OP: Steel Talon - March 14 - 15th, 2009

[league 4]

All these complaints about the light ammo box. At least to the SF team that carried it, it seemed light. The two SF guys assigned to carry it took their orders and marched off HH and in to Star Log and never once complained.

I was one of those SF guys, and didn't complain about the weight, just that I was the wrong person for the job.

[Solid]

Whew, spent the better part of an hour but im done getting all the mud and shit off and out of my guns...

[gmcgsxr]

I was one of the medics on the US side. It would have been nice if the rules on medics were explained to the teams before the game started. I was thrown 2 boxes of band aids and witnessed others getting the same and then was sent off. I assumed that i had to slap a band aid on each person that i needed to heal and did so.

What confused me was later on in the 1st phase when I was hit calling for a medic some kid ran up to me, slapped me on the leg and said you're good and ran back. There was no aiding process or band aid used. There was an admin about 10' feet away watching this the whole time. I looked at him with a shrug and he nodded to me to play on so I took my dead man rag off and started playing again.

Apparently there was some lack of communication on the medic rules, because by phase 3 some medics were out of band aids and were just running around slapping peoples arms and legs and saying your healed. I tossed my extra box to one and told him to use it.

I definitely agree on the whole 1 medic heal per player then you must go back to spawn. At the beginning i had so many bodies to heal i gave my M16 to a team mate and told him to hold it as I ran around back and forth like a mad man healing players and then turning around and seeing the same players yelling medic. I can really see how holding a bunker with a medic inside it can get annoying for the other team if the same players can just keep getting healed. Either have the limited medic heals per players or just give medics a small amount of healing supplies (band aids) and they must return to base to receive more.

I was also somewhat upset with two admins who were bird dogging my fire team and then when i looked to them to ask and watch a kid not calling his hits they just stared at me and did nothing.

But thank you to the admin in the first phase who came up to me after i had just been healed by another medic and letting me know that i had not removed my dead man rag. Sorry to anyone who witnessed me running around for about 30 seconds with a dead man rag. My bad.

On the not calling hits issue...there were a lot of not honest players just playing on. I, among two other players shot one guy in Khe San village about 30 times in the boot and he kept playing on and just moving his foot as we shot him. But alas with 400 people you cant expect only honest and good players to show up. In some defense there was a lot of layers that most people were wearing and I know i would have had trouble feeling a single bb from range hitting me in the back.

[CommonSnipe]

For those worried about medics we are working on a new idea that will solve the medic bunker and drive-by medic problems.

As for the game, I enjoyed running as an Admin with the Cartel Commandos. I got shot a few times since I was wearing OD, but was worth it so that I didn't give away the Commando when they were maneuvering. If you shot me I apologize for your wasted ammo and frustration for not dying. I most likely placed a death rag on my head and continued monitoring the Commando team, but at least I didn't fire back. Thank you for all that attended the game.

[Fred]

I wanna know right NOW... who's ideal was it to use BRIGHT orange zip ties?!

[Ollie Twist]

I wanna know right NOW... who's ideal was it to use BRIGHT orange zip ties?!

Meh, could have been worse.
.
On a side note I saw you posted and I got excited. But then I was like awwww : [

I wanna see a picture of me and the saw.

[Mobius]

I was all excited for a second too

[Big Papi Q]

Thank you to TOP, APST, Matt and the rest of the Cameramen.
You all have made my first OP a totally awesome experience.

Thanks to Nasty and his SF team for letting me role with you. Big Pappi you are an awesome SAW gunner and made that assault on Star Log camp with the chemical box a lot easier. We may not have won but we had a blast keeping a large force very busy for a long time. As for our trips up and down Hamburger Hill well you and I had a great time slipping and sliding with the SAWs. Also Big Pappi, Thanks for stopping when I fell and landed face first on my rear sight.

To Variable and Amos, Thanks for sticking close to our teams as we were trying to accomplish the different phases of the OP. Variable I understand sore. I think I will feel this event for a few more days but it was (do I dare say) EPIC.


For those on the Cartel thank you for giving me and my SAW so many targets to shoot at. I had a great time and will be looking forward to another event soon.

TOP thank you again for recommending this event.

