even if there was a load option- the save option doesn't do anything but save the area, when you load you always start off at the beginning. It's just annoying having to quit all the way out to avoid using a continue. Pfft. It's funny, he doesn't like the save and reload trick but he's perfectly fine with firing off two RPG rounds in a second by double-tapping R2

BTW - Real men set TNT charges then throw themselves on them before detonating.

Good point.

[Adrian Laguna]

On hard difficulty with special house rules (only using the M1911A1, XM-16E, and Skorpion) you definitely do.

The idea being that Snake shouldn't be able to carry so many weapons, so I don't use that many weapons. Trust me, it was a pain in the ass to hit the C4 charges on the bridge without the Sniper Rifle.

Dude- you're playing Metal Gear Solid. Easily one of the most selectively absurd games in the history of time.

I draw the line at pocket dimensions.

[Pulp Hero]

At least its better than most games by limiting the holstered number of weapons, rather than making everything avaliable. Besides, pocket dimensions rock.

[Vympel]

Well, I finished it- the Boss was actually pretty damn easy this time round- partly because I'm a retard and didn't realize that if you have a semi-automatic sniper rifle like the SVD ... you should really shoot the bitch more than once before she fires at you. This time, every time she was in my sights, I fired at her until she collapsed.

The few times she spotted me, I had pretty good luck and was able to overpower her quite easily.

Didn't even take five minutes, I reckon.

The ending with Ocelot was great- actually the entire ending was well put together. I did the usual thing of waiting until the end of the credits, and as per usual, there was Ocelot, talking on the phone with both Comrade Brezhnev and presumably the Director of the CIA- who, if I'm not mistaken, was John McCone (DCIA from 1961-1965).

I was happy to hear that the Legacy Tatanya/EVA stole was a total fake, and that both halves were still retained by the Soviet Union and the USA.

I note the timeline says that Tatanya/EVA disappeared in Hanoi in 1968- that could mean the Chinese killed her out of anger, or she just disappeared. Or she got blown up by a US airstrike.

In all liklihood, they'll bring back a ~70 something Tatanya in Metal Gear Solid 4.

It'd be interesting to know what happened to the Soviet half of the Legacy- enough money to fight WW2 five times over was what the Boss said. That's two-and-a-half WW2s for the USA and USSR, if we take it literally (excluding whatever piddly amount Volgin used).

Random rant: Oh, how I hate the damn "Terrible Children" fuckup. Accelerate aging fucking retarded crap shit stupid make Snake look like a pensioner how is that fun kiss my ass stupid Hideo ...

[Ford Prefect]

Random rant: Oh, how I hate the damn "Terrible Children" fuckup. Accelerate aging fucking retarded crap shit stupid make Snake look like a pensioner how is that fun kiss my ass stupid Hideo ...

Because now he looks like Sean Connery.

[Vympel]

Because now he looks like Sean Connery.

Eh? He looks nothing like Sean Connery. That was the original concept for Big Boss back in Metal Gear. Solidus was said by Ocelot to be the "spitting image" of Big Boss in his advanced state of aging.

Which reminds me, I need to get MGS3: Subsistence because I want to play Metal Gear and Metal Gear 2, along with The Twin Snakes on my Gamecube, MGS2 and MGS3 on the PS2 I'll be set).

Fuck, I just remembered my Gamecube doesn't work anymore. Piece of shit. How the hell do I get it fixed ...

EDIT: and of course, Metal Gear Portable Ops on my brother's PSP, if I'm not mistaken it will be "canon" and you will be playing as Big Boss in between MGS3 and MGS.

[Molyneux]

The ending with Ocelot was great-

Heh...which gun did you get, and what did you do with it?

You're forgetting Raiden's uber-Katana-of-doom!

Well...in that case (and I know I'm going to get hit for this), Raiden is smarter than Snake. But even Raiden doesn't get the bloody thing 'til pretty late in the game!

... the "terrorists"? Those are Colonel Gurlukovich's Spetsnaz, you capitalist dog.

Those *were* Colonel Gurlukovich's Spetznaz. USSR go bye-bye, Comrade G. was no longer a colonel, hence those guys were FORMER Spetznaz, and hence terrorists. Well, until Ocelot/Liquid killed them, anyway.

[Vympel]

Heh...which gun did you get, and what did you do with it?

The left. I shot Ocelot dead in the head. Too bad it was a blank. I briefly considered firing into the air, but you're talking to someone who killed the Boss the split pico-second she asked me to. I'm not sure the screen even finished fading in before I put a bullet in her.

Speaking of which, what happens if you don't shoot the Boss?

Well...in that case (and I know I'm going to get hit for this), Raiden is smarter than Snake. But even Raiden doesn't get the bloody thing 'til pretty late in the game!

