ARMA 2: OA release candidate build 78473

[Scar.Arg 12]

work on more important things, example:

- the use of cores in the dedicated server. in my community, we're leaving people without playing, because the engine can't hold 50 people + AI on the server.

Idem! this need to be fixed! :mad:

Also the granade bug!

[NoRailgunner 0]

Isn't it easier to make a list which animations/transitions are better now and which are worse?

Just make it simple (no novel, no bickering) for devs to read eg:

AT/AA - switching and reloading is now too fast

handgun/pistol - slightly better

stand to crouch to prone -

prone to crouch to stand -

...

:)

[vinque 10]

+ 1 the use of cores in the dedicated server (on large coop missions)

is a BIG problem.

Edited February 26, 2011 by Vinque

[Dead_Meat 10]

Seems there is a large skew to the opinions here, as mac pointed out.

I play arma2 ONLY in PVP mode, I rarely play coop, CTI or campaign. For me, this is the only game that comes close to what OFP was, and that was a game for all type of players, all types of mode and all styles of maps.

I play PVP cos its a mode I like, arma2 delivers this but it does lack in certain areas. An improvement to animations will certainly help here.

We have a game that can satisfy all needs so why do we get folk getting quite angry over someone else's opinions and likes/dislikes?

This game is big enough for everyone, we should not favour one particular side over another.

/2p

DM

[SPC.Spets 21]

if you want faster animation transitions, you have TRUE Mods already, it does the same, speeding up

+1 core optimization for AI

[xxbbcc 6]

I didn't install the RC since it can only be removed by completely uninstalling it but I did watch all the videos posted with the new speeds. I have to agree with the majority that the animations are now much too fast and most movement seems unnatural - almost like a movie on fast-forward.

I think the kneeling/going prone/standing up animations could use a little bit of speed up (3-5%)) but definitely not this much. I never thought other animations were particularly slow so the old ones looked fine to me.

So a minority are somehow owed the opportunity to force the majority to play their way? If isn't right it shouldn't be included in an official patch. If the concern is that not enough people have actually tried it then it should be separated out into a mod (SB suggested it's all config changes) and trialled/revised until the approval rating is 75% in favour, not pushed out while it's 75% against.

Agreed with Defunkt here - this change seems to be generally rejected so it should not make it to release. Plus, in this case I simply don't think everyone's opinion should be counted. Movement needs to look / feel natural because this is supposed to be a simulator. The BF/COD/etc. crowd shouldn't be pleased for the sake of pleasing them.

If the choice comes down to "speeding up all animations" vs. "old system with no speed up", I'd rather just have the old system. I'm not necessarily against tweaking animation speeds but this is way too much. Tweaking this in release as someone suggested is simply a dumb idea.

Edited February 26, 2011 by xxbbcc

[celery 8]

The BF/COD/etc. crowd shouldn't be pleased for the sake of pleasing them.

There is no such crowd here so it would be nice to not see this kind of labelling. The reason why the pvp scene holds these kinds of improvements (do note that nobody said the sped-up animations are optimal) dear is because when you play against human opponents, even the slightest mistake, clumsiness or glitch often results in disaster, and when the fault resides in the game, it can get extremely frustrating. All in all the AI in this game gives very much slack compared to players.

[xxbbcc 6]

Sorry, I didn't mean to label anyone specifically. However, there is nothing wrong with the situation you describe - all players have the same speed so one can bring up their weapon just as fast as any other player. This wouldn't change with the new animations anyway, so there's no gain. With the new animations everyone would suffer the bad animations and there'd no gain to anyone.

Plus, I see nothing wrong with a player dying after making a mistake - it's close to what would happen in real life. I know it's frustrating (happens to me all the time) but every time I analyze my actions, in almost all cases it's my fault that I got shot.

[Gunter Severloh 4064]

if you want faster animation transitions, you have TRUE Mods already, it does the same, speeding up

SLX does this as well.

Dont recall seeing the list of changes posted, but for those interested heres the readme:

ARMA 2 Operation Arrowhead Patch 1.50-1.57 to 1.58

========================================================

VERSION 1.58 HIGHLIGHTS

========================================================

* Significantly improved convoy and driving AI behaviour

* Numerous combat AI enhancements and fixes

* Enhanced vegetation rendering

* Improved commanding interface

* Several MP security fixes

Version 1.57-1.58 Changelog

---------------------------

Engine

------

* Changed: First click on a target from quick commanding menu now issues Target instead of Attack, second click issues Engage.

