ARMA 2: OA beta build 87662 (1.60 MP compatible build, post 1.60 release)

[On_Sabbatical 11]

I'm not complaining about AI (i eat them for breakfast anyway :D)

I mean there are things that AI does which can only be described as unreal ... like killing things using one bullet from a 500 m distance even when hurt ...

Or,getting out of a disabled tank with maximum skill ... knowing exactly where you are :D

i will post a bunch of tickets soon on CIT.

[fabrizio_t 58]

I would like to know whether somewhat was changed infantry-AI wise within this beta patch and after 1.60 release.

Point is that scripted AI is now performing better for me.

I know doTarget was flawed, but i can't explain why now my (scripted) infantry AI is performing 30-40% better, kill-count wise, in test missions i played for ages.

So it's not placebo effect.

I can see target acquisition is faster and probably more reliable, but there's more under the hood, it seems ...

EDIT: a bitter sidenote: looks to me that since v.1.60 formation handling has been "hardened" a bit, i notice units sometimes tend to stop more in the open in order to respect formation, instead of use cover.

Edited January 1, 2012 by fabrizio_T

[Beagle 684]

already fixed, was BE problem

No it's not fixed, because using the beta or hotfix 87662 is not a fix because in this version the vehicle proxies are broken to the point were cars are useless, that a problem in sigle missions and MP warfare were cars is all you have to start with.

Unfortunately I applied the 87636 as hotfix and can't roll back now...beeing closed out from MP from now on because without Hotfix I get kicked for wrong signatures....!!!

untill 87648 there were no problem with betas in online games until BE was "updated".

Edited January 2, 2012 by Beagle

[PELHAM 10]

Bad stuttering during HALO on Domination - worst I have ever seen in game so far. Seems to be a few wall issues again with AI passing through them / shooting through them more readily than was the case last week.

[mr_centipede 31]

No it's not fixed, because using the beta or hotfix 87662 is not a fix because in this version the vehicle proxies are broken to the point were cars are useless, that a problem in sigle missions and MP warfare were cars is all you have to start with.

Unfortunately I applied the 87636 as hotfix and can't roll back now...beeing closed out from MP from now on because without Hotfix I get kicked for wrong signatures....!!!

untill 87648 there were no problem with betas in online games until BE was "updated".

I think he probably meant fixed for next beta patch...

[Dwarden 1125]

BE problems were fixed ... unless there are new or other ones ...

his rambling about proxies is completely unrelated to what i posted about

[suma 8]

I would like to know whether somewhat was changed infantry-AI wise within this beta patch and after 1.60 release.

Point is that scripted AI is now performing better for me.

I know doTarget was flawed, but i can't explain why now my (scripted) infantry AI is performing 30-40% better, kill-count wise, in test missions i played for ages.

So it's not placebo effect.

I can see target acquisition is faster and probably more reliable, but there's more under the hood, it seems ...

The only change was really the doTarget and the AI tactics fixes listed in the changelog. There were no changes done in the accuracy / skill code.

Can you provide some reproducible evidence of the AI being better now?

Edited January 2, 2012 by Suma

[sickboy 13]

No it's not fixed, because using the beta or hotfix 87662 is not a fix because in this version the vehicle proxies are broken to the point were cars are useless, that a problem in sigle missions and MP warfare were cars is all you have to start with.

Unfortunately I applied the 87636 as hotfix and can't roll back now...beeing closed out from MP from now on because without Hotfix I get kicked for wrong signatures....!!!

untill 87648 there were no problem with betas in online games until BE was "updated".

What is the ticket about the proxies supposedly broken?

What is the ticket about the BattlEye problems? What are the messages, warnings, errors, etc.

What is the ticket about the signature problems? Should be unrelated to BE in any case.

Details, specifics, rpt files, etc is what gets problem solved swiftly.

How so can't revert? Try reinstalling the 1.60 patch. Next time make a backup.

I would like to underline that I think releasing beta patches as manually applyable hotfix packages is making things confusing and problematic.

People with know-how already know how (doh) to accomplish it, and the rest should simply just install the beta patches as usual.

Hopefully this will ceize once a hotfixed 1.60 patch is out, or 1.61 etc.

Edited January 2, 2012 by Sickboy

[Beagle 684]

http://dev-heaven.net/issues/27445

http://dev-heaven.net/issues/27419

http://dev-heaven.net/issues/27424

http://dev-heaven.net/issues/27419

http://dev-heaven.net/issues/27417

Just for the issues, the BE Problem with unknow version has a own thread in the forums already but it is not fixed...tghe Fix proposed it to usse the faulty Beta 87662 with the vehuicle proxy bug....no solution as it makes cars unworkable.

Applying 1.60 over hotfix broke my game to the point I had to reinstall...vanilla 1.60 gives me BE kicks because of wrong signature for mission_e.pbo.

Stuck in the middle the only two option are no MP and a working game or MP and broken beta.

[fabrizio_t 58]

The only change was really the doTarget. It might have affected AI tactics by affecting target assignment in some unexpected way, but there were no changes done in the accuracy / skill code.

Can you provide some reproducible evidence of the AI being better now?

Thanks Suma.

What i see is a quite improved kill count in some test missions featuring scripted AI vs. vanilla AI. These missions are heavy on the scripting side and include custom addons ( CfgAiSkill, danger.fsm, animations ).

The most surprising scenario is a case of short-to-medium range (50-150m.) frontal engagement with abundance of cover around. Compared to v1.60 kills count for scripted AI went suddenly up of about 40% peak, 30% in average.