Not that much smarter- a Katana isn't practical for close-in fights- not normally, anyway. A small combat knife would've been preferable.

Those *were* Colonel Gurlukovich's Spetznaz. USSR go bye-bye

Spetsnaz didn't disappear with the fall of the USSR. They serve Russia instead.

Comrade G. was no longer a colonel

Erm- he wasn't?

hence those guys were FORMER Spetznaz, and hence terrorists. Well, until Ocelot/Liquid killed them, anyway.

Bah. Mercenaries, not terrorists.

[Adrian Laguna]

Speaking of which, what happens if you don't shoot the Boss?

Nothing, the game waits for you to do it. I know because the first time around, I sat there for a few seconds waiting for Snake to end it. Then I realized that it was me who had to pull the trigger. First time a game made me all emotional and hesitant about putting a bullet in someone.

With the guns, there are four different scenes.

If you pick the right gun.

If you pick the left and:
-shoot Ocelot
-miss Ocelot on purpose
-hold your fire

[Admiral Valdemar]

I couldn't shoot Ocelot. I'd intentionally miss. Fortunately for him, I picked poorly on my first go and he had me in his sights. Thanked me for being such a sport, then went for a swim. The whole ending is simply brilliantly done, far more so than most Hollywood movies with regards to an emotional tying up of loose ends for closure.

As for Portable Ops, I never knew it would be canon (Ac!d 1 and 2 aren't, for obvious reasons, as are the gaiden GB adventures). I'll have to borrow a PSP for that, because frankly, I want a DS Lite now. Playing Big Boss in the '70s trying to clear his name sounds fun though.

Speaking of which, what happens if you don't shoot the Boss?

You die as the place is hit and you don't escape in the WIG, or so I imagine. Besides, you have to by nature of the timeline. You can't fight your genes, it's... fate.

[Vympel]

Well I'm kinda speculating that it will be- it looks like they're making it out to be canon from the official website. Hopefully it is.

[Admiral Valdemar]

If it is, it will be a side-story anyway, pretty much MGS3 was not mandatory playing, though it does explain a fair few things if you happen to give a shit about the franchise (if not, why are you playing?).

Just buying a PSP for one game is a bit beyond my poor unemployed graduate self, for now. Bad enough wanting a PS3 just to get MGS4 and end the saga. I know you want Über Raiden, Vym. I simply must have his exoskeleton, all the big celebs wear them nowadays.

Moo.

[Darth Raptor]

I wish I could fit into that exoskeleton.

[Sea Skimmer]

That was one option I was considering as an alternative, but Volgin wanted his gunship support which, I'm sure you'll agree, MI-12s would suck at. Didn't look like he had many more helos than those Hinds at his disposal.

Look at the size of the thing! You could turn it into a gunship AND have enough payload for it to also be a heavy bomber while lifting the required payload.

[Admiral Valdemar]

The Soviets don't have the balls for that. Only the HAB would dare make such a beast, though I'd have personally used the Halo. Maybe we can resurrect the Mi-32 though.

[Adrian Laguna]

It'd be interesting to know what happened to the Soviet half of the Legacy- enough money to fight WW2 five times over was what the Boss said. That's two-and-a-half WW2s for the USA and USSR, if we take it literally (excluding whatever piddly amount Volgin used).

I forgot to address this earlier. The American Branch of the Philosophers adquired it in the '70s, then they changed their name to The Patriots. It's in the time-line at the end of the game.

[Nephtys]

It'd be interesting to know what happened to the Soviet half of the Legacy- enough money to fight WW2 five times over was what the Boss said. That's two-and-a-half WW2s for the USA and USSR, if we take it literally (excluding whatever piddly amount Volgin used).

I forgot to address this earlier. The American Branch of the Philosophers adquired it in the '70s, then they changed their name to The Patriots. It's in the time-line at the end of the game.

That's where the money for the modern metal gears come from, and their super research into stuff like their AIs, Nanomachines, FOXDIE and Grey Fox. Presumably, Volgin spent a good amount of it however making his own elite private army and getting the Shagohod.

[Admiral Valdemar]

Volgin didn't spend that much, though. If he wanted to, as Sokolov states, he could make factories and mass produce the Shagohod and build up the rest of his army ready for a coup against Khrushchev's Russia (which is, of course, why he demanded action from the US to help stop the Colonel). Had Volgin gone through with his plans, likely he'd have taken control of the USSR and retained most of the Legacy. As it is though, that $100bn now exists entirely with the USA, much to the PRC and Russia's chagrin.

It remains to be seen how The Patriots have fared as of MGS4, but I'm sure Liquid Ocelot is going to annoy them with his new Outer Heaven.