Arma 3 Community Alpha - Announcement!

[Przemek_kondor 13]

Wait, you guys did realize that the years and posts ideas were sarcasm, right?

Looks like they didn't

[Meta87 1]

Can't wait to get my hands into this!

Looking forward to ArmA3. Glad release was pushed back to further polish and develop the game.

[purepassion 22]

Wait, you guys did realize that the years and posts ideas were sarcasm, right?

Well I for one was answering sarcasm with sarcasm :)

I agree with you there. I wan't to "save Limnos for when the game is finally done as its one of the biggest feautures of the A3. I hope that there is a test island in the alpha. But at the same time I don't want limnos to suffer from poor performance due to lack of testing. Oh well I'll be happy however the devs decide to do it.

As I mentioned previously, Agios Efstratios is sort of/kinda/maybe confirmed and it would serve a good purpose for the "test island" aka Utes or Desert. It's really a tough decision ^^ On one hand you don't want to spoil those great things too early but on the other hand it would be really useful to get rid of glitches and other unwanted stuff and check for performance as a whole on the huge map.

I hope for Agios Efstratios tough

[dmarkwick 261]

Perhaps a quarter of the island can be used for the beta, can't be too hard to just select, copy & paste objects in Visitor onto a duplicate terrain & release like that :) (or even select, delete, save as... :)) So we get the whole island as terrain, but only a quarter is populated with objects. I reckon a quarter map will still give a decent & useful performance benchmark.

[hellfire257 3]

I don't really mind. The key thing is that it is fit for testing the components that BI need testing. I've seen so many game betas that have put too much fancy content in. This has just caused people to play the game rather than spend time bug hunting.

[Tonci87 163]

A simple plain surface (well maybe with a few bumps and a halfpipe for Vehicle PhysX testing) would be totally enough for the Alpha.

[antoineflemming 14]

A simple plain surface (well maybe with a few bumps and a halfpipe for Vehicle PhysX testing) would be totally enough for the Alpha.

Well yeah it's fine if all you care about is the vehicles. But I think Alpha will be testing out different stuff, not just one aspect. But, yeah, nothing needs to be too detailed or anything. Just enough to actually test would be fine. However, I for one won't be complaining if it is detailed.

[Maio 293]

BIS should provide a set of instructions with the Alpha telling what they would like the players to test and were to submit their findings.

[code34 248]

any news about the alpha release ? a download link or other ?

[PuFu 4591]

any news about the alpha release ? a download link or other ?

Sorry mate, you were too late. Alpha phase for A3 is already closed. Was a blast either way. better luck next time

[onlyrazor 11]

any news about the alpha release ? a download link or other ?

The game's due to come out in about 9-15 months from now, so I really wouldn't expect any testing version just yet.

Also, goddamn ninja! :bounce3:

[Whirly 1]

it'll offer a quite limited set of content to begin with, with more released as we can

Is this so that it will be easier to pinpoint bugs by testing the direct effects of each feature one feature at a time?

[PuFu 4591]

Is this so that it will be easier to pinpoint bugs by testing the direct effects of each feature one feature at a time?

content != features

[Whirly 1]

content != features

Are you saying that the alpha will have all new features right from the start, for example features such as the new command menu?

[PuFu 4591]

Are you saying that the alpha will have all new features right from the start, for example features such as the new command menu?

Yes, it is more than possible. Usually content in this community means vehicles, units, weapons, islands etc etc.

[Whirly 1]

Yes, it is more than possible. Usually content in this community means vehicles, units, weapons, islands etc etc.

Thank's mate.

[Rionrace 10]

It's quite awesome that we get to see kind of a preview again! Good joob BI!

[Whirly 1]

The alpha trial could help draw plenty of attention to ARMA 3, people often become very enthusiastic about a game when they think their feedback might possibly help influence the final product. I intend on posting gameplay footage varying from long range drawn-out ammo dwindling firefights to tense vicious house to house skirmishes. It's important to show people who want to make a departure from the run-n-gun melee attack antics of other games that ARMA 3 is worth taking a look at.

[Tonci87 163]

The alpha trial could help draw plenty of attention to ARMA 3, people often become very enthusiastic about a game when they think their feedback might possibly help influence the final product. I intend on posting gameplay footage varying from long range drawn-out ammo dwindling firefights to tense vicious house to house skirmishes. It's important to show people who want to make a departure from the run-n-gun melee attack antics of other games that ARMA 3 is worth taking a look at.

I guess stuff like that will come with the Beta, I´m not even sure if peope will be allowed to make Videos with the Alpha.

[ProfTournesol 956]

As an alpha demo is meant (as beta patch now) for debugging and adapting new features, i fail to see why it should be limited to anybody. Arma2 limited beta testing was a major failure, i'm sure BIS has learnt from it.

[antoineflemming 14]

As an alpha demo is meant (as beta patch now) for debugging and adapting new features, i fail to see why it should be limited to anybody. Arma2 limited beta testing was a major failure, i'm sure BIS has learnt from it.

Well, you're kinda feeding into the whole "We don't want alpha seen as demo" thing by calling it an alpha demo. But, yeah, the alpha test IMO shouldn't be limited to anyone. I hope the alpha for TOH was successful. I'm not sure though. Anyone know just how successful that was?

[Flash Thunder 10]

Alpha would be bound to Non disclosure agreement.

Beta on the other hand well hopefully people like Richiespeed could market the game through video sharing sites, his videos get substantial amounts of views.

[cm. 10]

Alpha would be bound to Non disclosure agreement.

Beta on the other hand well hopefully people like Richiespeed could market the game through video sharing sites, his videos get substantial amounts of views.

er, no it wouldn't the community preview of TOH wasn't, why would a "community alpha" be any different.

[Tonci87 163]

er, no it wouldn't the community preview of TOH wasn't, why would a "community alpha" be any different.

Because an Alpha will be in a unfinished state, and there will be bugs. The lasts thing BIS needs is videos all around youtube showing bugs in the alpha, together with some stupid smartasses that predict that A3 will be a total bugfest because there are bugs in the alpha. You know that those idiots do exist

[antoineflemming 14]

Because an Alpha will be in a unfinished state, and there will be bugs. The lasts thing BIS needs is videos all around youtube showing bugs in the alpha, together with some stupid smartasses that predict that A3 will be a total bugfest because there are bugs in the alpha. You know that those idiots do exist

But, the point cm. is making is that since the TOH Community Alpha wasn't bound by any NDA, why would the ArmA 3 one? So, the assumption (unless BIS says differently) is that the ArmA 3 Community Alpha will be done in a similar fashion to the TOH Community Alpha, which would mean no NDA. Yes, all other Alphas that I know have had NDAs. But this Alpha might not be based on those.