What is Canon, and What isn´t?

[instagoat 133]

That is the question.

Basically I´m wondering what official missions I need to play in preparation for A3. I.e. what content that´s been provided so far has direct influence on Arma 3, what is official story canon, and what can be discarded as being a different timeline, or never having happened alltogether.

And, quite possibly, what community generated content is also canon. (Some things have been referenced in the AAN news tickers, for example Mando Missle, or Islands such as Isla Duala)

So, are CWC and Resistance canon? What about Red Hammer? How important are they in regards to present timeline.

Are Gaias CWA missions important, such as WTWE, considering characters like Mark Reynolds are occuring in those? Are those official canon too, or can they be discarded as "never having happened"? What about other characters like Radayev?

Does EW count as official canon, or is that an alternate timeline? Which ending of Harvest Red is official? Which ending of PMC is official?

How will TOH and A3 be intertwined?

So many questions, so many possibillities for speculation. Hopefully, A3 will tie some open endings together. I´m really excited about the story being good. I expect MGS level quality in terms of characters and plot. Not as convoluted, though, I hope.

This just to show that you have my attention with this, BIS. I know I´m hyping this quite a lot, but you know that contrary to others, you´re probably able to live up to any hype, if you pull out all the stops. CWC was a smasher, A3 can be another smasher too.

At any rate, let the speculations commence!

[maturin 12]

Canon is a silly concept at best, and is really nothing you should waste time with in Arma 2, of all places.

Obviously, nuclear war did not result from Harvest Red because otherwise Operation Arrowhead would be impossible. But that's about it.

[instagoat 133]

Canon is a silly concept at best, and is really nothing you should waste time with in Arma 2, of all places.

Obviously, nuclear war did not result from Harvest Red because otherwise Operation Arrowhead would be impossible. But that's about it.

That is a fair point. It just is something that crops up in regards to storylines. BI have mentioned that they regard the whole setting as a closed universe (ie, the armaverse)... which in turn implies some sort of chronological log.

I guess you could add the question, does the Armaverse imply that there is such a thing as a background story to the universe, or is each "event" completely free of influence from anything else that happened? (Which it apparently isn´t, since Takistan was already mentioned in Harvest Red as a future flashpoint. So BI, in a way, have set themselves up for questions like these.)

What does the community think?

[CarlGustaffa 4]

They could get away with Chernarus multiple endings by just referring to them as "the events in Chernarus". Although I do enjoy some referencing every now and then, it doesn't have to be like TES lore. I would have loved to meet some of the characters again in future games, maybe they're doing new stuff and so on.

[celery 8]

Logically you can deem as canon everything that doesn't contradict another part of another story. The universe of the games is the same, as they have subtle references and continuity to other parts.

[Wolfrug 0]

I'm assuming OFP:CWC and Resistance at least as being canon - Armstrong hails from there, after all, and what more it all took place on some islands far away from central government and was orchestrated by a mad renegade general. So I think it's pretty safe to say OFP is/was canon, although those events aren't really mentioned.

ArmA being canon or not I'm really not sure...Armstrong supposedly died in the attack on Dolores (?), but then he's alive again in Arma 2 (although sure, it could have been different Armstrongs). But that's really the only issue of contention: no other characters that I know of have carried on from ArmA to Arma 2, so it's really a moot point. I think it's safe to say it's canon (aside potentially from the Armstrong thing); although how ArmA's storyline ended is anyone's guess (RACS bad guys, SLA good guys, what?).

Red Harvest clearly didn't end in a nuclear apocalypse, so EW is a "what if" scenario, not official canon. Arrowhead has Chernarussian UN troops, which suggests that Red Harvest did not end with Lopotev gaining power. The other fine details: if Lopotev survived or not, if enough evidence was collected, etc etc. we probably can't know. But as mentioned, Arrowhead's Chernarussian UN troops suggest heavily that Chernarus is independent and mostly free of the Chedaki. Op: Arrowhead really only had like two endings, didn't it: either you saved the hostages or you didn't? Not sure what the difference between the two was, but whatever the case, it clearly didn't turn out all that well since in PMC the country is a bit of a shithole.

As to which ending will be canon from PMC - well, that's something that only Arma 3 can tell at this point, I think :) But overall I don't think there's any problem in following an official canon in the Armaverse, although it's naturally filled with giant gaping holes (where you can plug in your own mission ideas and alternative what-if scenarios!).

Regards,

Wolfrug

[soul_assassin 1737]

Canon:

Isn't Canon:

:) sorry, couldnt resist

[moricky 210]

As Armaverse grows large and starts spreading across multiple projects, we're preparing a timeline summarizing all important events, characters and decisions.

