[Kyle]

R@S,

That's pretty cool that what I basically proposed could be incorporated into using the field radio. I agree with you that the intel should come with a price.

I can "sort of" understand having to be forced to use tactics at the same old entry zones, but...

The default four spawn points are almost always on the main thoroughfares, most of which are brightly lit at night. Now, I can understand perfectly well using these spawn points when casually moving through a region, but to use them for infiltration and assault purposes? I don't think even the Three Stooges would pick those spots. It just seems far more immersive to me that new entry points/methods be added wherever it's strategically and believably sensible to do so.

Those new points could be randomized, so that they're not always available when the Player is about to enter a region, forcing the Player to make more challenging decisions. A $ price tag could be added, so that perhaps only The Best of them are available if money is put in the pocket of a nebulous spy working on your behalf.

However, having to pay a hefty fee every time seems unrealistic to me as well, but could occur every now and then just to keep the Player on his/her toes.

Heck, said spies could be an asset as well as a deficit in another way: perhaps they could be caught, captured, and held hostage by the enemy. Whenever this is done, any other potential spies in the ENTIRE game-world will STOP working for the Player until that captured spy is safely rescued. Spycraft is dangerous work, and one wants to be sure that the person that one is working for is not a double agent, thus the need to rescue those who become captured before anymore spywork is done on behalf of the Player; they want to ensure that they're not being betrayed.

There are other ways that this capability could be limited, such as assigning random patrol routes for the enemy. For the life of me, I've yet to enter a map ("friendly" or not) that has patrols. Weird! If this was done, even the "best" location could be quickly compromised by a patrol of 2-4 enemies who just happen upon the scene, or come up on the squad's back as they move deeper. These random patrols could also be spawned at random times, and at random locations, perhaps entering at, or near to, these new entry points for the very sound reason that these key spots SHOULD be patrolled due to the vulnerabilities they present to those who occupy the region.

Randomized traps such as mines could be set near these areas.

And the list could go on...

Using the default entry points may chronically force tough and desperate tactical decisions, but they're almost always the same, and again, those entry points are sensible for friendly regions, but not hostile ones. By opening up more entry points/means of entry, one not only deepens immersion but also opens up gameplay.

This game is challenging to me nearly all of the time anyway. Even when I happen into a random ambush as I travel from Point A to Point B, and the enemy are far away and they've yet to determine exactly where I am, so that I have a great advantage, once the shooting begins, even my best laid plans are to the wind. And that's with everything in my favor. If randomized patrols were added along with the new entry points/means, I'm confident that this would keep the pressure high (even elevate it to greater heights not yet experienced in 7.62), force the Player to fully utilize one's wits, and lead to a very fulfilling experience.