* Improved: VerifySignatures entry in server.cfg can contain the required version of signatures.

* Improved: Stronger signature checking.

* New: Ctrl+F1..Ctrl+F5 assigns unit to team red/green/blue/yellow/white.

* Changed: Shift-F1..Shift-F5 select corresponding color team (red/green/blue/yellow/white)

* Fixed: Mv22 did not take off when spawned on the ground (http://forums.bistudio.com/showpost.php?p=1852614&postcount=103)

* Fixed: AI no longer sees through fog better than player. (http://dev-heaven.net/issues/12178)

* Fixed: weather changes done in the vehicle init line considered when checking AI visibility on the mission start.

* Improved: Init scripts time limit increased from 3 ms to 100 ms.

* Optimized: setViewDistance is no longer slow when used to reduce view distance.

* Changed: Yellow server no longer listed at the bottom of the server list.

* Fixed: Signatures GameSpy key truncated to at most 200 Bytes. Too long list has caused other GS keys were not available due to overflow.

* Improved: Convoys now passing crossroads a bit faster.

* Improved: Road obstacle avoidance improved.

* Improved: Alt-F4 exits the game only in UI screens (including pause and map)

* Fixed: AI unable to traverse some roads when in combat.

* Fixed: Loading of some world was very slow unless -exThreads=0 was used.

* Fixed: Bug in TCMalloc which might be causing Out of memory (http://dev-heaven.net/issues/16099)

* Fixed: AI subordinates moving in convoy now leaving roads less frequently.

* Changed: Bounding overwatch movement now respects formation order.

* Fixed: Formations broken when in danger (http://dev-heaven.net/issues/16862)

* Fixed: Game is no longer checking files on W: drive during startup.

* Improved: AI using cover at house corners more often.

* Fixed: Prevent server crash on many malformed incoming network messages.

* Improved: Vegetation rendering using AToC (require antialiasing enabled)

* New: Player can command AI to move into a specific cover.

* Improved: AI helicopter no longer attempting to land into a wind under 1.5 m/s.

* Fixed: Non-existing files attempted to be open for procedural textures (http://dev-heaven.net/issues/13864)

* Improved: AI now always moves without covering when given move command by a player (http://dev-heaven.net/issues/16504).

* Improved: AI now always moves without covering when boarding a vehicle.

* Fixed: Helicopter flying too low when approaching a landing spot.

* Improved: AI keeping formation a bit more strictly while in combat.

* Fixed: AI units not following player in combat. (http://dev-heaven.net/issues/16353)

* Fixed: Fire command was not working on non-enemy targets.

* Fixed: Av-8 sometimes performed long series of full rolls when disengaging from a target.

* Fixed: Improved airplane terrain avoidance when attacking. (http://dev-heaven.net/issues/16219)

* Fixed: Possible ServerCommand abuse by non-admin attackers.

* Fixed: lip-sync in EW campaign and in MP while client using VON.

* Fixed: AI units sometimes walking in circles (http://dev-heaven.net/issues/16081)

* Fix: Flooding of RPT file by "Cannot find Object" and similar messages after client disconnection.

* FIX: Engine crash with diag_log versus % r. 76245 - Replicated fix 73479 (fixed crash when no clutter shape)

* Fixed: More reliable VRAM detection on Vista/Win7 (using DXGI). (http://dev-heaven.net/issues/16163)

* Fixed: Units created by CreateUnit have had empty identity.

* Improved: AI helis able to fly a bit faster.

* Fixed: AI piloting a heli with a player as a gunner did not attempt to autorotate.

* Reduced lod switching in dense (forest, town) scenes.

* Fixed: Flood in RPT file caused by lines like "Object 2:200 (type Type_268) not found."

* Fixed: Fake server monitor line after client connects.

Data

----

* Changed: speed of some animations and turning speeds.

ARMA2 1.08-1.09 Changelog

---------------------------

* Fixed: I2 - mission is not failling before the takeoff.

* Fixed: C1,I1 - SD pistol mags were missing.

* Fixed: C5 - high command icons were not loaded.

* Fixed: C6 - task waypoint for transport important POW is fixed.

* Fixed: C3 - smuggler not shooting.

* Fixed: C2 - Pepan is not at the pump.

* Fixed: I1 - Shilka too strong.

