ARMA 2: OA beta build 77777

[mrcash2009 0]

You are aware of the paradox in this statement, right? ...

Yes indeed, couldn't quote a better comment :)

[sbsmac 0]

Originally Posted by Sith View Post

You are aware of the paradox in this statement, right?

<cough> You've heard of automated regression testing, right ? ;)

[Arksa 10]

But...now we have guys running around with thermal imaging system built in to their eyes. A major advantage I would say :P.

I hope you change the version soon!

[stk2008 14]

Holy crap you know what I never thought that peeps could use that.

Sad that people will though.

Yeah Hurry up and buy...I mean change the version number :P.

[Posta 10]

You are aware of the paradox in this statement, right? ...

Are you saying that you guys aren't play-testing to see if it works? Are the betas 100% untested?

Well, if that is the case. Just spend at least 10 minutes in the game and test the new functions. That way you don't have to release a new beta three times a day. :)

Or don't. It's pretty fun to get many new betas this frequently. You never know what changed.

I am not a gaming-developer-guru so please correct me if I'm wrong! :)

I think that everyone here just want Arma II to grow and get even better.

---------- Post added at 01:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:27 PM ----------

<cough> You've heard of automated regression testing, right ? ;)

Yeah, that seems like a logic and normal step to include in the process. :)

[Mad-h 0]

Are you saying that you guys aren't play-testing to see if it works? Are the betas 100% untested?

Well, if that is the case. Just spend at least 10 minutes in the game and test the new functions. That way you don't have to release a new beta three times a day. :)

Or don't. It's pretty fun to get many new betas this frequently. You never know what changed.

I am not a gaming-developer-guru so please correct me if I'm wrong! :)

I think that everyone here just want Arma II to grow and get even better.

---------- Post added at 01:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 01:27 PM ----------

Yeah, that seems like a logic and normal step to include in the process. :)

[dontknowhow 33]

<cough> You've heard of automated regression testing, right ? ;)

Ah, it seems that we an expert. Can you please enlighten me and tell me how to do automated testing with a videogame? I have always been curious

[Posta 10]

I need to remember that you can't write anything (even slightly) negative about BIS and/or Arma. Please forgive me! :cool:

[Beagle 684]

But...now we have guys running around with thermal imaging system built in to their eyes. A major advantage I would say :P.

I hope you change the version soon!

I tried it, no advantage at all since you're blind to surrounding Terrain, can't use vehicles and lots of weapons right and you're not able to check the side of your contact.

[Alwarren 2765]

@Dwarden

I had a crash with this beta.

The game CTD but was still running. I found follow in my RPT:

"ErrorMessage: Shaders not valid (mismatch of exe and data?)"

I had a CTD as well, as had my brother. In both cases, it occurred while trying to lock on with a Stinger. In both cases, it happened on the server in a LAN multiplayer. I checked my RPT but there wasn't much out of the ordinary.

[sbsmac 0]

. Can you please enlighten me and tell me how to do automated testing with a videogame? I have always been curious

There are plenty of ways to automate testing (though it helps if you started the engine design with this in mind). The key issues are 1) to be able to control the starting state and to measure the ending state 2) develop a framework for describing the things you want to test and their pass conditions. For things like frame-rate this is straightforward* and quite easy to understand; for other things like AI correctly taking cover it's harder since repeated runs may generate results that are scattered over a range - in such a case one needs to define looser pass criteria. Other things (like z-fighting) may be easy to reproduce but hard to measure in an automated fashion.

It's generally much easier to write a test for a specifc fix (this is called a regression test) or condition than a poorly-defined general case of 'good performance' though a good spread of specific test can give confidence across the general case. Anyway, this is a bit off-topic here - if you really are interested I'd be happy to continue the conversation elsewhere.

*You can think of as something like ArmA2FPSAnalyser as a very specialised form of automated framerate testing for example.

