Project Reality - WIP Discussion

[craig.turner 10]

[craig.turner 10]

- British Army Soldier

Official Statement

Project Reality over the last few months have been in discussions with BI, and a joint agreement has been made, that gives Project Reality Exclusive rights for the use of the Original BAF Files within its Modification. I have personally signed this agreement with Maruk, and ensured all my Developers who need access to these files have signed a Project Reality Agreement. Therefore we now have the original BAF Files, to allow us to rework the Models, updating as required, and adding further detail to what is already a great DLC.

Project Reality are very proud and greatful for the working relationship they have with BI, and hope that we can ensure to do the game justice in the MP environment in the near future.

This now allows the texture artists greater freedom, and professionalism to enhance the Models even further, and the whole team to concentrate on the gameplay.

What does it mean to the Community?

1. No change at all, PR: ArmA2 will be a free to download Modification, which will still NOT require BAF to run.

2. The community get a highly detailed British Faction available to use, and will be our base standard for a whole PR British Faction, to include future UOR vehicles.

3. It allows optimised models for our MP - to ensure we keep poor server performance down to a minimum, and ensure smooth online play.

3. The PR Models however will NOT be available to rework in other Community add ons in any way at all, as they will be electronically watermarked (Traceable) and have hidden PR Layers - as per the agreement with BI. (PR EULA, will clearly state this).

As you can see, we are working hard to ensure we have a firm and detailed base for our first release, and by having this agreement in place it ensures we have the perfect start point, for the team and the whole of the MP Online players.

- PR Helicopters

As per the British Soldiers, we also have the same agreement and files required from Bohemia to be able to carry out a full and professional retexture. This will be for the BAF Merlin, Chinook and Apache. To that end all 3 Helicopters will be available in our first release. We hope to provide some screen shots in a near future Mini Update as and when they are in a decent state to be able to show you.

[craig.turner 10]

- Main Menu and HUDS

Our Interaction Menu and Squad HUD's continue to be a success within testing, and allow ease of mangement in all areas required for PR Gameplay, along with that we will be releasing a PR Quick Start Keyboard Layout, covering specific PR controls, and some of the relevant ArmA2 controls that will help people in the MP environment.

- Other Work for v0.1

CCTV CCTV (Closed Circuit Television) is a new feature for PR which allows the possibility for remotely observing specific points, very similar to the British Army Cortez Teams currently in Afghanistan. This allows the placement of Cameras into tactical positions that can then be remotely controlled using a Data Terminal. This allows the team to retain situational awareness, and also provide good FOB Defence. It also encourages teamwork, and a command structure requirement to get the best from its capability.

PR: FX We will be releasing our own FX Pack within PR, which will cover some basic effects initially, with impacts, backblasts explosions and a few others. This is something we will continue to build on in future releases.

Medic System PR has it's own medic and wounds system. The system is now fully working, from light wounds which you can now heal your self using your First Field Dressings, or by your Squad Medic for the more serious wounds.

Cargo Loading, Defences, FOB's Using several unique PR systems and combining these together has now created a realistic feel of where to establish a Tactical Forward Outpost. You will need to transport the FO Stores first to the desired destination by using the PR Cargo system provided on land vehicles and air. Once the FO is built you then have the possibility with our PR Construction system to turn a simple FO bunker in to a highly defended fortress, its your call how much defence stores you need for the mission.

Ambient Sounds Over the last few months, we have created a unique PR Sound Pack to enhance the ambience you will find on the PR Missions. No longer will you hear a crow squawking in Afghanistan, what you will find though is a new subtle set of sounds, ranging from Prayer calls, new desert ambience, night ambience and lots of other unique sounds to create the perfect atmosphere. Do not excpect to hear any generic firefight sounds within PR though. This is something we do not intend to add into PR, as it will confuse the PvP environment by using fake gunshot/explosion sounds. Therfore if you hear a gunshot or explosion in PR: ArmA2, it will only be a "Player initiated" sound, and as such will help you with your situational awareness and your tactical decisions.

- PR Testing

We have a roster of over 80 dedicated PR:Arma2 testers. Testing continues on a weekly basis, along with occasional sessions involving the entire Project Reality team. As issues are found, they're logged in our reporting tool and assigned to the team member responsible. Once an issue is resolved it's passed back for testing. This process ensures timely resolution of issues so that development can progress.

