chemzero
As you know, we recently made a Ghost’s costume to advertise on Ghost Recon Online.
Many of you were keen to know more about this project: where and how has it been made? Where can I look to make my own costume? Etc.
We thought we’d give you some insider information on this project, while the Closed Beta is still running
Enjoy, and don’t hesitate to ask for more details.
We’ll send your questions to the costume maker and you’ll get answers in the next post.
Mathias Ahrens, GRO French Community Manager:
Initially, the idea to create a Ghost costume arose when I saw all these amazing cosplayers at various game conventions. They really are true fans and come to game shows fully dressed as a game character, including self-made accessories and props!
I thought: “Hey, that’s a really neat idea to showcase the game’s characters at various events and other IRL activities!”
On top of that, the Ghosts have a really unique look and represent the game really well.
Instantly, you know it’s a game where you play a soldier who has special abilities.
Then, came the research part. I first got the contact of a good costume maker, from the Assassin’s Creed team.
I was told that a freelancer made a nice Assassin’s costume and that I should give a ring… which I did.
We discussed with her and she agreed to work with us on this project: she’d produce the costume itself (pants, shirt, vest, headgear, ability devices) and that I’d take care of the weaponry.
Being a big Airsoft fan, I knew I’d have a better eye to find the perfect parts and replicas on the appropriate websites.
We managed to get a clear view of the Specialist’s design, so that it would be easier for her to select the right colors and parts.
It wasn’t easy though, because even with pictures such as this one, there were always small differences in tones, in textile and the pockets were especially tricky to have exactly right.
Most had to be tweaked from the base item she purchased.
While she was sending us regular updates on the costume, I was looking for the right weapons.
And this was not without difficulty… Especially because you can use many different weapons in the game!
Should I use the level 1 weapon, which every tester knows? Or should I use a level 30 weapon, which makes it look more “high-tech” but might not say ‘It’s a GRO weapon’…
In the end, I discussed it amongst the GRO team, I looked at prices and availability.
All in all, only a few replicas matched the costume.
To make my choice, I was also helped by this really cool fansite http://www.imfdb.org/wiki/Ghost_Recon_Online
For our first costume, the M96 (inspired by the KAC Stoner 96) was a clear choice.
It had this bad-*** look and definitely looked like a realistic machine gun.
Also, it was a weapon that many testers used as a Specialist so it was an easy choice.
I purchased it from a French Airsoft website (link) and, a few days later, had it in my hands.
It was first showcased at the French Gamers Assembly.
Then came the side arms.
The gun was easy because it was hidden in the holster and, therefore, not many people would pay attention to it.
Still, I chose the P250 which every user knows… since it’s the base handgun when you start the game
Finally, the grenades.
They were REALLY difficult to find.
First, because there are not a classic weapon used in Airsoft.
I managed, after some searching, to find this model, which fitted most the Ghost’s design:
With all these items, we produced a first draft, which is the one you saw on our Facebook “Where the Hell is GRO?” project.
Combined to a funny format, it had a huge impact and made lots of people talk about GRO, which was the initial objective
Since Ghost Recon Online features three playable classes, I knew the day would come when I would need to create the other two costumes. But that’s a story for a next blog post.
Mathias out
Written by Mathias
Ghost Recon Online - French Community Manager
