Comrades, a great session with a player count close to 40. I'm very grateful to everyone who came along tonight. An excellent turn out and fantastic to see so many new joiners.
Some highlights for me, I particularly enjoyed Unaco's last stand in Bend and there were several excellent firefights to be observed from spectator (which I appeared to experience quite regularly).
Special mention for the new players - I hope you enjoyed your first Folk session, and will join us again next Sunday. Also, please remember the excellent ARPS Tactical Tuesday, where you'll get to play with many of the same comrades, and experience the joys of respawn.
Again, huge thank you to everyone who came along tonight.
Sticking feathers up your ass does not make you a chicken.
Bend
Died pretty much instantly with the rest of alpha when I took a BMP shell to the face.
Swept
My game crashed when we started, much rage was had on my part!
Ride of the Valkyries
After surviving the trecourous helocopter journey with alpha and bravo and not dying after it overshot the LZ and took fire, we then valiantly pushed forwards to the wall where half a team had got gunned down. I healed a squad mate only to be repayed by being shot from the humvee that flanked our rear. Here is where I was KIA.
Skyline
This was by far my favourite game of the evening, we had phoenix as our FTL who did a brilliant of commanding the FT. We had made it right up to the ridge of the last mountain where over half the FT was gunned down in a hail of bullets. A glorious death.
We had what, 34+ at peak tonight? Not a bad number.
You might think I went into the session intending to be a trouble-maker.
Bend
I was Echo FTL.
I had my section hide as the CO wanted and planted a satchel on the road. "Oh, what will happen if I die before I get to use the satchel? I'd best put a timer on it". Two minutes before the convoy arrived, the satchel went up and I was deeply concerned that I'd alerted the lead vehicle. Fortunately, that wasn't my great mistake.
My great mistake was preparing a soundbyte for when we were to engage - I accidentally clicked to start it a few moments early. Cavalry trumpets sounded, people stood up and fired RPGs, and... well, we died. Despite the best efforts of Phoenix, who has developed a healthy distaste for standing in my proximity when bullets start flying, my entire fireteam bought the farm before the end of the mission.
Swept
Alpha FTL.
We lost Kataras to the Dove Of Peace bug - he got stuck in the rotors of one of the choppers and flew over enemy lines. We then lost SuperU to a crash. That left myself and Joseph/Sulphur. We pushed up, a bit ahead of Unaco's plan, and couldn't find any enemy. So we kept pushing. At one point I popped three smoke grenades and had us charge across an open field in what was described as an act of 'Heroic Stupidity'. It turned out to be doubly stupid as we already had friendlies on the far side of the field.
As we approached the main street through the town, we caught sight of and engaged hostiles. I managed to kill Banshee, whilst Joe got Bodge and Tigershark. The mission ended with all the defenders crushed between us and the mechanised unit they were trying to break through.
Ride of the Valkyries
Alpha FTL.
A man in my squad was pilot for our aircow, containing CO/DC/MMG/MAT/Alpha/Bravo, whilst the other 'cow took Charlie/Delta/Echo/Foxtrot. Sadly some rust on the ol' joystick meant we overshot our LZ into hostile airspace. Bullets pinged through the back of the bird and took out several people, including my RPG gunner (Mort) and our commander (Bodge). That left me in command. We eventually made it down, a good kilometre east of our intended LZ.
The second section had made it down in good order, I tried to reorganise what elements we had alive to fit Bodge's original plan - this mostly involved telling the people who had made it in safely to make risky dashes to our intended LZ whilst we caught up with them from behind. We started by converging on and capturing a bunker at a crossroads, but when I had us regroup between two of Bodge's markers things started to fall apart. I got swiftly shot and things proceeded downhill almost as swiftly as can be imagined. The last dozen survivors were eventually ordered into a death-or-glory charge. There was a humorous event involving several enemy AI soldiers following our air asset with their rifles, only to end up pointing them directly at the back of one of our fireteams. A brief moment of confusion was followed with a burst of lead and several deaths.
Skyline
Commander.
I used a classical plan: FORM LINE! FORM! LINE! AND! ADVANCE! BY SECTIONS!
Well done by all fireteams and fireteam leaders for keeping your heads together whilst I was trying to figure out what to do next. Apologies to Izzanbaad (for ordering him onto a rock made of moon-rubber which launched him into space) and Kataras (who I swear I don't remember shooting) who I apparently got killed. Fewer apologies to StrangLove, who had a toy slot and got utterly bored by being completely ineffectual with it. He volunteered, after all.
Bend
We were in a decent position, albeit a bit too close, but we did fine. For some reason we all died pretty quickly even though we had hardcover between us and the enemy
Damn those BTR's were tough cookies...
Swept
I was leading Delta, and I decided to get a move on and get to the nearest building to get eyes on the enemy rather quickly. It ended up being too quickly and we sprinted right into a defensive line and got 2 team members killed. It was a stupid mistake. I thought the enemies were much further away like in the coop version
Ride of the Valkyries
Led Delta again, and did pretty well in the beginning I think. I coordinated attacks with Charlie early in the mission, and later decided to disregard the plan and stick to the east flank to help out ABC who got into quite a fight with the Americans. Later on Fox took command and ordered us to regroup with them, but by the time we got there they got wasted by rockets already. There was not a lot to be done after that, and when I reluctantly took over command all I could do was order a charge...
Skyline
Led Fox this time, and was put on the extreme right flank. Fox had quite an advantage because being on the flank gave us some great angles on the enemies on the ridge, so I think a V formation would've been better there than a line formation to take advantage of that. It was a great mission and also the only one that ended positively
Bend
I wasn't there for the mission, therefore no comment.