The primary focus at the moment is on gameplay, with all those involved confirming that this mod 'feels' like PR.

More recently we ran our first initial Large Scale Pre Release Testing session with around 80 players - "Operation Bind" which involved ArmA2 Testers, BF2 Testers, BF2 & ArmA2 Developers etc, etc. The session was a huge success and was enjoyed by most who assisted us, a lot of great feedback fell out of this, most of it being good.

- Become a PR Developer or Contributor

The Project Reality Team are still recruiting talent, and we are always on the look out for anyone with a passion for development on a complete British Faction. If you would like to be a part of an established development team, with some experienced developers and many more contributors, or you have a skillset within ArmA2 and would like to help out, please don't hesitate to contact any of the team, or email [R-DEV]UK_Force. Whatever your skill, let us know. We are always recruiting. Our main area at present is for Importers & Configgers to assist with our PR Models we need to bring into the game, and decent Texture Artists to help out our PR: ArmA2 - Lead Texture Artist.

I would also like to take this opportunity to once again thank Bohemia, for their fantastic cooperation to date, as a team we all appreciate this, and I am sure the community will too.

BAF Available from Bohemia Interactive

So finally, we are now in a good position and remain on track to release in July.

All of our other work, is still ongoing but at a lower priority, and will be available in future updates/releases, ie, Mastiff, CR2, Scimitar 2 and lots more.

Please remember once we have the initial release out it will take time for players to get used to the new style of gameplay and establish a player base, leaving us to then listen to the community during the feedback phase and make any changes we aprove for the betterment of the Mod. We usually allow 2-3 weeks before we even open up for feedback, that way people have the chance to "learn" the gameplay and adjust to it. Thanks once again for showing interest in our Highlights Reel and supporting Project Reality as a community. Until the next time.....

The Project Reality Team

[minimalaco 30]

Yeahhh!!!

[Atkins 10]

Great news. Can't wait to play PR on A2 engine.

Some questions;

1. Have you overcome the netcode of vanilla A2 and will the gameplay be smooth with 64 or even with 128 players? So no warping players, no warping vehicles, no rubberbanding?

2. How will the communication system work? Will you enable only the squad channel and direct communication for squad members ala BF2:PR and a separate channel for SL's and commander. Will it be as easy as in BF2:PR for SL to mark to the map what the squad should do?

3. Unlike in A2. in BF2:PR it is easy and straight forward to find out who is in the server and what side/squad/score/etc by pressing TAB and easy to hop between squads and check out where other squads are with CAPS-LOCK and highlight certain player etc... How are these features going to be in A2 version?

[Revoluzer 10]

You are doing a great job, although who will be the UK's enemies?

The normal milita men from arma?

[konrad1 10]

AWESOMEEE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! looking pretty nice :* ^^

[maddogx 13]

Sooo looking forward to July! I hope everything goes well and it gets released on time. In that spirit, I wish all the PR developers good health, superhuman motivation and keen troubleshooting intuition. :)

[Psilocybe 3]

Great news!

July's gonna be a great month, my second child and first son, and PR. Looks like i wont get a whole lot of time to play it, but im sure ill find a bit of time :)

Awesome that BIS got on board, and that interface looks snazzy, perhaps they can keep some of that for themselves for the good future of ARMA ;)

Edited May 17, 2011 by RAINF

[Zipper5 74]

1. Have you overcome the netcode of vanilla A2 and will the gameplay be smooth with 64 or even with 128 players? So no warping players, no warping vehicles, no rubberbanding?

That's an engine issue. ;)

[Guest]

Atkins: 3. Here are two picture from "PR:ArmA2 - Highlights Reel #2 (Part 4)". I think they will do it.

http://media.realitymod.com/news/arma/prarma_06/hud_scoreboard.jpg

http://media.realitymod.com/news/arma/prarma_06/hud_squad_management.jpg

[Atkins 10]

Oh yeah, looks good. I missed those pics totally.

Aah, finally a system for squad management for A2 that is easy.

[katipo66 94]

You are doing a great job, although who will be the UK's enemies?

