"Quick Start" -Guide

• Wildlands released 03/2017 - ..with 2 DLCs and several Updates till 2019
  
• one of the real AAA heavyweight games (already 6.8 million players in Beta)
  
• well received Cross-over that puts GhostRecon-series into a huge open-world
  
• sandbox-style exploration and immersive options keep you interested for long.. esp. COOP
  
• captivating story and very good grafics (even 2021) as well as cinematics
  
• Playthrough time: 80-100hours.. +2 DLCs (15hours each)
  
• Tier1-mode: ..to reach Tier 01 ~400hours
  
• farming 95% of the Gear: 800hours (6-10 months ..casuals 1-2 years)
  
• All Gear + 90% SocialEmotes: 1100hours (if you play DailyChallenge regularly)^^

1. best weapons come via hard quests in some regions (or SeasonPass/DLC.. or RealMoney)

2. most things/quests need to be discovered
3. Loot Crates only get you "custom design" normal weapons (can´t be tweaked 1% = SH*T)
4. Story is quite nice, but you´ll have barely scratched the surface in first 20 hours
5. Clearing all regions will take well above 100 hours.

• You can replay all Quests as much as you like
  
• General life goes on.. but "Daily Challenge" will bring you back to most Provinces
  The great feature of Wildlands is that Sicarios/Unidad follow their daily life.. even without any active Quest you can just breeze through a camp or Unidad base for fun
  
• there are some things to collect in the wilderness.. (if you´re Completionist ^^)

Note: on the Map (M) you can select a time (Shift) and press Re-deploy (R)..
-> ofc during night missions are easier (30-50% of enemies sleep, bases/outposts are less populated, many enemies can be killed while sleeping ..and spotting distance is reduced in dark areas, which benefits Stealth & CQC)

• new Players should familiarize with the game in NORMAL..
  
• upon reaching Level 30 (FG:35) enter "Tier1-mode" (scroll down) for additional Rewards(!)
  
• hardcore option: "Ghost Mode" (Permadeath) barely rewards the risk, still deadly
  
• note: Tiermode increases Difficulty automatically (eg: Tier35=Extreme)
  
• detailed Difficulty #Ranking now available > here <

• capture Pimps/Captains (usually in fast sporty cars.. -> just deactivate the cars, then GRAB)
  
• secure Intel and talk to informants
  
• collect new Weapons/Attachments (often in UNIDAD base or similar difficulty)
  
• enough digging will start the Story-quest for each region

Doing Rebel-Sidequests (green) rewards several Bonuses. You need the Resources to improve your Perks and depending on the type of Quest you increase your Relationship with the Rebels - making them valuable assets:

• a big help is Mortar Support against heavy Resistance
  
• a pack of leveled up Rebels makes a big difference

Upgrading your Perks is elemental to succeed in this game. Better Perks are quite costly and you will have to find/collect Perk-points on the map by securing related Intel first

• Stealthy Playstyle helps a lot
  
• Suppressor reduces gunfire-sound
  
• Attention with penetrating rounds (->enemies hear it hitting metal/concrete behind)
  
• Attack fortified enemy bases at Night (reduced Detection-range)
  
• Upon reaching Tier25, play Coop or check out "Ghost-mode" (Permadeath)
  
• Check "Tools of War" -Guide, easily the most detailed Gear-Guide on Wildlands
  
• Always check player-stats before you befriend anyone, Coop is crawling with gun-blazin lunatics (esp. weekends) -> Look for 40%+ / 50%+ (aka Ranger) ..and you will have fun

Enjoy the game..

Make sure to consult the "Tools of War"-Guide (->Links) for details of all Gear !!

Enter Loadout by pressing "i" while ingame (..or from any other menu (eg: Map=M) by selecting the TAB with Armor+Weapon symbol) :

• - Weapon Slot 1 (Long weapons: SNR, ASR, SMG, LMG, STG)
  - Weapon Slot 2 ( as above; ..not available in GhostMode !)
  - Weapon Slot 3 (Handgun only)
  - Drone (select Drone-type)
  - Parachute (cosmetic)
  - Tactical Gear (details for all devices currently available)
  
• Edit Appearance (G)
  
• View Stats (H)

As the game informs you, defeating 2 of 4 major bosses is the requirement to reach El Sueno.
Ofc that means you have to dismantle the whole branch ( 1 Underboss and 4-5 Buchons)
-> some are easier than others (scroll down.. ->SPOILER: All Bosses - Ranking)

El Sueno = Game finished ??
-> NO, far from it...

