Heh, that's kind of my point when talking about the M96. I was seeing it as a bigger bore version of the Barret M92A1 or Barret 105 rifles. They have recoil compensation that normally should make your shoulder want to fall off. Its still not fun to fire for extended periods, but its not inconceivable to have immediate follow-up shots on multiple targets at mid-ranges like 800 meters, and can reach out easily to 1500 meters and beyond. That's present day military capability. 

Nobody said anything about smoozing and romance or anything, but each element I mentioned, like having civilians being extracted with the team changes the tactics of the unit. Instead of running and gunning, in a continual fallback exercise, they'd have to arrange more cover fire, be more careful... and how long would it be until one or more of those civilians turned on them? They wouldn't have the MOP/NBC gear to protect them from the spores... most of them anyway. 

It's all good stuff, and I'm just throwing things out there to think about, to add or discard, or things that might be cause and effect. This is an idea that's got such possibility and potential, I could write a novel or movie script off of it. It's not often I find an idea on the Guild that I want to take the time to put some creative energy into it... to try to help flesh it out. 

Honestly the whole thing feels like it takes from multiple sources and genres, everything from Black Hawk Down and Doomsday to the Halo Series, to Last of Us, to Left 4 Dead, Resident Evil (movies), to Battle Los Angeles, and more. But that's what we call research! XD I think this can very well be a great game/rp/scenario. Please don't take my comments or messages as being nitpicky or what have you. I'm just pointing out things I see, and trying to offer suggestions or advice, or ideas. I know it's the GM's world.

Also, nobody said anything about an offensive. The city is already lost. This is a retreating action under close quarters combat. Ugh... an M96 fired down a hallway would be nasty. (How far do you think it would over-penetrate soft targets?) My earlier posts were in mention of what I would have done if I were a commander and for some reason I thought using ground troops for anything besides containment was a good idea. We're waaaaaay beyond that now. 

I more than understand the parameters of the scenario. --- It was more about something that could have been done better, and possibly why it played out the way it did. Unless that was exactly the tactic selected at first. (never mentioned). Our boots on the ground could even have gripes or complaints about how their forces were deployed. You know soldiers and marines, they'll gripe and gripe, but they'll do their job.