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The final issue is of bug fixes. Like every other game, Rogue Spear had its share of screwy bugs. Urban Operations added these fixes (including those issued in patches); it also made several other important bugs. However, it may be more important to consider what Urban Operations didn't do in terms of game play fixes. There has been a fair amount of debate on the Redstorm forums (http://forums.redstorm.com/webx) concerning some gameplay fixes that fans had requested. A few of these fixes were heavily debated, including a fix that made side-stepping less effective, removing the third-person view, and correcting the so-called host disadvantage (and the subsequent reticule throw).
To non-Rogue Spear fans (and some Rogue Spear fans), it is unlikely any of these terms mean much of anything. It is my opinion that the only real issue worthy of a bug fix was in fact the fix that was implemented; correcting the host-disadvantage. In Rogue Spear, the host was placed at a severe disadvantage whenever they were shot in a multiplayer game because their screen would get altered by some thirty degrees off center. However, clients were not subjected to the same gameplay effect (to simulate the effects of being shot), and so the bug became known as the host-disadvantage bug. As a result, Redstorm engineers made the proper corrections to the game so that Urban Operations would make every player be thrown off whenever a shot connected; as was originally intended. However, many fans did not like the final results, as the reticule toss (as it is known now) can be awfully annoying. I support the reticule toss because it adds a certain degree of realism.
Fig. 7. You need to determine your enemyIn Rainbow Six, a player could get shot four or five times and run as if they had never been touched in the first place. Now (much how a wounded player runs more slowly) being shot yields a more realistic effect. I should take this time to mention that there have been reports of Urban Operations being less stable for some players than Rogue Spear. I, however, have never seen an issue with Urban Operations. The Redstorm developers have also examined these claims (including one of a mysterious memory leak), but all claims have turned up empty. From my experiences, Urban Operations is as stable, if not more so, than Rogue Spear.
Gameplay in MultiplayerOverall, the response to the Urban Operations features has been exceptionally positive. The new features are superb additions to the game, despite whatever negative nit-picking may persist.
Being a mission pack, Urban Operations doesn't do much to completely revolutionize the gameplay of Rogue Spear. That's a relief: Rogue Spear is a superb game and doesn't really need any help. What Urban Operations did add (however minimal) is an excellent added flair of close quarters battle. As I explained in the previous section, Urban Operations has emphasized the close quarters combat aspect to the world of Rogue Spear. Whereas Rogue Spear had huge maps like the 747 map, Urban Operations puts it to the gamer with maps like Graveyard, where a frag can be tossed the length of the field (multiplayer games get insane very quickly).
There were also some small additional touches that make Urban Operations a great multiplayer game. Using the right CTRL key, players can now chat with their teammates in the pre-game screens without the other team seeing their conversation. As well, engineers at Redstorm personally informed me that they had in fact made minor tweaks to the game so that it would run better and use up less bandwidth. Good news for dial-up folks! Third, there is a new option where players can expand their viewing screen so that only a small map and their current weapon information is displayed on the screen. This maximizes the screen usage, and can mean the difference between bragging rights and shameful disconnects. Finally, Redstorm has even added a minor option which allows the users to select what their default gun setting will be (single shot, triple burst, or fully automatic). Just one more feature, all totaling to a very nice focus on the features of the game. The little things are what can make or break a release, so kudos to Redstorm for remembering to cross its "t's" and dot its "i's".
Fig. 8. Co-op mission resultsIs Urban Operations the better than Eagle Watch? Yes, hands down. Is Urban Operations one of the best mission packs to be released this year? Yes, hands down. Is it the best ever? Probably not. But considering the mammoth feature list offered in Urban Operations, it's hard to see how any picking up a copy of this mission pack could possibly go wrong. Besides the strong list of features, Urban Operations has even made the game Rogue Spear more interesting. The new focus on tight quarter battles is excellent. The emphasis has made for a better multiplayer feel, and as all the gamers out there know, the Rainbow Six line is one of the best multiplayer games in a long, long time. I don't see how anyone who owns Rogue Spear could go wrong picking up a copy of Urban Operations.
System Requirements:
- Pentium II 266 w/MMX or equivalent
- 64 megabytes of memory
- 400 megabytes of hard drive space
- 3D-Accelerator Graphics Card (full approved list available on www.redstorm.com).
- DirectX-compatible sound card.
- DirectX 6.1 or better
- 28.8 bps modem or better plus ISP for multiplayer
Chris "Pie4foo" Abele is the Webmaster for his Rogue Spear and Rainbow6 fan site: Pie's Tactics