I would always suggest to clear ALL provinces and ALL other bosses BEFORE "El Sueno",
even then you have a lot of collectibles to find:
- bonus Medals
- Kingslayer Files
- Legends
- special Gear
Then there is Tiermode.. and improving weapons.. etc etc .. lot´s of FUN for months

If you want to play WILDLANDS casually with almost ZERO grind:
just go ADVANCED Difficulty and get..

1. TAR21 + HTI early.. (Year1 owners can use MDR + BFG)
2. for Stealth-infiltration: MP7 + 5.7 USG (..or ScorpionEvo3 + LadyKiller quest reward)

-> everything else is optional ..and not needed for Casuals in first 200hours
(eg: 416/MK18 have advantages in low Tiermode, alternatively Tier05 reward LVOA-C BadNews)
That means you can IGNORE Tiermode (yes, it´s a long Grind!), DailyChallenge (often requires "Extreme"), and hundreds of hours hunting for Crate-Drops ^^

Note: The game is still challenging enough, no worries !!

..Start Wildlands
-> Continue Campaign
--> in Lobby: .."B" set Squad Privacy (Open to Friends / Invite-only)
............................."F" Join Public Matchmaking allows all players to see your game session
---> LAUNCH.. and wait till friends join

Uplay-Friends can always see your Sessions, but Auto-join only works with "Open to Friends"

-> If you select "Invite-only" interested friends send you a Join-Request, which you see ingame
..all you have to do is "accept" or "deny"

Note: the moment someone "joins" your session.. AI-teammates vanish. This can be critical in fights with Sicarios or Unidad ^^
-> Solution: ..when other players join your server, don´t be engaged in combat!!

(In contrast to the newer GR:Breakpoint, there is no crossplay between platforms)

• PC [Steam vs Epic ..not compatible]
  
• PlayStation
  
• Xbox
  
• Google Stadia -since 2020- [..service shut down on Jan 18, 2023]
  
• Amazon Luna (mainland United States) -since 2022-

***CLICK to enlarge -->

Note: You can re-assign most Key-bindings, except "M" (map) which is hardcoded.
-> Solution:
While impossible ingame, you can use a third-party program like "AutoHotKey" (Win-based script language + interpreter to automize tasks). It allows (re-)assigning Keys and running Macros

Officially supported Controllers on PC:

Mouse + Keyboard
Microsoft Xbox 360 / Xbox One / Xbox One Elite
Sony PS4 Controller / PS4 Pro Controller

Other Dual Stick Controllers may work, however they are not officially supported.

https://www.ubisoft.com/en-gb/help/ghost-recon-wildlands/article/supported-peripherals-for-ghost-recon-wildlands/000061323

Some FIXES you might be interested in, IF using Xbox controller:

• Anyone with "Xbox 360" Controller can just change to "Xbox One" profile and it will work ^^
  
• The alternative is running Xbox 360 controller as generic Gamepad to evade issues
  >Steam >Settings >Controller >General Controller Setting
  ..and check "General Gamepad" instead of Xbox
  
• If you can´t move + look around at the same time:
  -> make 100% sure "Right Thumb Stick" is set to "CAMERA/STICK" ..otherwise fix it!
  Also make sure your Settings are not overwritten by STEAM (aka "Disable Steam Input" in >STEAM Library >Wildlands ..rightclick >Properties >Controller ..select option)

As with Controller you need to use the right Config or in case of SteamDeck DO it yourself

• I´d suggest just using Settings -> Layout (modified)
  
• ..the longer way (and if you want to change buttons for left-handed, etc) :
  Controller symbol on Wildlands Library page -> adjust each button to your liking
  https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2804823261

You need to be INGAME.. (not working from Main Menu)
press ESC (Pause).. ->Options ->Gameplay ->scroll down... "Play with Teammates: YES/NO"

note: Playing without Team makes Wildlands much harder..

