Poll: Military Jargon in Games

[ProfessorLayton]

I think it fits perfectly in the Battlefield games, but that's really all I've seen it in. I don't play Flashpoint or Modern Warfare, but looking at the styles I guess it would fit there, too. Saying that it's confusing is like being mad at the Germans in WWII games being confusing when they speak German... I also think that it teaches you a lot of military terms, as does the German's German.

I also think it's no different than saying "Long snipe" in CS:S. It's faster and sort of a code that noobs probably wouldn't understand.

 

[Sky Captanio]

Well I find military Jargon fits in games where you're in the military. Otherwise yeah it's pretty stupid.

 

[Tarrou]

If you've been in the military, you notice all the screwups. To take the popular one from MW2...

No one says "we're Oscar Mike". If you're on the radio, everyone KNOWS you're on a mission.

"Charlie Mike" = change of mission (which all that running about only to be told to do something different is).
"Red Con One" = get ready to move your ass

Come to think of it, I don't think there is a standard "we're walking" thing, except perhaps "in transit".

In talking with aircraft, I've never heard "foot mobiles" used. It's just not part of the lingo. "Azimuth 240, range 600. Infantry in the open" would be more like it. And the generalized term for targets is "Tangos" just like vehicles are "Victors".

Anyhoo, do I find it annoying? Not really, but it is silly they can't get just one ex-military dude to look at it and go "no no no, you're doing it wrong". Especially when they tout researching the SEALS (actually, to be fair, I've never heard SEAL radio chatter). W/E. I just find it funny.

 

[Spiner909]

How many army veterans do we have on the Escapist? Can anyone confirm/deny the more popular slang?

 

[ejb626]

I remember I played a game called Ace Combat 4 in which you're a fighter jet I think some of you know what I'm talking about anyway you'd be flying along and your radio would repeatedly say all these code phrases I still don't understand

"Fox two, Fox two"
"Sierra Hotel!"
You know if you guys want to say him just say hi, so when I have no idea what they're saying not so much but otherwise its fine. Anyone here in the Air Force or something and knows what the above phrases mean, or did they just make them up.

Fox two is a missile launch and Sierra Hotel is a Successful hit on a ground target.
Edit: Sorry, Sierra HOtel is slang, it means "shit hot". Basically it's the polite way of saying someone is awesome.

You know right after I asked that I answered my own question with Urbandictionary, but yeah thats what they mean. That was the funny thing about Ace Combat they wanted cursing but they wanted to keep it T (e.g "Sierra Hotel","Die you SOB")

 

[Wolfram23]

I like the usage it's immersive, but only so long as you aren't required to understand if. If a guy starts yelling jargon at you trying to get you to do something it's like "lol wut?" but in MW2 most of the jargon was between NPCs and I quite enjoyed it.

 

[AWAR]

Love it! especially

Stay frosty. Silenced weapons only.

and Weapons free

The one thing i dont like is Huaah-like responses...

"we're Oscar Mike"

Is one of my favorite lines in modern warfare... don't ask why.

And in Operation Flashpoint 2 as well =D
Doesn't it mean on the move?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Marine_Corps_acronyms_and_expressions

 

[Shock and Awe]

I like it when it is used appropriately, which it usually is in most FPSs. I don't have much problems understanding it either since JROTC makes you learn that stuff.

 

[Mr.PlanetEater]

Snip

Mmm, my cousin had the same gripe about jargon in games(He was in the Airforce for years). One game he played mistranslated the term victors for actual enemies so when he was flying over to bomb a target. Full of Enemies it blared 62 Victors. But when he took out a tank it blared 1 tango nice job!

 

[azncutthroat]

It's like music to my ears...

...except when used blatantly wrong. But fortunately, I have not yet encountered this hellspeak yet.

I really like the way how Valve made the Combine's military jargon. I don't know about you, but the combination of synthesized vocals and tactical communications is absolutely exquisite.

 

[soapyshooter]

"Go silent"
thats my favorite in games. sometimes i find military jargon funny in games because it seems like the try wayy too hard to make it sound cool, only to fail. games like MW2 = annoying. but in RTS and tactical shooters like SOCOM and Rainbow Six, its needed and its pretty cool

for the oscar mike fans on this thread

Spoiler

 

[Spiner909]

Yeah, I learned my first bit of jargon from Ace Combat games too. I still enjoy hearing Fox 3! I can confirm that kill.

For those who haven't caught on yet, Oscar Mike means On the Move

 

[Valdsator]

"We're Oscar Mike!"

Seeeeeriously got annoying in MW2.
I liked the jargon in the Ace Combat games.

 

[Spiner909]

Also, does anyone know what 'stay frosty' means? Just 'keep a lookout', I think.

 

[Chaos Bringer]

Meh, I don't mind it.

 

[twistedmic]

Also, does anyone know what 'stay frosty' means? Just 'keep a lookout', I think.

I think 'stay frosty' means 'stay calm', or 'keep it together'.

 

[WaywardHaymaker]

I find it funny when you're playing a game and you just hear someone screaming over the radio, "CHARLIE OSCAR FOXTROT DELTA NINER!" But I generally like it. Because then after playing the campaigns of MW2 and BC2, I start instinctively using it in the online and my friends yell at me. It's pretty funny how many times someone dies because I say, "Tango" where we usually say "Fucker."

 

[ultracheeser]

I find it interesting. It generally adds to the mood in MOST games.
"OSCAR MIKE!" "WE'RE OSCAR MIKE!"
god...that pissed me off soooooooo much. It brought a whole new generation of kids who think they know about the Armed Forces because they played Call of Duty.

 

[Spiner909]

"Whiskey Tango Foxtrot!"

Win.

Also, when I feel masochistic and I play MW2 online and annoy the hell out of everyone, I scream "Oscar Mike!" and "Stay Frosty!" when they make the least sense. I am good at making enemies.

It's fun that way, isn't it?

 

[Baradiel]

I love it, but only when my team mates understand it. Once, me and two friends played Team Tactical on COD4. It was a SnD on Bloc. We all had the same getup, silenced MP5s and the like. Going for a stealthy game, with real tactics involved.

It was going well. We moved from one building to the other, checking corners. Then I told one of my friend to "take point."

After we had explained to him what he was supposed to do, being the idiot he was, he stood up and started to run, taking out his deagle (which he had forgotten to take off) and started randomly shooting.

We lost the game, and he refused to play another one at all tactically.

So yeah, its good when used properly and everyone understands it.