The normal milita men from arma?

This looking really good, Good point above, being it's pvp I don't think I've heard of any love for the other guys so assuming they will be Stock Arma?

[b0b 10]

Great work.., cant wait im sure due to the quality of modding in pr:bf2 this mod will be one of the better quality mods out there.

Please tell me theres going to be a pvp/pve version of Insurgency we saw in pr:bf2 ?? Id be a if so :D

[gossamersolid 155]

Atkins: 3. Here are two picture from "PR:ArmA2 - Highlights Reel #2 (Part 4)". I think they will do it.

http://media.realitymod.com/news/arma/prarma_06/hud_scoreboard.jpg

http://media.realitymod.com/news/arma/prarma_06/hud_squad_management.jpg

What do people not understand about "ENGINE ISSUES". PR: ArmA, while a skilled development team, cannot address issues that could only be fixed via Source code. They do NOT have the sourcecode to ArmA 2.

Therefore, they cannot fix the netcode.

[Guest]

What do people not understand about "ENGINE ISSUES". PR: ArmA, while a skilled development team, cannot address issues that could only be fixed via Source code. They do NOT have the sourcecode to ArmA 2.

Therefore, they cannot fix the netcode.

That was Atkins questions's:

3. Unlike in A2. in BF2:PR it is easy and straight forward to find out who is in the server and what side/squad/score/etc by pressing TAB and easy to hop between squads and check out where other squads are with CAPS-LOCK and highlight certain player etc... How are these features going to be in A2 version?

I just post an answer for the third(not the first) question.

Atkins: 3. Here are tw...

If you don't understand something, read it again.

[sparks50 0]

This looking really good, Good point above, being it's pvp I don't think I've heard of any love for the other guys so assuming they will be Stock Arma?

There are some images of opfor here.

http://projectreality.myphotoalbum.com/view_album.php?set_albumName=album08&page=2

Looks like the stock OA taliban guys.

[gossamersolid 155]

That was Atkins questions's:

I just post an answer for the third(not the first) question.

If you don't understand something, read it again.

Ah misunderstanding. It looked like he quoted the Warping issue and said because they changed the scoreboard and implemented a squad browser that he was confident they could change the netcode.

[Atkins 10]

I would say that I am hoping that they will have some sort of ace in the sleeve for this issue.

[due-_- 10]

This

[Lightninguk 0]

great news a bit piss off with bi giving you the right to mod the baf dlc if i would have know that i am sure a few of us would not have brought it,and just wait for pr to be out but it great news for the pr mod,so i will wait till pr get the rights to the pmc dlc then i use that version ,instead of buying a copy.i think bi have let there players down we pay for a addon and there give it out so all can play this great addon ,just feel like i been sold a second hand car for the price of a new one,

but looking forward to the pr mod keep up the good work

Edited May 18, 2011 by Lightninguk

[maddogx 13]

great news a bit piss off with bi giving you the right to mod the baf dlc if i would have know that i am sure a few of us would not have brought it,and just wait for pr to be out but it great news for the pr mod,so i will wait till pr get the rights to the pmc dlc then i use that version ,instead of buying a copy.i think bi have let there players down we pay for a addon and there give it out so all can play this great addon ,just feel like i been sold a second hand car for the price of a new one,

but looking forward to the pr mod keep up the good work

There were already a bunch of brit addons out before the BAF DLC was released. If you don't feel like paying for a DLC, don't buy it. Use the free mods.

[Lightninguk 0]

yer i agree i could have use the free stuff but it still does not make me feel any better knowing i pay for a pack that was suppose to be dlc only for high class models and then there give them out for free , that all i am saying like i said it great news for the pr mod

[Mr. Charles 22]

These models can only be played inside the PR mod. You cannot play BAF missions with them.

[RSF TheCapulet 59]

You're really going to be butthurt because the PR team was given the high quality models and textures to work from that was 'part' of a DLC pack that you had to pay, what... $6-$10 for?

The PR team models can only be used inside the Project Reality mod. You can't use them anywhere else. And PR has no need for the PMC models or textures.

Instead, you should be praising the fact that BIS is so supportive of it's massive modding community, and it's relationship with some of the larger modding studios.