• no Revive (usually 2x vs same encounter)
  
• no SYNC-shot (which means you need clear sight on all your targets)

-> It can be very helpful, If you shoot from boat (without teammates you can just switch places, use drone, spot, eliminate targets.. switch back and leave^^)

Team up with other Ghosts!!
Create or Join a Taskforce: https://ghostreconnetwork.ubi.com/en-GB/task-force

Note: Taskforce members can participate in Daily TaskForce Challenge for extra rewards

04/2022: Ubisoft announced that Support for Wildlands + Breakpoint will be discontinued!!
Servers and Game-services continue, but other resources NOT.

Some tips for your successful Coop-experience with newer players:
- being able to solo critical situations 50% of the time, you are a BIG help for your team
- that also means: let the guys shoot the enemies, this will build confidence in their skills and make them feel useful (aka play again)
- take yourself back and provide the most important parts of success (Recon +Support)
- taking out key-targets is the most critical role and can prevent alerts/reinforcements
- make your team comfortable to try different approaches, even if they mess up
- in Tiermode: always work with 1 Backup-sniper BEHIND the team or FLANKING.. in worst case he can use healing-drone or stop reinforcements in their tracks
- challenging your team regularly is important: try CQC/Pistol -kills while supported by Sniper (insurance) and do Night-missions from time to time

-> I´m sure you will witness extreme improvements over the weeks as teamplay grows

Players that want to immerse completely should try Limited HUD..

Some facts:
- ALL helpers on is great for low Tiermode (automatically Extreme++), but some players dislike unrealistic reaction times + headshots galore, while also hating Recon-markers
- NoHUD makes the game unrealistic (as you can´t use most basic military equip usually available) !!
- even in NoHUD you have still crosshairs from your mounted Scopes !!
- at night.. use Laserpointer on weapons (especially when Hip-firing without Crosshair)

->> Solution: TiermodeOFF in Advanced/Extreme -difficulty (for realistic reaction/spotting) and LimitedHud (for immersive SpecOps feeling)

Note: It´s mandatory to train at least 150m / 200m / 250m shots for DailyChallenge
This is more or less Sniper-Basics. But depending on Mission and Game-mode secure shots @250-450m are extremely helpful
-> needless to say this requires a lot of training ^^

Example: T5Xi Tactical (best SniperScope) + .50BFG
(weapons with similar bullet-drop: HTI / Tac50 / SR1 / SRSA1 / M40A5 / M1891 / SR-25)
Distances: 250m / 360m / 500m / 600m

• Be extremely cautious when trying to engage moving targets. If not sure, use "Sync-Shot" !!
  Especially UNIDAD can backfire, if you miss or just use weaker weapons that can´t kill 1-hit.
  
• If you shoot from a hill or at enemies in a tower, ADJUST your aim accordingly. Don´t forget..

Note: I could observe slight shift (1-2m) between weapons of same category! Also, sometimes the AI bugs out and won´t detect any sound even within 10m.. when walking back to position after alarm (as long as you don´t cross field of view you´re safe!)

* in meter

- Prevent Spotting (movement near enemies: Crouch,Prone)
- be a shadow (move silently, use cover if needed, darkness is your friend)
- use Suppressors (reduces Noise-detection-range)

Loadout:

• ideal: (ranged for key-targets + SMG for low-noise clear)
  - LongRange SNR with 1-hit power (HTI,BFG)
  - SMG (MP7,ScorpionEvo,Vector)

• alternative (tactical ranged kills + HDG/CQC):
  - decent DMR (SR25,MK14,G28)
  - ASR (+GL)

-> both options can deal with vehicles reliably and fast !!

Stealth Playstyle:
- Flashbang grenade is you best friend
- EMP Drone is extremely valuable
- Parachute whenever possible to reach vantage points
- sometimes DiversionLure saves the day by splitting enemies

Playing "Ghost"-style is fun, but challenging. The game tries to mess up your stealthy approach from different angles, that means you need to be aware what´s going on around you.. otherwise you die fast. The following Screenshot should give you a rough idea..

