Sam and Grim use the SMI system.
The Strategic Mission Interface (or SMI) is an information system designed to plan out Fourth Echelon's missions, provide strategic data and track other vital features. The SMI acts as the main menu interface in Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist.
Function
The SMI is designed as an all-in-one device for the player and is important to use in order to launch single player missions and cooperative missions for both Sam Fisher and Isaac Briggs. The player can even access the multiplayer mode, Spies vs Mercs, from the SMI menu as well as keep track of challenges, unlocks, and progression status using the navigation menu. In Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist, the SMI acts as the player's main menu (or rather 'hub') to do everything in the game, making it a vital and important feature.
In the game, the SMI's main display computer is represented by a large touch surface table. The display theme is usually represented in digital 'squares' or 'blocks' that align themselves together to form a digital effect. The display is smart, allowing the user to 'swipe' information around the face to be displayed on a nearby monitor. The new Fourth Echelon OPSAT can be calibrated with the SMI system by simply setting the OPSAT on the display, as Charlie Cole states, 'the SMI will handle the rest.'
Gone Dark
'Gone Dark' missions are a metagame found on the SMI map, which displays hints spread across the map located on the display. For more information regarding Gone Dark missions, please refer to the main article.
Trivia
- The SMI is meant to be a replacement for the traditional main menu screen, providing a seamless transition in the story and mission interface.