The secret of war lies in the communications.
Napoleon
Tactical realism is a genre of gaming in first-person shooters where realistic settings are simulated by the game engine to the best of its ability and players use authentic military tactics to accomplish goals in the game. Tactical realism usually requires enforcement through a combination of in-game rules, game server settings and, often, game modification.
Contrary to popular belief that TR is a mod or a way to organize a unit, TR is actually a Game Style. This Game Style is accomplished by enforcing a Standard set of rules that restrict players actions in the virtual world to be as close to real life as a given game permits. No one unit within this community is the same as another, each has its own way of organizing things and its own definition of what these Standard rules are.
The general Standards upon which every unit derives their definitions from are as followed -more restrictions see blow -:
No Run and Gun: The standard definition being that you are Not allowed to run around with no reguard for your life, shooting from the hip without any care, ala Rambo.
No Grenade Spamming: The standard definition being you are Not allowed to throw grenades unless you see or hear an enemy. In most cases Room Clearing is allowed so long as you enter right after.
No Bunny Hopping: A player is not allowed to hop to avoid fire or while firing.
No Jumping from heights at or above 2 stories: Mostly applying to jumping out of 2nd story windows or higher.
These are the 4 agreed upon Standards within the community, some units have added more Stricter rules and some have very lenient rules.
Whichever the case, if you run into a server labeled “Tactical Realism” and none of these rules are being enforced, then it is not a TR server and you are being cheated out of the true experience of TR. There are “Realism” units out there that Do Not enforce these standards. This is because Realism and Tactical Realism are two different things. Realism units strive to organize, maintain, and structure their unit as close to the real life unit they represent as possible. Whereas TR is a Game Style. Even though TR and Realism units are quite different in terms of their beliefs, they are generally accepted as being a part of the same community.
What is Tactical Realism?
Tactical Realism is a method of first-person shooter war game play that combines the ideas of realistic combat infantry tactics with some sort of modification that increases the realistic characteristics of weapons, movement, and background events.
An ideal realism mod incorporates realistic movement characterstics according to the equipment you are carrying, in general terms it’s as much as 65lbs and as little as 20lbs of added bulky weight. You cannot do a 50 yd sprint like an Olympic athlete. The most you could muster would be 50 yds in 7 or 9 seconds and you would be tired, since military combat uniforms are not conducive to sprinting. Another thing an ideal realism mod adds is realistic weapons accuracy. Shooting from the hip and getting consistent headshots at 50+ yds is not possible in real life. Shooting from the hip is generally a shoot and hope you hit something method of providing yourself with covering fire when you are seeking cover. Adding realistic blood splatter, simulated bleeding to death, shell shock from grenades that explode in close proximity, dropping your weapon when hit in the arm or hand, and limting the amount of ammunition you get, are all elements of a realism mod that adds to the realistic immersion of the game. Making all the weapons equally deadly is not realistic since a .45 cal round is nearly useless at 150 yds but a 7.92 mm rifle round will kill you at 400+ yds. Throwing a live grenade over a 2 story building one street over is not realistic either, a toss of 30 yds downhill is about what the average soldier is capable of when throwing a steel fragmentation grenade. Some stronger armed people could probably go as far as 45 yds, but that’s a stretch.
Tactical gaming
Tactical gaming is a bit slower than the typical headless chicken running and gunning method of game play.
Hardcore tactical players generally don’t jump up and down when someone shoots at them, it’s not realistic. They attempt to move in ways that are consistent with what a person would do in a real combat situation. Taking corners slowly with the sights up, looking for hiding enemies. Running from cover point to cover point to try and avoid getting killed out in the open. Watching every possible hiding place for enemies that are lying in wait. Communicating with team mates on the location of enemies whenever possible. Coordinating team movement and assaults on enemy positions. Coordinating covering fire on enemy positons. Changing tactics as situations change. It all takes time and effort to achieve victory. Some experienced players with real life military Active Imageexperience can play with each other and know exactly what to do in any role they play. Others need communications and orders to do what is necessary. Teamwork is essential in all cases, since that is the heart of winning or losing.
You will rarely see a veteran tactical player running as fast as possible with a machine gun flaming away at anything that moves. To jump from the bell tower of a church or off the roof of a building is considered run n gun.
Throwing grenades indiscriminately is considered run n gun. Jumping repeated to avoid gunfire whenever someone shoots at you is considered run n gun. Rushing an enemy position without regard to whether you live or die is considered run n gun. In essence the mentality is this, if you wouldn’t do it in real life, it’s running and gunning. Putting yourself in a mindset that you really are in a firefight, that your survival is a key element of your teams victory, that the weapon you use has limitations that must be mastered, will all set the tone for how you move your character. You’re not a hero, there is no glory in getting killed, you’re an average soldier who is scared to death, but you have a mission to accomplish and your team mates are depending on you to help win the battle. You will have to run at times, but you’re not going to run headlong into gunfire through an open field, because you’re not a superhero. You’re not going to risk injury because you are going to need to be able to move as fast as you can when the need arises. You cannot win if you’re dead and watching the battle from spectator mode complaining that you’re bored. To move and fight in a similar manner as a veteran soldier would do in real life is tactical. –
Description of a Team Effort
Teamwork is a requirement since our goal is to accomplish our victories by working together.
Too often when the game begins, some players might run off in different directions looking for personal kills at the expense of the team. Someone who can get 50 kills but accumulate 30 or more deaths does not impress our team. What is more impressive is a committed team where each can achieve a high kill to death ratio per person to ensure victory. Working as a team we can have fun when we win or lose while building unity, trust and friendships. Good teamwork cannot occur overnight or by hoping it will happen. It happens when players are committed to a common goal and purpose and play as a team over a long period of time. Players cannot revert back to their solo comfort days when the bullets start flying and abandon the tactics of the team. Each player must learn to trust their teammates, believe that their flanks and 6 are safe, trust in what the leaders say, and know that they are doing what is best for the team. No team is unbeatable unless they resort to cheating. They are taking the easy way out and avoiding the task of training as a team. They are also resorting to this because they are tired of losing and watching members desert their ranks. Therefore, if our tactics are sound, our commitment genuine, and our teamwork is effective, we will be one of the best if not the best in the tactical gaming world.
More restrictions
Suicide runs – Synonymous with RNG, except this also includes crashing a vehicle into an enemy, which usually results in the destruction of both the vehicle and the enemy.
Snaking/Worming – When one adopts the prone position in an open area with no cover and immediately fires at an enemy. Also when one repeatedly switches between two different stances (ie. prone and standing) without lapse of time.
Map exploits – When one travels to places on the map where a soldier in real life would not be able to reach.
Ledging – When a player stands on a windowsill or a shelf that is less than 6 inches in width. Weapons
Jumping before throwing a grenade – Unrealistically extends the distance thrown.
Number of weapons carried – A typical soldier carries one primary weapon and one sidearm. Head-Up Display
Crosshairs – The player is expected to use the iron sights or telescopic sights on their weapon.
Ammunition counters – The player must check the magazine itself to be sure of the number of rounds left.
Weapon status indicators – Such as the temperature of the barrel.
Health indicators – Health is not based on 100 hit point systems.
A compass or map which is displayed permanently on the HUD – The player must press a button to display the compass or map. In-game maps that show the locations of friendly or enemy players
Killcams – A term coined from Call of Duty, when one is able to see the location of one’s opponent after being killed. This term has been extended to cover any vision of the battlefield after dying.
Sources: codboards.com , bdgtactical.org ,thelms.com , Modified by Fanterazzi