Development Blog & Reveals

[das attorney 858]

Do you mean the VR map?

If so, that's not what I mean. What I mean is it would be useful to have a tiny island in the corner of the map to use for player respawns etc.

I just went over Altis with splendid cam and looked for islands far out to sea. I couldn't find any but maybe I've missed something.

This is a pic of what I mean (just a little bit of terrain sticking out of the sea - doesn't have to have any objects or texture on it.)

http://www.tweakpc.de/gallery/data/563/dayz-sa-debug-island.jpg

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/dayz.gamepedia.com/thumb/1/15/DebugIsland_voyage6.jpg/300px-DebugIsland_voyage6.jpg?version=4f22cd58c6a183fe90dc34da8c80c108

[maddogx 13]

I like to think that BI are giving us subtle clues about the "secret" stuff that's in development.

For example, the new map was described as "very fresh" in SITREP 82. The word "fresh" can be used synonymously with "cold" or "chilly", although AFAIK it's not particularly common in English. (More so in German.) Still, perhaps a hint at a cold map with snow, which would certainly be new as far as BI-made maps go.

One recent engine change on the dev branch related to adjusting ground clutter coloring based on the satellite map does indicate that they are working on a map with contrasting ground/clutter colors.

Then there's the mention of "positive noises emerging from [their] top-secret R&D department". Positive noises = sound R&D team?

Again, there is some recent dev branch activity related to sound (attenuation, volume and distance of audibility) that seems to confirm this. Or maybe I'm just grasping at straws. :)

[zukov 490]

but even "fresh air" like new environment. lush tropical/rain forest or mongolian steppe

[A3_Melle 40]

And i thought i was the only one reading between the lines, wenn i mentiont FFV months ago within my clan they called me crazy.... what did we get with the last DLC :p

Totaly agree MadDogX, they do give hints som crypted and some easy to see in tweets, development blogs but also with preparing the game for new stuff testing in dev-branch.

They do keep up theire best keeping it silent, but also the "hints" could also be seen as teasing to keep us guessing what the future is going to bring as i am sure they are keeping track of this topic and see how our reactions are ;)

[Chairborne 2594]

I like to think that BI are giving us subtle clues about the "secret" stuff that's in development.

For example, the new map was described as "very fresh" in SITREP 82. The word "fresh" can be used synonymously with "cold" or "chilly", although AFAIK it's not particularly common in English. (More so in German.) Still, perhaps a hint at a cold map with snow, which would certainly be new as far as BI-made maps go.

One recent engine change on the dev branch related to adjusting ground clutter coloring based on the satellite map does indicate that they are working on a map with contrasting ground/clutter colors.

Then there's the mention of "positive noises emerging from [their] top-secret R&D department". Positive noises = sound R&D team?

Again, there is some recent dev branch activity related to sound (attenuation, volume and distance of audibility) that seems to confirm this. Or maybe I'm just grasping at straws. :)

One had to REALLY read between the lines if that's what they wanted to let us know...

I thought they embedded something in the HTML code lol.

[maddogx 13]

One had to REALLY read between the lines if that's what they wanted to let us know...

I thought they embedded something in the HTML code lol.

I agree that the snow map theory is far fetched, but the fact that they're researching audio features is no secret.

[old_painless 182]

I really do not hope it will be snow terrain, yet another featureless terrain. I'd rather have smallish (eg. Stratis sized) with an abundance of detail, and with nicely made objects that look right. And where they fix the midrange texture problem

[mistyronin 1181]

I like to think that BI are giving us subtle clues about the "secret" stuff that's in development.

I also thought that, maybe the Aleutians? Baltics or Canada... Who knows...

[mankyle 410]

pacific + chilly = aleutians????

[Chairborne 2594]

I'm hoping for Chukotka or Kamchatka regions in Russia lol.

[onlyrazor 11]

Whatever happened to the elaborate ARGs Bohemia used to do?

[maddogx 13]

Whatever happened to the elaborate ARGs Bohemia used to do?

As far as I recall there has only been one "official ARG", which was roughly 3.5 years ago, leading up to the announcement of ARMA3 in May 2011. I dare say they went all out with that one because the announcement of A3 was a huge deal.

Apart from that, I only remember one more fairly major ARG (the one with the web terminal) that was mostly organized by members of the community, not BI themselves.

[miketim 20]

@maddogX

"I agree that the snow map theory is far fetched, but the fact that they're researching audio features is no secret."

I think audio could just as easily be jungle or rainforest audio, supporting the theory of a pacific or other similar map... jungles are full of birds, noises etc

This would sort of fit with the varying grass stuff... at least like, jungles have alot of ground foliage , I guess it could have different colors or something

Also by fresh they can just mean never seen before/new... which honestly is the most likley meaning, I can recommend this as a native english speaker :)

And since we have never seen a real jungle/rainforest in arma or ofp (from BI) ...

