User blog:Dfle3/Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots

I've finally acquired the Big Boss emblem! It was my 2nd attempt at getting it and I had played the game twice before those attempts, on Solid Normal difficulty. It's quite 'hardcore' to achieve. Had to really 'research' how to more easily beat certain sections of the game...something which normally bothers me about games. In my 'research' which enabled me to get the Big Boss emblem, I did come across a few strategies in the game which I don't think were 'sporting' or 'fair'. So, I thought I'd add some additional criteria to what is a legitimate record game completion time:

Big Boss emblem - my additional criteria for a record time:

1) No Kills. Yes, I do realise that this is already a criteria for the Big Boss emblem. HOWEVER, the game does illogically allow you to kill enemies...indirectly. So, for me, we have to weed those exclusions out...I mean especially the final leg of the bike ride where you can shoot barrels, causing them to explode and - presumably - kill the Frogs next to them. I'd also count causing the soldier laying a claymore mine in the mountain trail section to fall on top of their own explosion as a kill, if that happens to you. Anything like that has to be included as a kill. Maybe there are some more 'grey' areas.

2) You can't use items acquired in gaining the Big Boss emblem. E.g. the Big Boss camo. This plays out like a hack, basically. Yes, I know it's annoying when you cause an Alert when you don't use this camo. But hey, it's a stealth game! Have you thought of playing stealthily?

b) On a related issue, if the use of ANY camo has the same effect as using the Big Boss camo, then I'd rule that out too. ESPECIALLY if it's something unbelievable...like Snake wearing a female disguise...yuh...that'd fool the soldiers!

3) You must actually trail the Resistance fighter in that part of the game. Yes, it IS annoying having to do that...but Snake isn't psychic! Any other strategy plays like a hack.

4) No unbelievable take downs. I mean if you have a strategy which makes it look like Snake has Superman like x-ray vision, or he is a psychic mind reader then, it's not a legitimate method. I have in mind something as blatant as shooting your rail gun through a wall to one or two shot kill Raging Raven. It's completely unbelievable. What are you afraid of? That you can't beat her face to face?

I don't really have an issue with speed run times which are insanely fast, using seeming 'hack' like abilities, but I'd reserver the REAL record times to those who abide by my extra criteria.

By the way, I have a diary on my attempt to acquire the Big Boss camo...it's quite obscene at times as I struggled with the difficulties of the game...but it should be useful to those who are having trouble getting this emblem:

http://rateyourmusic.com/list/dfle3/metal_gear_solid_4_on_boss_extreme__a_diary_