Blog 2: Touch Down in Africa (Tutorial)

This is ell635 reporting...

Dear Diary,

I touched down in Africa dismorning. The flight took a long time, so I got some good rest on the journey.

One thing is very noticeable in this place. It's boiling hot. And it smells of all sorts.

My Cab driver was already waiting for me at the cheap airport. I didn't catch his name. We climbed into his small dirty little cab. I settled in the back for what he told me would be a long journey.

This man seemed to know where he was driving. It all seemed the same to me. Mountains, Forests, Savannah. The dirty roads were formed out of vehicles and people driving over random areas for decades. They weren't built purposely. That makes it harder for me. Not every road is on my Map.

We reached a Checkpoint by a Bridge, my driver turned off his radio. A mans voice was belting through our speaker. He seemed to be preaching in African. Perhaps propaganda, who knows. He muttered to me that the men don't like the radio. He shrugged it off by mentioning the choice of music, but I have a feeling it was more about what the man was saying.

The soldiers weren't friendly. Very intimidating actually. They were well armed, and very curious. A troublesome combination. Thank heavens my men hired the best Cab driver in town. He managed to sweet talk his way through the Guards, and they let us through.

Another worrying sight was several Assault Trucks passing by. They were full of soldiers. They looked ready to kill, but my driver insisted they mind their own business. I guess I'll find out soon enough whether that's true or not!

As we were arriving at our destination, I started feeling extremely ill. I started sweating profusely, and shaking uncontrollably. I felt like I was dying. My Cab driver started panicking, and I passed out.

That was the last thing I remember before waking up in a Bed in my Hotel. I saw a man in my room, I figured he was a staff member. I watched him for a while, and realised he was going through my bags. I wanted to stop him from stealing from me, but I was too weak to move.

He started reading my log book showing my mission. Suddenly I realised HE was the Jackal. So close to me. It seemed like he'd come out of the shadows at the perfect time! Had I been healthy and well-equipped, I would've finished him off there and then.

He was full of confidence. He told me I had malaria, and that I'd failed my mission. He told me NOBODY could kill him. He placed his Machete in the wall beside me. I flinched. I thought he was going to put it between my eyes.

He was cheeky. He left his pistol on the table next to me. I could have easily popped him in the back of the head whilst he walked away with his back turned. But I was too weak! And he knew it...

I passed out again after that...

Several hours later I woke up to excessive gunfire. A fight had broken out in Town. I was stuck in the middle of it. I found the strength to climb out of bed and grab my things. Suddenly a large explosion in the doorway to my room sent me to the ground, but the shock put the strength in me. The adrenaline had started pumping. I grabbed the pistol the Jackal left on my desk, tugged the Machete out the wall, and made my move.

I climbed out of my room and run across the hallway. I pick up a dropped Assault Rifle on the floor. It looked like a G3-KA4. It probably came from a soldier who died from the explosion outside my room. In the next room was a window, I climbed out of it and landed on a small metal platform. I dropped down to my right, and read my map. I noticed that if I took a left after walking through this alleyway, I'd be on an immediate path out of town. I made a run for it, and took a few bullets in the back before reaching a large Bridge.

I staggered half way across the Bridge before I collapsed. The last thing I heard was a Car pulling up beside my body.

I woke up in a room, some Guy was in the doorway. He had captured me and brought me away from the gunfire into a safe location. He had saved my life. He told me I was pretty beat up after some bullets went into me back in town. So I quickly grabbed a knife and some pliars and pulled a bullet out of my knee.

He told me his name was Carbonell. Before I could thank him for saving me, he told me I owed him, so I have to work for him. Little did he know I needed to work for somebody, so I was happy to use him as a springboard to get me into the Underground in Leboa-Sako.

He told me he works for a man called Gakumba. He's the boss of the United Front. I was expecting a big mission, but instead he asked me to fix his Car outside. He called me, and told me I needed to take out some soldiers at a House up the road.

I headed out, and arrived near the location. I was told the soldiers were on Guard, so I stopped my vehicle up the road from the area. I found a worn-out shack nearby, it provided ammo and some syrettes when I needed them most. I crouched in the tall grass and brush, and slowly approached the building. There were two guards outside, I took the first guy down with an instant headshot. The other guy was surprised, and had a small chance of survival after I missed my first few shots, but I dropped him dead.

My first action went very well. I got a call from Carbonell instantly afterwards. It seems like he has someone scouting me, because he got instant word that I'd taken the house. I didnt want the scout to affect my performance however. I'm a lone wolf, if I get into trouble, I have no back-up. I can't rely on him to save me.

Carbonell said he'd already got another job for me, but he told me to crash at this house before I tried anything.

After I napped for an hour, I got another call from Carbonell. He told me he needed me to scout some Lumber place. I got there and scouted the area with my monocular. The place was crawling with guards, and a machine gun turret. Carbonell startled me when he gave me a call. I worried that the Guards had heard my phone ringing, but they didn't flinch. I answered, and he gave me some intel that they've got a man held hostage in there. I finished scouting, and started flanking around the side to try and sneak inside.

I flanked all the guards, and after going around through the forest, I started heading inwards. The roads kept going on, but there were no guards ahead. I crept into a wood cutting shelter...