Swept LE Adversarial
I was in the indy team, Head begin the commander made a plan, I was with Delta, ran down the road, kataras (from the other team) flew out of the helicopter and landed next to me dead. 20 seconds later, I got shot by an AI UAZ. Was enjoyable to watch while dead.
Ride of the Valkyries
MMG leader, plan was to capture the town, helicopter got shot at, some men died, we landed, we charged, fight, joined forces with MAT, lack of commander was bit of an issue. Charged into town, no one was about, got my South and North mixed and my comrade Crash got shot. I avenged him, revived him, and hunted down some more. We both got killed in action.
Skyline
This was the most enjoyable mission of the session. Bodge being the leader of MMG, I had a laser marker providing distance and location of enemy to Bodge. He managed to get the most kills. Everything went pretty good.
My first Folk session on Folk side. After almost half a year not playing Arma, it felt good to be "in the field" again.
Had some issues using VON since Acre was the last voice system I used, but finally managed.
Missions:
Bend
Mission started and I felt directly "home". I was AR and unfortunately died after a short time.
Swept LE Adversarial
This mission was fubar for me. Again AR and the game started 20 seconds when i took some heavy metal straight in the face.
Ride of the Valkyries
After mission lead asked for a volunteer for pilot, I took the change of investigating my pilot skills after hours of training. Learned a lot if it.
The chopper I was flying was more heavy than expected and I over shot the landing zone. This mistake costed the life of 4 or 5 good man. (May god have their souls).
After some emergency landing 1,5 click east of the LZ we disembarked. TL had a great idea; lets go straight through the forrest of pain. And pain it was.
We got under heavy fire and had losses very soon. I got shot but medic managed to patch me up. After that I was alone and could not find my teammates. Took 3 capitalists down and died by running out of ammo facing an infantry guy.
Skyline
By far the mission of the evening. Good comms, nice teamwork. The fire teams leaders communicated with CO and lead our guys to victory. I had some issues with navigating after I got ordered to finish a target with my RPG.
Bend
I informed my FTL Null that I would not die in that mission, and I stuck to my plan. After opening fire on the disembarking enemies, I managed to get a sweep of 6 kills while raining death upon them. I happily reported back to my FTL, and received no answer. After trying various comms for 2 minutes, one last message from the twin-squad finally arrived: "Anyone from Squad X still alive?". It was Izzanbaad, and I rejoiced at the sound of a familiar voice. As I responded to his signal, he informed me of the status of his own FT: "Seems like it's just you and me, Phoe-". And the comm was cut off. I realized that 12 people had died around me, and that I was being pinned down from all directions. Hiding behind a rock, I waited for the shooting to die down before I could move. Surely enough, as soon as I started moving, I got pelted with shots and started blaming Null for the curse of "always-dying".
Swept
One of the shortest missions I've ever experienced, I was Charlie FTL (independents) and positioned my squad among a compound with vaiours walls and buildings. We had a great view of all our surroundings, including the main road, buildings in the village and the two hills that made up the valley. The theory was great, but in practice, the attackers just rained grenades and RPGs on us, I didn't see a single enemy and then caught IceRaiser's RPG in the face.
Ride of the Valkyries
As Echo FTL (consisting entirely of new people, both to RPS and the game), my main mission was to move alongside Foxtrot FT and keep my guys safe. Surely enough, that didn't work at all. After spotting various enemies that flanked and decimated Foxtrot, I decided to move my guys up so that Pirate could take an RPG shot at the HMV that was ****ing everyone. Sadly, he could not get into a good position, and I got shot. My squad found itself without orders or comms, but the miracle-worker mingmong revived me, and as I stood up, I noticed the familiar shape of an HMV at 5 metres distance from our position... and everyone got shot horribly in the face.
Skyline
Amazing mission, which saw me as Delta FTL working along with the great Joe/Sulphur as Charile FTL to secure the middle-lane of this hit-and-secure operation. Backed by mortar fire, both Fire Teams worked extremely well coordinated and followed orders precisely, reaping the enemy bunkers one by one and avancing steadily. By the time we arrived at the 3rd bunker, none of the FTs had suffered a single casualty. It is because of that sense of security that I moved up my squad, looking far into the distance, where we had just destroyed another bunker...and failed to see the fully armed and operational (2 ZUs...) outpost right in front of us...I am not sure how everyone else fared, but I got shot before I could say "Oh shit" on Teamspeak. My favourite mission of the night, by far. I also never admitted it, but while shooting at an outpost, Kataras walked in front of me and well...let's just say I revived him and kept quiet about it :p
I would like to end by saying a GREAT thank you to the Folk organizers and also to everyone in RPS, for letting me have a go at leading!
Comrades! After I had convinced the doctors and nurses that I was not in need of 'extended rest', procured a car and driver, and made it to the station, there still lay before me countless hours of travel on the slow train before I arrived - at last - in the comforting environs of my personal dacha. Almost at once, I asked for a report, consumed with rage at the thought of comrade Tigershark's treachery, and almost crippled with fear that he had duped our brave, brave revoutionaries into some catastrophic meat-grinder. And so it was that I learned that--
-- that, the session had been really very good.
And that there had been new comrades!
And that the traitor Ansob had confessed in public and shot himself! Oh, wait, no ... that last part didn't happen.
However, it sounds like this was great fun, and I'm extremely sorry to have missed it. The videos assure me that sufficient amounts of death and confusion were present to qualify this as a bona fide Folk experience. I hope everyone - the new comrades in particular - will join us again. In the meantime, I'm very grateful to comrade Tigershark for hosting, although clearly we'll be having a little chat later on about 'medical interventions'.
PS There is absolutely no truth in the rumour that I was belatedly celebrating my birthday in decadent style, watching a stand-up act in a wealthy neighbourhood of south-west London. That is just a malicious rumour put about by reactionary forces. .... I'm looking at you, comrade Ansob.