Possible Solution:
- Entry via Helicopter (tricky, but saves you some hassle)
- Prone position, then start secure spotting with Drone
- 2 snipers, Alarm, Gatling, 2 Gunners, and some Sicarios
- Attention: Sniper + Sicario on the other side of the basin (Welcome to Wildlands^^)
- Reinforcements: Deactivate the AlarmTower or spot/deactivate the Generator
- Convoy: Escorts/Heli can mess up any mission, be careful

Why is proper ambushing important?
- you need to "interrogate" (B) Sicario captains for INTEL
- some missions require you to abduct key-enemies / vehicles
- you need to stop CONVOYS to loot Supplies (Food, Medicine, Gas, CommTools)

How to stop vehicles:
- block the road
- ram the vehicle and push it off the road
- disable functionality -temporarily- with EMP Drone
- destroy functionality by shooting (this kills the engine, but forces targets to exit)
- controlled explosion via Remote Mine (similar to "destroy functionality" - targets survive!)
- "detonate" with C4, Mine, Grenade,.. (this might kill all targets)
- kill driver -hard- without destroying vehicles ..unless combined with Roadblock ^^

-> Note: shooting at the tires slows the vehicle, but does NOT stop it

Note: You can pick up all these weapons, when holder is dead (or had accident^^)

Fighters (ASR): AK 47
Gunners (LMG): 6P41
Leader (ASR): SR3M
Sicarios (ASR): M4A1 / AK12 / BrenA2 / G36C
Gunners (LMG): 6P41
Snipers (SNR): M40A5
Captain (Veterans with SMG): MPX

+HDG: Scorpion / SMG 11

Troopers (ASR): R5 RGP
Gunners (LMG): MK249
Snipers (SNR): MSR
Captain (SMG): Vector

WILDLANDS - UNIDAD = special military police unit of the Bolivian Army after cartels´ rise

• Unidad co-exists with SantaBlanca cartel, but at their own terms
  
• sidestories and scenes happening in the gameworld cover the extent of bribery & abuse
  
• it´s a third force (hostile) that cannot be conquered by the player

Real World - Bolivia uses the spanish/french police model.
- In the cities (~5% of territory) it´s Policia Nacional /Police Nationale, which is called PNB in Bolivia (Policia Nacional Boliviariana).
- Rural + suburban areas (~95% of state territory) it´s Guardia Civil /Gendarmerie, which is semi-military and called UNIDAD in Bolivia.

• Special units: UMOPAR (anti drugs) and UTOP (similar to SWAT). Also Bolivia´s police was the military itself until 1950, but even later many operations were conducted together with the army - mostly security ops and riot management.
  
• Should be mentioned that UMOPAR (established 1984) was heavily assisted & funded & trained by UnitedStates military & DEA until 2009 (cooperation ended 2014).
  
• Since 1987 they became subsidiary and executing force of newly created FELCN (special antinarcotics force) in the USA -"war on drugs"**
  This poured big money into UMOPAR to rival the drug cartels.
  
• UMOPAR was the strongest, best equipped, best trained force in Bolivia´s military !!
  They even had their own air-mobility units with a dozen helicopters to transport strike teams.
  
• ..but also know for many violations ...which GR:Wildlands references
  (widespread torture incl. CIA techniques like water-boarding; also beating, power abuse, rape, extortion, robbery, mass arrests without warrants,..)

CONTEXT:
** scroll down to last ->chapter ~~History ~~ (USA "war on drugs")

Once maxed (Lv.30 /FallenGhosts Lv.35) activate Tier1-mode, IF you search for a true Challenge. Enemy Reaction-time increases each Tierlevel, while you can upgrade your weapon damage.

• Activating Tier1-mode changes Difficulty according to Tier level
  (-> around Tier35 = EXTREME ..below Tier30 should be called "Extreme+")
  
• You can deactivate it any time, if you struggle with a mission
  
• You start at Tier50, upon reaching Tier40 you get the awesome DesertTech HTI Sniper Rifle
  
• each new Tier improves your bonuses: +5% Supplies / +4.5% Tier-points
  
• additionally each new Tier gives you Credits, Resources and sometimes Rewards
  
• Tiermode allows "Upgrading" Weapon-dmg (blue bar) up to Lv.30 -> do it! You´ll need it..
  