The target building was in sight - straight ahead of me. I approached the building. Suddenly some guard screamed "Hey!". I kept calm, but as I peered around a wall, an African started firing his side arm. The others immediately saw where he was shooting, and opened fire on my position. I ran around the back of the target building, and went inside a garage. I took out a soldier who was hiding inside there, and then started attacking the others outside. I had taken some bullets from some of the guys outside, and especially from the guy inside the Garage, who shot me point blank with an Assault Rifle. I stayed in cover constantly, and cowardly waited for the soldiers to come out in the open so I could fire upon them.

I eventually cleared the area, and it became silent, I darted to the target building and went inside. I unlocked a door to reveal a reasonably old man with short grey hair and a mustache. His accent was strong. He told me I had a bad case of Malaria. He told me we can escape now, but we should split up so we didnt get shot. He told me to meet him at Mike's Bar. He said he'd buy me a drink, and tell me where I can find someone with Medicine to help calm my Malaria down.

I left the target building, and Carbonell called me again. He said he was impressed with my work, and promised to pay me if I rendevous at the Fresh Fish village.

I arrived and went inside his headquarters. He told me that my currency didn't meen squat in Africa. He said he wouldn't wipe his a*s with it. He explained that payments come in the form of diamonds here. He explained that I needed to head back to Mikes Bar to find someone with medication. He also promised to introduce me to Gakumba of the UFLL (United Fronts of Liberation and Labour) in the near future.

He told me one of his guards took a bullet in town, and left his briefcase of diamonds somewhere around here. He told me to use my indicator to find the briefcase. I found them, and then headed down to Mikes Bar to go and buy a new weapon with my well-earnt money at the Weapon store. I passed through Pala on the way, which was back under cease fire, luckily for me.

I bought a G3-KA4 and a Homeland Pump-Action Shotgun. The armory was already in good stock of my chosen weapons, so I collected my G3 and disposed of my rusty old one.

Whilst I was there, I headed into Mike's Bar to see if the Hostage I saved managed to survive when we escaped. I also needed to keep my eye out for someone who could provide some medicine for my Malaria, as Carbonell said. I remember the Hostage mentioning hooking me up with someone who could give me meds, so I hoped I'd catch him in there.

The second I entered, somebody yelled. It was the Hostage. He called me over to the Bar. He told me his name was Josip, and he told me some guy sitting in the corner could give me medicine. Before I left him, he told me if I ever got in trouble or needed his help with anything he would be there to help.

The man in the corner wore glasses, he was writing on paper. He saw me standing over him by the table, and immediately edged a Tape recording towards me. He assumed I wanted it. I told him I wasn't here for the tape, I needed medicine, and I was told he could supply it for me. He told me I wanted the Priest at the Church in Pala, he told me to pass the Tape along to the Priest in the Church.

The smart man told me his name was Reuben. He didnt look like a soldier. He didnt sound like a soldier! He seemed like a generally humble man. He told me he wasnt wanted in the Country. That the soldiers wanted to export him out of there, because they didnt like the story he's writing. He told me his story is about the War here in Africa. It's about the soldiers in this country. But mostly, it's about the Jackal.

He told me he'd covered sixteen Wars here in Africa. And every time the Jackal has been there supplying the arms. It seemed like this guy was my man. My short-cut to the Jackal. We're both after the same man, but I'm trying to kill him, and he's trying to write about him. I knew I needed to speak to him some more in good time to learn more about the Jackal. He said he'd interviewed many people and got some interesting material, but soldiers confiscated the tapes. He tells me if I find any of his Tapes, that I should return them to him at the Bar. He says he can't pay, but he offers his friendship.

Before I left, a woman leant up on the wall caught my attention. I noticed she may have been listening to me and Reuben. She told me her name was Guillen. She told me to stay away from both factions, because they're animals. I said my farewells, and set out for the Church in Pala.

As I entered the Church, the Priest recognised I was sick immediately. His name was Father Maliya. I told him Reuben had sent me, before I went into another fever from my Malaria. He had recently spoken to Reuben, and he said he was expecting something from Reuben. I handed over the Tape, and he gave me some medicine in return. I took the medicine, and it took effect immediately, calming my symptoms. He told me he knows people everywhere who supply medicine. He told me they want to leave the country, but they're too scared to. He said they could use someone like me. As I left, he suggested I return when I require more medicine.

Frank

Good lord that was long. I apologise for the extremely long blog, and it's not over just yet! That was the tutorial completed.

So far I havent been put to the ultimate test. But when I was freeing Josip from the Lumber, I was extremely worried about how hard the challenge would be - considering I'm on Infamous difficulty.

My performance showed my fear extremely well. I tried to avoid enemy encounter altogether, and once I had, I looked for the safest location, and tried to hide behind a pile of boxes so I could eliminate the soldiers safely one by one.

I can imagine the Cellular Tower missions and the Main Faction Missions are going to be the greatest challenge of all. And if I manage to survive throughout this crazy story until I go to the South territory in Bowa-Seko, then the natural increase in difficulty will probably finish me off.

I recently completed the Story Mode again on Easy difficulty, and after struggling through some of the Heart of Darkness, I cannot imagine surviving that havoc, even if I reach that far!

Stay tuned. I'm looking at a blog per day, at most. I'll shorten the diary entries in future. But this was a particularly long episode anyway, due to the lengthy tutorial. I'll focus on single missions in future.

You'll continue to hear about the action through the Diary of Frank Bilder. I think this form of writing is easy, and it helps describe the action and storyline better too. Throwing in some of Franks thoughts or opinions is also really useful.

Thank you for reading,

ell635