Returning to the game

[KaZumaa 10]

I've been an on-and-off gamer of Op:Flash (pre-MP days of mine), Arma 1 (MP kept me playing this game far longer than anything else, ACE even moreso) and Arma 2 (also have Op:Arrow) and its been a while since I played, so I'm rusty on whats going on as of late.

Any general advice for a returnee besides the obvious patching? Any tweaks, tricks, and tips that someone returning to the game would have missed out on? Last time I came back to Arma 1, Arma 2 was around the corner, and I missed out a popular tweak guide that helped performance greatly (at least for me once I got around to it, then again Arma 2 was on my desk not 2 weeks later...)

Also: I'm familiar with the install procedure to make my Arma 2 + Op:Arrow = Combined Ops. Done it before, but its been a year+ since I last put it on my gaming PC...

[Tonci87 163]

Well, patch the game up, get ACE, Blastcore and a good Soundmod like JSRS, download a nice Usermade campaign-> have FUN

[guyguysonx 10]

Well, patch the game up, get ACE, Blastcore and a good Soundmod like JSRS, download a nice Usermade campaign-> have FUN

Or end up watching a slideshow.

[Beagle 684]

Try it without ACE and other mods´first. OA is better in lots of aspects and does not need ACE THAT urgent as Armed Assault did. it is already hard to find servers and some servers got rid of ACE already to et the player count up again because it's not that much fun playing for ours on a server with just 9 players on a ful scale gossamer's warfare map.

[KaZumaa 10]

Besides the obvious "recommended" mods, anything else that are simply must-haves like TS/Vent? Tweaks? Configs? etc?

[Beagle 684]

Besides the obvious "recommended" mods, anything else that are simply must-haves like TS/Vent? Tweaks? Configs? etc?

Compared to OFP or Armed Assault the game is good as it is out of the box...when patched to 1.59.

[Tonci87 163]

Seriously Beagle, I don´t understand why you have to bash ACE every time i suggest it to someone....but at the same time you complain about the missing realism of Vanilla Arma 2.

@KaZumaa I don´t know if you like to play MP, but if you do, find yourself a nice Squad that uses ACE and ACRE. ACRE is just great!

[Beagle 684]

Seriously Beagle, I don´t understand why you have to bash ACE every time i suggest it to someone....but at the same time you complain about the missing realism of Vanilla Arma 2.

@KaZumaa I don´t know if you like to play MP, but if you do, find yourself a nice Squad that uses ACE and ACRE. ACRE is just great!

Im not bashing ACE I just wrote that the game is very enjoyable without mods.

And the poitn is simply that every Patch triggered problem with mods so far.

Mods are for after support phase unless you like to fiddle around more than actually playing.

by writing something like "install ACE to enjoy the game" etc. you are creatign the wrong impression that everyone

n online is using ACE and the game can't be played right without... but it's reverse.

More and more mission use MANDO for example to get around ArmA missile annoyances and thats embedded in the mission file itself... no mods needed.

Edited April 23, 2011 by Beagle

[gossamersolid 155]

I'm not "ACE Bashing" either, but ACE is not a mod that I'd recommend to somebody that is just getting the game.

Let them play the game vanilla for a while, maybe get some sound mods or something. Then after they've played the game a bit, they can see if ACE is their cup of tea.

[Westsailor 10]

I'm a brand new ArmA 2 CO player. As I understand it ACE serves to enhance the overall realism of ARMA 2, correct?

For the same reason I liked AirWarrior & WarBirds over 'Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe' flight sims, my attraction to ArmA 2 is the realism (versus, say COD, BF2, etc. anyway).

If ACE adds even more fidelity I'm all for it.

As a newbie wanting the highest fidelity available, shouldn't I learn how to play Arma 2 at that level rather then having to relearn and/or adapt later?

Not saying Arma 2 isn't a fine 'simulation' without it or being judgmental of any ones advice (I need all I can get right now). I'm just curious.

[flattermann 12]

ACE enhances the game greatly, its a must-have add. You will, however, enjoy it even more after you got to know 'vanilla' ArmA. Otherwise you would miss out a bit, and the learning curve is steep enough already. Once you got to know vanilla, adding ACE doesnt mean you have to relearn or adapt to something new.

well heck try out for yourself :)

[viper[cww] 14]

Or end up watching a slideshow.

If you play on a commadore 64 yea ;)

[maturin 12]

Besides the obvious "recommended" mods, anything else that are simply must-haves like TS/Vent? Tweaks? Configs? etc?

The latest patch added a vegetation graphical effect called AToC. If you have some performance issues, set it to a number lower than 7 in you config file.

Also, setting AI precision in config to lower numbers (such as that recommended by ZEUS AI) make the game much better. With less accuracy you have a change to maneuver under fire and carry out ambushes, amidst battles that overall last much longer.

[celery 8]

I'm a brand new ArmA 2 CO player. As I understand it ACE serves to enhance the overall realism of ARMA 2, correct?

