I enjoy first person shooters – as some of you might be aware. Halo, Destiny, Call of Duty, Battlefield, Titanfall, Rainbow Six, all of these games have grasped my attention at one point or another over the years. I’ve never been absolutely masterful at any of these games (though I have dabbled in some of their ranked game modes here and there). I would say I’m slightly above average when it comes to the FPS genre and no more than that.
But as I’ve gotten older (I’m 32 now, the ravages of time have slowly crept up on me) I’ve started to find it a lot more difficult to keep up with the Monster energy infused, 20 hours a day, Gen Z players who are (annoyingly) able to now outpace me at things I at least once thought I was fairly decent at. [Editor’s Note: Welcome to the party, pal!] As my brain and body have started to slow down, and I resign myself to the fact that I’m not at my peak anymore, I’ve tried looking in new places to find something that suits my newfound slower pace. Instead of multiplayer PvP I’m more content to catch up on single-player backlogs that my old man brain can complete as fast as I want (and without the risk of being called a slur by a 14 year old over in-game chat). But part of me misses my PvP shooters, and that is what has now led me into a genre of shooter that I would never have dared to once set foot into (mainly because they’ve never really been present on consoles). I am, of course, referring to the military simulator (or MilSim).
I’ve always somewhat admired MilSims and the variety of gameplay that they bring to the table. They can also promote a lot of role-playing elements through player-run servers. One series in particular, ARMA, is one that I always eyed with particular curiosity. I’d routinely watch videos from a variety of YouTubers showcasing some of the shenanigans that can occur, SovietWomble’s ARMA 3 Antistasi series of videos in particular always made me wish I had a PC good enough to run ARMA. There was just something about a slower paced first person shooter that appealed to me. Instead of spawning and dying over and over again you’d have longer lives, a slower pace, and a much higher time to kill.
That’s why Arma Reforger, which has brought the series to consoles via the Xbox Series X|S, has captured my attention as of late, and it’s for one very simple reason: it lets me slow down the pace of the first person shooter by undertaking roles that most other games in the genre don’t consider. Instead of rushing towards points, looking for fights with other players, my time in Arma Reforger has mostly been spent behind the frontlines running logistics. You see, in Arma Reforgers main mode, Conflict, you are required to capture a select number of key objectives across a vast map. These objectives change locations with each game, as well as your initial deployment base. But you can’t simply rush towards these key points, capture them and then win the game, you need to capture smaller points along the way in order to set up radio antennas to increase your communications range.
But that’s not all. As you move your way across the map it is important to set up logistic supply chains to these new bases. In order for players to spawn, source weapons and gear for their loadouts, spawn in vehicles to traverse the map quicker, and build new structures at bases, you need to manage your team’s supplies. Your main base will slowly generate supplies which, once you’ve got your deployment base set up with the necessary structures, allows you to then spawn cargo trucks and run these same supplies to bases closer to the frontline. Nobody wants to have to spawn literal miles away from the fight and then transport themselves to it, which can take minutes at a time. That is why players who take on a logistical role are so vital in this game, and it’s why I love it so much.
Once you deliver supplies to bases you can then change into a top down mode in order to place structures in an intuitive and almost strategy game-like fashion. You can build fortifications and structures in whatever configuration you want, and if you build barracks, you can also spawn AI squads who can defend your base or assist you by commanding them. You can also place these AI in whatever configuration you want, tactically hiding them in bunkers or defending key structures.
Being so enamoured by logistics means you might not be getting into combat nearly as much as those on the frontline, but that’s not to say that you avoid it altogether. Savvy players who know what they are doing know that logistics are the lifeblood of not only their team, but also of their enemies. For some that means sneaking behind the front and engaging in some good old sabotage. Numerous times I have let my guard down only to be ambushed by players lying in wait at an opportune staging point (such as a junction where I need to slow down). You might be killed instantaneously in this situation, and the enemy have now prevented a delivery of necessary supplies to your bases, supplies that they can now take for themselves. Or, you might be able to get out of your truck and stand your ground. Equally, however, you can also do the same to your enemy. As well as this, you’re also able to drive construction trucks that allow you to build select fortifications outside of the range of your bases. Sometimes a look at your map to see where the enemy is moving towards allows you to pre-emptively build roadblocks and other structures to hinder and slow them down potentially.
There’s a unique satisfaction in logistics that I never thought would appeal to me in a first person shooter. The gratification of games like Call of Duty or Battlefield is topping the scoreboard through a high kill count that you can brag about in the end-game lobby. Logistics running in Arma Reforger almost feels like I’m playing a puzzle or real-time strategy game in first-person. I have to pick and choose where supplies are most needed, where they will be most beneficial to the team. If we’re running low on supplies at the main base I might need to find a supply depot on the map (which constantly regenerates but are heavily defended by AI) and mount a mission to bolster my team. Every single delivery of supplies is a quiet victory for me, a critical part of the machine that keeps the whole team going, even if they don’t necessarily recognise what I am doing. When you successfully deliver that load of supplies, knowing it will enable your team to push forward, you feel like the glue holding the team together. Without you, the assaults on enemy bases would grind to a halt, custom loadouts wouldn’t be available, and a supply of vehicles on the frontline wouldn’t be accessible. I may not be getting an instant hit of dopamine like I would in a high kill count game of Call of Duty, but playing logistics lets me impact the hours-long games of Arma Reforger in a way that’s subtle but deeply rewarding to me. Even if I log off, my efforts will persist in the world and will still benefit other players.
In a way, Arma Reforger’s logistics role offers a direction for FPS gameplay that I hope catches on in a more mainstream fashion in the near future. By tapping into an audience who crave a slower and more thoughtful experience in a genre that usually glorifies speed and reflexes, I feel as though more players who were wary of MilSims might be more open-minded in terms of giving them a go. This goes especially for players like me, who are bitter that they don’t have the twitch reflexes of our younger years. It’s a breath of fresh air to find a game that values methodical planning, strategic thinking, and teamwork just as much as raw skill. Arma Reforger shows us there’s a whole new way to experience the genre – one that gives everyone a role to play rather than just fragging out – roles that offer different ways to impact the results of the game.
