Tactical Gamer has always taken pride in our organization, our tactics and our strategy. In the past, this has required lengthy planning sessions that took place over many days or weeks because we didn't have any tools that would allow us to collaborate visually on strategy in real time. Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm here to tell you that those days are over thanks to a groundbreaking new mobile application: GamePlan.
GamePlan is a mobile application that works with all Android and iOS devices, both mobile phone and tablet sized. You simply download and install the application, download your maps, link up with your fellow tacticians and away you go. It is cross-platform compatable, so you dont have to worry about whether or not the guys you're planning with are apple or android loyal.
GamePlan functions over WiFi and 3G, so you can use it just about anywhere you have a data connection on your mobile device or tablet. It updates live while you're in the application, so the planning doesnt just take place beforehand, but can also be done dynamically within a game, allowing you to adjust your strategies and tactics on the fly once the game has gone live.
Very simple to use, endless opportunity.
Maps
GamePlan provides a service called MapLocker that is integrated into the application and doesn't cost you a thing. It is a community-sourced map repository that everyone has access to on the fly. Currently, MapLocker holds maps for over 14 FPS titles, including ArmA 2, Battlefield 3 (and the Back To Karkand expansion), and Tribes: Ascend. But it doesnt stop there. GamePlan doesnt just cater to FPS players, MapLocker also has maps for RTS games (including World Of Tanks, another TG favorite) and MMO titles as well!
But thats not the end of it. Should a new game come out that you need to plan for and MapLocker doesnt have the map, keep in mind that it's entirely community sourced! Simply submit maps to GamePlan at http://www.gameplanlive.com/maps and they'll be checked for quality (and to make sure they are not duplicates). GamePlan will then adjust them to the right resolution for the best results in-app, then put them into MapLocker! The whole process takes around 48 hours and makes your maps available to everyone who owns the app anywhere.
The other way to do it if you need the maps RIGHT NOW is to share a map image from your photo library. It is broadcast to the session PRIVATELY (i.e. NOT put into MapLocker) so it stays in your app (and a copy of it goes to any participants, so they can start a room with the same custom map in future) but it is not shared to the other unknown GamePlan users outside of your private session.
Planning and Organization
As I said earlier, we pride ourselves on strategy and tactics here at TacticalGamer and we've got a reputation that shows it. One of the things that makes this application truly special to us in the community is that the developer of GamePlan approached us about helping him work on and test the application. So a small but devoted team of your fellow TG members has been working with the developer behind the scenes to get this up and running.
Once you've got your maps taken care of and ready to go, its time for a strategy session. Create a room with up to 16 people and get everyone in on the action. Our friends at GamePlan made it easy to sift through the chaos by creating a "layer" system within the program, allowing multiple layers of visibility set up. For example, a commander layer is set so that only the commander and squad leaders can see the plan on that level. Below that, a squad layer is set up so that the squad leaders can micro-plan with their squads without clogging up the commander's screen. With this set of tools, you can create a battle plan that scales from the entire battlefield down to the specific objective a squad has been tasked to defend.
The planning portion of the application comes with a full set of tools, everything from objective markers, placeable text, waypoint designators, to custom drawable shapes. The bottom line here is that if there is something that needs to be seen on a strategic map, GamePlan has it.
I personally reviewed the application and field tested it. My testbed was DayZ, working with a group of local friends who I was trying to get into the game, and it was nothing short of phenomenal. There were 5 of us in-game, all using GamePlan to coordinate. I set out a basic route for where we should all meet, and as we went along, we were using GamePlan to actively call out loot locations, bandit locations, wandering Zombies and anything else we could think of.
It eliminated the fumbling and time consuming efforts of having to have browser windows open and having to alt+tab to other screens to be able to quickly and accurately relay information. It also saved me the trouble of having to take time to photoshop maps, get them uploaded, wait for people to download them and then start asking questions. Everything was done in real-time, on the fly. It's an absolute must-have, especially for people in a community like ours that thrives on teamwork and organization.
If you need more, head on over to the GamePlan Website and peruse for yourself, or watch the demonstration video below. If you're already sold and ready to get the wheels of strategy turning, head on over to the Apple App Store, the Google Play Store, or the Amazon App Store and pick up your copy for $1.99 today!
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