Edited January 29, 2011 by sbsmac

[Mad-h 0]

I need to remember that you can't write anything (even slightly) negative about BIS and/or Arma. Please forgive me! :cool:

I think you forgot this is the bohemia interactive forum, and not the ubisoft forum. On ubisoft forum you can write anything, cos nobody really gives a s***, but on this forum you are not talking ABOUT the developers, you are talking TO the developers, so please respect them, and try to behave that way.

[Alex72 1]

AI menu idea - Color teams:

Thaught about a thing i have forgotten for a long time. The color coded teams created which require you to now press SPACE, TEAM, TEAM, COLOR to select a created team could maybe get a small overhaul.

Wonder if it would be possible to get the team color that is created on the first menu (space) at the bottom maybe? This is when you already made the teams which is easy: SPACE, TEAM, ASSIGN COLOR. But to chose a team now that is already created you have to go the longer way of SPACE, TEAM, TEAM, COLOR and then give the order. Took notice of this as i was advancing through Zargabad with 2 teams i had split up while testing the new AI updates in the beta.

So the idea is when color teams are already created you just have to press space and directly see the color teams you currently have created. If you have assigned blue and green then you will only see team blue and green on the menu. And if you assign 3 teams then you see those 3 etc. So the menu get bigger (longer) only if color teams area made.

Currently to chose a pre made color team:

SPACE, TEAM, TEAM, COLOR - give order

Desired way to chose a pre made color team:

SPACE, COLOR - give order

As we are into AI updates now i thaught it would be a nice thing to streamline (if possible). :)

[Mad-h 0]

AI menu idea - Color teams:

Thaught about a thing i have forgotten for a long time. The color coded teams created which require you to now press SPACE, TEAM, TEAM, COLOR to select a created team could maybe get a small overhaul.

Wonder if it would be possible to get the team color that is created on the first menu (space) at the bottom maybe? This is when you already made the teams which is easy: SPACE, TEAM, ASSIGN COLOR. But to chose a team now that is already created you have to go the longer way of SPACE, TEAM, TEAM, COLOR and then give the order. Took notice of this as i was advancing through Zargabad with 2 teams i had split up while testing the new AI updates in the beta.

So the idea is when color teams are already created you just have to press space and directly see the color teams you currently have created. If you have assigned blue and green then you will only see team blue and green on the menu. And if you assign 3 teams then you see those 3 etc. So the menu get bigger (longer) only if color teams area made.

Currently to chose a pre made color team:

SPACE, TEAM, TEAM, COLOR - give order

Desired way to chose a pre made color team:

SPACE, COLOR - give order

As we are into AI updates now i thaught it would be a nice thing to streamline (if possible). :)

If im not mistaken you can select a color group by pressing shift plus the key of one of the units in the group

[ericfr 0]

Ai move very very slowly in Danger mode on open field no ennemy -> 500m = 20 minutes.

The leader stops every 20m, goes prone and scans horizon.

In Combat mission it's very boring. Limit unplayable.

[Coffeecat 10]

Ai move very very slowly in Danger mode on open field no ennemy -> 500m = 20 minutes.

The leader stops every 20m, goes prone and scans horizon.

In Combat mission it's very boring. Limit unplayable.

This is true. A bigger problem is what i mentioned here:

http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?t=113906&page=8 See my last post

I recommend to test this and open a dev heaven bug if people experience the same, so we dont get this in a full patch!

[djczing 10]

Wow. Im impressed with this beta. I do have the white-pixeled trees, but besides that --

The AI is impressive in their movement and cover

The vehicle behavior is fixed ! I assigned about 7 vehicles (combat and logistics) to a convoy and made them team yellow. I then told them to relax, and move in column to a spot about 2km away.

Normally this would result in each vehicle mashing into each other in a tangled mess to apparently get in a certain order. But with this beta, they get into column and head out in an orderly fasion, and appear to wait for each other to do so -- it looks like in number order. Then, the actual transit to destination was a dream. Very nice BIS. Great work ! The inept driving action while in convoy was a huge annoyance, and kept me from commanding large forces -- but now its a joy - thanks !