Stalker: Thanks for the shout out... I would run with you anytime!!! Those Cartel really gave our SAWs some work huh? I would just like to say to TOP: Great OP... It was my First but still Great Event... Looking forward to another.
Nasty, Iconic, Silent Stalker: It was great running with you. We should run together more often... 6 Mil Militia enjoyed every minute of it.
Foxhoud: Great job humping that poison crate to Starlog... Too Bad 6 Mil Had to Finish it off huh??? lol!!!
American: Great job adapting and running with the SF team... you made a great medic and i enjoyed having you on my six!

To all: Everyone did great and I was impressed by the comraderie... That is what MilSim is about... A bunch of seperate teams coexisting and having fun completing a common goal! I saw plenty of people being honest and calling their hits and a fair share who didn't but who cares it is a game and it is not like you are playing for money!!! I would Love todo it again.

Oh.... one more thing... SANCHEZ.... WHERE THE F*** WERE YOU???

[Carnivor]

That said, the game itself was, at best, a mediocre one. It seems like all games at Splat Action quickly degenerate into large clusterfucks. I came to this event expecting coordination, structure, and a higher level of milsim than I normally get from Splat Action OPs. I was let down on all accounts. It's all a matter of perspective, I suppose, and I'm sure if I were still new to this sport OP:ST would have been an amazing experience, but here on the forums we had a functional OPORD, we had a well-developed chain of command, we had strict fire team regulations, we had clear and concise objectives. I went to this game expecting all of the above, because the last three months of planning have implied that all of the above would be important (because they are), and yet when the game started, very few people had any understanding of what the hell was going on.

Almost everyone there was looking to be their own little Rambo, looking to go out and "pwn the most n00bs." Very few participants were interested in being part of a cohesive and well-organized unit working together to accomplish set their AORs.

I have to agree with a previous poster, who said that what you describe is a US phenomenon. I felt well led on the Cartel side.

I was on the Balls and Bayonets team and I always knew our objective and when that changed, the CO communicated that to us and we executed as a team (for the most part).

During phase 2 when we held rebel camp, I asked the CO for direction and he said that wee needed a counteroffensive around the high side of the hill to roll up the enemy force attacking us. I grabbed a few bodies and initiated a push that cleared Peterson and rolled up to HH, eventually taking it.

Clear direction and execution of commander's intent. That is Command & Control. I'm sorry the US side didn't have it, but I never felt as though we didn't have direction on the Cartel side. Only after accomplishing our objectives did we degenerate into "just kill them" mentality.

On that note, kudos to Terror and Wingnut (and the other PLs and squad leaders with whom I did not have the pleasure of interacting).
It was a pleasure to serve with you all.

BTW, for all of you who fought alongside me, I saw brothers (and a sister or two) fighting bravely. Kudos (by way of introduction, I was the guy in the OD flight suit with M4).

[Fred]

the photos are

[Shorty]

the photos are

Are WHAT? Are WHAT?!?!

[Garrett]

The photos are on Freds website located here

[Fred]

the photos arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[Tompkins]

the photos arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

why fred.......why do you taunt us with the pictures


its cruel and inhuman (and will smith is pissed)

[Tank]

I was a medic on the US side. And yeah, I wish the rules were a bit more laid out. While I was out there I was sticking on the front providing a mash, keeping people alive with bandages. I remember saying to someone else... this is kind of ridiculous there should be a cool down on my ability to save a life.

As for the drive by medics... as it was explained to me at the beginning of the game, if I ran out of bandaids just grab an arm or a leg. I didnt really question this as that has actually been a reality in one of the other ops at splat action... I think it was mad dog, maybe ivans not sure exactly.
I definitely agree with medics need to be hit with a nerf bat.

Besides the game feeling like an exercise in futility for the US, I did enjoy rolling into the meat grinder if for no other reason that to try to get killed in a more fun and exciting way. But seriously guys? Drug cartel had airstrikes and the US didnt? What happened, we couldnt get past the cubans?

Last note... spawn points... I dont know what it is about them, Ive played on both sides of the field multiple times and maybe its just been the flip of the coin but maddog, ivans crossing and now steel talon. The team that spawns outside Starlog (lodge?) has always won the day. Maybe its because that spawn can go directly to three different camps directly from spawn and the one by the logging road only really has access to one direction and one camp. (Note in this game we werent allowed to use the logging road which has been instrumental in taking starlog (lodge?) in the past. Maybe make that available next time.

Just my 2cents