Soldier of Fortune - Multiplayer FAQ
Author: UnknownMercenary
Contents
1.0 Introduction
2.0 Game Types
3.0 Weapons
4.0 Game Items
5.0 Player Strategies
6.0 Map Strategies
7.0 Legal
1.0 Introduction
Soldier of Fortune's multiplayer aspect is quite different from its single
player campaign. While single player rewarded taking cover and silent kills,
multiplayer is more along the lines of Quake, with a semi-realistic twist.
To get started with Soldier of Fortune multiplayer the first thing to do is to
configure your multiplayer settings. Going to the multiplayer tab in the menu
[the tab with 2 figures standing next to each other] and you will be brought
up to the first screen.
Make up an online alias [any will do] and pick a team skin and player skin.
Team skins only apply in team deathmatch games [more on that later]. Player
skins apply to all game types. You should pick a skin appropriate to the map.
For instance, if you are playing a Siberia map -- these tend to take place in
snowy places -- then you should pick a camouflaged skin that matches. You
wouldn't want to pick a winter-coat skin in an Iraq themed map -- the white
would stick out amongst the beige-brown background.
Next configure your game settings. Pick your Capture the Flag/Conquer the
Bunker team [this only applies to these two game types; other types use skins
as a basis for teams] and whether or not you want to have spectator mode. I'd
advise you to turn off Weapon Switching; it's quite an annoyance to switch to
a new gun during a heat firefight when you don't actually want to.
2.0 Game Types
Soldier of Fortune sports seven basic game types. Four of these are deathmatch
or deathmatch variants, followed with standard Capture the Flag,
Assassination, and a new mode called Conquer the Bunker.
2.1 Deathmatch
Deathmatch is the most basic game type. Players spawn in an area and fight to
the death. Weapons and items are usually found lying around on the map and
must be procured. When your health runs out you die and then you respawn.
Players will spawn with full health, a Black Panther pistol with ammo and six
knives. The match ends with the frag limit is hit or time runs out.
2.2 Realistic Deathmatch
Realistic deathmatch is the same as regular deathmatch, but with a twist -
it's tailored much more like a tactical simulation such as Rainbow Six.
Besides pistols, players can only carry one weapon. Want to have that SMG, but
don't want to toss that shotgun of yours? Too bad, only one weapon allowed.
One shot or two shots will usually kill as well, making armor even more
valuable than before. Realistic deathmatch also sports a fatigue meter where
the Personal Audio Detection Device [PADD] was in single player. Run or jump
too much and you'll start to get tired quickly.
2.3 Team Deathmatch
The most basic deathmatch variant. Exactly like regular deathmatch, except
with teams. Teams apply to player skins. The teams are: none [these players
are all still grouped into a team], the December Brigade, the Order, Ministry
of Sin, Capture Inc, Red Guard and Meatwagon. The match ends with the frag
limit is hit or time runs out.
2.4 Arsenal
Another deathmatch variant. You spawn with all the game's weapons and you must
kill an opponent with each of them. The first one to do so wins the match.
2.5 Capture the Flag
This game type uses the red/blue teams instead of skin teams. The maps are
split into two bases and there is a flag placed in each. Grab the opposite
team's flag and bring it home for a 15 point bonus. You must also defend your
flag and prevent the opposite team from capturing it. If your flag is gone you
cannot capture the enemy's flag. Usually the maps are symmetrical, but
sometimes not. Capture the Flag requires a lot of teamwork. While for lots of
veterans its possible to run in and grab the flag and run back unscathed, it's
usually a good idea to bring some backup in case things go wrong.
2.6 Assassination
It could be called a deathmatch variant but it really isn't. You don't gun for
everyone but a single target. At the beginning of the match you'll be told who
to kill [your target]. You must kill that person to obtain points. Meanwhile,
you'll also be hunted by someone who will be trying to take you out. You can
only kill those two people. If you kill anyone else you'll lose points.