• Farming resources should be done in Tiermode -> up to 17,5k per non-destroyed convoy! ^^

note: Tier1-mode is harder "by Default" ..that means Tier20 is harder than normal "Extreme"

• Tier25 possible in same STORY-Playthrough ..by clearing all Regions and defeating ALL Bosses ..plus regular farming of Convoys
  
• Tier20 and below is Coop-territory (quite slow doing it solo.. -> Healing Drone ftw)
  
• Tier01: well, it takes time.. Tier25->Tier01 around 6 weeks with dedication ^^

.. in Coop-multiplayer the game generates an "average Squad-Tier for your team"

note: If the average Tiermode is much lower than your own Tierlevel, it can be tough.. Calculation:
Well, the game description is wrong: players with deactivated Tiermode still count as Tier50 when determining the overall Team-value, which can be helpful ^^
-> All enemies are scaled to your team´s "average Tierlevel", which in return means..

• anyone with deactivated Tier cannot use Tier-Dmg-upgrade (blue bar) of weapons
  
• enemies´ reaction-time is still according to average Tierlevel

Pro-Tip: Having 1x Healing-Drone and 1x EMP-Drone is mandatory for good teams.. Have Fun !!

..besides the +50% BOOSTERS (+25% for teammates) from STORE and the +5% permanent XP Bonus for SeasonPass-owners, I´ll list some ways to optimize your Leveling^^

1. Convoys (Pro-style: Spot, Sync, Clear, Grab)
   
2. Boss-Missions
   
3. Unidad-bases (Stealth-clear)
   
4. SantaBlanca bases (ALL Rebel-Skills max)
   
5. Story Missions
   
6. Collecting Documents + Legends
   
7. Discover new Locations (marked: "?")
   
8. Enemies

-> Rule no.1 : Don´t get spotted! ..If you do, kill them fast before alarm

1. Undetected
   
2. MARKED (WeaponAim "RMB", Drone, Binoculars, RebelSpotting "AreaDetection")
   
3. Headshot / CQC

1. Convoys (Solo)
   
2. Convoys (Coop -Taskforce/Friends)
   
3. several Boss-Missions
   
4. Convoys (Coop - Random)
   
5. Rebel Missions
   
6. Story Missions
   
7. Enemy Vehicles with 3-4 passengers (->Spotting first)
   
8. Secondary Objectives (Generator,Jammer,..)
   
9. Enemies

1. Unlocks and Progression are saved 100% to your own game in SINGLEPLAYER. 2. COOP only saves Story-Progression, IF..

• you are the one who started the mission..
  
• or have all prerequisites
  That means you will never "inherit" progress from others in Coop. Therefore it´s strongly suggested to have the lowest player (with least progression) start missions

Note: Participating in Bonus-missions (Year1) will NEVER give rewards unless you own the mission yourself. Same for DLCs: to play NarcoRoad/FallenGhosts you need the DLCs, too.

That said, you can "assist" in any mission your teammates select, BUT according to your own state it can be worth it or not.

• El Comandante requires Unidad Conspiracy (Year1 or UBI-club)
  
• La Cabra requires Peruvian Connection (Year1 "exclusive")

Note: Bonus-missions "Archangel" (Twitch,Caveira,Valkyrie) and "Watchman" (SamFisher) have no boss, therefore not listed ingame. Still, both are SpecOp-missions (=very hard) !!

Once you are strong enough and play Tier1-mode, make sure to do as many daily challenges as you can, since those reward you with a lot of FREE CRATES ^^

TLDR: it pays off to farm DailyChallenge in Wildlands, which is mostly converted into blue Credits after 700+ hours, which is used to buy StorePacks, which in return increases the number of overall items you own and resulting in even more Credits..

• @1000+ hours you should be able to make 3-4k BlueCredits per Month
  (800 Credits is 5€ in UBI Store, 3400 Credits is 20€ ..so yes, this is one of the most fair SHOPs in gaming history - you can farm or pay for timesaver -> outcome is the same)

Your main source of new Gear. Daily Challenges are mandatory to grow your weapon arsenal..

DailyChallenges can get you 10 Prestige-Crates and 1 SpecOps-Crate every week.

