Regarding the weapons, it's nice to see a good assortment of firearms and accessories, but you want to be careful of what you add. I prefer to see weapons that are actually in use, not rare or prototype weapons (like the gyrojet). That also means taking precaution on the use of uncommon or experimental calibers.
From how I remember the game based on the original version and earlier BFX mod, there weren't many locations where the high-powered marksman rifles would come into serious use. The cityscape locations only have a few long-ranged open lanes, and as you mentioned elsewhere the enemy has a tendency to jump behind walls or around corners, making precision shots with those weapons very difficult. And on the random-encounter maps, few had long open lanes due to the foliage or terrain. Even my M24 was not used too often, mostly just for initiating contact or picking off guards along the top walls of a prison.
But I haven't seen any of the Reloaded maps, maybe some of them include more open and distant lanes that would allow clean shots with the Barret and similar rifles. But it's still not a bad idea to include them, just in case. If the player feels he can't position himself in good firing positions, he can opt for a "smaller" rifle such as the M24 or a tricked out G3/PSG-1/MSG-90.
And I know what you mean about tactics needing to be shuffled at times. When I played the original game through I used the same tactic in the towns nearly every time. I would spawn in at the location closest to the hospital, and make a mad rush for the rooftops. Half of my team would take one side, the other half of the team the other side. Each team would have a marksman for those long-range shots, an assaulter to watch the ladder, and a grenadier packed with frags to toss over.
I would put everyone in the prone, one watching the stairs while the other two were near the edge closest to the streets. Then I'd kneel with one of the marksmen, pick off the best enemy I could, and then prone again. If they tried coming up the ladder, BANG! And when I heard them all rushing around underneath me I'd just start lobbing frags at the contact spots.
When the majority were dead from grenades, I'd start peeking over the edge and picking off the survivors. Near the end, I'd usually get a few that refused to climb the ladders or come out from behind corners/walls. If necessary, I'd send a man or two down to clean up, then it was loot time.
After a while this routine got boring, so I tried other methods. I would sometimes rush everyone into a one-door room, place everyone in line like a firing squad, and open up on the enemy as they tried to make entry. Various tactics worked, others didn't. But the maps themselves were what ruined it for me, there's only so many tactics you can use on the same maps before your brain starts to rot.
So what's the deal with the Reloaded maps. What kind of locations are they? Are they new towns, random encounters, etc? How are they added to the master map already in place? Any chance of throwing up some screenshots of a few new locations?
I'm also curious how the new weapon limit is working out. What is the new "max" for weapons/items? Is there anyone still actively making new weapons or capable of doing so if requested? Have you thought of adding new items yet?
If you need any assistance with weapons, equipment, etc then I'd be happy to help. I'm a weapons expert, and I'm currently a military advisor for another PC game. I could assist in item descriptions, realistic data for weapon systems, reference materials, and other aspects that could be useful. If you need any help, feel free to ask.
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