2.7 Conquer the Bunker
Conquer the Bunker plays similarly to Unreal Tournament's Domination game
type. Littered throughout the map are capture points [landmarked by large
flags] and you'll have to capture these. You can simply capture a point by
touching the flag. Once you do you'll start to gain points every few seconds.
The more flags captured the faster the points come in. You can take over an
enemy capture point as well.
2.8 Server Options
- Friendly Fire - the option of whether or not you can hurt your teammates.
I'd recommend turning this option off if you're running a server. It's quite
annoying and lets lamers foster. Most servers have it off.
- Heavy Weapons - allows weapons like the rocket launcher. Most servers have
them turned off. I don't see why; they're quite fun. Any decently skilled
player can counter heavy weapons.
- No Falling Damage - basically you can fall down 12 stories and not die or
take any damage. Kind of stupid.
- Infinite Ammo - no reloading and all guns keep shooting non-stop. A stupid
option Raven never should've put in. Most servers run this. Ugh.
3.0 Weapons
Pigsticker Combat Knife
Special Function: throw knives
Clip: N/A
Ammo: knives [6 total]
Accuracy: variable
Damage: 10 out of 10
Overall: 8 out of 10
A very nice starting weapon. The slashing attack is quick, and a slice to the
crotch, neck or head kills instantly. You can throw knives too, except your
last one. Throwing knives can kill very quickly but their accuracy is horrible
-- where the reticule points won't always be where the knife lands so throwing
takes some practice. The knife can do damage through armor as well. Sometimes
it's wise to equip the knife instead of using the Panther.
Black Panther 9mm Pistol
Special Function: none
Clip: 18 rounds
Ammo: 9mm
Accuracy: 8.5 out of 10
Damage: 8 out of 10
Overall: 9 out of 10
Quieter than most of the Soldier of Fortune arsenal, but not the quietest. The
Panther shoots very fast, and has decent accuracy. The shots tend to spread
out at long range, so avoid distant firefights. It also has a very quick
reload.
Silver Talon .44 Pistol
Special Function: none
Clip: 9 rounds
Ammo: .44 Magnum
Accuracy: 9.5 out of 10
Damage: 9 out of 10
Overall: 8 out of 10
While it is much more powerful than the Panther, the Talon is louder and has
half the clip size. It's also an incredibly accurate pistol, so long range
duels are possible with this gun. The Talon does an incredible amount of
damage and pierces armor well, unlike the Panther's weak 9mm round. However,
it's slow rate of fire means most weapons will overpower it in close combat.
B-42 Berserker Shotgun
Special Function: none
Clip: 8 rounds
Ammo: 00 shotgun shells
Accuracy: 4 out of 10
Damage: 10 out of 10
Overall: 9 out of 10
The Berserker shotgun is definitely the most popular Soldier of Fortune
weapon. It can kill any opponent without armor if you point the beast in his
or her general direction. Over long distances, the shotgun still does damage,
though considerably less. With its quick firing rate and sheer power, the
Berserker dominates close quarters combat. One thing to notice is that no
matter what the shell's spread pattern always seems to stay the same. Against
armor the Berserker is less effective. With half-armor, it takes 2 shots to
chew through it [though the head is still unprotected]. With full armor,
switch to a better weapon. Can have a very long reload time if you're not
careful.
Raptor SMG
Special Function: none
Clip: 40 rounds
Ammo: 5.56mm
Accuracy: 7.5 out of 10
Damage: 8 out of 10
Overall: 7.5 out of 10
The Raptor is the middle ground of guns. It has average accuracy, does average
damage and is overall an incredibly average gun. The Raptor's firing rate may
guarantee a lot of close quarters kills if you can catch Berserker users by
surprise. It pierces armor, but not as much as other guns that use 5.56mm
ammo. The Raptor is good for most situations.
