Operation Flashpoint: Sanity Check.

Ironically, the manual gives the kind of advice that's correct for this way of war. Apparently first-person shooter players and developers actually know what works; the advice -- which Poole would find nothing fundamentally wrong with -- is the following:


One of the most difficult tasks you will come across while on active duty will be the job of simply staying alive. While in the danger zone, the simplest way to achieve this is to keep moving -- become a hard target for enemy soldiers.

If you must remain in one place for a time, become difficult to spot. Lie down on the ground so you don't create a profile against the horizon. Make sure you're in cover or at least in concealment; if your cover is deep enough, you may even remain undetected until you move again or discharge your weapon. Don't forget, concealment in bushes and vegetation won't protect you from bullets -- your safest bet is to get behind or underneath something solid.

Never stay in one place fo rlong. You'll eventually be spotted, especially if you make too much noise e.g. fire off a round. Once attention has been drawn to your position, move away quietly and quickly, moving from cover to cover using concealment wherever possible.

Never reload out in the open unless you have absolutely no cover or concealment around. For the time it takes to reload you're unarmed and stationary and therefore vulnerable.

Above all, Observe. Avoid tunnel vision, keep your eyes open to both sides and behind as well as ahead so you don't get flanked. Use Command View often to give you a clear picture of surrounding threats (this is a luxury a real soldier does not have). The more observant you are, the harder you will be to sneak up on.


Alas, it's a well-known phenomenon that nobody reads manuals.