Let me clarify a few facts now before the timeline is finished:

• All previously released Arma games (A0, A1, A2) are regarded as canon.
  
• Red Hammer and Rahmadi Conflict are still being evaluated, but all other expansions and DLCs (Resistance, Queen's Gambit, Arrowhead, BAF, PMC) are also considered to be canon.
  
• EW is non-canon, taking "what-if" approach instead.
  
• Take On Helicopters, even when not being included in Arma series, is still part of Armaverse. You may expect some characters to appear again ;)
  
• Mark Reynolds as presented in PMC is, as the rest of the PMC campaign, canon. As for which ending is offical, it's the evil one* ;)
  
• All community content is generally non-cannon, as we cannot assure it's compatibility (that includes my previous projects like WTWE). Yet Armaverse will always contain many intentional gaps leaving place for your imagination (BTW:
  devs described that quite well recently). We're always happy to see community missions and campaigns filling those gaps, same as we enjoy playing alternative timelines where Guba wins or NAPA rules the country ;)
  

* Since both PMC endings can be considered evil, you'll have to wait until timeline is published :P

[CarlGustaffa 4]

@Soul_Assassin: Haha, was waiting for a response like that :D

[frostwyrm333 1]

Im not sure but I think the arma Armstrong was black.

[instagoat 133]

As Armaverse grows large and starts spreading across multiple projects, we're preparing a timeline summarizing all important events, characters and decisions.

Let me clarify a few facts now before the timeline is finished:

* All previously released Arma games (A0, A1, A2) are regarded as canon.

* Red Hammer and Rahmadi Conflict are still being evaluated, but all other expansions and DLCs (Resistance, Queen's Gambit, Arrowhead, BAF, PMC) are also considered to be canon.

* EW is non-canon, taking "what-if" approach instead.

* Take On Helicopters, even when not being included in Arma series, is still part of Armaverse. You may expect some characters to appear again

* Mark Reynolds as presented in PMC is, as the rest of the PMC campaign, canon. As for which ending is offical, it's the evil one*

* All community content is generally non-cannon, as we cannot assure it's compatibility (that includes my previous projects like WTWE). Yet Armaverse will always contain many intentional gaps leaving place for your imagination (BTW: Uncharted 3 devs described that quite well recently). We're always happy to see community missions and campaigns filling those gaps, same as we enjoy playing alternative timelines where Guba wins or NAPA rules the country

* Since both PMC endings can be considered evil, you'll have to wait until timeline is published :P

Thanks a lot for the intel. I need to play a lot of games now prior to A3 being released :I

Soul Assassin: Oh, you! :O

[Maio 293]

Looks like Reynolds will play a big role in things to come.

[Black Cat 10]

My View on things:

ArmA:CWC/OFP is canon,

ArmA 1 and Queen's Gambit are canon,

Harvest Red did not end in nuclear war or chedaki gaining power, Prizrak's survival is questionable,

EW is a "what if" scenario,

Arrowhead ended in Hostage Rescue, most likely, and BAF/PMC are canon (bad ending for PMC

Mods Apparently Real:

Mando Missile

Isla Duala, and most likely Lin'gor as well

FDF Podagorsk, Operation Purgatory probably is not,

And CSLA, possibly?

[Nicholas 5]

Please explain to me what canon means?

[Smurf 12]

Please explain to me what canon means?

"In slang, a word used by those who write fanfiction. It refers to the original body of work that the fanfiction came from."

"Another word for official. Used quite often in fan fiction to differentiate between the official storyline in which the fan fiction is based on."

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Canon

Didn´t knew either.

[dmarkwick 261]

I learned what canon was when the last Star Trek movie came out. THEN I heard lots & lots & lots about canon. Oh yes. The nerds were ANGRY :D

Edited August 1, 2011 by DMarkwick

[mattxr 9]

Thanks for the post Gaia

[CarlGustaffa 4]

Well I'm also a musician (sorta, kinda, not a very good one, lol), and there canon has a slightly different meaning (think

). :D

[BobcatBob 10]

[*] Take On Helicopters, even when not being included in Arma series, is still part of Armaverse. You may expect some characters to appear again ;)

[/i]

I bet they come in as civilian contractors who will fly supply shipments in an area of future arma conflict!

AMIRIGHT????

Maaybe whee gets to rescue them???:cool:

[Nielsen 10]

I learned what canon was when the last Star Trek movie came out. THEN I heard lots & lots & lots about canon. Oh yes. The nerds were ANGRY :D

Indeed we were :D

Me and my friend were all like:

---> :deal: ---> :rage::936: ---> :protest: :protest:

They did really butcher the lore though. As if Star Trek lore was'nt complicated enough to begin with without new alternate timelines. :o *runs and hides*