Other that "doTarget" fixes, reading changelogs for betas i noticed these changes:

[87640] Improved: AI sometimes did not start firing at enemy which passed quickly just in front of it.

Improved: AI units now give more preference to close targets (http://dev-heaven.net/issues/25847)

I suspect these fixes are playing a role. However i can't figure whether due to them my scripted AI has improved or vanilla AI has worsened.

Edited January 2, 2012 by fabrizio_T

[tony86 2]

I run beta, and I have error - No entry ".profilePathDefault'. What's is wrong?

I have A2: Combined Operation (1.60) and Win7.

[maddogx 13]

I run beta, and I have error - No entry ".profilePathDefault'. What's is wrong?

I have A2: Combined Operation (1.60) and Win7.

That error means you didn't launch the beta correctly. Try running the game with the new shortcut that was created in the game's main directory when you installed the beta. ("Launch Arma2 OA Beta Patch".)

There should also be instructions in the readme on how to run a beta properly.

[PELHAM 10]

I would like to underline that I think releasing beta patches as manually applyable hotfix packages is making things confusing and problematic.

People with know-how already know how (doh) to accomplish it, and the rest should simply just install the beta patches as usual.

Hopefully this will ceize once a hotfixed 1.60 patch is out, or 1.61 etc.

Excellent advice, anyone who has not taken note of this really should do so.

[sickboy 13]

http://dev-heaven.net/issues/27445

http://dev-heaven.net/issues/27419

http://dev-heaven.net/issues/27424

http://dev-heaven.net/issues/27419

http://dev-heaven.net/issues/27417

Just for the issues, the BE Problem with unknow version has a own thread in the forums already but it is not fixed...tghe Fix proposed it to usse the faulty Beta 87662 with the vehuicle proxy bug....no solution as it makes cars unworkable.

Applying 1.60 over hotfix broke my game to the point I had to reinstall...vanilla 1.60 gives me BE kicks because of wrong signature for mission_e.pbo.

Stuck in the middle the only two option are no MP and a working game or MP and broken beta.

Thanks, asked $able to add support for the older beta builds incl 658.

[suma 8]

Other that "doTarget" fixes, reading changelogs for betas i noticed these changes:

I suspect these fixes are playing a role. However i can't figure whether due to them my scripted AI has improved or vanilla AI has worsened.

My bad, you are correct. I have forgotten about them as I have implemented them before 1.60, they were only merged now into the main version. Changelog is correct and this really could have observable effect on AI efficiency. I hope the effect should be the AI is more capable now, but without some measurable repro it is hard to be sure.

[Beagle 684]

Thanks, asked $able to add support for the older beta builds incl 658.

thanks but 87646 was the last beta without vehicle proxy bug....658 is broken too.

[OMAC 254]

My bad, you are correct. I have forgotten about them as I have implemented them before 1.60, they were only merged now into the main version. Changelog is correct and this really could have observable effect on AI efficiency. I hope the effect should be the AI is more capable now, but without some measurable repro it is hard to be sure.

Greatly enhanced AI ability is very evident when playing any of the first several missions of the CWR2 campaign in SP (esp. Camping and Alert). Friendly AI mow down enemy AI very effectively on Veteran, rendering the missions about 50% easier than they were with 1.59.

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

This one is worrisome:

http://dev-heaven.net/issues/27445

Should we delete those obsolete files?

[Dwarden 1125]

these who use the 'hotfix' file i made are sort of safe cause that files i removed by hand :)

[OMAC 254]

Loading saved A2 games made with full 87662 will crash A2 CO if the obsolete files are removed from the beta folder...

[Dwarden 1125]

because the hotfix replaces the files in main file structure, not removes them from beta ... (in short it's not beta, it changes the data of game)

(the beta needs to be repacked w/o these files or with files adequate to actual dataset of 1.60 to be w/o issues)

[OMAC 254]

I see. Thanks. I'm looking forward to the next beta, then. I guess I should have stayed with the hotfix for this beta at least.

[Vipera 10]

Thanks Suma.

What i see is a quite improved kill count in some test missions featuring scripted AI vs. vanilla AI. These missions are heavy on the scripting side and include custom addons ( CfgAiSkill, danger.fsm, animations ).

Maybe this fix affects on firefights much more, so weapon is more lethal now.

[85440] Fixed: Bullets damage reduced too much over distance (http://dev-heaven.net/issues/11479)

[PELHAM 10]

Anyone getting some intermittent large scale "rubber banding" with this? I was trying to kill a T-72 at close range and it suddenly disappeared and in the next instant was 100m to my left. Had several instances of this in 1 hour. More frequent with trying to lockon moving vehicles with AT. The green square is often 50-100m away from the target. Missile seems to hit most of the time unless there is an obstruction.

edit: Confirm it does not happen on 87646 (dedicated servers)

Edited January 4, 2012 by PELHAM

[kremator 1065]

Yes PELHAM - I'm getting that on my dedi too. My main problem is vehicles that get caught on scenery (like a tree, or a wall) and cannot get away from it.

[KeyCat 131]

As noticed by Seany it looks like script made light sources (i.e _light = "#lightpoint" createVehicle _pos) produces a "square effect". It's not new to this specific build and it's there also in 1.60 Final. SC by Seany...

http://i41.tinypic.com/jrtavq.jpg

Anyone else seeing this?

/KC