[CaptainAzimuth 714]

Personally, i would seriously prefer some kind of Southeast Asian map. It has to be connected to the Campaign, deeply. It has to support the factions at play, and the vehicles in use. They reinvented the water for Arma 3's new underwater capabilities, and with Altis/Stratis, we didn't get much out of that, in fact, the last time i saw someone use water for Arma 3, was when me and my buddies used the SDV to do underwater fishing in Altis Life to catch Salmon... Anyhow, though, CSAT has an Asian counterpart. The Taru picture on the hospital roof was shown with very cleverly dressed, and that soldier was Asian. Also, they were wearing the Urban CSAT uniform. Also, the Taru Black, is not spawnable without scripts. Therefore, that leaves room for that particular helicopter to be used with another faction, possibly the Asian based CSAT, letting us know that if you see a Black Taru, your likely fighting the Asian CSAT forces. Anyway, i think i've gone too far. But idk. I can't help the urge to dig deeper. Also, an Asian setting would be perfect for Arma 3's new Engine Capabilities. Mountains, and water in the same scene, with some caves, rivers (obviously the kind at ocean level, because they haven't addressed that issue... unless they have and are willing to take risks...), but it'd also have to have an area with a good amount of civilian interest, as they mentioned the expansion to have more civilian things... Or maybe they said that, as the Original game release had a lack of, and are now addressing that with the Expansion.

Edited November 15, 2014 by DarkSideSixOfficial

[CaptainObvious 95]

I believe it was somewhat confirmed that rivers will not be supported by the engine, at least in this iteration, it was in the thread about ponds IIRC.

[maddogx 13]

I believe it was somewhat confirmed that rivers will not be supported by the engine, at least in this iteration, it was in the thread about ponds IIRC.

That does not necessarily include expansions. The issue, essentially, is that they're not willing to prioritize or spend significant time/resources on new engine features that they can't show off in the vanilla game. Supporting ponds makes some amount of sense for the sake of backward compatibility (even though that doesn't seem to be much of a priority either at the moment), but implementing rivers without an appropriate map to show them off does not.

The expansion is a perfect opportunity for adding new engine features though, so if they have decided to include rivers in the new map and invest the effort to make them work, there is nothing stopping them.

Edited November 15, 2014 by MadDogX

[Smurf 12]

there is nothing stopping them.

Except for the mighty AI! :D

[Sterlingarcherz101 15]

Just hope devs realise after the pricing of the heli dlc situation . People are expecting something big from the expansion. No pressure.

[papanowel 120]

Do you mean the VR map?

http://www.tweakpc.de/gallery/data/563/dayz-sa-debug-island.jpg

http://hydra-media.cursecdn.com/dayz.gamepedia.com/thumb/1/15/DebugIsland_voyage6.jpg/300px-DebugIsland_voyage6.jpg?version=4f22cd58c6a183fe90dc34da8c80c108

Yes, I was talking about this one but now I get your point about it.

[Chairborne 2594]

Except for the mighty AI! :D

That didn't stop them from making a helo DLC lol, have you ever tried to make a group of AI helos fly in takistan?

[St. Jimmy 272]

That didn't stop them from making a helo DLC lol, have you ever tried to make a group of AI helos fly in takistan?

The AI is using basic flight model. With rivers what kind of a basic the AI should then use? :rolleyes: It's not that simple thing. They really need to teach AI rivers and ponds, how deep they can pass, when they should avoid them and so on.

[Smurf 12]

That didn't stop them from making a helo DLC lol, have you ever tried to make a group of AI helos fly in takistan?

Nope. Been away from Arma for far too long. That's a sad history actualy :(

Anyway, probably more related to IA + vehicle convoys than anything else.

The AI is using basic flight model. With rivers what kind of a basic the AI should then use? :rolleyes: It's not that simple thing. They really need to teach AI rivers and ponds, how deep they can pass, when they should avoid them and so on.

Yet diving\underwater is a feature marketed for A3 and it works for AI on a simple level, would expect the same for rivers\ponds; Don't want an AI that uses them strategically - crossing\avoiding it when it's suitable is enough - but that alone shouldn't be the reason for cutting off something so meaningfull on the terrain and even more on a battlefield.

[CaptainAzimuth 714]

I remember the UN showcase in Arma 2 on Takistan. You start up and a pair of Mi-8's fly over for landing. If you fire a few shots, it'll distract them causing one of them to crash into a mountain, while the rest of the AI presume the accident was caused by you, and then proceed to engage and kill you. Lmao.

Anyhow, it shouldn't be that hard to register rivers to AI. Make a bridge. AI on land go over that bridge instead of across the river, unless the bridge is down, they go around it. Boats, go up and down it, and avoid the edges as to not get stuck. It doesn't have to be a super cheap river, i mean i know BIS maps are not 1:1 ratio, but it should be doable. I just hope the Expansion is indeed their ticket to addressing water assets more seriously, it was a big breakthrough when ArmA 3 was first announced.

[danil-ch 165]

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[St. Jimmy 272]

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