More on Weapons

Locational Damage

The locational based damage in Soldier of Fortune isn't just for show. Hitting different areas of your opponent's body can affect how much damage you do to them. Read what Raven's Kenn Hoekstra says about the matter.

Head shots do deliver more damage than shots to the body or limbs. Body shots do more damage than limb shots. Groin shots against male enemies do big damage, but not so much on female enemies. The location-based damage does affect weapon power based on concealment of the target as well as body armor they are wearing. It's a big part of the weapon balance and damage system...especially in realistic deathmatch mode.

Reloading the 9mm

Uh oh, pistol vs shotgun

So what is this realistic deathmatch mode they're talking about? Well, Soldier of Fortune's multiplayer setup actually features two different damage styles that the server can choose from. One is arcade style where you'll usually be able to survive several pistol shots or a few shotgun blasts - this is the mode that we played and that everyone who downloads the demo will be playing. Basically it's similar to playing a conventional shooter like Quake 3 or Unreal Tournament, except that the locational based damage still comes into play a bit. The other mode, which is unavailable in the OEM and the demo, is "realistic damage mode." This one will probably appeal a lot to the Action Quake and Counterstrike crowd. The nice thing about having this kind of mode in Soldier of Fortune is that you'll probably be able to respawn whenever you want to instead of waiting for the rest of your team to win or lose. Here's what Kenn Hoekstra had to say:

In "real life" damage mode, one or two shots will kill you. Damage to the arms and legs will slow you down, impair your ability to move, run, jump and your ability to fire your weapons accurately. Head shots and chest shots (vital areas) will kill you almost instantly.

SoF has decals too

Checking ammo levels

Body armor and armor piercing weapons

Raven also mentioned briefly that certain weapons are armor piercing and can do more damage to opponents that have picked up a flak jacket (body armor). Presumably the sniper rifle is one of those types of weapons, but Kenn was able to confirm that the shotgun is not:

The shotgun does less damage to opponents wearing a flak jacket. Some weapons are armor-piercing and the shotgun is not one of them. Shotgun blasts to the head or the legs, however, are pretty deadly...

He's aiming the wrong way

Gutted with the SMG

The last comment is a reference to the fact that flak jackets only cover opponent's torsos. Remember that in the locational based damage system of SoF, this leaves the head and limbs vulnerable to any kind of weapon. So how can you tell if your opponent has body armor on? This is where Soldier of Fortune's "bolt on attachments" technology comes in. When you pick up the body armor, a yellow vest appears on your model. It's similar to the way new armor changes your appearance in action RPG games like Diablo 2 and Revenant. Thanks to the bolt on attachment, it's easy to see if your enemy is wearing a vest - that way you can decide if it's worth it to go for the difficult headshot.