Bulldog T-31 Silenced SMG
Special Function: none
Clip: 32 rounds
Ammo: 9mm
Accuracy: 6 out of 10
Damage: 8 out of 10
Overall: 8.5 out of 10
The Bulldog has horrid accuracy -- it's shots fly all over the place -- but it
has the fastest firing rate of all the Soldier of Fortune weapons and is the
quietest of all of them. The real kicker is that you already spawn with 128
rounds of free 9mm ammunition, so you won't need to search high and low for
ammo like the other guns. The Bulldog is great for ambushes.
Eagle Eye Sniper Rifle
Special Function: 20x Zoom
Clip: 6 rounds
Ammo: 5.56mm
Accuracy: 10 out of 10
Damage: 9 out of 10
Overall: 7 out of 10
The Eagle Eye is a powerful rifle that works wonders for long range fighting.
It uses the same ammunition as the Raptor SMG, but has much more armor
piercing capabilities. Despite being a bolt-action rifle, the Eagle Eye can
shoot quite quickly. A word of warning: without zooming in, the Eagle Eye is
horribly inaccurate and should never be used for close combat.
M75 Guardian Heavy Machine Gun
Special Function: Phosphorus Grenade [uses 10 ammo]
Clip: 40 rounds
Ammo: 5.56mm
Accuracy: 9.5 out of 10
Damage: 10 out of 10
Overall: 9.5 out of 10
A very powerful and formidable weapon. For a heavy machinegun, the M75 is
surprisingly accurate. However, sustained fire makes the screen shake a lot.
The great things about the M75 are its armor piercing abilities and it's
special function. The M75 can lob powerful phosphorus grenades that can melt
players and can damage through the armor. The grenade will explode on contact;
otherwise it will bounce around and explode 2 seconds later.
Heavy Hitter H-24 Slugthrower
Special Function: Flash Grenade [uses 2 ammo]
Clip: 10 slugs
Ammo: Slugs
Accuracy: 9.5 out of 10
Damage: 10 out of 10
Overall: 9.5 out of 10
Another incredibly fun weapon to use, the Heavy Hitter Slugthrower is a direct
upgrade to the Berserker shotgun. Its powerful slugs shoot through armor and
can kill with 2 or 3 well placed chest shots. Be wary though that the
Slugthrower can empty its clip fairly quickly. The flash grenade has a
blinding effect similar to the flashpak, and one direct hit can kill
instantly. The slugthrower is also very accurate at long distances, placing it
head over shoulders above the Berserker.
M343D Flamegun
Special Function: Napalm Grenade [uses 4 ammo]
Clip: 60 gas units
Ammo: Gas can
Accuracy: 3 out of 10
Damage: 10 out of 10
Overall: 9 out of 10
Another awesome close quarters weapon. The flames that engulf enemies deal out
swift damage over time, while the napalm grenade is perfect for taking out
armored opponents or groups. Be careful though, because the napalm grenade
will sometimes continue to burn after your victim is dead. An incredibly kick
ass weapon, marred only by its inaccuracy and short range. The flamegun also
doesn't need to reload -- an added bonus.
M202A2 FLASH Rocket Launcher
Special Function: Launch 4 simultaneous rockets
Clip: 4 rockets
Ammo: NM22 rockets
Accuracy: 10 out of 10
Damage: 10 out of 10
Overall: 10 out of 10
The ultimate gibbing weapon of Soldier of Fortune, the M202A2 packs 4
destructive rockets in its tube that can make any player's day a bad one. A
direct hit is an instant kill about 99% of the time. Its splash damage is
smaller than in most games but the special function allows one to take out
large groups with relative ease. To counter an M202A2 user, run up to him and
force him to shoot you with his rocket. While you still die and he gets a
point for a frag, he still loses 2 points for committing suicide.