* Fixed: I1 - Razor is hunting down one enemy on whole chernarus.

* Fixed: minor fixes in (CZ/RU) dubbing protocol.

[celery 8]

Sorry, I didn't mean to label anyone specifically. However, there is nothing wrong with the situation you describe - all players have the same speed so one can bring up their weapon just as fast as any other player. This wouldn't change with the new animations anyway, so there's no gain. With the new animations everyone would suffer the bad animations and there'd no gain to anyone.

Plus, I see nothing wrong with a player dying after making a mistake - it's close to what would happen in real life. I know it's frustrating (happens to me all the time) but every time I analyze my actions, in almost all cases it's my fault that I got shot.

Like I said, when the fault is in the game, it makes gameplay less fun and introduces the "avoid-a-bug" minigame that hasn't received much critical acclaim. Some of the animation speeds can be considered borderline bugs because the end result can be achieved better with alternate means (change between kneeling and standing is faster and quieter while doing a step in some direction) or they suddenly become cumbersome under certain conditions (grenade throwing is already slow when standing - try it while kneeling or wielding a sidearm). Everyone has to deal with the same stuff, but nobody likes to make managing them a skill and thus a factor in itself.

[Alex72 1]

Cheers BIS for the RC. Finding it good except a bit fast transitions standing to crouching. Havent tested every anim yet but those were the ones that standed out. Like someone said - slight percentage faster than the usual and it's golden.

EDIT: RWS/ACESM was running through the game (addons set through the game) and i thaught i was addon-less... The stereo sound in 1st person seemed to be through the soundmods(!). Stock BIS sounds are not in stereo (v.RC). Although this shows there is in fact stereo capabilities in the game for 1st person so my hopes are up we will have it on all weapons in the future (like in ArmA1). :)

Thanks.

Edited February 27, 2011 by Alex72

[Smurf 12]

Any Official word on whats going on?

They gonna let as it is, tweak a bit the animations or speed up...?

[Argento 10]

I voted NO (Dislike)

why?, Because i find them horrible!!, totally unrealistic!

[Vipera 10]

My suggestion would be to leave the new animations in for 1.58 then dial them back in further betas.

Shame on you! :)

[Gunter Severloh 4064]

Already been said, but in more detail if you take the mod truemods seen here:

http://www.armaholic.com/page.php?id=12715

test these 3 addons out:

TrueGameplay_Animation_MovementSpeed

TrueGameplay_Animation_TransitionSpeed

TrueGameplay_Animation_TurningSpeed

you would have the animation speeds that you might like, not to slow, and not fast either.

heres what they do:

====================================

TrueGameplay_Animation_MovementSpeed

====================================

All movement speeds (Walk:Jog:Sprint) are now a balanced 1:2:3 ratio (rather then 1:3:4). Intuitive for player.

- Walk is faster for more agile movement & quicker CQB.

- Jog is slower for better player control, realism, & gameplay.

- Sprint is a tad bit slower for the same reasons as above.

* Speeds feel closer to OFP:WGL then default where it effects gameplay in a positive way.

* All changes give the player better anticipation & control of their unit, while retaining a realistic and natural feel.

======================================

TrueGameplay_Animation_TransitionSpeed

======================================

Increased transition speeds to be less burdensome and give the

player a quicker "battle-ready" response.

This includes..

- Stance changes (Stand/Crouch/Prone)

- Weapon changes (Rifle/Pistol/Launcher/Binocular)

- Grenade throw

- Over/Jump action

===================================

TrueGameplay_Animation_TurningSpeed

===================================

Limited turn speed when..

- Sprinting to simulate low agility/momentum and reduce the exploit of "zig-zagging".

- Running/Kneeling/Prone to simulate lower agility.

===================================

They are pretty smooth.

Now SLX has fairly decent movement and tranisition as well as animation speeds to for that you want to look at:

slx_anim_movetransitions

slx_anim_turnspeed

slx_anim_weapontransitions

slx_anims

I think BIS should look into these 2 mods and see for themselves what feels best then create a beta patch with

something of their own and post a poll like this thread and see what folks thinks.

or

just download them mods.

Edited February 27, 2011 by Gnter Severloh

[froggyluv 2136]

Downloaded 3 times - File is Corrupt error

:(

[Mclan 10]

I use Truemod some setting, quite love it!

