iv figured the characters out i think.

Solidus is the father of solid snake and solid snake is the one you shoot out the plane on MGS2.

The 3rd clone died and revolver is using the 3rd clones arm which starts to take over revolvers body.

and Solidus snake is the boss u fight at the end of MGS2. which u end up killing.

Iv not played MGS4 yet but i have it on order just to find out the rest of the story.

EDIT: im still pretty confused about the whole "patriots' thing :S

Quote from 91mason91 :

iv figured the characters out i think.

Solidus is the father of solid snake and solid snake is the one you shoot out the plane on MGS2.

The 3rd clone died and revolver is using the 3rd clones arm which starts to take over revolvers body.

and Solidus snake is the boss u fight at the end of MGS2. which u end up killing.

Iv not played MGS4 yet but i have it on order just to find out the rest of the story.

EDIT: im still pretty confused about the whole "patriots' thing :S

You've got a couple points wrong.

For the record, I too have not yet played MGS4, nor any of the original Metal Gear games before MGS1. I've only played MGS1, MGS2, and MGS3.

***SPOILER ALERT***

Big Boss is the original Snake. Solid, Liquid, and Solidus are the 3 clones of Big Boss. Solid is the only consistent good guy.

Solid Snake kills Big Boss in the original Metal Gear 2 (not MGS2).

Liquid Snake dies at the end of MGS but "lives on" through Revolver Ocelot through a transplanted arm. Ocelot originally lost his arm in MGS when it was cut off by a ninja (Gray Fox) wielding a sword.

Solidus is the main antagonist in MGS2. He's the one you shoot down in the Harrier when crossing to Shell 2 and also the final boss in MGS2.

Big Boss is the main character in MGS3.

Title -- Setting (by year)
Metal Gear Solid 3: Snake Eater -- 1964
Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops -- 1970
Metal Gear -- 1995
Metal Gear 2: Solid Snake -- 1999
Metal Gear Solid (also The Twin Snakes) -- 2005
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty: Tanker Chapter / Plant Chapter -- 2007 / 2009
Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots -- 2014

All of this info is in the link Paranoid Android posted in the first reply to this thread.

****EXTREME SPOILER******
***DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU WANT MGS4 SPOILED FOR YOU****


Liquid Snake doesnt acctually live on in Revolver Ocelet via his arm.
Revolver Ocelot acctually hypnotised himself into thinking he was liquid snake. You find this out at the end of the game.

Quote from Migz :

****EXTREME SPOILER******
***DO NOT READ UNLESS YOU WANT MGS4 SPOILED FOR YOU****


Liquid Snake doesnt acctually live on in Revolver Ocelet via his arm.
Revolver Ocelot acctually hypnotised himself into thinking he was liquid snake. You find this out at the end of the game.

oo now it all makes sense