R-22 Microwave Pulse Gun
Special Function: Large Energy Blast [uses 10 ammo]
Clip: 30 battery cells
Ammo: Batteries
Accuracy: 10 out of 10
Damage: 10 out of 10
Overall: 11 out of 10
That's right, it's rated 11 out of 10 -- the Microwave Pulse Gun is the
ultimate killing machine and it has no other equal. The Microwave Pulse Gun's
primary function has a chilling amount of accuracy and can cook flesh miles
away. The special function can kill with a direct hit to the chest, expanding
your victim's body and then exploding it into millions of tiny chunks. It is a
difficult weapon to counter and I have no real tips for doing so.
4.0 Items
Grenades - incredibly useful little explosives. Very effective at taking out
groups of people. Grenades explode upon contact. Otherwise, they bounce around
and explode 2 seconds later.
C4 - another useful explosive similar to the grenade. The difference is that
it sticks to surfaces and can be stuck on walls and ceilings to make nice
traps. The C4 explodes after six beeps. A shame that the C4 can't stick onto
people. Always have lots of C4 on hand.
Flashpak - the flashpak works something like a flashbang. It blinds and does
minimal damage out of all the explosives. Flashpaks can still kill, but
they're better used as a distraction than as an actual weapon. Try not to look
in the direction of the exploding flashpak or you'll get blinded yourself.
Angel Eyes Nightvision - turns your surroundings a bright neon green and makes
it easier to see in the dark. It works wonders on a lot of the dark maps. It
has the battery life of 100 seconds, and when these run out you must wait for
it to recharge. If you find another pair, pick it up to recharge your current
goggles automatically.
Flag - the flag will appear in your inventory when you pick it up. Only
appears in Capture the Flag, obviously.
5.0 Player Strategies
- Turn on Always Run - unlike single player mode, stealth doesn't play much of
a factor in multiplayer. Run like a maniac to dodge those bullets and rockets,
etc. The only time it should be off is if you're a big fan of Realistic
Deathmatch, where fatigue is factored in.
- Learn the maps - this cannot be stressed enough. Always, always learn the
maps! Start a private or LAN server and run through all the maps making notes
on key chokepoints and pickups. Note that Capture the Flag maps are mostly
symmetrical, so the layouts are easier to learn. Knowing the maps is vital for
Conquer the Bunker.
- Bring along lots of explosives - nothing can ruin a good flag recovery like
a few well placed explosives during a quick getaway. Most players will run
right into C4 or hand grenades will chasing the flag carrier. As I rule I
always stock up on explosives before trying to grab the flag. Use some to
clear out the enemies currently guarding the flag, then sprinkle a few
liberally to take out the respawning ones or the ones on your tail. Sometimes
flashpaks are good too, but inform your teammates otherwise you might blind
your whole squad in the process.
- Jump a lot - some of the Quake 2 physics made it into Soldier of Fortune.
While there are no Quake 2 styled trick-jumps, you can learn some jumping to
gain some momentum, get places quicker and in general dodge rockets faster.
Run-jumps and double jumps are the easiest jumps to learn and any player
should know and use these.
- Use darkness to your advantage - lots of maps have dark corners that let
players hide and take potshots or ambush other players. If you feel inclined
to do so, you can turn the brightness all the way up, but that kind of ruins
the atmosphere of some of the game's maps. Usually, though, dark maps will
come with Angel Eyes goggles hidden somewhere.
- Have at least a few mates cover your ass - this is vital in Capture the
Flag. By going in alone you run the risk of getting overrun since the flag is
always deeply rooted in the enemy's spawn points. Have at least one man
carrying an M75 or maybe the Raptor SMG to cover the rear and arm the flag
carrier a Berserker or other close quarters weapon. While the shotgun is quite
powerful, it is horrid to use against multiple opponents. The automatic
weapons allow the flag carrier's mate to saturate the area with bullets to
hopefully get the enemies to keep their heads low. Ideally the M75 should be
used for its accuracy and armor piercing power. A two man team with one person
using the M75 is good. The more the better.
