Tactical Tailor

Posts Tagged ‘TFB’

Tactical Fanboy @Twitter

Saturday, December 18th, 2010

The title says it all: Tactical Fanboy is now on Twitter @Tacfanboy. Follow and be alerted to the latest information on new articles and other cool stuff.

-Tactical Fanboy

Team Fortress 2 Sentry Gun

Thursday, December 16th, 2010

WETA workshop is no stranger to props based on popular videogames, and this level 1 sentry gun from the class-based multiplayer game Team Fortress 2 continues this trend. Featuring a motion sensor and full audio, it now stands guard at Valve’s lobby, tracking every visitor with its deadly (non-functional) cannon. I’ll admit it’s a very cool prop, but it doesn’t satisfy the ultimate Valve-based question: ‘When the hell’s the next Half-Life game coming out?’

-Tactical FanBoy

Zombieflage

Tuesday, December 14th, 2010

Think Geek has once again contributed to the oversaturation of zombie products with their Zombie Attack Hoodie. Decorated with the battle scars of a survivor turned undead, this charcoal grey 100% cotton hoodie includes two front pockets, ribbed cuffs and bottom, topped off with a silver-colored biohazard symbol for a zipper pull. It also has the added benefit of allowing you to blend in with the zombie hoard after the eventual apoclaypse. But then again, is dressing like a zombie a violation of the Law of Armed Conflict? Get yours at ThinkGeek.com.

-Tactical FanBoy

Review for H.A.W.X. 2

Wednesday, December 8th, 2010

H.A.W.X. 2 is an arcade flight game. Unlike a simulator, which tries to replicate the realities of flight, the arcade flight genre simplifies the process to make it more enjoyable for a wider audience. Luckily, this is the way I prefer it. Who needs reality slapping them in the face while shooting down enemy craft or doing multiple barrel rolls at 1400+ miles per hour? Not me, and it makes for quite the action packed experience.

There are several modes available in H.A.W.X 2: Story, Free Flight, Survival, Arcade, and Multiplayer.

Story mode takes place in the near future and is told from the perspective of pilots from three countries: USA, UK, and Russia, and their involvement in quelling insurgent and Russian Ultranationalist activities across the globe. This is somewhat familiar territory for recent military-based games, but it still works. The inclusion of Ghost Recon and references to other Clancy games is also a nice touch. Most missions involve dogfighting in fighter planes, but the occasional UAV, recon, bombing, or AC-130 mission adds a bit of variety. After completing the entire story, you can play custom versions of the missions using any unlocked planes and loadouts you have. It’s pretty fun to tear through earlier missions in an F-22 Raptor or A-10 Thunderbolt II.

Free Flight is simply a threat-free way to try out your new planes in any of the game’s environments.

Survival is, what else, a survival mode. You pick your plane and fight off waves of increasingly difficult enemies until you finally lose. It’s a good way to gauge a plane’s abilities in combat situations.

Arcade is one of the more interesting modes. Every story mission is represented, but also has a certain restriction placed on it. This can be anything from being allowed only your cannon to being forced to play an entire mission in assistance OFF mode. These missions then become either fairly simple or frustratingly difficult.

Finally, multiplayer allows for other players to face off in matches. Sadly, I wasn’t able to find a match online, so I can’t properly review this portion of the game.

In-game environments look incredible. Thanks to GeoEye, every location is highly detailed and are a real treat to view, especially in HD. Planes are also equally detailed, but the human models and non aerial vehicles leave a bit to be desired. Of course, the main focus in the game is the planes, so detailed people and ground forces may be asking a bit too much.

The controls are simple enough. There are buttons for acceleration and breaking, yaw, flare release, target acquisition, and your weapons. There is also assistance OFF mode, which removes the game’s limitations on plane movement, allowing you to perform impressive maneuvers at a greater risk of stall. In this mode the camera also zooms way out. When paired with the increased maneuverability, this can make combat a bit more difficult. Difficulty, of which there are three levels, also affects plane movement.

The game features a rewards system. Defeating enemies and completing missions nets you experience points which raise your in-game level. Certain actions also complete challenges, which often reward you with additional experience. You can use points earned while leveling up to purchase new weapons packs, planes, and overall upgrades. Continuously using a plane will also raise the mastery of that plane, which allows for greater levels of customization.

So, to buy or not to buy? I say go for it. I found it to be enjoyable, and the multiple modes and unlocks can keep you busy for a while. Plus, F-22 Raptors! ‘Nuff said.

[Review was done using the Xbox 360 version]

-Tactical FanBoy

Solution To The .50 William Tell

Monday, December 6th, 2010

Lately we’ve been getting a few e-mails asking about the authenticity of the infamous .50 cal William Tell video. Well, after seeing it was done by Youtube special effects guru freddiew, whose Time Crisis video I posted a while back, I knew it was nothing more than the clever use of special effects. It doesn’t even take that much digging to prove as much, as he posted the behind the scenes vid on his alternate channel.

Just goes to show how far you can go with a little special effects.

-Tactical FanBoy

The Paleo Solution

Monday, December 6th, 2010

“The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet” by Robb Wolf describes a method called Paleolithic dieting, which involves eating foods that closely mimic what our hunter-gatherer ancestors consumed. In layman’s terms, this means no grains, dairy, or legumes of any kind but rather eating seasonal fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seafoods, and land animals, preferably organic and grass fed. Unlike many books on dieting, the technique is easily accessible and includes well-researched information on the benefits of paleo dieting, testimonials, a simple to follow 30 day meal and exercise plan, and even a bit of humor spread throughout.

I bring this to your attention because of the not so recent news about military personnel struggling with their weight and turning to methods such as liposuction and crash dieting to achieve their goals. I’m not claiming this as a definitive method for weight loss and long-term health, but like anything else it’s worth a shot. So pick up the book and follow it’s contents for a while. You might end up liking paleo dieting, or at least the results it brings.

-Tactical FanBoy

There Is An Underbarrel Flamethrower!

Monday, December 6th, 2010

On my Black Ops Weapons article, I claimed that an underbarrel flamethrower never existed. However, one of our readers alerted me to a model that existed as early as WWII. Created by the Finns, it was an underbarrel mount for the M44 flamethrower which was used on the Suomi KP/-31 submachine gun. While not entirely like the underbarrel Flamethrower found in Black Ops, this proves the concept still has some basis in reality. Thanks!

-Tactical FanBoy

Most Lethal

Sunday, December 5th, 2010

Are you an active duty or recently retired member of a special ops combat unit? Then you might have what it takes to join the ranks of the new Spike TV show “Most Lethal”. Looking to recruit 12 elite members of Special Forces both from the US and abroad, the show will test a multitude of real-world and unorthodox combat scenarios in a bid to see who is the best of the best. Set to air in Summer 2011, “Most Lethal” could be one skilled Soldier’s path to $100,000 and a Title. If you fit the criteria and are interested in joining, shoot an e-mail to sofsearch@grbtv.com and include some military background information and a recent photo. Also, be aware that you’ll require 45 or so days of leave (and your chain of command’s permission) if still on active duty.

-Tactical FanBoy