I don't understand SOP (Sons of the Patriots)!

First of all, I've read every article I could find about it--including the one on the Metal Gear Solid 4 Database--so please don't refer me to them. I've also played all the way through Metal Gear Solid 4.

I know that The Patriots control SOP, and that they can shut down all the weapons in the world, but do others have some kind of acccess to SOP? Do army commanders, for example, have minor access to it? It said somewhere in the game that SOP ensures that the PMCs won't attack their clients, which would seem to indicate that their clients have some control over the PMCs through SOP. Is this right? Also, according to the game--or maybe that article--SOP is the reason for large PMC growth (or maybe it's the other way around). I don't really understand this. Do The Patriots control what every PMC does? Is SOP controlled by America? If so, does that mean America is completely protected against attacks? Can PMCs lock down each other's weapons?

I just don't really understand the point of SOP other than to protect The Patriots. Help!

First of all, I've read every article I could find about it--including the one on the Metal Gear Solid 4 Database--so please don't refer me to them. I've also played all the way through Metal Gear Solid 4.

I know that The Patriots control SOP, and that they can shut down all the weapons in the world, but do others have some kind of acccess to SOP? Do army commanders, for example, have minor access to it? It said somewhere in the game that SOP ensures that the PMCs won't attack their clients, which would seem to indicate that their clients have some control over the PMCs through SOP. Is this right? Also, according to the game--or maybe that article--SOP is the reason for large PMC growth (or maybe it's the other way around). I don't really understand this. Do The Patriots control what every PMC does? Is SOP controlled by America? If so, does that mean America is completely protected against attacks? Can PMCs lock down each other's weapons?

I just don't really understand the point of SOP other than to protect The Patriots. Help!

orangeson5

No, SOP turns combat into a videogame which was Kojimas idea since MGS 2 (war as a videogame). The idea of SOP is to share information with all the individuals that have Nanomachines, which in the game is everyone, militia and PMCs and the army. Lets SOP for the soldiers works in the same way as the Solid Eye, it automatically tags allies/clients from enemies. No person can access the Patriots network, and its all controlled through them (AI). When a customer buys the services of a PMC, it goes through the Patriots, since they control economy. So basically, you cant act under their surveilance, as noted by Drebin and Snake regarding certain words that are monitored by the Nanomachines in the bodies.

The Patriots not only controls the arsenal in the whole world, they also control the soldiers psyche (in plain english the mind). The Patriots do not represent the USA, as you can see, the biggest PMC where not only in the states, but in several other countries. The Patriots work under the ideal of no nation, no borders, that the boss had, a place where everyone could live.

SOP helped PMCs to grow, but what created the 5 PMCs was the Philosophers Legacy that Ocelot stole.

So basically, only the AIs can control the SOP system and because everyone has nanomachines it can actually control who can and cant fire.

SOP provides information about soldiers to the commanders. But the people who are allowed to actually alter the system and what not are the patriots. To access the sop system one must have the correct DNA. That is why ocelot wanted the body of big boss. Big boss was a patriot and his DNA would give ocelot access to the SOP. At first ocelot wanted to use snake's DNA and liquid's DNA but the DNA wasn't an exact match of big boss even if they are clones. However solidus was a perfect clone of big boss. Solidus was the guy that was the zombie thing that everyone though that it was big boss. I think that that is how it goes.lazeaai

Couldn't have said it better. Nice man.