- Leave no enemies behind - once you've grabbed the flag and put the explosive
technique to good use, the key is the run like hell. The enemy will have a
harder time to chase you if you've placed C4 all around, forcing constant
respawns. You might also consider having some teammates stay back and hold the
front, keeping the enemy from reaching your base before you do.
- Be stingy with medkits and armor - if you've still got a good amount of
armor or health left [2/3 of your armor or anywhere around 1/2 health] then
don't touch the medkits or armor vests and leave them for someone who actually
needs them. If you have only 1/2 your armor bar left, I'd suggest filling it
to full. Also keep an eye peeled for large medkits -- these are hard to miss.
- Get the Bulldog when you spawn - the Bulldog is a good weapon to start with
because when you spawn, you're given the Black Panther pistol automatically.
The Panther uses 9mm, and so does the Bulldog and by default you get 128 9mm
rounds to start with.
6.0 Map Strategies
- NYCCTF - the New York CTF map is the only one that is not symmetrical, and
is one the odder ones. Here, red team has a distinct advantage because the
only paths that blue team can take all make easy chokepoints. The red flag is
placed very deeply in the enemy spawn points, while the blue flag is easier to
reach because the blue base is a generally more open warehouse building. The
quickest way from blue to red would be taking the back-end path which goes
through the sewers. The problem is that this path is easy for red to defend.
On the way, pick up the Microwave Pulse Gun if the server has heavy weapons
enabled. For red team the map is a little easier. The easiest way to approach
blue base is to go in through the partially open garage door by the parked
truck, where a player's entrance can be partially concealed. There are plenty
of health pickups near the blue flag in case you've been wounded.
-GERCTF - this map is symmetrical. It is quite dark, so be sure to pick up
those nightvision goggles when you spawn. The quickest way from base to base
is the underground passage through the church. You can take the ramp along the
sides down, but jumping down is quicker. Don't worry about losing health;
there's a large medkit pickup on the way. If you plan to make a quick getaway
with the flag, make sure you've brought some C4. Try to lure your enemies to
follow you up a ladder, dropping C4 along the way. The C4 will explode as they
climb up. Note that the flag area is relatively dark. This means that both
your teammates and enemies can camp the area. It can be a good idea as an
attacking team to placed some players down below while the defending team is
distracted trying to take the flag back. Defenders, note this and toss some
hand grenades or flashpaks once in a while to try and flush these campers out.
-IRQCTF - much like GERCTF, IRQCTF is another symmetrical map. Take note that
the warehouse area you have to pass through during one of the routes has an
upper catwalk; perfect for ambushes and taking out that enemy flag carrier.
You may also run into a sniper -- you can spawn right on the sniping spot with
the Eagle Eye. If you want to access there by normal means just jump onto the
hood and then the roof of the truck. If you take the warehouse route you'll
have to run through an area where a slugthrower spawns -- typically this is
where most of the action occurs and where it is easy to get ambushed while
carrying the flag. The other route is a long open road route. It's quicker,
but the wide open space leaves players open to retaliation from above.
-RAVEN - lots of chokepoints on this level. The level is mostly dominated by
heavy weapons. The first in the rocket launcher conference room, which is
located nearby the Berserker. Then there's the slugthrower cafeteria by a soda
machine, which is near the bathrooms that contain armor vest pickups. Another
keynote area is the office corridor which contains an M75, Flamegun and
Bulldog SMG. The main thing to watch out for is the Microwave Pulse Gun, which
spawns at the end of the long hallway opposite of the rocket launcher
conference room. A great camping place is in the crawlspace, which can be
accessed by a ladder near the armor bathrooms. The crawlspace allows quick
access to places such as the M75/Flamegun/Bulldog corridor or the area close
to the Eagle Eye and Microwave Pulse Gun. Most of the time, try to avoid
staying in the long hallway for too long -- you'll be susceptible to Microwave
Pulse Gun and M202A2 attacks. Ammunition is sparse on this level, which leaves
the action quick. The Bulldog can be a useful backup due to the relative ease
in which a player can find ammunition.
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