Note: every 20 Prestige-Crates opened, you get a free SpecOps/GhostWar crate, too

note: Battle-Crates (SpecOps / GhostWar) are special and valuable, as those cost money or require WeeklyChallenge.. these Crates will ALWAYS pop items you don´t have yet.
-> That means, at some point you will get all the Legendaries, DESPITE low Drop-chance for Legendaries as shown below .. and once you got everything ~300-400 Credits every time^^

My "Drop-Rate" -Stats (~700 hours):

(Btw, you can find your stats here: https://ghostreconnetwork.ubi.com/en-GB/ghost)
-> Login (or Create Ghost Account) before: https://ghostreconnetwork.ubi.com/login
IMPORTANT: GhostReconNetwork was RESET by UBI (16.05.2022) - meaning STATS are fresh

WILDLANDS can be played 100% Offline, but DEFAULT uses your settings..
-> in case you have Wifi/Internet, the game will try to connect you ofc

If you don´t care for Multiplayer/Online-features.. (Coop + DailyChallenge)

1. obvious solution: disable network / unplug router
2. smart solution: just start UbisoftConnect in OFFLINE-mode
   (-> great for STEAM-players as it only affects UBIsoft, while STEAM + Browser are ONLINE)

Note: make sure both platforms use its latest version and have all game content installed

You need to make sure that UbisoftConnect has your "Steam account linked"
-> Once that is done, all registered achievements will SYNC

• Standard: Story/Campaign
  
• Ghost Mode (PermaDeath)

• Standard: Coop (Story)
  
• Guerrilla (4 player Coop vs Waves) ..resource-farming in Coop is faster
  
• Ghost War (4vs4 Team PvP) ..handful of players (mostly weekend)
  
• Mercenaries (8 player PvPvE ) ..dead
  -> note: concept lives on in GhostRecon:Frontline (2022/23) -- cancelled 7/2022

Wildlands Language-Packs:

For faster loading of the game I suggest this nice Guide:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=880516805

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1364866045 -- seems our handy Showcase-Guide became temporarily unavailable or deleted 02/2022. Check this quick Tutorial:
https://www.shacknews.com/article/112721/how-to-take-stunning-screenshots-with-nvidia-ansel

You can use up to 3 different Save-Slots, which means you can have 3 completely different Avatars and AI-Teams (since you can adjust Teammates´ appearance too)

Note:

• both DLCs (NarcoRoad; FallenGhosts) use separate DLC-Save-Slots !!
  -> This means in both DLCs you start fresh at Lv.1 again ^^
  
• GhostMode (Permadeath) has it´s own exclusive Savefile, too

Wildlands (Steam-version):
"C:\Program Files (x86)\Ubisoft\Ubisoft Game Launcher\savegames\...\3559"


Wildlands game has no Steam-Cloudsaves. Savegames are handled via Uplay (UbisoftConnect).
If you´re interested in automatic Backups I strongly suggest this Guide for starters:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1498836735

In case you´re wondering, if Wildlands (or similar games) is a good gift.. !?
-> GR:Wildlands is labeled ESRB Mature 17+ / PEGI 18

PEGI 16
This rating is applied once the depiction of violence (or sexual activity) reaches a stage that looks the same as would be expected in real life. The use of bad language in games with a PEGI 16 rating can be more extreme, while the use of tobacco, alcohol or illegal drugs can also be present.

PEGI 18
The adult classification is applied when the level of violence reaches a stage where it becomes a depiction of gross violence, apparently motiveless killing, or violence towards defenceless characters. The glamorisation of the use of illegal drugs and of the simulation of gambling, and explicit sexual activity should also fall into this age category.

https://pegi.info/what-do-the-labels-mean

ESRB Teen (13+)
Content is generally suitable for ages 13 and up. May contain violence, suggestive themes, crude humor, minimal blood, simulated gambling and/or infrequent use of strong language.

ESRB Mature 17+
Content is generally suitable for ages 17 and up. May contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language.

https://www.esrb.org/ratings-guide/

As this topic comes up regularly in forum, let me say a few lines:


Btw, Wildlands (and most UBIsoft games) just collects..

• statistic Account data on https://ghostreconnetwork.ubi.com/en-gb -- ended 08/2022
  
• Achievement data you can see in UbisoftConnect
  
• Store data to process payments and all UNLOCKS

Note: If you experience Synchronizing-issues, don´t mind Online-features (Coop +DailyChallenge) ..or just lack internet temporarily -no problem- ..start UbisoftConnect in OFFLINE-mode

If you want a sneak peak, here it goes..