Now if you could do a simple thing and tell the idiot AI drivers to shut their engine off if idle for a certain time, thatd be great ! It appears that sometimes they shut it down, and sometimes they dont. Of course a command to tell them to might be handy too.

Great work guys !

---------- Post added at 11:34 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:31 AM ----------

This may not be the place, but another suggestion for improvement would be for troops and drivers to say fuel and ammo state when you ask them their status - that way you cold refuel them before it became a problem.

[mosh 0]

The AI is impressive in their movement and cover

The vehicle behavior is fixed ! I assigned about 7 vehicles (combat and logistics) to a convoy and made them team yellow. I then told them to relax, and move in column to a spot about 2km away

.....

Great work guys !

Just a couple quick tests with AI and convoys, including armored and cars... and both times they all made it from Rasman to southern Airport better than I have ever seen. The last driver seemed to be the 'special' one, but the others occasionally waited up for him.

I plan on doing a better test, with FRAPS, but really was impressed with what I saw so far.

[niQ® 0]

language="Italian";

adapter=-1;

3D_Performance=93750;

Resolution_Bpp=32;

Windowed=0;

Resolution_W=1920;

Resolution_H=1080;

refresh=60;

winX=233;

winY=102;

winW=826;

winH=600;

winDefW=826;

winDefH=600;

Render_W=1920;

Render_H=1080;

FSAA=0;

postFX=0;

GPU_MaxFramesAhead=0;

GPU_DetectedFramesAhead=0;

HDRPrecision=8;

lastDeviceId="";

localVRAM=926493696;

nonlocalVRAM=527433727;

vsync=0;

AToC=7;

what's AToC=7 ?

[maddogx 13]

what's AToC=7 ?

It enables antialiasing effects for grass and bushes/trees. Visuals are improved but performance can be negatively affected.

The possible values are explained here.

I've also posted some comparison screenshots here.

Edited January 29, 2011 by MadDogX

[eddie247 10]

troops and drivers to say fuel and ammo state when you ask them their status - that way you cold refuel them before it became a problem.

They do this already every couple of mins until they run out of ammo or fuel anyway i think (and when they're damaged).

Turning off engines would be a great command tho or have it attached to the stealth command for while stationary perhaps?

[Alex72 1]

If im not mistaken you can select a color group by pressing shift plus the key of one of the units in the group

True. However the idea was to make it even easier accesible as we have basically our thumbs on or close to the space bar, and then without having to look down for buttons you just click on the team you want.

In my head it seems like a good idea for fast moving with split up teams.

[pandur 10]

after some testing I got the handgun + zero reaction problem too...

placed 2 enemy opfor groups in a village (takistan/ ravanay) and engaged them playing a group of standard ksk soldiers. after some time two of my soldiers switched to their handgun and shortly after stopped doing anything. when called into formation they didn't react anymore. this bug has the potential to break any mission.

all the improvements are cool, but this bug is serious.

[rübe 127]

Lately I see a lot units stuck, but not because of the pistol-bug (I've removed them from all units). For example, some script sends a unit to a random building position somewhere in Takistan; this is what happens:

(^^ exact building where this has happend: 017 118 in Nur)

Problem one: their sunk in the floor. What's the problem? Some bad path-lod? So is this object related?

Problem two: they're completely stuck and are spinning in circles. Now, this has nothing to do with problem one, as that one is just triggering this one. I see it all the time: units walking against a wall, sometimes in circles, totally stuck. With a little luck, I can move them out of their misery if I stand between them and the obstacle and they finally find another way out of this insane loop. Other times - and this is pretty frequent too - they run/spin against vehicles, be it a chopper they're supposed to embark, or just a vehicle on the street.

This is very annoying. Maybe some hackisch solution should be considered, that gives stuck units a little push in some direction (and putting them on the correct height to catch that sunk-in-floor-bug). Though I wonder if this "stuckness" can be easily detected. Maybe immobile units should be polled every now and then to check their animationStatus or something...

Edited January 29, 2011 by ruebe

[nikiforos 450]

:eek: Ok now im confused :butbut: