first post here

[Schatten.Bären]

Hello everyone, I am Schatten and thank you all for the opportunity to be a part of NO. Im currently in southern California and will be for a while. Ive been in this small city for 20 years and know every street, main & residential, most every business and many, many people (although I am quite antisocial). This area is not a big city like Los Angeles and it seems rather "open", if you will. There aren't any tall buildings or high-rise apartments, mostly strip-mall shopping areas and tons of houses. I don't go on many walks, although after lurking here for a week or two I will definitely be making changes to this. I live close to the hills and opping there is very easy, the only people there at night are drunks and stoners. I have been active throughout my life including many years of martial arts training, as well as tennis I have gear, not much but just enough to get me through a beginning op.

BDUs, tactical boots, flashlights, lighters, binocs, knives, a shemagh, hoodie, and some other random stuff.

Now, I need some advice.

This area is full of rich people and the houses are bound to have dogs or security systems, and honestly Im not looking to infiltrate anyones home because I wouldn't want anyone in mine, and Im happy outside of jail. All I want really is to hone my stealth, observation, and senses by exploring every unnoticed corner of this city Ive missed over the years. Most likely be opping alone to reduce the risk of discovery.

Where would be a good starting point?
Should I op in the hills to gain confidence before opping in the bulk of the city?
How much should I carry on my person when opping in the city?
*What should I do when the helicopters start flying around? (which happens almost nightly)*

The police and sheriffs around here are out all the time. Sheriffs in the hills, police in the city. Ive had enough run-ins with both to know that I don't want to experience either. Ever.

Sorry for the essay, but Ive been trying to think of questions all week. Until next time.

"Don't talk, just train."

[Xanatos]

Hello, welcome to the Dark Side.

Your starting gear sounds decent; for basic recon and stealth training you probably won't need more than a flashlight, knife (for defence and as a tool), binocs (especially in those hills) and clothing & footwear.

A good starting point would be outside. Really, the first step is usually the most important. As for where to op, if you think the hills are easier then I'd suggest there so you can get used to moving around in the dark and hearing the many sounds the night has to offer. However I'm not sure how 'wild' the hills are, so if you can find closer low-key targets around your city (backyards, school properties, construction sites, etc) that might be an easier option. So far there hasn't been any decent way of dealing with dogs, you'll just have to identify which houses have them and find ways around.

Helicopters are another story. Do they project a visible search beam? The best you can do is avoid that and stick to cover as much as possible, although many choppers nowadays have IR searchlights which of course makes it difficult to tell where they're looking.If you know their patrol patterns you should avoid opping in the same area. If your target is enclosed (say an abandoned warehouse or something with a lot of aerial cover) then walking to the AO in civvies shouldn't be a problem; just a guy out for a stroll, eh? Once you don your opping gear though you should exercise caution, especially if there's a chopper about.

[Schatten.Bären]

There are quite a few schools in the area, one of them i've been to at night before and ironically go there once a week for work, so maybe not the best idea for that one. My old high school is very close and in the middle of a residential area so that is a possibility. As for the hills, you could say they are corporate hills and not very wild, but I've been there many times at night and would love to return sometime soon.

The helicopters don't use their lights unless they're searching for something/someone so by myself I should be ok under trees in the hills. I don't know the flight paths of them yet, but I do know the areas the fly over. Do you have an idea of how often they would use the IR? I don't imagine them using it the entire time while flying. They're mostly out on the weekends late at night, but I do hear it daily.

I'll post stories for discussions once they happen.

[Xanatos]

If you know when & where they usually fly then they should be easy to avoid.

[Teutoni]

Realistically you would be very unlucky if a helicopter found you while not looking for you, i'd suggest figuring the schedule out then avoiding. If you simply stay out of the way and not look suspicious then you should be just fine. Oh and welcome to the forums.