Note: Even at Lv.1 you can equip any Gear you have UNLOCKED (Crates, STORE, Year1/2), just PERKS require collecting some Skillspoints first, which might take 2-3 hours until you´re set.
Also, EMP/Explosive Drone requires being Level 15 !!
-> That means your 2nd Playthrough will be much smoother from start (longer Playtime = more Crates from Dailies.. strongly suggested for GhostMode! Alternatively, get Year1 or FallenGhosts DLC to start with MDR + BFGs).

Note 2: You can summon all vehicles from Crates ,even with Rebel-Skills locked at start !!

Note 3: GhostMode (PermaDeath), NarcoRoad DLC, FallenGhosts DLC.. each uses its own Savefile, that´s why STORE-weapons and CRATE-unlocks (or Year1/2) are powerful timesavers

https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2642260851
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2792963161
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2378293231
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2377073092
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2379521816
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2665534435
Want to convince your friends for Coop fun? The original Trailer
UPDATES: Patch Notes - Overview (last 2019)

Note: original Gold-edition included Year1-Pass, but not available anymore
(..also make sure to check -> Gear Guide "-> Where to find ..??" for bonus items included) EUROPE - can be activated and played ONLY in Europe
EMEA - can be activated and played ONLY in Europe, the Middle East, Africa
ROW - can only be activated from: Europe, Middle-East, Africa, Oceania, Japan & South Korea
GLOBAL - everywhere. Includes: North+South America, Australia, Asia ..plus all the above

Note: For many years NorthAmerica, SouthAmerica, Australia /New Zealand, Asia - they all had their own version

Wildlands
..colorful Landscapes, great Panorama and a living, breathing world with different Factions and you sneak in-between while completing Missions, Sidequests, gaining XP to upgrade your Perks, and always on the lookout for better Gear and Rewards
-> Replayability is EXTREME (sinking 300-400+ hours is easy) and Coop is amazing
(My opinion: https://steamcommunity.com/app/460930/discussions/0/3124928618242313893/)

Breakpoint
..open world on ISLAND (similar to "Farcry") in futuristic Hightech/Drone-setting with missions spread all over the map and DLCs that are mediocre . With the Game being a loot-shooter (very similar to "Division 2"), it flopped hard after Release end of 2019.
-> Took Ubisoft 1year to fix the worst, make Gear-level optional, increase immersion, add AI-teammates, and fix tons of bugs. As a Result: Year2 Pass was cancelled !! (don´t buy Ultimate).
Still, you can enjoy 30-50hours story and move on. Just don´t expect the depth of Wildlands ^^

Year 2 Replacement Content (incl. more Shop-items, farmable AI-team Gear and Bugfixes):
https://www.ubisoft.com/en-gb/game/ghost-recon/breakpoint/news-updates/5jaZp5DSTuDtWxsP0QQPvw/tom-clancys-ghost-recon-breakpoint-patch-notes-title-update-400

Note: Breakpoint is ONLINE only, while all WILDLANDS-features except Coop +DailyChallenge +STORE work offline !!
-> Much better, as in Breakpoint a Disconnect drops you, while in Wildlands you keep playing and everything is UPDATED once connection is re-established

Just played it again recently ~120 hours now
(Btw Stealthy Playstyle: 10k kills, ~70% Headshots, ~60% Stealthkills ^^)

• while evading the story (~10% Story incl. Walker-kill around Lv.150, few Ep. 2+3 mission),
  
• I´m still Level 250 with 5 of 7 classes maxed,
  
• XP Level 70+ (one level per 2 hours... don´t worry, easy peasy)
  
• around 25-30% Map exploration (btw ~60% is WATER or Restricted Terrain)
  
• know Golem Island in and out,
  
• defeated some Behemoths
  
• have seen several bugs/glitches (even now after 2 years),
  
• Short Disconnects every few hours are normal ;(
  
• the AI is definitely the same (even worse and cheats more)
  
• Immersion Mode is OK, but after ~50 hours I went back to Gearlevel.

The whole game is tailored around GearLevel and fighting hordes of Elites/Bosses.