For the same reason I liked AirWarrior & WarBirds over 'Secret Weapons of the Luftwaffe' flight sims, my attraction to ArmA 2 is the realism (versus, say COD, BF2, etc. anyway).

If ACE adds even more fidelity I'm all for it.

It all depends on what you see as fidelity. After a (imho) troublesome installation, ACE requires you to set up a config file so that it recognizes when you press a button to administer first aid or put on earplugs, goggles or a balaclava or to rest your weapon. It has a stamina system that has you falling to the ground in exhaustion after a 1-3 km hike depending on your loadout. All these kinds of features can break missions that aren't specifically made with ACE in mind, and it can really make playing the game more tedious than it should be.

Bottom line, play the vanilla game first and then decide what you want it to do.

Edited April 24, 2011 by Celery

[Rynthas 0]

So what's really needed to play MP? I've been out of the loop a long time myself, and as a result have not purchased any of the expansions. I remember with ArmA 1 that the expansions were not really needed at all for any multiplayer, which is primarily what I'm about, and I'm left with the choice of either upgrading my hardware a bit to eek out a few more precious FPS, or buying all the expansions and such.

With a base copy of ArmA 2, retail DVD, what's really needed to get back into the MP scene aside from just patching?

[maturin 12]

The amount of features in ACE is bewildering. Many of them are incredibly byzantine (albeit useful), some are unfinished or vestigial.

But most of them can be ignored. A new player will quickly become familiar with a handful of easy-to-use and soon-indispensable gameplay additions.

The installation is only difficult if you are unlucky or lack confidence. Config can be a pain in the ass, but even if you fail entirely, you simply won't be able to use the medical system that is usually disabled anyways, certain advanced features that you can do without, and will get ringing in your ears when you use machineguns.

As for the stamina system, I have almost completely forgotten about its existence. Just choose logical loadouts, and don't try to run a marathon as an out-of-shape civilian. It can also be disabled.

I would play through the campaign and BI scenarios with the vanilla game. (Although a minute spent without a soundmod is a travesty.)

Then decide whether to take things to the next level. Vanilla is useful for certain kinds of MP.

With a base copy of ArmA 2, retail DVD, what's really needed to get back into the MP scene aside from just patching?

Operation Arrowhead is needed. :P

Really though, so far as I know, the pre-expansion MP scene is pretty barren. Maybe you will find some regular players who haven't upgraded, I don't know. Playing with people you know is much better anyways.

[Beagle 684]

So what's really needed to play MP? I've been out of the loop a long time myself, and as a result have not purchased any of the expansions.

You need nothing more then just ArmA II Combined Operations (ArmA II + ArmA II: Operation Arrowhead) patched to 1.59. A "light" version of all expansions for compatibility is included in the patches.

ACE or any mods are not needed, in fact you will be autokicked from many many serves running a mod becasue a lot of mods are used for chating or simply annoying people with audio tracks.

When using modes you have to check every single server for which mods it allows and which not.

Edited April 24, 2011 by Beagle

[maturin 12]

There's no Lite OA, is there? That would be amazing.

No need to pay for BAF or PMC when you get the full-quality maps and MP-compatible units for free.

The PMC campaign even ended up in my Missions folder for some reason.

[Beagle 684]

There's no Lite OA, is there? That would be amazing.

No need to pay for BAF or PMC when you get the full-quality maps and MP-compatible units for free.

The PMC campaign even ended up in my Missions folder for some reason.

The Expansions are definitely worth it...no way you want to play with the low resolution tetures and low definition sounds after you have seen the full version. Also the Proving Grounds maps is in a much higher quality with PMC expansion..the map alone is worth the price.

[maturin 12]

Proving Grounds gets higher quality?

Christ, the leafless trees on that tiny map are murdering my framerate as is. Shapur is nice, though.

[Beagle 684]

Proving Grounds gets higher quality?

Christ, the leafless trees on that tiny map are murdering my framerate as is. Shapur is nice, though.

Yes it gets as it has its own vegetation. mainly weeds and grass and flowery bushes and ground textures.

[Rynthas 0]

Next question, then: How much have the addons taxed hardware since release? I'm running an old Intel Quad 2.4GHz with 4 GB of RAM and a 1GB 9800GT. If memory serves, it was barely adequate to keep a viewdistance good enough to fly with and not be sub-20 FPS, but that may've been with an older vid card too -- can't recall.

Also, how does the Steam version compare when it comes to modding? I know other games have had issues with Steam, but I'm tempted just to shell out for the Combined Arms pack, and just resell my retail DVD to a buddy.

[maturin 12]

OA is more graphically challenging than A2 because of lighting upgrades and other factors.

But the biggest difference is in the maps, with a demanding Takistan and Lagabad.

Sorry, I meant Zargabad.

[Tonci87 163]

@Rynthas, I have almost the same specs, the game is very playable at medium to high settings with 5km Viewdistance

[Rynthas 0]

So what's the verdict on using Steam? It seems like the easiest and fastest way to handle things, if it allows easy modding and such. Is it generally accepted to work pretty well, or are there some big faults with Steam on the MP scene?