[Brainbug 10]

After watching the videos (though didn't install it for obvious reasons), I must say it's not that bad, I could live with it if I had to, but it is still going in the wrong direction. When I tried the SLX mod, the fast animations were also something I disliked.

If I was sarcastic, I'd say now at least everything fits to the spider-like ladder climbing speed ;)

Animations were not certainly too slow, often even a bit too fast already (have you tried moving with full body armor, weapons and backpack?).

The main problem is that you can't break off an action.

For example if you are healing yourself and are suddenly being shot at, you would want to cease healing and rather get away into cover, but no, you have to wait until you are completely healed and completely shot dead meanwhile.

Same goes for handling AT weapons. Taking it our and making it ready to fire should rather become slower, but not slower in the sense as if my 90 years old grandma does it but in the sense that you see more actions for it, e.g. flipping out the sights, fiddling with the CLU (which is not discarded but reused) and the launcher tube of the javelin, adjusting this and that etc. For example in real life the Javelin system needs at least 30 seconds until it is cooled down properly before you can actually use it, in game this would certainly be too long (regarding the small maps where every tank is gone after 30 sec), but a few sec would do fine here to simulate realistic behavior. So different animations with different durations for different weapons.

But at the same time there must be a way that you can just toss the damn thing away and grab your rifle in case you need it.

I know that this would take more effort to do because you would have to create new animations and fine tune others, but it would certainly be much more welcome than just speeding up everything.

[Gunter Severloh 4064]

When I tried the SLX mod, the fast animations were also something I disliked.

Not like you couldn't use the trumods animations instead of SLX's their both customizable mods,

trumods are much more slower then SLX's.

I do agree in a way that SLX anims seem quicker, but customize your game, dont take your game at face value then

chuck the whole package cuz one feature is disliked, swap one for the other.

Customize, and with these 2 mods you can do that, I should Know WarMod has 120+addons and mods and is customizable,

lol if you dont change your game to how you want then its your own fault to a certain limit, some things you cannot change while others you can.

But I do agree with having the need to stop part way on things like animations running, ect,,. but to compensate you need

tactics when you reload, do so under cover, healing another squad member in SLX drag him to a safe spot then heal him,

there are lmits on this stuff too, but overall it is and would be a nice feature to just cut out of a situation as your mid way.

Waiting is asking to get killed if done at the wrong time.

[CarlGustaffa 4]

How is signing files handled with these? I know I've denied some of these "packages" because allowing a few that I agreed on also automatically allowed the rest because they were signed with the same key (one server key to bind them all, lol).

So lets say someone makes two addons: One that tweak the lighting around and makes it much better, and one that removes the sun glare where I think default behavior is realistic and should be equal to all. By installing his server key I allow both, which I simply cannot. The lighting tweak doesn't give any advantages, while removing sun glare does and which I also find unrealistic (difference of opinion between me and addon maker, happens :p). I tried using the exclude list, but couldn't make it work at the time.

---

Haven't installed this patch due to the having to reinstall thing. But I'll go with "too fast" based on what I read and what I see in video. Game and animation annoyances are not specific to PvP. Generally speaking, I think that most people want more selective by weapon behavior, such as:

* Faster throws.

* Faster sidearm switching.

* Much slower tube reloads.

* No walking MG reload.

* No running SAW reload.

AND/OR

* Possibility to break out of animations once started. Sounds like a pretty hefty engine rewrite though.

[Pyronick 21]

If they are changing the entire animation set, I hope that boarding IFVs, MBTs, cars, etc will get animated doors.

Like CarlGustaffa said:

Faster grenades throws are always welcome as are faster ladder interactions and sidearm switching.

[DaveP 66]

the weapon switch and standing/kneeling/prone look freakily too fast

It just doesn't look natural speeding up animations that were done in real time, if you want faster animations to look smooth there's gotta be new source

[Beagle 684]

Since were at at the topic, I would like to propose (as I do since OFP) to implement a reload time of 15-20 seconds for AT Tubes..the heavier the tube and round the longer it should take.

I know it will not happen but it would be more correct to reflect AT handling when all Launcher would be unloaded when "drawn".

Of course...this would also mean that a way to skip the action by pressing fast forward (2xW) movement key should be implemented.

Target version 1.59?

[mosh 0]

Yes, I like it.

[Neopas 10]

Judging from the videos,I would rather not see these new animations in the official 1.58 cause AIs movement looks more clumsy.

Or at least see them significantly toned down.

Edited February 27, 2011 by Neopas