Are people stupid or uninformed?

[jblackrupert 14]

@maps

What is that?

[gossamersolid 155]

@maps

What is that?

custom islands, clients don't need the islands unless a map with one of those islands is on (which is rare).

Another thing is that in the server list, it says what island is being played (when there is a mission being played)...

If you don't have that island, don't join. Simple as that!

[jblackrupert 14]

Which islands?

See where I'm going with this?

[Mr. Charles 22]

This should be on default:

www.mrcharles.pytalhost.com/ArmAOA/diverses/Settings.png

so you get this:

www.mrcharles.pytalhost.com/ArmAOA/diverses/Settings2.png

[MissionCreep 12]

I suspect a lot of people see Youtube videos, or hear about ArmaII, buy the first/cheapest copy they see (OA standalone), throw it on their computer and then go online.

It would be confusing for a neophyte - ArmaII, OA, CO, BAF, PMC, Reinforcements, Chenarus, Utes, Shapur, Zagrabad, Takistan, Desert, Proving Grounds .... and that is just the start.

Also, if you look at a lot of the user mods and missions now, the requirements just say say "ArmaII", when it is obvious that, the mod is for, say, Takistan. For those of us in the know, it is "obvious", but for a newcomer, it is not.

If SO MANY people confused, that is bad news for BI (who sometimes don't place a huge emphasis on explaining some things clearly to customers) ... say what you want about people being dumb etc, but if all those people are paying customers, what are the odds of them continuing to pay for future Arma products? If BI doesn't want to take money from "stupid people", that's fine as I'm sure they can always go somewhere else with their money.

[pbishop 10]

Funny thread. Complaining about people not knowing everything. Like jblackrupert said, its not everyone that knows everything about the game.

I mean, who would imagine a server for a completely different and incompatible expansion would show up in their server list. Stupid people?

And who would imagine that you get the error messages but the joining party doesnt? It goes by so fast that you dont even see which mod is missing or outdated before you hit the main menu. But then again, the UI for server listings is just so perfect.

If your too ignorant to the problems with the game itself to blame it on new players being stupid or not knowing, then just lock your server because ranting here is not going to get you anywhere closer to removing your frustration.

[Hedo 10]

I agree with Orlok and pbishop. It's not like Arma is the most newbie-friendly game, especially the MP.

Also, how is a newbie supposed to know that it spams your chat when he tries to connect? No, common sense is not the answer. In most MP games some extended message shows only to the user and on the server you see maximally:

Player X connected

Player X disconnected

And usually in other games it doesn't even try to connect, when the user doesn't have all the required mods.

The fact that it spams the server chat is bad a design, not "stupidity" from the players. (Well, partially it can be stupidity of course, but I don't believe that's the core of the problem.)

[gossamersolid 155]

Which islands?

See where I'm going with this?

If the server was running the island that you needed to join, it'd say what the world is... That's where you'd see it. You don't need any of those islands to join the server unless that island is being played.

Now stop acting like a fool on purpose, makes you seem unintelligent.

[MissionCreep 12]

If the server was running the island that you needed to join, it'd say what the world is... That's where you'd see it. You don't need any of those islands to join the server unless that island is being played.

Say what?

[gossamersolid 155]

Say what?

http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/1695/arma2oa2011061415442971.png

Refer to the picture above. You see where it says Map? It'll say Chernarus, Takistan, Duala, etc. Whatever is being played.

[jblackrupert 14]

The browser needs to be fixed and the fixes need to be tested on people who have very limited or no experience with Arma so they can tell Bohemia what is confusing them.

Plunking all your maps into a folder called @maps just creates confusion, tells even experienced people nothing other then that there are community made maps.

The only way to get in is to hunt down the server website if there is one and hope

there is a list of the maps running

Or.

Download every single map there is and hope you have the correct versions.

There needs to be a popup window with links to the addons that server admins can fill out

so when you get kicked you just start following the links. The Popup could be a browser window (IE, Firefox....etc)

Someone could also make an addon installer that addom makers can used. so instead of downloading the addon folders

you grab an executable installer that installs them for you with a help window that shows you how to do it manually in the future.

There are freeware installers available that can do this.

On sites like Armaholic there can be two downloads. The addon folders RAR'ed as they are now and an installer for "dummies".

---------- Post added at 04:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:39 PM ----------

http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/1695/arma2oa2011061415442971.png

Refer to the picture above. You see where it says Map? It'll say Chernarus, Takistan, Duala, etc. Whatever is being played.

It might say that when the round is actually started but what about before that?

You have to remember that we are looking at the browser with years of experience using Arma and all it's little quirks. To someone just started out

it's not so simple.

Not everyone knows about all the versions of Arma that have been released.

Go look at the Simbin site. it's even worse, those guys have released so many different versions that it's a total clusterf*ck trying to figure it out.

Edited June 15, 2011 by jblackrupert

[pbishop 10]

http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/1695/arma2oa2011061415442971.png

Refer to the picture above. You see where it says Map? It'll say Chernarus, Takistan, Duala, etc. Whatever is being played.

Ok, and what do you do when it says what it does in that picture? From a newbies perspective.

[nkenny 1057]

I'd say. bleh there are zero players. I'll bugger off to find a server WITH players.

On a more serious note I've been frequenting the excellent VETERANS INSURGENCY <something something> SERVER which generally has great teamwork and a ton of active players. During european primetime the server was/is constantly full. Recently they added CBA and an Anti-Cheat mod which turned the server yellow.

For better or worse-- while it is still quite active-- its much less common to see it as full as it used to be.

-k

[OrLoK 20]

Hello all

Gossamer has a point. Not well put perhaps but understandable due to frustration.

Arma isn't friendly to users new or old and takes some dedication to get the most out of it. This perhaps adds to the elitist attittudes that occour here.

After spending time in country with the ofp franchise we get used to its quirks and when new folk come along and post incorrectly, join with wrong addons or disregard server rules we get angry, as we put the time in to make the effort.

But, as has been stated before we were all new once and I bet most of us have messed up in the arma world at least once.

We need to educate the new chaps and need to point out to developers where the software is lacking.

Gossamer is justifiably grumpy After probably montths of the same issue but I think the blame is somewhat missplaced.

Rgds

Lok