Breakpoint BiS GEAR:

• Best Scope: T5Xi or TARS101 for long Range, 1x/5x G28 for mobile Stealth
  Best Rifle: Tac50 (before MSR is OK)
  
• --forget DMR it´s for noobs that can´t hit with ASR, but MK14 is very solid
  
• Best ASR: ACR + TA31H
  
• Best SMG: MP7 + DigitalSight
  
• Best Pistol: 5.7

If you need a rough helper for Reticles & Distance..
https://ghostgamer.news/ghost-recon-breakpoint-bullet-drop-charts/

Sadly, Faction missions are pointless as Gearlevel 251/252 is not worth a dime - in the gameworld enemies still drop 250, and Gearlevel 300 forces Multiplayer RAID on you, where you only get 250+ Gear from BOSSES with multiple phases (WTF!).. aye, stupid drones ..boring AF ;((

Imho, it´s a solid Jungle/Island-Combat-Arena, which transforms by your Settings/Gear:
- either sci-fi Lootshooter (aka Division 2) in GhostRecon universe
- or Splinter-Cell in open-world with some limitations

Note: You go "undercover" and infiltrate major Smuggler gangs, while doing many contests to recruit Followers(!) and get promoted. (If 270° drift is up your alley and looping aircraft your hobby.. well, enjoy the meta-"game")

Procedure:

• gather INTEL..
  
• get in.. (event/invitation)
  
• RISE UP through the ranks

Nice to know:

• MonsterTrucks are nearly indestructible (very useful for some Challenges)
  
• Motorbike Trials are quite hard.. not needed unless you want the grindy achievements

Note: FG is harder than base game, enemies are quite on par with entry-level Tiermode and remember that Max-Level in base game increases to Lv.35

Watch out for Extranjeros (UNIDAD):

• Snipers (telegraphed laserpointer, but quite mobile - deadly)
  
• Captains (heavily armored - require headshots)
  
• Jammers (prevent "minimap/drone" - aye, annoying as hell)
  
• CovertOps (camouflaged =partially invisible - stealthy crossbow killers)

-> in general HEADSHOT is your best insurance !!

• SNR (.50 BFG)

• ASR (+GL!!)

• HDG (5.7 Blacklist)

• Drone (3 shot)

I´m just listing it here to make you aware. Personally, I like 3rd person.
Also this MOD has some bugs, if using it - don´t complain in the forum!!

Check out this Video (with download link) and decide yourself..
***Description***[www.nexusmods.com]

Valve-Anti-Cheat is unrelated to Ubisoft (they use EAC Anticheat)
List of VAC Coop games (STEAM)

CONTEXT:
*the CIA used crime syndicates after WW2 to fight communists from Mediterranean Sea to the Carribean Sea. When Cuba became communist in 1959, the rightwing drug traffickers spread to other nations in LatinAmerica and the USA.

**USA "war on drugs" started 1971 by president Nixon as tens of thousands of soldiers were addicted to drugs (50% of heroin). 1973 the DEA was formed, after the last Vietnam soldiers returned. 1975 first deployments in Mexico - military sweeps and airborne fumigation.
This agenda was pushed further by the next presidents Ford (1974-77), Carter (1977-81), especially Reagan (1981-89) and G.W.Bush (1989-93).

Direct results:
- overthrow of leftist government 1971 in Bolivia
- CIA-enabled coup 1973 in Chile that brought Pinochet into power
- 1989 Panama invasion & regime change under H.W.Bush. Panama autorcrat ruler Manuel Noriega was arrested on drug trafficking charges. (Twist: Noriega had been a former CIA asset, when Bush was the director of CIA)

Then under Clinton (1993-2001) it got a new dynamic by "privatizing" war with Plan Colombia in 2000 - aka outsourcing to mercenary corporations like DynCorp (since 2020 Amentum) and tech suppliers like OakleyNetworks (since 2007 Raytheon). George W. Bush (2001–09) again escalated the war on drugs, increasing interdiction funding both domestically and internationally. Also launched the additional Plan Mérida (Mexico +Central America).

... He also urged Mexico’s president, Felipe Calderón, to launch his own brutal military assault on the drug cartels. By the time Calderón left office, security forces and the cartels combined had killed or disappeared tens of thousands of Mexicans
-> Conceptually, Bush linked the post-9/11 Global War on Terror to the Global War on Drugs. “Trafficking of drugs finances the world of terror,” he claimed.

Barack Obama (2009–17) emphasized treatment over incarceration, but continued funding Plan Colombia and expanding Plan Mérida to combat cartels in Central America and Mexico.

Donald Trump (2017–21) increased already high-level funding for militarized counter-narcotic operations at the border and abroad